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avatar_Neil79

Amstrad CPC 6128 - Not all disks are loading

Started by Neil79, 18:44, 30 July 15

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Neil79

I've had this Amstrad 6128 for awhile now, purchased with a refurbed disk drive from last year. However many of the games I've been purchasing that have apparently been tested, are loading as far as the start screen, game menu, then that's it. Just a black screen! Other games are working fine. Would this be an issue with the disks themselves or does my disk drive need another refurb?  >:(
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TFM

Well, is there somebody in your (relative) vicinity who can test the discs?

Reasons for problems can be:
- Drive Belt goes bad (games have bad error compensation, part of their protection)
- Discs are bad (ebayers load the title screen and then tell it's 'ok')
- The drive head is a bit off the track (not completely, but a bit, so some discs can't be read)

I assume it't the latter one.


What can you do without anybodies disc drive?
Take a 'good' disc. Format it on your CPC, then use BD04 a couple of times to check it the disc is fine. Wait a day and check the disc again (or at least wait an hour)....
If the disc can be read all the time, then your drive belt is fine. Still you don't know if the other discs are bad, or if your read/write head of the drive is a bit off.

Hope this helps!
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Neil79

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Bryce

Give it a test with this: DskTest v0.1.47b (release?)
Check that the rpm hasn't drifted. If it has you can adjust it back to 300.

Bryce.

TFM

Quote from: Bryce on 22:01, 30 July 15
Give it a test with this: DskTest v0.1.47b (release?)
Check that the rpm hasn't drifted. If it has you can adjust it back to 300.

Bryce.


Did you make some experiments actually. I'm really curious about it. IMHO the FDC is fine if the disc runs 10% more quick or slow, but I only know from theory. Did somebody ever test what works?

TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Neil79

Quote from: Bryce on 22:01, 30 July 15
Give it a test with this: DskTest v0.1.47b (release?)
Check that the rpm hasn't drifted. If it has you can adjust it back to 300.

Bryce.


Nice, how do you use this  through HxC though?  ;D
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Bryce

#6
It runs fine from HXC. That's where I have it stored. It runs fine from Drive B:

Bryce.

Edit: @TFM: Yes, it starts getting unreliable under 288 or above 310. Below 280 no disk is readable, never tested the upper limit. But this could also vary from drive to drive and it depends on how well the head adjustment is too.

Neil79

I've just tried the RPM software as well and both software's including DSKTest are doing the same thing, driver light stays ON with no readout given in " Measure Spin RPM ". I've given it 20mins so far.
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Bryce

Weird. Does it find index / sector / track X etc when it starts? (can't remember exactly what it goes looking for).

Maybe something went wrong when you downloaded and converted it?

Bryce.

Neil79

Quote from: Bryce on 08:17, 31 July 15
Weird. Does it find index / sector / track X etc when it starts? (can't remember exactly what it goes looking for).

Maybe something went wrong when you downloaded and converted it?

Bryce.


That's what I thought, but when I select the HxC drive for a scan it works perfectly, says it has a read out of about 299.6. But the real drive, it falls on it's arse. I'll post in that dsktest thread you posted earlier and see if the developer gets back to me. As for sector etc, not sure
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Bryce

Is the disk you have in A: possibly damaged? Can you try with a different disk in the drive?

Bryce.

Neil79

Quote from: Bryce on 10:50, 31 July 15
Is the disk you have in A: possibly damaged? Can you try with a different disk in the drive?

Bryce.


Oh, I need a disk in the drive for it to be tested? I just thought it was motor related  :laugh:
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Neil79

Update : Just done a readout on the disk that only reads halfway, it's saying the rpm is at


305.08RPM - 310.08RPM
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Neil79

#13
Well great, now I just f**** my drive up, nice little idea! Turned the screw as per instructions, loaded a disk for test *CLUNK*. Drive light stays on and wont read anything.


Absolutely fuming  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
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gerald

Quote from: Neil79 on 20:48, 31 July 15
Well great, now I just f**** my drive up, nice little app this! Turned the screw as per instructions, loaded a disk for test *CLUNK*. Drive light stays on and wont read anything.


Absolutely fuming  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
An app cannot f**** your drive  ::)

Is the disk still spinning ?
Did you try turning the screw in the opposite direction ?


Neil79

Quote from: gerald on 20:54, 31 July 15
An app cannot f**** your drive  ::)

Is the disk still spinning ?
Did you try turning the screw in the opposite direction ?


