PC 160K and 320K are NOT SINGLE DENSITY

From: Nico de Jong <nico_at_farumdata.dk>
Date: Sat Dec 27 00:43:53 2003

From: "Fred Cisin" <cisin_at_xenosoft.com>
Subject: PC 160K and 320K are NOT SINGLE DENSITY


> On Fri, 26 Dec 2003, Nico de Jong wrote:
> > > "Note that most PC floppy controllers have broken single density
modes.
> > Well, that's old hat to me. Around 1988 or so, I suddenly got problems
> > reading "elderly" 5.25" discs on new PC's. The reason was, that the 160K
and
> > 320K capacities were "designed out" of the floppy controllers normally
used
> > in PC's
>
> HOW can you "designed out" 160K and 320K?
> Those are PHYSICALLY the same as the PC 360K format that is
> still actively supported.
>
> Any system that can read PC 360K, but not PC 160K and 320K
> has BROKEN SOFTWARE, NOT a hardware issue.

I must be a bit more precise. I'm not talking about the 765's and such, but
of the controller chips used in PC's (and especially the ones embedded on
the motherboards). I had a system, where I could run MicroSolutions' UniForm
software on the internal drives. When I changed motherboard or floppy
controller (cant remember what), it was not possible anymore. The DOS
version was not changed.

Maybe we can agree on "modified firmware" ?

Nico
Received on Sat Dec 27 2003 - 00:43:53 GMT