CPC 664 issue with Gotek(FlashFloppy) or Floppy controller or ME

Started by just4funUK, 12:39, 03 June 21

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just4funUK

I have eventually managed to get hold of a 2nd CPC 664 that was been sold for spares repair, the plan was to try and get one machine working out of the two. I'm focusing on this new to me machine at the moment.

The machine was in pieces when I collected it. After getting the machine home I checked the machine out and it was showing no power light on the keyboard. This turned out to be an issue with the power switch on the machine. I have shorted this out for now with a link cable.  The second issue was the keyboard didn't completely work luckily after looking at a schematic\layout of the keyboard matrix I had an idea where the issue may be and stripped the keyboard down and have as a temp measure stuck a peice of wire across the broken trace( its working :-)) . Plan on getting some conductive paint at some point to repair this.

After this I moved onto the 3" disk drive I removed the old belt from the old Floppy disk drive and replaced  the belt. The floppy drive mech doesn't seem to be working correctly(Need to spend more time looking into it). As the aim is to use a Gotek drive on this I decided to move my focus away from the floppy drive. After I had the same issue testing with a known working 3" drive from my +3. Even reconnected the drive back to the +3 just to confirm the drive was working still.

I have re-connected a Gotek drive and I just don't seem to be able to get the machine to see the disks.

I have Gotek drives connected to my Amiga's, Spectrum +3 and BBC micro's with no issues. But seem to be having issues with getting the CPC 664 to cat\| Dir a disk.

I set the Gotek up in navmode = indexed as this is how I use it on the spectrum. But I have seen reference to using a piece of software so you can mount the dsk\img files like the Amiga were you boot a util from 00 and mount disks into an application.

For now I have just added a dsk image as DISKA0099.DSK to my Spectrum +3 USB stick and I can cat this disk on my Spectrum +3 but if I move the memory stick to the Gotek in the CPC 664 and perform any Cat or |Dir command on DISKA0099.DSK[/size] the Gotek disk activity light lights up bright but the catalogue\directory never show.

Am I missing something or could there possibly be an issue with the disk interface on the CPC 664. What is strange if I change the jumper setting to S0 to S1 I get a disk error message which would actually make me think the disk controller on the CPC 664 is working correctly and its just me not configuring the memory stick correctly. But its strange that its not able to cat disks on the gotek or disks in the 3" drive(unless the +3 and CPC disk select is setup different on the internal drive didn't look into this).I have read in a couple of places that the Amstrad CPC range use image files and in some places that you can use dsk files.
Thanks in advance for any advice. As I seem to be just going around in circles, not used Amstrad CPC with a disk drive before cousins all had CPC 464 range and I last used a PCW range machine probably over 25 years ago :-). [/font]

CPC 664
CPC 464

Audronic

@just4funUK


Try the 664 drive in the +3 as it looks like you have a problem in the 664 in the disk controller area.



"After I had the same issue testing with a known working 3" drive from my +3. Even reconnected the drive back to the +3 just to confirm the drive was working still.

Good luck


Ray
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.

just4funUK

Fixed the mechanical issue I still had with the CPC664 disk drive not dropping the disk down. Tested the drive on Spectrum +3 and CPC664 drive is working correctly in here. So this now proves the issue is looking to be with the floppy controller circuitry in the CPC 664.
CPC 664
CPC 464

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