• floppy drives and cables

    From G6JPG-255@255soft.uk@1:124/5013 to All on Thu Jan 31 19:16:21 2019
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    From: "J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG-255@255soft.uk>
    Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion Subject: floppy drives and cables
    Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:16:24 +0000
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    In message <ougql9$m6u$1@dont-email.me>, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
    writes:
    []
    The twisted part, consists of four active signals.
    Two for each drive. The twist swaps the signals, so
    that one connector can have an A personality and the
    other a B personality. (Just like a CS Cable Select method.)
    []
    I've always assumed it was that, and thought it was a clever solution (admittedly, requiring unusual cable construction).

    So presumably there is something like (_at the drive_):

    01 - A
    10 - B

    (or vice versa).

    Does that mean there is the _possibility_ of _four_ drives, using up the
    00 and 11 options?
    --
    J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

    I reckon in a few years we'll have GoogleBum. You'll type in someone's name
    and it will show you what their bum looks like. Even if they've never posted a nude picture, it will reconstruct their bum from bits of their face and leg
    and whatever else they can find. - Charlie Brooker, RT 2014/12/13-19
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  • From james@nospam.com@1:124/5013 to All on Thu Jan 31 19:16:25 2019
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    From: james@nospam.com
    Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion Subject: Re: floppy drives and cables
    Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2017 12:45:14 -0600
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    On Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:16:24 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG-255@255soft.uk> wrote:

    In message <ougql9$m6u$1@dont-email.me>, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> >writes:
    []
    The twisted part, consists of four active signals.
    Two for each drive. The twist swaps the signals, so
    that one connector can have an A personality and the
    other a B personality. (Just like a CS Cable Select method.)
    []
    I've always assumed it was that, and thought it was a clever solution >(admittedly, requiring unusual cable construction).

    So presumably there is something like (_at the drive_):

    01 - A
    10 - B

    (or vice versa).

    Does that mean there is the _possibility_ of _four_ drives, using up the
    00 and 11 options?

    This is an unusual way of doing things, and making cables like that must
    be difficult. I'd think it would have been easier to just have a
    jumper(s) on the drive, for either drive A or Drive B. But this is how
    they did it back then, and how it will always be.

    I am curious if 3 or 4 drives could be used. Not that I would need that
    many. I'm still trying to remember if those ZIP drives connected to the
    floppy cable, or to something else, like a serial port? I had one, and
    at the time it was the only way to store 100 megs on one drive, which at
    that time was a lot of data. I had one of them for a brief time, but I
    found they were unreliable. Flash drives sure are a better thing, now.


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    * Origin: Prison Board BBS Mesquite Tx //telnet.RDFIG.NET www. (1:124/5013)
  • From not@telling.you.invalid@1:124/5013 to All on Thu Jan 31 19:16:25 2019
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    From: not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev)
    Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion Subject: Re: floppy drives and cables
    Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2017 21:51:50 +0000 (UTC)
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    In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion james@nospam.com wrote:
    On Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:16:24 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)" <G6JPG-255@255soft.uk> wrote:

    In message <ougql9$m6u$1@dont-email.me>, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> >>writes:
    []
    The twisted part, consists of four active signals.
    Two for each drive. The twist swaps the signals, so
    that one connector can have an A personality and the
    other a B personality. (Just like a CS Cable Select method.)
    []
    I've always assumed it was that, and thought it was a clever solution >>(admittedly, requiring unusual cable construction).

    So presumably there is something like (_at the drive_):

    01 - A
    10 - B

    (or vice versa).

    Does that mean there is the _possibility_ of _four_ drives, using up the >>00 and 11 options?

    I am curious if 3 or 4 drives could be used. Not that I would need that
    many. I'm still trying to remember if those ZIP drives connected to the floppy cable, or to something else, like a serial port?

    The Zip drive installed in the PC I'm posting from is IDE. There were also external ones for the parallel port and USB.

    As for the drives, I guess a lot of things are possible if you write
    the code to access them from scratch. Whether this method for selecting
    more than two drives would work may depend on the flexibility of the
    floppy controller.

    --
    __ __
    #_ < |\| |< _#
    --- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.1
    * Origin: Prison Board BBS Mesquite Tx //telnet.RDFIG.NET www. (1:124/5013)
  • From james@nospam.com@1:124/5013 to All on Thu Jan 31 19:16:25 2019
    Path: eternal-september.org!reader02.eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.o rg!aioe.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
    From: james@nospam.com
    Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion Subject: Re: floppy drives and cables
    Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:46:48 -0600
    Organization: Aioe.org NNTP Server
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    On Wed, 15 Nov 2017 21:51:50 +0000 (UTC), not@telling.you.invalid
    (Computer Nerd Kev) wrote:

    In microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion james@nospam.com wrote:
    On Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:16:24 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
    <G6JPG-255@255soft.uk> wrote:

    In message <ougql9$m6u$1@dont-email.me>, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> >>>writes:
    []
    The twisted part, consists of four active signals.
    Two for each drive. The twist swaps the signals, so
    that one connector can have an A personality and the
    other a B personality. (Just like a CS Cable Select method.)
    []
    I've always assumed it was that, and thought it was a clever solution >>>(admittedly, requiring unusual cable construction).

    So presumably there is something like (_at the drive_):

    01 - A
    10 - B

    (or vice versa).

    Does that mean there is the _possibility_ of _four_ drives, using up the >>>00 and 11 options?

    I am curious if 3 or 4 drives could be used. Not that I would need that
    many. I'm still trying to remember if those ZIP drives connected to the
    floppy cable, or to something else, like a serial port?

    The Zip drive installed in the PC I'm posting from is IDE. There were also >external ones for the parallel port and USB.

    As for the drives, I guess a lot of things are possible if you write
    the code to access them from scratch. Whether this method for selecting
    more than two drives would work may depend on the flexibility of the
    floppy controller.

    Ok, I had an IDE Zip drive, and I also had a parallel port one.

    Thanks

    --- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.1
    * Origin: Prison Board BBS Mesquite Tx //telnet.RDFIG.NET www. (1:124/5013)