https://wiki.averlong.com/history/Floppyizer?feed=atomFloppyizer - Revision history2026-04-21T05:51:41ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.1https://wiki.averlong.com/wiki/index.php?title=Floppyizer&diff=17&oldid=prevFoone: Created page with "== Summary == The Floppyizer is a project to build a mass 5.25" disk duplication/imaging system. Duplication is goal #1, imaging is secondary. The idea is to build a system..."2018-09-24T18:20:02Z<p>Created page with "== Summary == The Floppyizer is a project to build a mass 5.25" disk duplication/imaging system. Duplication is goal #1, imaging is secondary. The idea is to build a system..."</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>== Summary ==<br />
The Floppyizer is a project to build a mass 5.25" disk duplication/imaging system. Duplication is goal #1, imaging is secondary. <br />
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The idea is to build a system which has a ton of 5.25" drives so it can rapidly write 5.25" disks, at 360k/1.2m.<br />
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== Design ==<br />
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The main problem is that there's no simple USB 5.25" drives, or I'd just buy a big hub and hook them all up.<br />
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TODO: Explain why we can't do any of the USB 5.25" drives<br />
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The current plan is to use several [[wikipedia:Mini-ITX]] motherboards with onboard floppy controllers, hooked into a case with enough slots.<br />
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=== Case ===<br />
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The chosen case says AMS BK-DAC800C on the (rather blank) box. That may not be the actual name (TODO: research this case)<br />
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It has 18 5.25" bays. <br />
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<gallery><br />
File:Floppyizer-case.jpg|Floppyizer case<br />
File:Floppyizer-open.jpg|Floppyizer open case<br />
</gallery><br />
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=== Controllers ===<br />
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The current plan is to use at least 3 systems with standard floppy controllers on them, each with 2 drives connected.<br />
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Currently I've ordered 3 [http://www.jetwaycomputer.com/J7F2.html Jetway J7F2WE1GS-OC-LF] Mini-ITX boards and associated power supplies. I'm waiting to see how well they work, then it can be extended to support more systems.<br />
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These chosen boards can't be upgraded to support more than two drives, as there doesn't seem to be any PCI [[floppy controllers]]<br />
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=== Software ===<br />
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I'm planning on running some minimal headless Linux on them, then controlling them over the network. Once I have the system up and running, I'll write some simple scripts to manage that.<br />
It'll probably work by having a boss-node that SSHes into each of the controller-nodes and runs commands directly on them.</div>Foone