Strange problem with an A2000 diskdrive

[wolli]

I got a FB-357 rev.B too and want to connect it to my A500+ KS2.04

But the drive does not to work because it seems the diskchange signal works not correct.
The drive thinks that a disk is inserted even if none is in it.
Please can anyone look for the correct jumper settings i have to set at this drive?
I know that i have to solder at the drive, but that's no problem.
A picture of my drive is stored at:
http://wolliboy.wo.funpic.de/357.jpg

Please look at it and tell me what's wrong jumpered.

BTW: Is it possible to use this drive as HD-Floppy on my A500+ ?

Regards
Wolli

[leofoe]

Maybe this site is of some help.

[motorollin]

BoingBoss = Doomy?  :-?

:lol:

--
moto

[orange]

@wolli
have you checked the switch that detects the disk is inserted?
its in the corner.
BTW, its very easy to use PC HD floppys with any Amiga just modify cable a bit..

@motorollin obviously..

[Oliver]

orange wrote:

BTW, its very easy to use PC HD floppys with any Amiga just modify cable a bit..

Is this reliable?  Does it work well?  I've been meaning to look into/try this, but haven't gotten around to it.  Will the PC drive be recognised as an Amiga drive, and will it be able to read standard Amiga disks properly?  Any problems with games?

Cheers

[CLS2086]

I try the diskdrive in an A1200 and it wasn't possible to read hd disks -> this depend of the revision of the mobo (for eg. : 1.A can't handle correctly HD drives with HD floppy...)

Internal HD Floppy for A600/A1200/A4000 are Chinon FZ 357, it can read/write DD floppy but some original games with some drive's seek time "protection" fail...

For A500/A500+, it exists some metallic plate spacers to fit "FZ-35x" style drive in place "FB-35x". Not so common, but you can find them in the last A500/A500+ repaired byt Commodore Services.
I think that Micronik made some too.

Modified PC drives are much more sensible to the defects than the old TEAC/Chinon/Citizen drives.
I use a Panasonic JU-257 has main drive to read/write new disk, but i use a Citizen "40"( external) to read my old disks that can't be on the panasonic

[Amiga4k]

My apologies to any authors (of the following). This is a capture I made Oct 2005. Have made an edit for brevity.
Question:  Scavenged a FZ-357 floppy drive to replace my low density internal drive. (My A1200 is a Commodore).
Anyway, I heard two conficting reports about the Chinon FZ-357. Is it ONLY the FZ-357A that will work with amigas, or does the FZ-357 (without the A) work with some amiga models? One amiga forum indicated that the FZ-357 works with the A1200. Others say that it's only a PC drive. But, furthermore, AT 1200 models apparently shipped with a Panasonic drive installed which had to be modded to work with the amiga FD controller.
Whether or not the FZ-357 can work with my A1200, I'm sure that one of you can tell me how to get this chinon to work! Will I need to modify it? (it has the DS0,1,2, and 3 jumper settings external yay!) The other jumper settings are shown embossed on the drive cover - some other settings are MM, MD, RDY, DC, TT-L/C-MOS. Currently these settings are MM, DC, and the jumper is in for the TT-L/C-MOS setting.

Answers:  You can use it as a low density drive by setting the jumpers. Only the 357A works as high density.

To get your FZ-357 running properly as the internal drive, the following jumpers should be set
DS0, MM, RDY, TTL
DS0 jumper horizontal, MM, RDY & TTL all vertical

The drive might vary in dimension to that of the internal A1200 model, you will need to attach the side mounting bracket and maybe place stiff foam or another material across the back of the drive to secure it against disk insertion with only one mounting screw holding it in the case.

These drives work great as 880k drives! But some do not, just try it and see. (one quick way I have seen is to check the face plate, if it is rounder than boxier it will work)

Question:  I have a Chinon FZ-357 drive, but has problems with disk changes. It was made in Japan.
Answers:   To get your drive to Disk Change open it up and expose the PCB. Then solder jumper J2 to close. It will work perfectly now.


As for A2000 drives, I have two A2000 drives on an original A2000 mounting bracket (with the proper stand-offs). I would gladly part with these Chinon FB-354's for $50 plus shipping. (Need to unpack my workshop, but I'll get them out).