News:

Printed Amstrad Addict magazine announced, check it out here!

Main Menu
avatar_CraigsBar

Gotek (FlashFloppy) wiring for a PcW9512+

Started by CraigsBar, 01:03, 18 March 19

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

CraigsBar

Hi all.


Does anyone know how to wire a Gotek into a PcW 9512+


these drives are 3.5inch 1mb models, but with a 26pin connector that carries both the Power for the drive and all the standard data signals for the drive.
I see several guides online for fitting a Gotek in the earlier PCW machines but nothing for the 9512+


A Gotek with Flash Floppy and a Rotary Encoder etc would be a lovely addition to this machine as the drive is less than perfect anymore and it would certainly make booting the games, CPM and LocoScript far more user friendly.


I hope to service the drive I have (Clean the heads and replace the belt and retain this in the machine as Drive 2 but this still needs a way of hooking up a working Gotek as Drive 1.


Any thoughts would be great.


thanks
Craig.
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

tjohnson

I have one of these in the garage, I can have a look but how do you get the drives out, I recall opening it up when I got it and then stopping as I couldnt see an easy way to remove them  it looked like the innards were put in then the screen 

CraigsBar

Quote from: tjohnson on 08:47, 18 March 19
I have one of these in the garage, I can have a look but how do you get the drives out, I recall opening it up when I got it and then stopping as I couldnt see an easy way to remove them  it looked like the innards were put in then the screen


The screen is and drives go in first, then the PCB afterwards.
If you disconnect the Power cables from the PCB (Not the high voltage for the screen) you can get enough space to access the drives by moving the PCB put of the way.


I was originally going to replace the drive with a modern floppy (Modified for Ready signal and 720k friendly) but encountered the wiring issue in that there is no separate power supply for the drive. I assume it is on 2 or more og the unused wires in the standard 26pin drive connector. so filtering these lines out of the 26 to 34 pin floppy connector and fitting a floppy power connector should (in theory) be enough to power the Gotek with OLED and Rotary Encoder. But as I do not know how to find out which wires are the Power ones (5v and Ground) I am kinda stuck.


Regards
Craig
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

robcfg

It should be the same as for the CPC/ZX Spectrum +3 or even for using a 3.5" drive on those machines.

GUNHED

Quote from: CraigsBar on 01:03, 18 March 19
Does anyone know how to wire a Gotek into a PcW 9512+
Connections like for every other PcW (not 16 of coures), but it's a pain to access the floppy slots, you need to get everything out. (just fixed a floppy in such a machine, took quite some time and nerves).
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)

CraigsBar

Quote from: GUNHED on 18:16, 18 March 19
Connections like for every other PcW (not 16 of coures), but it's a pain to access the floppy slots, you need to get everything out. (just fixed a floppy in such a machine, took quite some time and nerves).
No it's not. Because the stock drives have no power connection, the 5v is provided via the 26pin ribbon cable. Hence the question!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

CraigsBar

Quote from: robcfg on 16:52, 18 March 19
It should be the same as for the CPC/ZX Spectrum +3 or even for using a 3.5" drive on those machines.
It should be but isn't due to the 26pin ribbon cable also providing power and no separate 5v supply for the stock drive.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

GUNHED

Oh, maybe I mixed that up with the 9512!?
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)

CraigsBar

#8
Quote from: GUNHED on 20:45, 18 March 19
Oh, maybe I mixed that up with the 9512!?


Yep the 9512 has a standard PCW 3inch drive like the 8XXX range. The drive in the 9512+ has the below Spec and pinout.


The Citizen 3.5″ drive
The Amstrad PcW9512+, Pcw9256 and PcW10 all use a Citizen 3.5″ 720K floppy drive, as do some of the earlier Amstrad PCs. I have noted the model nos. UODC-45A and UIDA-38A but there may be others. The disc is belt driven by the same specification belt as used on the Amstrad 3″ drives and is a weak point, being the most usual cause of drive failure. Fortunately the belt can be replaced as can the belt in the 3″ drive but the job is a little more difficult. See the file on replacing a Citizen belt in the REPAIRS section.Unfortunately these drives are not compatible with standard drives. They have a single 26-way cable connector, which although it may look like the connection to an Amstrad 3″ drive has a different pinout and carries three 5 volt lines instead of a separate power cable. Do not confuse these drives with Citizen drives with standard 34-pin and separate power supply cable; these are widely available in 720K and 1.44M configurations.As a standard 3.5″ drive has a 34-way connector, the 26-pin Citizen has an obvious incompatibility with it, but equally, a 26/34 way cable made to connect an Amstrad 3″ drive to a 3.5″ standard drive will not work either and may do some damage.The pinout for the Amstrad 26 pin 3.5″ Citizen drive is as below.

Pin No. Function
1 5 Volts
2 Index
3 5 Volts
4 Drive Select 0
5 5 Volts
6 Not connected
7 Drive Select 1
8 Ready
9 Not connected
10 Motor on
11 Not connected
12 Direction
13 Ground
14 Step
15 Ground
16 Write Data
17 Ground
18 Write Gate
19 Ground
20 Track 0
21 Ground
22 Write Protect
23 Ground
24 Read Data
25 Ground
26 Side 1 Select


By looking at the file on making a cable for a 3″ to 3.5″ standard and using the table above it is possible to see how a PcW9512+, a PcW9256 or PcW10 could be converted to use a 3.5″ standard drive as a B: drive etc. but I haven't done so yet. It looks as though the same problem with the READY signal arises as discussed in the file. The power supply problem shouldn't arise as these machines will have a more robust 5 Volt supply.