An app cannot f**** your drive, thanks for the roll eye smiley, I seriously need that right about now


This is what F... my drive



Quote from: pacomix on 18:31, 22 June 13





The screw should be slightly turned if you only need an adjustment of a couple of RPMs. The black thingy you see there is a gum cover. Just insert your screw there and make a slight pressure. You shouldn't break anything!
There you have the picture!
[attachimg=1]
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gerald

Quote from: Neil79 on 20:55, 31 July 15
An app cannot f**** your drive, thanks for the roll eye smiley, I seriously need that right about now

More seriously :
- If the drive is spinning too fast, the FDC will not be able to read anything. Try turning in the opposite way.
- If the drive not spinning anymore you may have damaged the speed regulation PCB

Just seen your message on the other thread, is your screwdriver adapted to the variable resistor ? (see the 3rd picture on this page : Amstrad FDD part - CPCWiki)

Neil79

Quote from: gerald on 21:06, 31 July 15
More seriously :
- If the drive is spinning too fast, the FDC will not be able to read anything. Try turning in the opposite way.
- If the drive not spinning anymore you may have damaged the speed regulation PCB

Just seen your message on the other thread, is your screwdriver adapted to the variable resistor ? (see the 3rd picture on this page : Amstrad FDD part - CPCWiki)


Most certainly this one.



http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156_RpmAdjust.jpg


The drive lights up ready to be accessed, but nothing happens in the drive itself.
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Neil79

and the motor stinks like it's been burnt out
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gerald

Quote from: Neil79 on 21:10, 31 July 15

Most certainly this one.



http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:EME-156_RpmAdjust.jpg


The drive lights up ready to be accessed, but nothing happens in the drive itself.
I was more thing of this one, where you can see the variable resistor that sits under the rubber hole.
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:MMU-5B2LQJ_open.JPG

If your screwdriver is too wide, you may not be able to turn it because you cannot insert it in the hole (which is only about 2mm wide).
Quote from: Neil79 on 21:17, 31 July 15
and the motor stinks like it's been burnt out
Or heating because it's spinning too fast ?

Neil79

Quote from: gerald on 21:23, 31 July 15
I was more thing of this one, where you can see the variable resistor that sits under the rubber hole.
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:MMU-5B2LQJ_open.JPG

If your screwdriver is too wide, you may not be able to turn it because you cannot insert it in the hole (which is only about 2mm wide).Or heating because it's spinning too fast ?


Ah yes, I think the screw driver is too wide. Hopefully I can get this fixed! Thanks for helping so far, sorry I'm so short atm, just angry and worried
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pelrun

You might have done what I did, and broke the potentiometer off inside the motor (unlike the one pictured in the wiki page, my motor had the components on the inside of the PCB, and the pot was reached through a small hole. Pushing too hard with a too-wide screwdriver pushed it right off the board.


I managed to repair my motor, but it was a damn fiddly job, and it's running without the lid which was impossible to snap back in.

gerald

Quote from: pelrun on 06:08, 01 August 15
You might have done what I did, and broke the potentiometer off inside the motor (unlike the one pictured in the wiki page, my motor had the components on the inside of the PCB, and the pot was reached through a small hole.
Can you post the reference of the motor and/or picture ?

simondo

#23
Sorry to jump in but I'm having the same issue with a DDI-1 / FD-1:

I replaced the drive belt, cleaned capstans and head in my DDI-1. CPC464 edge connectors and DDI-1 connections cleaned with isopropanol.

However approx. 50%of my game disks including my beloved UN Squadron give 'read error'. The UN Squadron disk is part of a 3 disk US Gold collection, all of which give 'read error'. All my populated Maxell and Dixons 3" disks cat and load fine.

Interestingly my SWIV game disk began to load, hung and now reports 169k free  ???. It is also strange that it is just my commercial game disks that are affected.

Is this the same issue as Neil79? I was planning on getting a HxC and modding DDI-1 and cable as per Bryce's guide, so is the procedure with the disk tool and adjustment the same for a DDI-1 / FD-1?

Neil79

Quote from: pelrun on 06:08, 01 August 15
I managed to repair my motor, but it was a damn fiddly job, and it's running without the lid which was impossible to snap back in.


Do tell? Also how do you take that bloody lid off  :laugh:


Ps Simondo, what ever you do, don't touch it, it's not worth the risk
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