Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!ira.uka.de!fauern!faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de!csbrod
From: csbrod@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod)
Subject: Re: 1.44 MB project
Message-ID: <1991Jun13.120841.19885@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
Keywords: Floppy Disk
Organization: CSD., University of Erlangen, Germany
References: <none> <5827@wucc.waseda.ac.jp> <1991Jun11.150348.22250@informatik.uni-erlangen.de> <5832@wucc.waseda.ac.jp>
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1991 12:08:41 GMT
Lines: 52

ytsuji@wucc.waseda.ac.jp (Y.Tsuji) writes:

>I didn't know of your hack, I am very sorry. What I have known is a product
>known as HD-Module from ATARI-WORKSHOP in Windsor (England), which I assume
>comes from Compu-ware (I see German names like Herrman on the manual). It 
>is the size of a WD1772 so that it can be soldered on the Wd1772 easily.

You don't have to be sorry. It's just that you wondered why interest
was so low, and I tried to explain meaning to be helpful, nothing else.

>If that was ever as good as it claims, I hadn't had any reason to make my
>own. A couple of fatal defects I couldn't stand:
>    (2) Have to set the step rate. Or leave the step rate 6 ms for 2DD mode.
>        I will have to recompile or do something for all the software that
>        supposes 3 ms the default speed (e.g. Minix). I cannot forget I
>        left an HD floppy in the slot when I boot.

This leads me to think that this is a direct copy of our solution presented
in 1990 which also needed a separate step rate program.

>    (3) Non-standard formatting program (They think TOS's formatting 
>        program is good enough and use bios calls to physically format
>        18 sectors per track.)

What's so bad about Flopfmt()? I really don't understand the problem
here.

>    (4) the way LOW_DENSITY signal was created with the help of a transistor
>        couldn't please me.

Our solution didn't use transistors for this purpose.

>The fact there are either uninterested people or people satisfied with the
>German product compels me to cancel my posting in a day or two. If Herr Brod
>and other Germans could fill the gap and advise people to contact the
>company that sell the adaptor, I think I shouldn't stand in their way.

You don't have to cancel it just because there are other solutions for it.
The fact that you have attracted about 20 people willing to build your
HD circuit means that there is interest, albeit not as much as you'd like
to have.

In Germany, there are at least 10 commercial solutions for this purpose.
One of the best is sold by OverScan GbR in Berlin.


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Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2,			Things. Take. Time.
D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, Germany		 	(Piet Hein)
csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
Claus_Brod@wue.maus.de
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