HxC / DDI Disaster! Help!

[mr_lou]

For our retro-gaming-cozy-day we've made a list of games to play. I quickly learned that writing disks for all these games would require an awful lot of disks, so I decided to buy the Rev. F HxC instead. Arrived today. In my logic it should be able to just replace the floppy-drive placed in my homemade 3.5" drive, so I did that, but I couldn't get it working.

The HxC display shows what's on the SD card alright, and I can browse and select. But doing a CAT from the CPC just held the CPC for a while, before writing "Bad command". I figured maybe I needed a never firmware to work with the HxC config file I'd copied to th SD card, so I tried updating. Bootloader update didn't work. Either it gave error 5 or else error 4. Error 5 if I just copied the file after a format. Error 4 if I renamed the file before copying to SD card after a format.
So finally I thought, well, maybe I don't need the bootloader anyway, so I just updated the firmware. That seemed to go well. But HxC still doesn't work from my CPC.

Then I did something silly (I think). I thought maybe I had to connect the cable flipped. So I tried that, but no.

And now I can't get anything to work again. The HxC won't work, and I can't even get my 3.5" floppy working again either. When I try a CAT, it keeps writing "Disc missing", or else it just keeps hanging there doing nothing. The LED does seem to react a little bit, but nothing happens after that.

This is bad. There is only 2 weeks till our event, and now it seems I have to start downloading CDT files and convert to WAV instead...... not cool. 

Any help appreciated.

[Bryce]

Have you converted the DDI-1 to work with non-FD1 drives? Or did you just connect it as it was?? 

Is the HxC still displaying anything on the LCD or is it dead too?

Bryce.

[mr_lou]

As you can see here: http://www.dewfall.dk/other/diskdrive02.jpg
I have "re-routed" the wires, so that I can use a 3.5" PC floppy diskdrive.

In my logic, I should therefor just be able to replace the 3.5" PC floppy drive with the HxC. But no.
Now I don't know, since none of the drives work.

Yes, HxC display is still showing which file I've selected, and I can browse and such too. Pretty sure the HxC still works. I think my problem is the DDI. Somehow I've toasted it I think. Possibly when I flipped the flat-cable.

When I type CAT when the diskdrive is connected, I can see the LED of the floppy lits up.
Same when I type CAT when the HxC is connected, I can see the letters "RA" appear in the lower left corner. I'm assuming that means something along the lines of Read-Access.
But nothing happens after that. The CPC just freeze.

[Bryce]

Well that's semi-good news. I assume the HxC has survived then and F1 is still intact.

The bad news is that you have most likely shorted something inside the DDI-1, which will have fried one of the output invertors or maybe even the µPD765.

Did you have any custom connections on your converter cable, like Ready Signal or a Side Switch? If so, this is probably what caused the problems. The HxC produces all the correct signals, so none of these should be present.

I would suggest you pop the DDI-1 into a suitable enclosure for postage and send it to the usual address: Me.

Bryce.

[mr_lou]

There are two switches yes. A side-switcher and some other one I don't know what's for, but yes it's probably the Ready signal thingy.
These two switches are also on the cable for my CPC6128.

I just went for a drive to pick up the monitor for my CPC6128 from a storage facility in order to test the HxC with my CPC6128. It works fine.
But I'm rather hesitant to try to reconnect it to my CPC464 now, if it doesn't take more than that to toast the DDI....

[mr_lou]

Thanks for the offer to let me send the DDI to you. I'm afraid there's not enough time to get it back before the 15th though.
I don't suppose you have a spare you could sell me instead?

P.S.: When will you make a RAM + DDI + HxC expansion in one module for the CPC464?

[Bryce]

Unfortunately I don't have a spare DDI to sell, but if you sent yours tomorrow I think I could have it back to you before the 15th. I have all the parts needed here.

Bryce.

[mr_lou]

I will send tomorrow. Can you PM me your addy again?
And bill me.

How much is my tap at the moment?

[Gryzor]

So, how did this go?


(moving to HW)

[Bryce]

MrLou's original DDI-1 is back with him and fully functioning, converted to connect a HxC directly without any adapters and I even installed DualOS: switchable between AmsDOS/ParaDOS, but most important: With a keyed connector so that it's impossible to connect the wrong way around[nb]Without a hammer [/nb].

Just for reference: It was the 5Vs which are present on the DDI-1 flat cable that caused all the hassle. By connecting the HxC (or any 3.5in floppy drive) the wrong way around, the 5V were sent back into the DDI-1 at all the wrong places. This destroyed both output invertors (74LS38) and even the input invertor (74LS240). Luckily, the rarer parts such as the µPD765 and the Data Separator survived.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

I'm disappointed that you didn't build an 8MHz accelerator in it.

[Bryce]

There was no space for that, after I'd installed IDE, ATAPI and SCSI interfaces

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

...and that's why I'm disapointed. Tsk.