PC Floppy modifying to use with Amiga500

[amiman99]

There maybe few possibilities that the drive is not working, like solder is not making contact, solder may touch other components (so verify your solder blobs), verify that the jumpers are correct, and maybe your drive just does not like to be in Amiga.
BTW, same drive in my A1000 is very noisy, but it works.

[SilverZguru]

There maybe few possibilities that the drive is not working, like solder is not making contact, solder may touch other components (so verify your solder blobs), verify that the jumpers are correct, and maybe your drive just does not like to be in Amiga.
BTW, same drive in my A1000 is very noisy, but it works.

Hi Amiman99!
I have checked blobs, but it looks fine. Jumpers are of course correct, because it worked (I mean it had ready signals and everything). Also, I have tested drive in PC with PC's jumper settings. In PC, it did same. Same irritating clicking noise and reading errors. (This drive crashed my PC)
AND I love Chinon's noisy sound (I heard it when drive was in PC before modding) But now, after mod, this sound is not same, unfortunately. Now my drive's sound is like a "click click" when it supposed to be "brrr" I love noisy drives!! It gives me more nostalgic feeling!

I think this drive is now just a trash. Need to find new Chinon (And finding that will be hard! or at least it supposed to be)

Thanks!
-Eemil

[amiman99]

Here is another link you can use (in German): http://www.pitsch.de/stuff/amiga/floppy.htm

It does have your Samsung drive, 3 revisions.

PS. after reading this guide http://eab.abime.net/archive/index.php/t-30944.html it tells you to remove J20 to get it to work in Made in Japan drives, I'm not sure if I did it, but if this does not work the you can put it back.
So try it. (BTW, I dont know what J20 does to the drive)

[Ral-Clan]

I viewed the YouTube video.

To me it sounds like there is a gear that is slipping.

Maybe the worm screw that advances and retracts the head mechanism has become buggered.  I think there is a metal gear that drives it or vice versa.

You can take the metal shielding off the top (usually two small screws) and test the drive....then at least you might be able to see what is happening to the drive mechanism when it tries to move the read/write heads.

Anyway, it sounds like a mechanical problem to me.  Maybe it was something slipped inside it when you were holding it to do the soldering (although normally something like this wouldn't happen).

[SilverZguru]

I viewed the YouTube video.

To me it sounds like there is a gear that is slipping.

Maybe the worm screw that advances and retracts the head mechanism has become buggered.  I think there is a metal gear that drives it or vice versa.

You can take the metal shielding off the top (usually two small screws) and test the drive....then at least you might be able to see what is happening to the drive mechanism when it tries to move the read/write heads.

Anyway, it sounds like a mechanical problem to me.  Maybe it was something slipped inside it when you were holding it to do the soldering (although normally something like this wouldn't happen).

Hi Ral-clan!
I have compared this floppy drive to working one by putting working drive to my PC as B:\ and then this Chinon as A:\ (And I of course set the jumpers for PC) I watched at it, an I didn't saw anything that could be slipping here. The problem is the motor. Motor didn't do same job than the working one did. I just can't explain very well, because of my english. I just have no idea what's wrong, but sound isn't normal and drive has Read/write errors all the time. Is it time to give up?
Thanks!

[SilverZguru]

Hi!
Here I come with 6 new FDs
Got them from recycling centre. I took many Panasonics and then one Teac and HP. Other Panasonics are probably trash, but one of them looked nice. Model is called JU-257A605P. It looks good, because here are screw places, where I could put my Amiga's original internal drive's rails. Is it possible to mod this drive? There aren't any jumpers or settings rear of the drive.
Also it would be nice if I could mod other Panasonic or Teac, because I need modded drive also for external drive.

Teac is model: FD-235HG

Thanks
-Eemil

[amiman99]

The ways I would look for a floppy drives is to write down drive model numbers of the floppy drives that were successfully converted.
That way you will know what you are dealing with. check out my links in previous posts.
The models you wrote are close, but not exact, so you ma have some problems.
I think that the journey in getting them work is more exiting then actually using them, so have fun with them.
I'm not a floppy drive expert, but few things you need to know before being successful is to:
1. Make sure that the drive makes "click" noise, like is trying to see if the drive is in.
2. When the drive sees a disk then it needs to pass that info to Amiga.
3. Make sure you can select DF0, DF1 and so on.

There are probably more, but these look like are the main ones.

[SilverZguru]

The ways I would look for a floppy drives is to write down drive model numbers of the floppy drives that were successfully converted.
That way you will know what you are dealing with. check out my links in previous posts.
The models you wrote are close, but not exact, so you ma have some problems.
I think that the journey in getting them work is more exiting then actually using them, so have fun with them.
I'm not a floppy drive expert, but few things you need to know before being successful is to:
1. Make sure that the drive makes "click" noise, like is trying to see if the drive is in.
2. When the drive sees a disk then it needs to pass that info to Amiga.
3. Make sure you can select DF0, DF1 and so on.

There are probably more, but these look like are the main ones.

Hi, my floppy drive expert!
I wanted to attach some pictures. I watched the lower case, and saw that there is little switch to select D0 or D1. Switch was in D1 selection. So, I changed switch to D0, putted to Amiga and turned on. It loads disks, BUT the ready signal is missing. (No clicking sound or X-Copy ) But, then I saw another hole, where read RY, DC. There must be the switch to select between RDY and DC!!! But... There wasn't... WHAT??? How can I select that? Do I need to solder? (Of course...)

But anyway, there are the pics:

1.  D0 and D1 switch:


2. RY's and DC's hole:


3. My PC's Panasonic drive (right) compared to original Amiga 500's Panasonic drive (left)


Good thing in this drive is the compatibility with original drive. Original drive's eject button even fits in this drive

And now I'll need to check your post...

Thanx!
-Eemil

[amiman99]

These drives look very similar, flip the PCB and see if there is a solder connections for the missing switch, you may be lucky.

[SilverZguru]

These drives look very similar, flip the PCB and see if there is a solder connections for the missing switch, you may be lucky.

At the PCB, I can see 3 solder points and 2 empty holes, where switch's solder points should be. But are these 3 solder points the right ones? There doesn't read anything or there aren't any marks like R40 etc. But next to those connections, there is one "capacitor" and more solder points and there reads R52 and R53.

Phew! Maybe I should attach more pictures... But I'll do that tomorrow (because in Finland it's going to get late...) Or not so late, but I'm too tired or just lazy to do it now

[mohican]

@SilverZguru:

There are two types of Panasonic drives in connection with eject button ... the drive on the right picture is compatible with the A1200's eject button.

[RiP]

Possible to modify this? :hammer:

[spaceman88]

Yes, EAB has a thread on it (and others)-  http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=30944

Go about half way down the page for the SFD-321

[RiP]

Yes, EAB has a thread on it (and others)-  http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=30944

Go about half way down the page for the SFD-321

But mine is different :confused:

What about Mitsumi Model D353M3?

[spaceman88]

But mine is different :confused:

What about Mitsumi Model D353M3?

Yours is a different revision. If you can find the DS0 jumper, RDY and DC you can modify it, if not your probably out of luck.