CompuServe Messages

I agree with your assesment. Those 'cogs' that Define individual tracks are individual steps in the stepper motor. Therefore, if you hear a 'cogging' noise during a seek it must be originating in the stepper. (amplified by other surfaces) All stepper motors I have ever encountered have a particular speed at which there is no cogging, but continuous, smooth rotation. This would be very easy to test by toggling the step line under software control, indeed, I believe that stepping is actually performed by the processor itself, not the disk controller hardware. The WD 17XX chips do the stepping in hardware, but I don't believe this to be the case here. Witness the effect of hires video with 4 planes on the step rate! This video mode steals lotsa cycles from the proc. Guess what? The drive steps slowly. You wouldn't expect that if the harware were doing it. All this means that, yes, Virginia, you can have a silent Amiga. (maybe?) * Reply: 11292