On Tue, Aug 1, 2017 at 6:21 PM, Charles Dickman via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> Are RX02 disks actually special or will any SSDD 8in floppy work? TL;DR: No. As standard 8-inch floppy disks go, only SSSD are useful in an RX02 drive, even for double-density use (DEC RX02 modified MFM format). Any standard single-sided single-density (SSSD) 8-inch floppy (IBM 3740 format) will work in an RX02 drive, and can can be used for either single or double density. In principle media sold as single-density could be marginal for DEC RX02 modified MFM format, but I've only ever seen that on *really* awful quality disks. A standard single-sided double-density (SSDD) 8-inch floppy will not work in an RX02 drive, unless some other system is used to reformat it to single-density. Arguably if one doesn't have true RX02 media, this is the preferred way to make some, since media certified for standard MFM double-density should be perfectly satisfactory for DEC RX02 modified MFM format. Standard double-sided 8-inch floppies (either DSSD or DSDD) will NOT work in an RX02 drive, because double-sided 8-inch floppies have the index hole in the jacket in a different place. They could be used if one punches an extra index hole in the jacket, and if double-density, another system is used to reformat to single-density.
