Two suggestions (RX02 and Stepping Speed)

[mkatzNU]

I have a couple of suggestions for your firmware.

I was told that the greaseweazle firmware has the drive stepping speed fixed at 6ms per step and that it cannot change densities in mid-track. If these are true than here are my suggestions:

1. The Digital Equipment Corporation RX02 drive uses an unusual 8" disk format. It is the standard IBM 3740 format of 77 tracks of 26 sector each. In single density this is the format used by the DEC RX01. However, the RX02 puts the sector headers in single density and then switches to double density for the sector data.

Is there anyway to modify the firmware to allow for this format for reading, writing and formatting?

2. When I wrote floppy disk drivers for the 6809 Flex operating system the drives at the time could step at anywhere from 40mS down to 3mS per step. Many of the older drives cannot be stepped at 6mS/track (for example the old Shugart SA400 steps at 40mS per track).

Can the ability to change the stepping speed be added to the firmware?

Thank you,

         Mike

[keirf]

1. RX02 is understood by my companion GitHub project disk-utilities. So you can convert between sector images and (say) scp flux format and should be able to read/write the latter to eight inch disks using Greaseweazle. GW does not natively support the format currently but it could for sure be added.

2. The step speed can be adjusted by the gw delays --step command.

[mkatzNU]

Thank you.  I didn't know about the --step command.

…

On 2/4/2022 4:31 AM, Keir Fraser wrote: 1. RX02 is understood by my companion GitHub project disk-utilities. So you can convert between sector images and (say) scp flux format and should be able to read/write the latter to eight inch disks using Greaseweazle. GW does not natively support the format currently but it could for sure be added. 2. The step speed can be adjusted by the |gw delays --step| command. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#164 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AIHEKJKPSG4TJODBGIOP4Y3UZOTIFANCNFSM5NQJQHYA>. Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

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