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PC FDD cable modification
PC FDD cable modification
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Description: Here is the needed cable modification for attaching PC floppies. This single diode is the simplest solution for RDY signal. Aminet has more complex but better ones.
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Posted by: orange at October 22, 2007, 12:03:41 PM

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Comments (13)

Colani1200
Posts:707
June 24, 2008, 02:42:17 PM
Quote

orange wrote:

By unsuitable, do you mean HD diskettes?


No, I mean trying to read a FFS international disk in a Kick/OS 1.2 machine. I guess this doesn't work (at least it didn't even when I used an original Amiga drive)?!

BTW: While this solution and the other one mentioned by you might work nicely, the ideal solution is to track down the ready signal on the drive PCB itself and modify the drive accordingly. ("pseudo ready" vs. "real ready" signal.) There are many drive types that carry a real RDY line hidden inside and can be modified, I had excellent results doing so. There are many guides around for different brands & models, just do a quick google "drive type"+"amiga".
orange
Posts:2796
June 24, 2008, 01:01:05 PM
Hm, thats interesting.
By unsuitable, do you mean HD diskettes?

If so, maybe you left Amiga_pin_2 connected to FDD_pin 2, so the PC drive is trying to set HD_floppy_inserted=active (and Amiga would interpret that as Diskchange low)
Colani1200
Posts:707
June 02, 2008, 02:29:42 PM
Nevermind, it was my fault. I picked unsuitable disks for testing. :roll:
I can confirm that this mod is working 100%.
orange
Posts:2796
May 31, 2008, 11:15:31 PM
@Colani1200
check to see if you connected disk change detect pins (pin 2 on amiga side to pin 34 on floppy)
are you using a standard PC floppy?
DrDekker told me it works completely.

there is also this
other solution
Colani1200
Posts:707
May 31, 2008, 08:19:48 PM
Quote

DrDekker wrote:

It works great with games but it doesn't auto sense disk changes in Workbench

I also tried this hack and I have the same problem.
orange
Posts:2796
May 30, 2008, 07:38:55 AM
You can use standard PC HD floppy drives with this but only as 880Kb DD.
You cannot read or write HD diskettes as 1,44Mb or similar.
There are some hacks on Aminet for that but they are unreliable.

For Amiga to write 1,76Mb on HD diskette, drive must slow down rotation from 300RPM to 150RPM.
That's because Amiga chip that handles FDD (Paula?) cannot transfer data fast enough.
shadowbxr
Posts:4
May 30, 2008, 06:08:44 AM
Will this schematic allow the use of HD Disks?
orange
Posts:2796
November 18, 2007, 08:42:38 AM
er, I should probably mention that information about diode solution came from here
DrDekker
Posts:325
October 25, 2007, 09:57:54 PM
Hi Orange - I've just made the cable and have connected it up to my new black Sony drive.  It works great with games but it doesn't auto sense disk changes in Workbench -  is this normal for this hack or have I got a bad connection somewhere?

Thanks again.

Dr Dekker
orange
Posts:2796
October 25, 2007, 01:11:00 PM
yep, I've used the same (easily found) diode and it works fine with NDOS software (games, X-Copy..).

BTW, this cable works great also with ZX Spectrum +3  (it has different connector though) and probably with others using the standard Shugart interface pinout
DrDekker
Posts:325
October 25, 2007, 12:57:41 PM
Great stuff!

Will a 1N4148 diode be ok?
orange
Posts:2796
October 24, 2007, 01:14:45 PM
yes, it should work with any drive that uses default factory settings.
DrDekker
Posts:325
October 24, 2007, 01:04:51 PM
Nice one Orange!

Will this work with 'any' PC HD floppy drive?

TIA

Dr Dekker


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