I agree, and that generic USB FDC is already available: https://github.com/dhansel/ArduinoFDC
If I can simply select 5 1/4 floppy mode and it'll work with an 8" disk, I guess I don't need anything else? On Fri, Sep 8, 2023, 6:20 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > >>>> but presents itself to an OS as a Mass Storage Device (block device). > > >> Anders, for what practical purpose would you do that? > >> It’s not like there’s so many 8 inch floppies around to make it > feasible. > >> You would have to have a LOT of intelligence in the Usb interface due to > >> the different physical formats let alone the software formats. > >> It would be difficult. > > On Fri, 8 Sep 2023, Anders Nelson via cctalk wrote: > > Hi Wayne, > > For sure the controller would have to do a lot more, but I know firmware > > pretty well and BIOS/ancient OSes not at all! 😅 > > It would still be handy to have a USB device that operates as a "normal" > fully functional FDC. > It would make it possible to add floppies to devices without them, and/or > add more or different floppies to devices that do have them. > The basic software for it could be in flash RAM in the same USB device. > > Source code for the IBM PC BIOS was published. > For floppies, you need Int13h, and there is a table of parameters pointed > to by Int1Eh. > > Handling formats other than PC, auch as CP/M, P-System, TRSDOS, MS > Stand-Alone BASIC, Mac "1.44MB", etc. would require additional code. > > > -- > Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
