Hi all.
I gotta external amstrad 3' DD-1 floppy drive that I cannot use (carnt find the ribbon)
I was thinking of taking out the 3' drive and installing 3.5 drive instead. As the drive plugs in use that to power the 3.5 and buy a ribbon from this unit to the back of my 6128.
Could it be done?
You'll need to make a conversion cable for inside the disk drive too. A standard 3.5in drive has a 34pin connector, the 3in drive has a 26pin connector. Easier to just make a direct connection to the 6128 and don't touch the 3in drive.
Bryce.
I saw on ebay the ribbon is £12 & the power to the 3.5 id £10.
Is there a cheap way to do this?
Make them yourself? The ribbon cable is easy to make. Any 12V/5V power supply will do.
Bryce.
Edit: Here is both together for 12 pounds: AMSTRAD KIT: POWER SUPPLY FOR AMSTRAD AND 3.5" FLOPPY DRIVE + RIBBON CABLE | (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMSTRAD-KIT-POWER-SUPPLY-FOR-AMSTRAD-AND-3-5-FLOPPY-DRIVE-RIBBON-CABLE-/120931588217?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item1c28159879)
I got loads of 3.5 ribbons but how do I connect it to the Amstrad, its the same size on both ends?
Quote from: Beaps on 15:59, 19 June 12
I got loads of 3.5 ribbons but how do I connect it to the Amstrad, its the same size on both ends?
Yer and another £5 postage :o
Take a look at the picture in the post here: Amstrad GT-65 Green Screen Monitor not working (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/amstrad-gt-65-green-screen-monitor-not-working/msg44345/#msg44345)
Bryce.
shame, my ribbons dont look like that mate :'(
Hummmmmm
Could I make one from this?
60CM 5 WAY 3.5" 5.25" RIBBON FLOPPY DRIVE CABLE LEAD | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/60CM-5-WAY-3-5-5-25-RIBBON-FLOPPY-DRIVE-CABLE-LEAD-/150469163161?pt=UK_Computing_FloppyDiskDrives_SM&hash=item2308a93899)
Yeah, that's more or less all you need.
Bryce.
Here is a quide on the cable:
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Guide_on_how_to_connect_a_3.5 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Guide_on_how_to_connect_a_3.5)
Quite easy .. especially if you dont use either the side switch or the primary switch. I always forget what side to use for what and if i run into a game that "must" be run from the internal A: drive i simply just copy the game from external B: to internal A: (sometimes running the game on a real 3" on the internal drive is simply that much more easy).
Anyways, all you really need is that cable and somehow short pin 33 and 34 on the ribbon cable and you are set to go. Oh, and a floppy drive + some way to power it of cause. Do note that some drives work less well than others.
I should probably upload my Powerpoint diagram to that page. Will do it when I have time.
Bryce.
Great that would help no end
hummmm bit stuck now
I only have a laptop with a USB floppy drive attached & I cant format it so the amstrad can read it :(
Nope. USB Floppies don't allow the raw access, you'll need a PC with an internal floppy.
Bryce.
no way, hummmmmm I need to get another pc with a floppy from somewhere ( it never stops)
Here is my effort... :-\
(http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/8333/img1400n.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/155/img1400n.jpg/)
If someone want to make a Floppy driver for the Kryoflux... :D
Quote from: TotO on 10:59, 22 June 12
If someone want to make a Floppy driver for the Kryoflux... :D
Going for a beer with Christian of Kryoflux at the end of July. I can ask him about Amstrad stuff whilst there as I've got a load of originals I'd like to get dumped :)
at MugUK:
You can already dump your unprotected games discs yourself with Kryoflux if you want. All the information is hiding in here (in the emulator section even tho it probably belong in the programming section):
Image 3" floppy disks for emulator (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/emulators/image-3%27-floppy-disks-for-emulator/)
http://forum.kryoflux.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=278 (http://forum.kryoflux.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=278)
In theory you can also dump your protected discs this way, as you can attempt to make a image dump of a protected game disc (like using Xeror) to a empty disc (unprotected of cause) and then transfer that instead. Then on the pc you can unextract the Xeror-image-file from the dsk (like managedsk) and run it in Winape (if its compatible) or you can try unextracting it again inside the emulator. All quite a big adventure though :D
at Beaps:
Nice mod you got there ;D Sadly yes, cant really transfer discs from PC to 3.5" using usb floppy and as Bryce mentioned it can only be done from a pc with a "old style" internal floppy drive because the drivers need direct access (or something). Do note that you can still format the floppies and use them on the amstrad as you would any other floppy (aka format with CPM discs or other software). Its only the transfer bit that impossible without a pc with internal floppy.
CPM discs if u need em:
Amstrad Spares & Peripherals (http://www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d18.html)
(probably a good idea to have a manual as well as formatting takes quite a few steps).
at Beaps:
Note that there is software on the amstrad that can read pc formatted floppies. So instead of getting a whole new pc .. you could stick to using your current pc+usb floppy and manual copy instead.
Of cause it requires that you already have some software on your amstrad that reads pc floppies. Like i suggest using Symbos as i know it can read and write directly to 720kb pc floppies and it even comes with a DSK extractor as well. You can then just stick some DSK files on a 720kb pc floppy and then extract them to 3" floppy.
Symbos:
http://www.symbos.de/ (http://www.symbos.de/)
NOTE: Symbos does not require any extra hardware to run on your 6128 as you can simply use a joystick as a "mouse" and the build in 128kb ram of the 6128 is enough to run the dsk extractor DiskDeDumper) and enough to run the filecopier as well (Symcommander).
Of cause it requires that you already have Symbos (or similar software) on 3" disc or know another way to get hold of it. (aka if all else fails send me a PM and ill send you a 3" with symbos if u need).
