[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | Floppy Disk Drives | Floppy Disk Interfacing and Configuration ]

SCSI Interface Floppy Drives

Many people don't realize this but special floppy disks exist that are interfaced over a SCSI bus. This setup is very rarely used in PCs but is sometimes found outside the PC world and also in specialized industrial applications. The floppy disk is attached to a SCSI host adapter using a special cable. Of course, this arrangement requires a host adapter that supports floppy disks; not all of them do.

Modern PCs generally do not bother with SCSI floppy drives, even the ones that use SCSI for hard disks and other peripherals. Since the floppy disk is not a primary medium for storage or even in most cases, a primary means of data transfer, it is more cost effective to just use a cheap regular floppy disk drive instead of purchasing an expensive SCSI floppy. After all, the floppy disk controller is built into the motherboard anyway.

Next: The Floppy Disk Interface

Home  -  Search  -  Topics  -  Up