Connecting a B drive (720kb) PCW 8512 to a PC - 360rpm

[pacomix]

Hi!


   I was trying to set up my preservation PC with a double headed drive coming from a PCW 8512 without success. I have connected the drive using the FD1 enclosure to simplify the connection.


First thing I noticed. It spins at 360rpms. Is this normal?


Second thing. When using Samdisk to scan a disk (single density) (samdisk scan a: -h0 -d) it scans the side wiithout any problems. Any attemp in trying to use the second head fails. It always report the content of the track as blank.


Third thing. Any attemp to view the directory listing of the disk will fail.


Fourth thing. Any attemp to format a disk will fail stating that the Format is too big for track.


What I'm trying to do is to have a system that allows to preserve the content of the 9512 disks and be able to burn them back and also to minimize the side changes when preserving/burning the common 180Kb disks.


Any ideas or somebody that had this configuration set up?


Thanks!!!

[gerald]

First thing I noticed. It spins at 360rpms. Is this normal?

I would say no, but the PC floppy controller should be able to deal with this (5 1/4 80 track spin at 360rpm) ?

Second thing. When using Samdisk to scan a disk (single density) (samdisk scan a: -h0 -d) it scans the side wiithout any problems. Any attemp in trying to use the second head fails. It always report the content of the track as blank.

This is expected, on double sided drives, the two heads are not facing each other. You cannot read side 0 with head 1 and vice versa. On single sided floppy, only head 0 is used.
Also, you should not be able to reverse the floppy without putting tape on the small cut top left edge of the floppy.

Third thing. Any attemp to view the directory listing of the disk will fail.
Fourth thing. Any attemp to format a disk will fail stating that the Format is too big for track.

360 rpm ? Can you try with 300rpm ? Did you check that the drive is working on a PCW/CPC ?

What I'm trying to do is to have a system that allows to preserve the content of the 9512 disks and be able to burn them back and also to minimize the side changes when preserving/burning the common 180Kb disks.

You will not escape the side changes on 180k 

[pacomix]

Hahah Geral I just noticed my intentions in trying to use single sided floppies without switching the side hahahaha while you was writting the post.


I'm not a PCW expert so probably some people with more experience can throw some light here. I think I've read in another post that the B drives of the PCWs were spinning at 360rpms. Can somebody confirm this?


Another thing I've noticed with Samdisk is that when scanning the disk or making a copy of its contents it set the writting speed to 300kbps while when trying to format, it sets it to 250kbps. No matter if I use the --rpm switch to 300 or 360... So I'm a bit lost at this point.


thanks Gerald for your reply!

[/size]

360 rpm ? Can you try with 300rpm ? Did you check that the drive is working on a PCW/CPC ?

I've just replaced the belt but I have no clue on how can I check that directly in the PCW. Some steps would be appreciated.

[pacomix]

Also I'm trying to find 720KB PCW images for doing tests without success...Some months ago I was trying to look for the PCW 9512 cp/m images but it seems they don't exist. Any help would be appreciated...

[CraigsBar]

Also I'm trying to find 720KB PCW images for doing tests without success...Some months ago I was trying to look for the PCW 9512 cp/m images but it seems they don't exist. Any help would be appreciated...

I can make you a PCW 9512+ CP/M image, Other than the physical disc format I believe that the format stucture is identical between the 3 and 3.5 inch drives

[TFM]

I can make you a PCW 9512+ CP/M image, Other than the physical disc format I believe that the format stucture is identical between the 3 and 3.5 inch drives

Oh, I would need one too! Can you please post the DSK here. That would be awesome. Got a 9512, but no discs 

[CraigsBar]

Oh, I would need one too! Can you please post the DSK here. That would be awesome. Got a 9512, but no discs 

Hmmm, Not sure on the legal platform for that (Certainly since I've imaged Locoscript 4 as well)


Drom me your e-mail address in a PM and I'll send them tonight

[pacomix]

So... unless the drive I'm using that spins at 360rpm is not ok... the image is not working in a 9512 (non plus).


Samdisk states that it addapts the source data rate in order matching the rpm's of the drive being used, so I assume this is right.


Once I insert the disk in the 9512 the screen goes to black, the drive reads a bit and then after some seconds the computer beeps three time I think and then the drives stop. Once I press the Space bar the process start again.


Where can I find disk images of the 9512??? It seems this computer have never existed!!


Thanks a lot Craig for your help and interest!!