8" drive on PC troubleshooting

[Dwight K. Elvey]

>From: "Vintage Computer Festival" <vcf at siconic.com>
>
>On Mon, 28 Feb 2005, Tom Jennings wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 28 Feb 2005, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
>>
>> > If I then try to DIR the disk the head backs up a track or so but can't
>> > seem to recalibrate to track 0.  The head vibrates as if the drive is
>> > sending the signals to the stepper to retract the head but it only manages
>> > to move back a track or so each time I issue DIR.  If I do it enough it
>> > eventually gets back to the stop position but it still gets sector errors.
>>
>> Wrong step rate! Poke a new on eint othe chip, or does it use the old
>> table of junk INT 13h used to supoprt?
>
>Um, I'm not sure.  I'm not sure I understand the question either.  This is
>a standard ISA IDE+floppy controller.  Should I try an older one?  Or hook
>this up to an oldr PC from the 1980s?
>

Hi
 There is a table that one stores the step rate
for the drive. You need to alter the value for
slower drives, like your 8 inch. I forget where
is it but it is in that lower area someplace
( 40:xxx or something ). It isn't a problem
of the controller. It should work with any controller,
you just need to find the table and change it.
It has been a while since I've fiddle with it
to make my drives step with less noise ( and wear ).
Dwight