View source for Disc format

CPCs could read discs formatted in three separate ways. Several high-capacity disc operating systems existed to add new formats to the three standard ones.

== Standard CPC disc formats ==

* '''Data''': 180k single-sided. 40 tracks of nine 512-byte sectors each. Sectors numbered &C1 to &C9. 64 directory entries. Can also be read by [[PCW]]s. The useable capacity is 178k.
* '''System''': 180k single-sided. 40 tracks of nine 512-byte sectors each. Sectors numbered &41 to &49. 64 directory entries. Two reserved tracks containing CP/M BIOS. The useable capacity is 169k.
* '''IBM''': 160k single-sided. 40 tracks of eight 512-byte sectors each. Sectors numbered &01 to &08. Provided for compatibility with CP/M-86 (and DR-DOS 1.0). Used by very few CPC purchasers, but Locomotive Software stated that this was invaluable for cross-assembly. The useable capacity is 158k.
* '''Vendor''': Term used for System format discs with no software in the reserved tracks. The useable capacity is 169k.

All these disc formats use a CP/M based filesystem.

== Third-party CPC disc formats ==

* [[FAT]] formats [http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/firmware/fatgen.mspx] (invented by MS-DOS; supported by [[SymbOS]], [[DOS Copy]], [[ReadDSK]], [[DSK-CPC]])
* [[MS800]] formats
* [[Stream2#MoDOS|Prem]] format (supported by [[Stream2]])
* [[RODOS]] formats
* [[ROMDOS]] formats (also supported by [[ParaDOS]]: D80 supported by [[S-DOS]] and [[400K/S]])
* [[Ultraform]]
* [[Vortex]] (80 tracks, 2 sides, 9 sectors of 512 bytes, 2 reserved tracks, 704 KB; supported by [[FutureOS]], [[ParaDOS]] / [[VaraDOS]], [[VDOS]] and [[X-DDOS]])
* [[Xexor]] formats (also supported by [[ParaDOS]])
* [[X-DDOS]] (supports 0.7 MB Data-, System- and Vortex- formats)
* [[B360K]] (80 tracks, 1 side, 9 sectors of 512 bytes)
* etc.??

== References ==

* http://www.seasip.info/Cpm/amsform.html
* http://www.wacci.org.uk/magazine/138/138_08.html
* http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/firmware/fatgen.mspx


[[Category:Software]][[Category:DATA Storage]][[Category:CPC Internal Components]]