Parallel drive (was: USB 5.25" floppy drive - do it

From: Dwight K. Elvey <dwight.elvey_at_amd.com>
Date: Fri Jun 11 20:41:00 2004

Hi Steve
 Sure, but I have a DSP and I know how to program it.
I've not done CPLD's or FPGA's. It is just a matter
of what resources I have handy. I still think the
DSP is a little more flexible and friendlier environment.
Dwight


>From: "Steve Thatcher" <melamy_at_earthlink.net>
>
>actually don't need a DSP (digital signal processor). A CPLD or FPGA could do
most (in some cases, all) of the entire logic required except for the buffering
of track data.
>
>best regards, Steve Thatcher
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: "Dwight K. Elvey" <dwight.elvey_at_amd.com>
>Sent: Jun 11, 2004 8:35 PM
>To: cctalk_at_classiccmp.org
>Subject: Re: Parallel drive (was: USB 5.25" floppy drive - do it
>
>Hi
> I doubt one can fetch data with most PC's from the parallel
>port fast enough to keep from being overrun, even on a byte
>wise basis. That is why I've suggest the DSP. May of these can
>run fast enough to do it on a BIT wise basis and
>require no external hardware, other than buffers.
>Dwight
>
>>From: "Steven Canning" <cannings_at_earthlink.net>
>>
>>I've been looking into this for some time. The parallel port lacks the
>>"through-put" to take the data on and off the floppy as serial data (as it
>>comes off the drive "raw") but if you added some hardware (like a Western
>>Digital FD controller) it will separate the data and convert it to
>>"parallel" data which the parallel port can support. The inverse is also
>>true (parallel data back to serial to fed the drive). The FDC can handle the
>>Single density issue. Processing power of the computer is not an issue
>>unless you have a painfully slow machine. I wish I had more time to work on
>>this project. Anyone have the Kilobaud article were someone connected a FDD
>>to a Heathkit ET-3400 ?
>>
>>Best regards, Steven
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Fred Cisin" <cisin_at_xenosoft.com>
>>To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
>><cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
>>Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2004 2:55 PM
>>Subject: Parallel drive (was: USB 5.25" floppy drive - do it
>>
>>
>>> On Thu, 10 Jun 2004, Jules Richardson wrote:
>>> > Not sure if such as a PC parallel port is fast enough to cope with the
>>> > data rate of a floppy drive and leave enough time for the CPU to do the
>>> > processing though... but that'd be nice; little more than a cable and a
>>> > bit of glue logic hooked up to a parallel port that could be quickly
>>> > swapped between machines.
>>>
>>> MicroSolutions (DeKalb IL) in their "BackPack" line, made parallel port
>>> floppy drives. I have a 2.8M 3.5" from them, but they also made a lot of
>>> other models.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
Received on Fri Jun 11 2004 - 20:41:00 BST