copying 2 sides to xf551

[w1k]

hello, first time a want try copy A and B side of diskette to one xf551 diskette.. how do that.. normally i making copy with q-meg..

[+bob1200xl]

On an XF551, there are two flavors of two-sided disks - two 720 sector disks (a flippy) and one 1440 sector disk. They are not the same...

 

A flippy just writes normal sectors to the back side of the disk. You end up with two logical 720 sector disks on one physical floppy. You can copy them just like a single-sided disk, 720 sectors at a time.

 

*** YOU CANNOT FORMAT THE BACK OF A FLIPPY ON AN XF551 BUT YOU CAN WRITE TO IT ***

 

The 1440 sector disk is written on both sides of a floppy and can only be read on an XF551. 720 sequential sectors are written on the 'front' of the disk and then 720 more are written on the back of the disk. This means that you can read the first 720 sectors on a compatible Atari drive, but not the last 720 sectors.

 

If you want to copy files from two disks (or from the front and back of a flippy disk) just use an appropriate DOS and format the XF551 as 1440 sectors. Use DOS 'COPY' to move the files.

 

If you want to sector copy two disk sides to one XF551 disk you have a problem. The sectors will fit, but you can't access them as two logical disks.

 

Bob

[flashjazzcat]

Or you can cut a timing hole on the other side of the spindle hole and format the back of a floppy in an XF551 that way.

[Marius]

*** YOU CANNOT FORMAT THE BACK OF A FLIPPY ON AN XF551 BUT YOU CAN WRITE TO IT ***

 

Not on all XF551's! The latest batch (with Chinon mechanism) do not even let you write when you flip disk.

Pretty dumb mechanism. Needs a modification. I'm not even sure it allows you to flip a disk at all... I have to check that.

 

M.

[w1k]

thanks, thats the way

 

edit: in my dos i create enh disk with 1440 sectors, well done, thanks

edit2: but now i see error 144.. 350sec free.. every diskette :/

Edited March 26, 2013 by w1k

[+bob1200xl]

yes, sorry... the XF551 only has three format routines - SD, ED, and DD. SD formats 720 sectors on the front of the disk. ED formats 1040 sectors, also on the front of the disk. DD formats 1440 sectors using both sides.

 

You have formatted a 1040 sector disk (1440 - 1040 = 400, give or take). You must format a 1440 disk in DD in order to use all 1440 sectors. As far as I know, you can't format a SD, 1440 disk on an XF551 - it will lie to you. You will get a 360K disk if you set DD.

 

ProWizard: All my XF551s will write to the back of the disk.

[w1k]

hmm, in where DOS? my dos?

[Marius]

ProWizard: All my XF551s will write to the back of the disk.

 

Then you are lucky and you do not have the XF551 with the Chinon mechanism. Like I said: that is the last batch of XF551's.

 

Read post #5 in this thread

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/183109-xf551-compatibility-question/

[Marius]

Where I also read that Chinon mechanism can NOT flip disk at all, unless you create a second index hole, or you modificate your drive with a second Index Hole infra-red reader.