Floppy Disk Drive- Read/Write Switch

Maybe a daft question… but why not use the switch on the floppies themselves?

Jonathan

Thanks for the suggestion

I thought of using that first, then I was trying to emulate a FRED, which has a floppy disk drive with a read/write switch

I did come across a website some weeks back but just cannot navigate back to the same one now

Jonathan

Thanks for the suggestion

I thought of using that first, then I was trying to emulate a FRED, which has a floppy disk drive with a read/write switch

I did come across a website some weeks back but just cannot navigate back to the same one now

To be honest, I don't think it's worth the time, trouble and cost. Everywhere I've worked have been satisfied that the switch on the floppy itself provides sufficient blocking.

I'd not heard of this before - like Jonathan the switch has always been enough for me - but you got me interested and, upon searching, there are a number of suppliers who manufacture FREDs that include these - if you are still interested in obtaining one - why not drop them a line and ask ?

When/If you succeed would you let us know ?

Thanks,

Azrael

Anyone near their local library that can lookup this article?
Add write-protect switches to PC floppy drives. Simple add-on allows you to manually write-protect floppy disks by flipping a switch. COMPUTERCRAFT May 1992 (v.2#5) pg. 7

Continuing the research. 34-pin Floppy Drive Pins
Pin……….Name…………Direction………………..Description
22…………WDATE………..to drive……………………Write Data
24…………WGATE………..to drive……………………Write Enable
28…………WPT……………from drive…………………Write Protect (0 = protected)

All signals are active-low (0 = grond = true)

Buy a USB floppy and split the case and disable the SWX that detects the notch on the floppy. $19.00
Of course you would "disable" it to the write protect mode.

I would think if you disable the switch it would always be read and write because the sensor would not detect the if the notch is open or closed. I am trying to help viveknm determine what would need to be jumpered or set or whatever for the drive to be read only. Once that is determined it should be easy to switch between read only and read write.