Connecting DDI-2 to 3.5 floppy

[landru]

Hi,


I just bought a DDI-2. I try to connect to a 3.5 floppy with a straight cable, but it doesn't work. When I type "cat":
Drive A: disk missing
The floppy drive do not try to read (the motor does not run)


what am I doing wrong ?

[netmercer]

Hello,

did you use a floppy wire for PC to connect the 3,5" drive? (I think your photo shows one)
In this case the ribbon cable is twisted between the two floppy connectors and IMO the connector für drive A: will not work. Try the other connector.
Have you already modified the drive for using it at the CPC (for example "READY" signal)?

Good luck!

[ZbyniuR]

Are you sure that power supply work?

[landru]

Yes, the power supply is correct (I measured the tension)
I tryed with the other connector, and I have the same message

[landru]

I've tested the floppy on a computer, and it works

[landru]

what do you mean by "Have you already modified the drive for using it at the CPC (for example "READY" signal)?" ?
Is that what I did of this photo ?

[TFM]

You need a Ready signal, not all 3.5" drives do provide that. See Wiki.

[landru]

It seems that connecting pin 33 to 34 is correct:
Guide on how to connect a 3.5" drive to a CPC6128/664 - CPCWiki
Floppy Drive Pinouts
... but style no results on my side 

[roy bates]

we need more information than your giving.

the drive would need modifying internally to work...is that drive a sony mpf920?

[Bryce]

What does the drive do at the moment? Is the LED on? Does it flicker? Does the disk spin or is it totally dead?

Bryce.

[landru]

The led on the drive does not blink and the motor remains still.

[landru]

And the same results with the two drives I tested

[kevin.c]

Some PC 3,5" drives are set by default to drv01. If it is really MPF920-E,  drive select jumpers are solder points on printed board.
Landru try to select Drive B on cpc first...

[landru]

That's what I did, I think, by typing:

Code Select Expand

|b


Is there some electric measurement I can perform to check that my DDI-2 is OK ?


Actually, I performing these tests before bying a HxC floppy emulator (like the lotharek one)

[Bryce]

Are you sure you don't have the flat cable the wrong way around?

Bryce.

[landru]

You mean invert on connector on the flat cable?
I tryed. The drive led remains on.
But when I type

Code Select Expand

cat or

Code Select Expand

|b
the commands remains pending. The only solution I have is to reboot the computer

[Bryce]

Ok, then the cable was the right way around, but somethings not right with the DDI-2, try cleaning the edge connector of the CPC perhaps?

Bryce.

[Piotr]

You mean invert on connector on the flat cable?
I tryed. The drive led remains on.
But when I type
Code: cat or Code: |b









Well , do you format floppy disc on CPC format or just try read PC formatted floppy?

How to mod sony 920 drive for DDI-1 and 2. DDI floppy mod

Also ribbon cable ,First pin must be on left side looking from amstrad side. And not twisted. Of course you can post me back DDI-2 i check it and post back.

[landru]

I made the modification on the drive. I also cleaned the connector on the cpc464 side. I'm using a disk on which I copied data with CPCDiskXP on a disk with a piece of tape on both holes.
Now when I type

Code Select Expand

cat

5 seconds later, the response is :

Code Select Expand

Bad command

The motor is still not spinning




PS : what is the command to format a disk from the CPC ?[/code]

[Piotr]

Try format floppy under Parados 

Enter |DRIVE to see the PARADOS program -the | is obtained by pressing SHIFT @

Parados manual http://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/0/0d/Parados.pdf

[landru]

I launch parados program and tryed to format (SHIFT+F)
But the motor of the drive remains still ...
If I launch a check (SHIFT+V) each of the 40 sectors are in error


What is controlling the motor of the drive ? the drive controller on the DDI ? a gate ?

[Piotr]

Hmm i send you triple tested working device, one from 20 what i do. So i really don't think is problem with DDI interface. Do you try format disc in both ABBA switch positions?  And also i see lot of dust on your CPC so please clean edge slot using pure alcohol first.

In normal operation motor start spin when you give disc command like CAT or FORMAT.

[Bryce]

Do you own any test gear? A multimeter even?

Bryce.

[landru]

Well, the issue is solved. So, I completly cleaned the computer, and cleaned the connectors with alcohol  as Piotr recommanded.
=> No improvement.
I decided to test again the power supply. I took an old PC (that is still working), and used it power supply ... Yeah ! It worked !
This mean that my power supply does not work. But what is strange, is that I have the correct tension ! Perhaps it is not stable enough.
I'm not lucky, because, first, I tested two power supply which does not work !


Thanks a lot everybody !

[Piotr]

Great, have fun