Re: 5.25" disks: Formatting without that GRINDING...

[Don Bruder <dakidd@sonic.net>]

In article <WF_2e.132$7b.125@trndny01>,
 Moll <MollyBaker@Spam.GMAIL.Spam.Spam.Spam.Com> wrote:

> I know there's programs that format 5.25" disks for ProDOS without 
> "grinding".  Hyper-Format comes with FrEdWriter and its format starts 
> with a "reboot click".  Also, "Pirate's Friend" (which looks like an old 
> version of Copy ][ Plus?) sets up the drives with a "reboot click" too, 
> rather than a fast *GRIND*.
> 
> I wonder how difficult it would be, considering I know very little about 
> the disk ][ and DOS 3.3, to write a DOS 3.3 disk formatter, - doesn't 
> need to make bootable disks - that doesn't *GRIND* the disk drive.

Why bother? The "grind" you're talking about is nothing more or less 
than a faster version of what you call the "reboot click".

The ones that you mention that start their format with the "reboot 
click" are just using code cribbed from the disk controller's "seek to 
track zero" routine. The ones that start with the "grind" are almost 
certainly using "custom" seek-to-zero routines that have smaller delays 
between activation of the step phases than the delays used in the 
disk-contoller card's routines. Aside from that, they're doing exactly 
the same thing, in the same way. Just getting it done a tad quicker due 
to not wasting time on the longer delays.

Changing the behavior shouldn't be hard *ONCE YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE THE 
CODE IS*... That's going to be the tricky part if you're "working from 
scratch". No need to do that though - I'm certain that by now, there 
MUST be a document floating around that will tell you exactly where to 
look, with no need for digging through all of DOS to find it. 

Once found, increase the delay values between hitting the stepper-phase 
soft-switches (probably a one byte change in either one or two places) 
and the noise will be the usual "reboot click" you seem to prefer.

-- 
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