Format track command (Ea`: l l0p$ PBWDBNMSWD~4 ](   ]=/Rd Document No.: X3T9.2/88-047 April 22, 1988 From: Ron Schlitzkus, Scientific Micro Systems To: The X3T9.2 Committee Subject: Format Track Command for Floppy Disk Drives This proposal is prompted by reviewing the requirements of customers, connecting SCSI devices to IBM's and IBM look alike systems. Several floppy disk copy applications test to insure that the diskette has been previously formatted then will commence the copy operation. If the program encounters a suspect or defective track it switches into format mode attempts to reformat the track in question, if unsuccessful the programs then flag the track either defective or transparent, and then switch back into copy mode and continue. With the current FORMAT UNIT (04h) command there is no effective way to format just one track on a Floppy Diskette (it is all or nothing), which renders these applications non-operational. Please consider the following scenario and command block structure for the implementation of a FORMAT TRACK command in SCSI-2. FORMAT TRACK Command (06h) This command causes the track specified by the Logical Block Address in bytes 1 - 3 to be formatted using the track skewing and interleave factor specified in byte 4. The track is written starting with index, Interleave. To specify the track address, any Logical Block Address on that track may be used. This command includes an implied recalibrate and re-seek to the specified track. All data fields are filled with E5h. FORMAT TRACK Command Descriptor Block ================================================================== Bit | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Byte | | | | | | | | | ================================================================== 0 | Operation Code | -------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 | Logical Unit Number | Logical Block Address 2 (MSB) | -------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 | Logical Block Address 1 | -------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 | Logical Block Address 0 (LSB) | -------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 | Track skewing | Interleave Factor | -------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 | Control Byte | ================================================================== I suggest that if this proposal is accepted, the author and the editors insert the appropriate language into the standard to effect this addition. Thank you for your attention. Best Regards Ron Schlitzkus :_`gh%A{ 0 G k z {}}xsnsnsnsnsnsnsns {  ) ] `zuzuo@     8NO~$%{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{u{u{%@A!hZvvvvvvvvvvvfVMPPZ??58Tp 4Pl!#=A58Tp 4Pl!#w ( P f ????????????58Tp 4Pl!# G > ? L M N ]{{{{{{{{{{  ] ] ]@ { `%Z ]