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From: james@nospam.com
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microsoft.public.windowsxp.general,microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
Subject: Re: floppy drives and cables
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2017 12:45:14 -0600
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On Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:16:24 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
 wrote:

>In message , Paul  
>writes:
>[]
>>The twisted part, consists of four active signals.
>>Two for each drive. The twist swaps the signals, so
>>that one connector can have an A personality and the
>>other a B personality. (Just like a CS Cable Select method.)
>[]
>I've always assumed it was that, and thought it was a clever solution 
>(admittedly, requiring unusual cable construction).
>
>So presumably there is something like (_at the drive_):
>
>01 - A
>10 - B
>
>(or vice versa).
>
>Does that mean there is the _possibility_ of _four_ drives, using up the 
>00 and 11 options?

This is an unusual way of doing things, and making cables like that must
be difficult. I'd think it would have been easier to just have a
jumper(s) on the drive, for either drive A or Drive B. But this is how
they did it back then, and how it will always be. 

I am curious if 3 or 4 drives could be used. Not that I would need that
many. I'm still trying to remember if those ZIP drives connected to the
floppy cable, or to something else, like a serial port? I had one, and
at the time it was the only way to store 100 megs on one drive, which at
that time was a lot of data. I had one of them for a brief time, but I
found they were unreliable. Flash drives sure are a better thing, now.


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