avatar_TFM

3.5" (and 5.25") floppy disc drives with a fully working Ready signal...

Started by TFM, 22:31, 01 June 16

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

blumfeld

I just bought a lot of Sony-MPF920-Z-131 drives which work fine as A: drive substitute and as external B: drive but I cannot tell anything about the ready signal. It's just a recommandable good and silent working drive.

Bryce

You must have some sort of bridge or mod done for it to work though?

Bryce.

blumfeld

For my Schneider CPC 6128 I used the "Floppy CPC - 26 -> 34 Pin - Gotek HxC" cable for the internal drive and the "Amstrad CPC / Spectrum +3 Kit: 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive with Ribbon + Power" cable for the external drive B:. Both of them can be found at ebay. Addionally the internal drive needs to be bridged between Pins 33 and 34 to get ready.

Bryce

That's what I thought. However, permanently bridging the Ready signal won't work for all software. Certain disk utilities will refuse to work. With "fully working Ready signal" TFM meant a ready signal that only goes low when the drive really is ready.

Bryce.

khaz

Yep it's a shame that the Sony MPF920 need a complex mod to work properly, as they are of very good quality. Great build, low noise, they're my favourites amongst the few I have tried.

TFM

Quote from: Bryce on 15:32, 22 June 16
That's what I thought. However, permanently bridging the Ready signal won't work for all software. Certain disk utilities will refuse to work. With "fully working Ready signal" TFM meant a ready signal that only goes low when the drive really is ready.

Bryce.


Actually it's quite a bit of software. Aside of SymbOS also FutureOS has problems. I'm thinking of altering my disc functions (as option), but don't know if there is currently enough free space in the ROMs.
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

TFM

Hi All! Do we have a picture to show where to find f.e. pin 2 on a floppy disc connector? (Hereby I mean the connector at the floppy disc).


Does the CPC actually need the signal "_CHNG" on pin 2 of the floppy connector? ??
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

dragon

If i renember o.k the original manuals of amstrad have a draw of all connectors with the pins name.

GeoffB17

Yes, having a ready signal that works would be nice, but my 3.5" drive manages fine without.   So I'm not sure there's any point in worrying.


I'm using a cable wired up as per Ron King's PCW site, where the ready line is connected to show a permanent ready, but with a break button to press, which is required mainly to keep DISCKIT happy.   I guess there are other pieces of software that may insist/check that all drives are empty, so it will be needed for that too.


This works fine for me.   Saves all the trouble of trying to 'fix' the drive?


Geoff

Blurredman

This is an old topic, but I can add two 5.25" disc drives.

TEAC FD55-GFR -

Modificaitons required:
Jumper change right angle from DC to RY,
Jumper change - New jumper on I - Forces 300rpm
Jumper change - New jumper on LG - Forces DD instead of HD
Desolder Resistor (r19) to change track from 80 to 40. If you wish- you could install a switch with connections to the end of resistor and board to implement an on the fly change. May or may not need to be done. Could depend on how disc images were put onto the disc from a PC.


Mitsubishi MF504C-318UG -

Modifications required:
Move jumper from DC to RY,
Move jumper from SB to SS (Forces 300rpm)
Attach new jumper to SS/ND (Changes capacity to DD instead of HD)

Not had an issue with 40/80 track. Didn't need to change this as it worked out of the box fine..

GUNHED

http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

Blurredman

Can add the NEC FD1157C -

Modifications required:
Move jumper from DCG from pin1/2 to pin 2/3,
Move jumper from HDE pin 1/2 to pin 2/3 (Forces 300rpm)
EDIT: Remove jumper from DEN selection 1. Leave 3 options open.


There is no documentation that I could find, other than this: http://matthieu.benoit.free.fr/FD1157C_Nec.htm

Blurredman

The TEC FB-502 5.25" drive

An older drive. Out of the box single head 360k unit. Most notibly found, or small varient of, on BBC's and Acorns in the UK.

Position is already set to 1 from the factory (0-3 being position).

Ready signal is only found by shorting pins 33 and 34 on the cable.

Powered by SMFPacks Menu Editor Mod