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

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

Moll 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.

Any reliable format routine must assume that there is no (accurate)
track information recorded on the disk, and so must find track 0
absolutely, by seeking "past" the stop.

You can choose the kind of noise you get, but, if your drive
doesn't have a track 0 sensor that disables stepping (as most
drives don't), you will have to get a recalibration noise of
some sort when formatting.

(In principle, a _batch_ formatter could seek back to track 0
after formatting, and just leave the head positioned correctly
for the next disk...)

-michael

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