Options to re-use an IDE DVD drive on my 1200

[superfrog76]

Folks,

I've removed the second DVD-RW that I had in my pc, to put a Blue Ray writer.

Now I thought that I could use it for the Amiga 1200, but I am quite rusty on the tech on the cd side....

I recall that there was a PCMCIA interface, but you would need the case too, and it was SCSI if I recall correctly, while my drive is EIDE

I am not sure if the 1200 can hold multi IDE channels on the internal IDE connector; I have already a CF card on it, so I can't plug anything on it.

I know that is quite useless to have a DVD (btw I just want to use it to read dvd and cd, not to burn them), when I can just use a PCMCIA card reader and put all the contents of the cd that I own, on CF card, but I was wondering if there was a quick and easy way, to use that extra drive.

Thanks!

[superfrog76]

I see, so the IDE channel in the 1200 is able to support 2 devices?

BTW is worth to buy an enclosure for the DVD drive? Or should I simply leave it as is, and grab the power to operate it from the floppy 5V line?

[superfrog76]

Thanks a lot guys.

I was hoping that they would sell something like a slim laptop PCMCIA drive, but it seems that it is not the case Altho I want to use my spare internal DVD-RW drive, so the problem should not be a problem after all (it has jumpers)

Altho, from what I understand, my internal drive may not even work correctly.

I've made myself a cable, using a generic 40 to 44 cable, and powering the miggy from an external ATX PSU, so I have plenty of power.

Now I need the software; I may use the 3.9 drivers? I remember the name IDEFix, but I  am a bit rusty; I will have to refresh my memory

So the cable length may affect things? I didn't know that.

[superfrog76]

So I went for the cable that has the 3 connectors...found a cheap 44 to 40 cable, and just crimped on top of it another 44 pin connector, close to the other 44 pin connector, so the CF card stays in the caddy area.

The slim mod seems nice, but I am concerned about air circulation....Between all the stuff that I have in the miggy, I am worried that the excessive heat may cause the caps to just explode (it happened with my first 500); I may try it if I can find a spare 1200 case; it takes a big cut for the tray, and I would like to not kill the case.

I will see what happens, once I get the correct drivers. BTW what is the best format to burn dvd or cd to read them on the Amiga? Tried ISO format, but the verify failed with both the DVD and CD, so I doubt that they will work in the amiga (winUAE don't see them).

[superfrog76]

The format for burning is Dependant on whether you have a pure data CD or one with mixed music tracks and data (likev the OS3.9 CD); the latter type will not work in iso format and needs bin/cue or uif, etc.

I see; I am planning to just make some disks with the utilities and mod files that I care to use more often on the amiga; so it would be a pure data cd.

Tried ISO with TAO but no luck; but I suspect that is the drive that is not working at all (I have idefix trial and the install just hang. When I reboot, I can discover the cd in the ATAPi list but nothing happens when I put any disk in it, included audio disks...I guess I did something wrong)