Can somebody tell me what this is please??

[Kesa]

Nope. DD/HD floppies do have 2 sides, it's just that they're both handled internally so there's no disk flipping.

True. But why would anyone want to know which side of the disk is in use? A cassette on the otherhand might be different. Some tape equipment have counters on them whereas diskdrives seldom do.

[danbeaver]

It is used to defeat disk-based copy protection. This looks like a home made unit, but these were sold to folks to let them know what tracks were involved, so they could use a disk editor to locate the code and disassasemble it to un-copy protect a game.

[AmmoJammo]

I guess in the event that you were fault finding a drive, it would be good to know which head was in use when the fault occurred

[gertsy]

Well, that's pretty simple alright. Looks like it just runs a handful of wires from the connector through LEDs, and then I presume out to the pass-through connector. As before, I think this is probably a simple disk-activity monitor, though why you would need that I don't know.

Tend to agree.  I don't think its doing anything smarter like copy protection as those types of units also displayed the "track in use" as well.  Could it also be an external DF0 enabler as well?  So you can run DF0 externally?

[lewis_slade]

Thanks again, I've not actually tried the thing, so when I get around to loading up some disks, I'll see what happens...!

[lewis_slade]

OK, so I plugged it in with the A500 and it certainly showed me what the disk was doing, reading from each side etc...but the switch at the back toggled the write protection function on or off?

[bloodline]

OK, so I plugged it in with the A500 and it certainly showed me what the disk was doing, reading from each side etc...but the switch at the back toggled the write protection function on or off?

Fascinating! You should make a video

[lewis_slade]

HaHa, as long as no one suffers from Epilepsy!

Such a strange little box, which just seems to serve no real need...

[AAACHIPSET]

I brought a bundled package of Amiga bits, and this was amongst it, what is it please??? I have no idea...

it is  called a phaser   ..a device  to protect  any disk u put in the  drive attached  from being written on ..basically  a virus  protector..
designed  by  digital applications..

[lewis_slade]

Wow really?

Is that certainly it? Fantastic we've got a name!

[bitman]

CU Amiga 1991 (jun), page 164

http://archive.org/stream/cuamiga-magazine-016/CUAmiga_016_Jun_1991#page/n163/mode/2up

Will link a lager picture later (at work right now)

Link found with the help of the info provided by AAACHIPSET

[lewis_slade]

YEA! Spot on my friend, that is excellent, mystery solved...

Top marks :banana:

[Zac67]

There were track no. displays as well and external drives with integrated track display. Computer pr0n...

[kedawa]

What a scam.  It's nothing but a write protect switch and some indicators.
Putting the WP tab on the disk in the proper position would accomplish the same thing.