FDD connector. Is there another use?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Given that the floppy is dead. Is there another device that could possibly make use of the motherboard connector!

Would be a shame to let this connector go to waste.

Cheers

[Marcel]

Back in the 80s / early 90s, there have been some tape streamers you could connect to this interface.
But for further usage, I think it is just too slow, as even 2.88 MB disks weren't read with more than 160 kByte/s (and they had to double the floppy controllers speed to handle this).

[dimitrius]

I'd say they ought to be removed completly and media be replaced by usb memory sticks or similar things and the controller space be used for something else. Floppy disks are still quite usefull since if your OS dies and your hard drive is wonky then the only thing you can really rely on is floppy. I still have to keep using floppy disks for moving stuff around at university but dam it I hate them.


for an idea of what to do with an old floppy drive try this

Converting a Floppy Disk Drive into a Simple Robot:
part 1 (http://www.generation5.org/content/2001/floppy.asp)
part 2 (http://www.generation5.org/content/2001/floppy2.asp)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Hi dimitrius,

I love the Robot idea... :D

I must admit I had forgotten how slow the controller speed is.



Cheers

[CFster]

I thought the floppy was dead until I tried installing a Serial ATA drive in a new system. XP setup looks for the ATA driver disk during setup (you know, were it says press F6 if you have any third party SCSI drivers to install). Couldn't get it to work off a CD. I had to go dig a floppy drive out a pile of junk in the basement.

[nikthebak]

Originally posted by CFster
Couldn't get it to work off a CD.

That's it! That's my number one reason to keep the floppy drive connected. Additional drivers for Win2k/XP installation have to be loaded from a floppy, there is no alternative. I sincerely hope MS has plans to fix this sooner or later.

And I don't think it's (at least very easily) possible to create a 2k/XP boot disk to any other medium than a floppy.

I'm examining the possibilities of a bootable USB stick, however :)

[theReal]

Couldn't get it to work off a CD. I had to go dig a floppy drive out a pile of junk in the basement.

That's the only point why keeping a floppy drive makes sense (and I wonder why MS isn't able to change this special "feature" in their oh-so-modern WinXP installation... :rolleyes: :mad: )

[Soulhunter]

Originally posted by theReal
That's the only point why keeping a floppy drive makes sense (and I wonder why MS isn't able to change this special "feature" in their oh-so-modern WinXP installation... :rolleyes: :mad: ) Hidden contract with floppy producers... :D

[Doom9]

actually, it's possible to create a special installation disc that has those drivers preloaded. As far as I can remember, the indstructions should be somewhere in this very subforum (I think I started the thread). Not that it's an easy solution but it's better than a floppy (I've banned all legacy components years ago.. I didn't quite have a choice at work though and for some reason my stupid USB stick refuses to boot, but I still have a 250mb zip for that (with a perfectly running dos 6.22 setup.. including ems and all the fancy stuff we had in the old ages).

[theReal]

actually, it's possible to create a special installation disc that has those drivers preloaded.I read about that before - I always make new Windows Disks when new Service Packs are released, so I guess next time I'm going to include the Highpoint drivers as well (but then I'm going to buy a new board/controller and have to make a whole new disc again... why can't you just insert another disc, read the drivers and insert the windows disc again???)