Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Hodgkinson on July 16, 2008, 04:50:20 PM
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Hi folks,
Firstly I have an external floppy drive which isn't (Yet) listed under the BBOAH. In particular, it has a selector switch on the rear of the drive - Anyone any idea what it does? (PS. I've added the feet you can see and swapped the case screws for some new ones - Everything else is original).
http://www.booni.info/downloads/FDD/
Please don't link to the above files - It's likely that they'll move some time in the future.
NB. I've already submitted this one to the BBOAH...
I also have what appears to be some form of joystick converter, again with an unlabeled switch ;-)
http://www.booni.info/amiga_adaptor/
(The second photo shows the case as far open as I can get it - I think the cable restraint is glued to the insides of the case preventing it from being easily removeable...)
Any ideas folks?
NOTE: LARGE IMAGES (AS USUAL...)
One last thing, anyone any idea as to why both the BBOAH and http://amiga.resource.cx/ exist? Which do you prefer?
Thanks,
Hodgkinson.
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There appears to be a bit more silkscreened text on the pcb that is covered by the wires in the pictures. Something before the word "Amitek".
I would think that the switch on the back might disable the floppy drive without having to remove it from your Amiga. There are, or were a few Amiga games that would refuse to run if a second/external floppy drive is connected to the Amiga.
The switch on the digital to analog Joystick converter might be for improving sensitivity or compatibility. I actually think I have one of those converters somewhere new in the box. I will try to find it and its documentation and let you know.
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I think it's just a copyright logo (A hunch, would need to double check to be sure...). Below the AmiTek writing it says "Made In England". The PCB also says "M1203 Iss B".
BTW, both the switch on the floppy drive and the joystick adaptor are three position switches.
Thanks re the converter ;-) I've been looking at designing my own variant and I figured it might be something along those lines...
Hodgkinson.
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The floppy drive is similar in design to the Roctec floppy drives. I have two of those, neither of which work. Mine has a three-position switch on the back as well, labeled 0, I, and II. It seemed to me like this was a drive selector. For instance, if you plugged the drive into a 2000 with one floppy, you'd have to select I to make it df1:. For a two drive 2000, you'd select II meaning df2:. 0 seemed to disable the drive.
The floppy drives in mine were made by citizen, but it looks like yours are alps. Maybe the interface and box were made by some no-name third party allowing manufacturers to throw in a floppy drive and print their name on the case.
Edit: by the way, anyone know where I can get replacement floppy drives for the broken roctec drives? Mine are probably misaligned. The floppy interface cable looks unusual, otherwise i'd plug in another drive.
brian
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One last thing, anyone any idea as to why both the BBOAH and http://amiga.resource.cx/ exist? Which do you prefer?
the usual ? people's ego forbidding to work together ?
both sites have stuff the other does not have - I wish they could be combined....
sigh
Tom UK
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Ah. That's a shame. :-(
PS. The floppy drive appears to work fine on my A1200 with the switch in the original position as shown in the photos.
Hodgkinson.
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Can't help with the ID of the hardware but I can certainly teach you how to resize your pictures :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
DARN! those pictures are [color=0000ff]BIG[/color] even on my 22" widescreen monitor lol!
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Same here on this 22" LCD :-D HDD space is cheap these days (Cough, splutter, with reference to PC's).
I normally just leave my camera set at maximum res for 99% of stuff, that way I always have the opportunity to scale stuff down (!) and crop chunks out.
I deliberately left these full size in case one of the hardware databases wishes to use them ;-)
Hodgkinson.
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Hodgkinson wrote:
PS. The floppy drive appears to work fine on my A1200 with the switch in the original position as shown in the photos.
I've had three external drives daisy chained to my A1200 many moons ago (until I flogged one of them). Your drive should/will work fine with the switch in position 0 as it (confusingly) corresponds to external drive 0 (i.e DF1) and not DF0 as you'd expect.
The 15/9 pin adapter looks like it is intended for use with a PC joystick of the type that would have originally plugged into the midi/gameport.
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Hi,
I have one of those Amitek External FDD drives, with the labels intact. I also have a Silica systems catalogue from 1995 with a picture of that exact drive.
The switch has 3 functions, off, on and anti-virus. The Antivirus mode stops a write to track 0.
A good thing with the Amitek drive is if the FDD dies, just find any old PC FDD with the data connector in the right place and fit it. The 16V8 GAL converts the PC FDD to an Amiga FDD.
Ian
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Hodgkinson wrote:
also have what appears to be some form of joystick converter, again with an unlabeled switch
Usually, the switch on a PC joystick adapter like that switches between Amiga and Atari modes (a couple of the pins are different). I don't recall a reason why there'd be a third position.
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Thanks for the information!
@Stedy: Do you have labels on your drive for the switch positions or a manual with them in that you might (*Hoping*) be able to photograph/scan?
PS. I'd also be interested to see the page of your catalogue with the drive on it (For future reference/ID purposes ;-) )
Hope im not stretching my luck too far ;-)
Hodgkinson.
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Hi Hodgkinson,
This picture should help:
(http://www.ianstedman.co.uk/Amiga_floppy_back.jpg)
The underside of the drive, to identify the model:
(http://www.ianstedman.co.uk/Amiga_floppy_underside.jpg)
Note that this drive has been hacked to take a replacement PC floppy drive as the original Sony drive died 9 years ago.
I will scan the catalogue page in at the weekend when I have some scanning to do (scanner under a pile of junk at the moment).
Ian
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Thankyou!!! :-D
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The 15/9 pin adapter looks like it is intended for use with a PC joystick of the type that would have originally plugged into the midi/gameport.
My thoughts exactly...
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@Stedy:
I never realised you were a member here on Aorg (Just looked at your profile, that explains all the electronics gear on the bench) ;-)
Thanks again for the photos - If the BBOAH decides to write a page for this drive, would you mind if I pointed them in the direction of your photos / scans?
Hodgkinson.
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Any luck with the scanner? ;-)
Hodgkinson.
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SyrTran wrote:
Usually, the switch on a PC joystick adapter like that switches between Amiga and Atari modes (a couple of the pins are different).
Is that really so? I thought the Amiga and Atari modes were the same when it came to joysticks, but different in mice? :-?
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Maybe he mess with differences between MSX & Amiga/Atari...