Disk storage apparatus and system utilizing recording mediums of different types

Abstract

A data storage apparatus in which an interface for a pre-existing floppy disc and another interface for a large-capacity floppy disc compatible with the pre-existing floppy disc are provided and can be operated effectively independently of each other. A disc sort discriminating circuit discriminates the type of the disc loaded on the apparatus to send the results of discrimination to a controller. The controller is responsive to the results of discrimination to control a FDD interface which is an interface for the pre-existing floppy disc and an IDE interface which is an interface for the large-capacity floppy disc. The interface pertinent to the type of the loaded disc is controlled to perform a recording/reproducing operation corresponding to the accessing, while the interface pertinent to the type of the non-loaded disc is controlled to return a disc-absent response to a host computer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.