FD-1 works well alone but not when the HxC is connected

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Hi guys!

I have been messing around with this issue for a while this evening but I thought that maybe you already know the answer and I can avoid headaches  The thing is as follows: I made a cable for my upgraded 464 Plus (it has a floppy drive port) in order to connect both the HxC as drive A and the FD-1 as drive B. This cable just has a centronics port on one side and on the other there is a couple of floppy drive connectors, pretty much as the ones that the DDI-1 has. Then, I connected the HxC set as drive A to the cable´s end and the FD-1 in the connector that you would use for the drive B, that is a bit in before. When I try this setup, the HxC works well as A: but the FD-1 does not read the discs as B:. It spins, tries to read and then it displays the classical "read fail" after a while. However, if I connect the FD-1 alone it works very well.  The same happens if I set the FD-1 as drive A and the HxC as drive B, the FD-1 only works when it is the only drive connected to the computer. Do you know what is happening?

Thank you! 

[Bryce]

Only /SEL1 is wired to the port on the back of the CPC. When /SEL0 goes low, the signal only goes to the header inside. So the drives aren't being selected properly.

Bryce.

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Really? I was assuming that both would be in the port, although I did not check it at all, to be honest 

[Bryce]

Really? I was assuming that both would be in the port, although I did not check it at all, to be honest 

Nope, check the schematic, you're going to have to connect a wire between pin 4 on the internal header to the port at the back. Amstrad never planned to have a Drive A: on the rear port because the internal drive was always A:, it's hardwired as B:.

Bryce.

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Like in the normal 6128 then, well, it makes sense  Luckily, it is a very easy fix. Thanks Bryce!

P.D: I also ordered a few of those cool switches you used for the reset in my 6128 Plus, I think that I am just going to copy the whole reset thing in the 464 

[Bryce]

Like in the normal 6128 then, well, it makes sense  Luckily, it is a very easy fix. Thanks Bryce!

P.D: I also ordered a few of those cool switches you used for the reset in my 6128 Plus, I think that I am just going to copy the whole reset thing in the 464 

Why not! It's an easy mod that's very useful to have.

Bryce.

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Yes! The thing is that I was not convinced with all the switches I was finding around. However, the one in the 6128 is really great! 

[Bryce]

They're a bit expensive, but tiny and seem very reliable.

Bryce.

For those interested, we're talking about these: 5 Stück mini Taster Mikro Taster miniatur Taster Einbautaster ROT | eBay

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They are expensive indeed but totally worth it considering the size they have. The size and the feeling, many of these switches are just too hard to press but these are just perfect

[CraigsBar]

For my fat fingers I prefer a meatier button. So my cpc's have these reset buttons.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/125v-1a-push-to-make-switch-red-fh59p

[TotO]

I like the push button description: "Low Cost ... 2£29".

[Bryce]

For my fat fingers I prefer a meatier button. So my cpc's have these reset buttons.

125V 1A Push-to-Make Switch Red | Maplin

I have used these too in the past, but they are really unreliable, the contacts are crap and they fall apart after a few years.

@TotO: It's Maplin, for them 2.29 is low cost

Bryce.

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Yeah... certainly Maplin prices are always a tad over the top. I go there from time to time if I need something urgently, but it is not strange to see them charging an order of magnitude more for some things, particularly electronic components  . If you buy a hard drive or something like that prices are less crazy, sometimes even good. The other day I bought an external 4TB Seagate for a really good price and they even gave me a 15 pounds voucher. It was a special promotion, according to them 

[CraigsBar]

I have used these too in the past, but they are really unreliable, the contacts are crap and they fall apart after a few years.

@TotO: It's Maplin, for them 2.29 is low cost

Bryce.

I've got them (although not sourced from maplin, they just had a picture) in both of my plus machines and on one of my CPC 6128s, never had a problem with contacts or falling apart

[Bryce]

They were used on the original MultiFace II and in 9 times out of 10 they're broken.

Bryce.

[CraigsBar]

Both my MF IIs still work too. Perhaps that is a sign that I did not use them enough!

[Bryce]

Didn't I do some work on one or both of those? If so, they got new buttons in the process.

Bryce.

[1024MAK]

For push switches like you are talking about, I go to either ESR or to Rapid.

Not true for everything of course, but price is often related to quality. So I don't buy the really inexpensive types.

Mark