Beaps, I hope you don't mind me stealing your thread as I have a little problem of my own with an external 3,5" floppy.
I got a Panasonic JU257A606P. It needs only 5 Volts so powering is easy with a wall wart and a simple adapter cable. The problem is that the Panasonic just spins infinitely and I'm not able to read either a or b. The ribbon cable is aligned as per color coding in the CPC and floppy, there's no twist in the cable between them and the RDY is shorted. Am I missing something?
Well the first thing you're missing is information: What type a CPC are you using? What connect diagram did you use? Is the LED on the floppy lighting?
Bryce.
P.s. Permanently spinning disk is the usual sign that the cable at the floppy is the wrong way around.
Quote from: Bryce on 15:49, 16 July 12
Well the first thing you're missing is information: What type a CPC are you using? What connect diagram did you use? Is the LED on the floppy lighting?
Bryce.
P.s. Permanently spinning disk is the usual sign that the cable at the floppy is the wrong way around.
Oh yes, I have a bog standard 6128. I made the connection according to the first instruction the CPCWiki DIY section. Led stays lit all the time.
Yes, I remember that infinitely spinnig drive is a symptom of ribbon being the wrong way round. I suppose trying flipping the cable wouldn't hurt in this case?
I'd give it a go. Also, have you changed the drive from DS1 to DS0? If not you'll still have problems, and as far as my documents are concerned, the Panasonic JU257A606P can also supply the ready signal if you move the bridge, have you done this? Or are you bridging the wires on the connector cable?
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 16:02, 16 July 12
I'd give it a go. Also, have you changed the drive from DS1 to DS0? If not you'll still have problems, and as far as my documents are concerned, the Panasonic JU257A606P can also supply the ready signal if you move the bridge, have you done this? Or are you bridging the wires on the connector cable?
Bryce.
The drive ID is DS1 as it is supposed to be the b drive. Isn't the internal DS0? The ready is jumpered in the cable.
Cable flip did the trick. Thanks Bryce! :)
When I type |b, the drive spins but I get an error message that disc in drive is not recognized or something thereabouts, which I suppose is to be expected, if the diskette isn't in correct format. Disckit2 in my CP/M disk finds only one drive. Does this mean that I need to format the disk in the PC using some utility?
Solved! :D I flipped the cable but forgot to change the jumper pin position. Now it works perfectly.
Thanks again for all the help!
Well, an evening well spent then, if I judge from your posts' time stamps :)
Quote from: Gryzor on 14:58, 17 July 12
Well, an evening well spent then, if I judge from your posts' time stamps :)
Hah! Actually I was already in bed, when I realized that I had forgotten to change the pin. Had to wake up again to try it. Would've not gotten any sleep, if I had not.
I hate when that happens. But it's even worse when you then get up, make the change and it DOESN'T solve the problem! Then you lie there wondering what else it could be for half the night.
Bryce.
P.s. I solved this problem, by having a child, that keeps me awake all night without having any electronic problems to think about :D
Happens to me every now and then, but since I usually have trouble sleeping at some point I decided I would stop turning on the light and jot my thoughts down (always a pad by the bed, btw). So now every now and then I'll wake up in the morning and go, "damn, I know I had a brilliant idea last night...?".
Ah, then you'll like my latest project...
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs21/f/2007/292/0/c/Usb_Head_by_galle80.jpg (http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs21/f/2007/292/0/c/Usb_Head_by_galle80.jpg)
Download all those thoughts the next morning :)
Bryce.
Hehe I'm glad I'm not the only one whose head spins all ought trying to figure out the answers! Bryce you could be right - getting a child might just be the fix ;) .
Just curious. If you short the pin 34 in the cable to provide the RDY and the drive still has DC connected to that pin, does shorting the pin in the cable somehow disable and override DC signal from the drive itself? Does Amstrad use DC? I take not, since you don't have to reroute it to pin 2 as you do in Amiga. If you make the mod into the drive, can you simply just ad a jumper for RDY without removing it from DC or is that going to cause problems?
If you've modded the drive to give a RDY signal, then you don't need to add the jumper. The Amiga pinout was non-standard, the RDY on the CPC is in the correct position. The CPC didn't use the DC signal at all.
Bryce.
If people only have the USB floppy drive then it can be used, but you have to break it free of the USB part and create power/cables to make it work, since most if not all of them have just a USB converter interface to floppy interface to make them work.
however, I have not looked into using one since I had only bought them for the old PC's which had the original floppy interface.
regards
rpalmer
I met Christian from Kryoflux in Münster yesterday and picked up a Kryoflux to bring back (should be fun trying to explain what it is at Bremen airport on Tuesday!).
So I can start to dump the original disks I have, how reliable are 2nd hand 3" drives? Which model should I buy (eBay UK has a few, inc. PCW machines)? And which drives should I avoid?
Quote from: rpalmer on 07:12, 29 July 12
If people only have the USB floppy drive then it can be used, but you have to break it free of the USB part and create power/cables to make it work, since most if not all of them have just a USB converter interface to floppy interface to make them work.
With USB floppy drives you need to be sure of what you are buying. The first devices that came out had a standard floppy inside with a USB to floppy converter PCB that was easy to remove. The new ones however, have no converter PCB, the floppy is directly controlled from the USB and there's no point on the board where you could pick up the signals you need.
Bryce.
@Mug: You should not run PCW 3" 80 track drives on a CPC.
try to find a teac 3" drive, the type the einstein or oric computer uses.
they are really well built.
Many thanks to you both. I'll start looking on eBay UK now whilst I'm in Starbucks using their free WiFi ;-)