Re: PEdisk project

From: Mike Stein <*mhs.stein_at_gmail.com*> Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2016 22:36:11 -0400 Message-ID: <BBE620CCDD114DB3804E817A4D25E444@310e2> · mhs.stein_at_gmail.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ethan Dicks" <ethan.dicks@gmail.com>
To: <cbm-hackers@musoftware.de>
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2016 8:35 PM
Subject: Re: PEdisk project

> On Wed, Aug 24, 2016 at 2:44 AM, Mike Stein <mhs.stein@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Speaking of using 'standard' diskette drives in a Commodore:
>>
>>  I don't know whether Mike or Steve have mentioned this project here, but just in case someone hasn't heard of it this is a small board that plugs into the 'E' socket of a PET and lets you use one or two 'standard' 8", 5.25" or (some) 3.5" floppy drives:
>>
>> http://www.6502.org/users/sjgray/projects/pedisk2/index.html
>>
>> http://mikenaberezny.com/hardware/pet-cbm/cgrs-microtech-pedisk-ii/
> 
> I knew about Mike's work in the past reverse-engineering the PEdisk
> II, but I didn't know there was a board in the works.  Very cool.  I
> first ran across the PEdisk II in about 1981 or 1982 when I was trying
> to find a way to use a cabinet full of 8" disk drives donated to the
> science museum I volunteered at.  There really weren't many options
> for our PETs other than the CBM 2040, and the PEdisk II was the one I
> found and presented to management.  In the end, they decided not to
> get them (I have no idea what happened to the two dozen bare disk
> drives, but I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't sat around for
> years until they were so much scrap and tossed 25 years ago), but from
> all the work I did, I was always curious about the PEdisk II.
> Interesting to see it live again.
> 
> -ethan

---------------------------------------------

Neat little device and kudos to Mike N., Steve and Josh for reverse engineering the software and cloning the board; worked first time for me - very impressive !

Unless Mike (or someone) has made some more progress, it only does 3740 SS/SD format disks (8", 5.25HD or 3-mode 3.5" drives) at this time, but I'm sure that 5.25"DD will soon also be possible, especially once the cold & wet fall weather starts...

I've successfully tried it with 8" and 5.25"HD drives, but my real interest was putting dual internal 3.5" drives in a high-profile 8032 with the drive bays and removable bezel; certainly looks different ;-)

I thought that there was an 'official' CBM 8" drive for the  PET; am I mistaken (again)?

m

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