Thank you to everyone for replying.

I was actually going to use the PIC as an I2C interface for the floppy
drive for my project. I think I'll switch to an IDE system because a)
less $$$/mb and b) easier to do.

In case anyone was wondering my project is a modular Intelligent
Watch/Wearable Computer so the extra disk space would be very useful.

Thanks,
Timothy Stranex
timot@btgnet.co.za

Harold M Hallikainen wrote:
>
> On Tue, 20 Nov 2001 13:01:20 -0500 Byron A Jeff <byron@CC.GATECH.EDU>
> writes:
> >
> > ...FLOPPIES SUCK!!!
> >
> > There, now I've sait it. The list of problems are myriad:
> >
> > - Too slow
> > - Too small
>
>         Do you really need to save 100MB out of a PIC?
>
> > - Prone to media failure
>
>         Never been much of a problem for me.
>
> > - Drives have minimal control electronics
> > - Controllers are now hard to find because they are embedded in PC
> > chipsets
>
>         Agreed! I've put a National PC84778 on a board, but have not yet written
> any code for it (and don't know when I will, but the board's ready!).
>
> > - Standalone controllers have interface and timing complexity
> > issues.
> > - And of course the one you've already run across: lack of
> > information.
> >
> > Now it's unfair to rant and run, so just in case you're open to
> > other
> > avenues, let me throw out a couple:
> >
> > 1) IDE Zip drives. While I admit they do have media failure issues,
> > they win
> > in every other category. 100 MB, reasonably fast, embedded control
> > electronics
> > and rock solid standard interface. Drives are priced little more
> > than floppies
> > at this point. The last time I bought they were $35 US. Media is
> > pricy but
> > comes out to about the same price/MB as floppy ($7 US for a 100MB
> > Zip disk as
> > opposed to $15 or so for 100 floppies). Same form factor and about
> > the same
> > power requirements. And most importantly since it's IDE the PIC->IDE
> > code
> > that's out there applies.
> >
>
>         Again, do you need to save 100MB out of a PIC? I've got PIC stuff where
> I've attached 128 KB of nonvolatile static RAM and would like removable
> storage for that. Floppy seems ideal, except for writing the code to talk
> to the controller! So, even though the price/MB for ZIP may be the same
> as for floppy, we just don't need that many MB. The last 3.5 inch FD I
> bought was $8. The floppies themselves are something like 15 to 25 cents.
>
>         But, again, the code to drive the darn thing doesn't exist...
>
> > 2) Compact Flash. Other than pricy media, it's nearly perfect. Solid
> > state,
> > compact (hence the name ;-), IDE interface, and a myriad of
> > inexpensive
> > PC interface options (parallel, IDE, floppy, USB). No media failure
> > issues
> > and because many digital camera's and the like use them there's a
> > lot of parts
> > available.
> >
>
>         As you say, pricey!
>
> Harold
>
> FCC Rules Online at http://hallikainen.com/FccRules
> Lighting control for theatre and television at http://www.dovesystems.com
>
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