Differences between version 3 and previous revision of MFM.
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| Newer page: | version 3 | Last edited on Saturday, September 20, 2003 9:42:56 pm | by JamieCurtis | Revert |
| Older page: | version 2 | Last edited on Saturday, September 20, 2003 1:47:08 am | by MarcelVanDeSteeg | Revert |
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-The proper name for this interface is actually [
ST-506/ST-412]
.
+The proper name for this interface is actually ST-506/ST-412.
This is a very old interface, used to connect storage devices to a motherboard.
This interface predates [IDE], and is not used anymore for harddrives. It was developed in the 1980's by [Seagate].
@@ -9,19 +9,19 @@
[MFM] is an acronym for "Modified Frequency Modulation".%%%
Another encoding method used with this interface is [RLL].%%%
([RLL] encoding is possibly still used on modern [IDE] drives)
-[
ST-506/ST-412]
cables look like skinny [IDE] cables. (About half the width?)
-A single [
ST-506/ST-412]
harddrive needs two cables, one is 20 pins, the other is 34 pins.
+ST-506/ST-412 cables look like skinny [IDE] cables. (About half the width?)
+A single ST-506/ST-412 harddrive needs two cables, one is 20 pins, the other is 34 pins.
The biggest problem with this interface[1] is that there is no logic board mounted on the harddrive. The harddrive is controlled
by a separate controller card. Each harddrive requires its own unique controller card. Don't expect the controller cards to have any markings on them to indicate which harddrives they belong to/can work with.%%%
You have an [ST-506/ST-412] harddrive but no controller card?%%%
Bad luck, use it as a boatanchor or a doorstop.%%%
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Apparently floppy drives still use this protocol (with [MFM] encoding)
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-[
ST-506/ST412]
hardrives are BIG, NOISY, HEAVY and UNRELIABLE[2]. (About the size of a CD-ROM drive)%%%
+ST-506/ST412 hardrives are BIG, NOISY, HEAVY and UNRELIABLE[2]. (About the size of a CD-ROM drive)%%%
(They sound like typewriters IIRC :)
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''"The last time I fiddled with an [MFM] harddrive was about 15 years ago, so most of this is from memory and whatever I could quickly google up ;^)" -- [MarcelVanDeSteeg]''
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