My cable crimping skills are not good enough and knowing me I would end up putting the +5v down one of the data lines and fry the Gotek, or worse PcW or both!
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

CraigsBar

OK, so I think I have it.... Knocked this up as a proof of concept. Can anyone check it looks OK? Wired as follows.

26pin male > 34pin female

1 > 5v pwr
2 > 8
3 > 5v pwr
4 > 10
5 > 5v pwr
6 >
7 > 12
8 > 34
9 >
10 > 16
11 > 17
12 > 18
13 > 19
14 > 20
15 > 21
16 > 22
17 > 23
18 > 24
19 > 25
20 > 26
21 > gnd pwr
22 > 28
23 > gnd pwr
24 > 30
25 > gnd pwr
26 > 32

Thanks muchly

Craig.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

GUNHED

Well, if somebody would make a litte PCB and add plugs, something like an cable converter, then I definitely would order some ;-)

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)

Audronic

#11
@CraigsBar


Looking Good


A quick table that may help


Ray



26pin > 34pin female           34pin female      3.5"Floppy
Male.    Odd Pins (Ground)  Even Pins                  34 Pin
-=====--================--============-==-
1 >    5v Power
2 >                                   8  Index                 Index
3 >    5v Power
4 >                                  10  Drive Select 0    Drive Select 0
5 >    5v Power
6 >   N/C
7 >                                  12  Drive Select 1    Drive Select 1
8 >                                  34  Ready               Ready
9 >   N/C
10 >                                 16  Motor on           Motor on
11 >    17  N/C
12 >                                 18  Direction           Direction
13 >    19  Ground
14 >                                 20  Step                 Step
15 >    21  Ground
16 >                                 22  Write Data        Write Data
17 >    23  Ground
18 >                                 24  Write Gate        Write Gate
19 >    25  Ground
20 >                                 26  Track 0             Track 0
21 >        Ground
22 >                                28  Write Protect     Write Protect
23 >        Ground
24 >                                30  Read Data         Read Data
25 >        Ground
26 >                                32  Side 1 Select     Side 1 Select
Procrastinators Unite,
If it Ain't Broke PLEASE Don't Fix it.
I keep telling you I am Not Pedantic.
As I Live " Down Under " I Take my Gravity Tablets and Wear my Magnetic Boots to Keep me from Falling off.

CraigsBar

Quote from: GUNHED on 02:10, 19 March 19
Well, if somebody would make a litte PCB and add plugs, something like an cable converter, then I definitely would order some ;-)
Me too. But until then, I guess I'll finish making a patch cable and then test it. It's better than nothing

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

CraigsBar

Quote from: Audronic on 03:13, 19 March 19
@CraigsBar


Looking Good


A quick table that may help


Ray



26pin > 34pin female           34pin female      3.5"Floppy
Male.    Odd Pins (Ground)  Even Pins                  34 Pin
-=====--================--============-==-
1 >    5v Power
2 >                                   8  Index                 Index
3 >    5v Power
4 >                                  10  Drive Select 0    Drive Select 0
5 >    5v Power
6 >   N/C
7 >                                  12  Drive Select 1    Drive Select 1
8 >                                  34  Ready               Ready
9 >   N/C
10 >                                 16  Motor on           Motor on
11 >    17  N/C
12 >                                 18  Direction           Direction
13 >    19  Ground
14 >                                 20  Step                 Step
15 >    21  Ground
16 >                                 22  Write Data        Write Data
17 >    23  Ground
18 >                                 24  Write Gate        Write Gate
19 >    25  Ground
20 >                                 26  Track 0             Track 0
21 >        Ground
22 >                                28  Write Protect     Write Protect
23 >        Ground
24 >                                30  Read Data         Read Data
25 >        Ground
26 >                                32  Side 1 Select     Side 1 Select
Thanks muchly. Will finish it off, dig out the PcW and test it.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

CraigsBar

Result!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

Audronic

Procrastinators Unite,
If it Ain't Broke PLEASE Don't Fix it.
I keep telling you I am Not Pedantic.
As I Live " Down Under " I Take my Gravity Tablets and Wear my Magnetic Boots to Keep me from Falling off.

tjohnson

Nice, looks very good, does the gotek fit in the slot for the drive without modification ?

CraigsBar

Quote from: tjohnson on 00:25, 20 March 19
Nice, looks very good, does the gotek fit in the slot for the drive without modification ?
No, some trimming is required.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

CraigsBar

Last night I found a process that works to convert the 40trk disc images into 80trk images so that they work on the 9512+ with gotek. Tonight the long process of conversions will begin to convert all the games!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

CraigsBar

Quote from: CraigsBar on 08:38, 20 March 19
Last night I found a process that works to convert the 40trk disc images into 80trk images so that they work on the 9512+ with gotek. Tonight the long process of conversions will begin to convert all the games!

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk
Except it a bugger that most games still don't work as they hit the disk drives directly. [emoji53]

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

gelthor

Hi,

This might be a bit of a blast from the past as the last post is from 2019......but I've just found a 9512+ at a car boot sale. A very rare find indeed but was sad to find the floppy drive doesn't work, it just makes a loud noise when a disk is inserted and the activity light flickers a little. And of course it's a non standard floppy drive so no easy way to use a floppy drive from a PC to replace it. I'm wondering if you could maybe send me a couple of pictures of the cable that you made to connect a Gotek, including the connection to the motherboard?? Or better still make me a cable, I would pay obviously. Have searched for the model of Citizen floppy drive that was used in these machines but no luck sadly :(.

Thanks in advance,

Andrew.

Powered by SMFPacks Menu Editor Mod