external floppy as df0

[lionstorm]

Hi all,
I missed my desktop A1200 since I put it into a power tower. I could get a motherboard of A1200 for 66 euros without Rom and put it back to my empty box but I will not have the internal floppy (it is an the tower). My question is : can I use my old external floppy drive (from my old A500) as df0 (without taking it out its metal box) ?
LionStorm

[Phoenix]

Check out this link and look under misc.
There are df0 switches in there somewhere, then at least you will have a description to find one.

[Skippy]

Unless you can route DF1: to DF0 you'd need to open the external drive's case and remove the controller - then you can you it as DF0 inside your a1200.

Skippy

[Jope]

Basically, all you need to do is to move the drive select lines up by one in the CIA that handles the floppy drives.

CIA - MOBO
==========
DS0 - DS1
DS1 - DS2
DS2 - DS3

Unfortunately you can only connect three drives to the machine in total then.

Also, it's not quite that straightforward as the CIA is soldered onto the mobo. You'll need to desolder and lift up the legs and use wires to reconnect them.

[tonyw]

Yes, it's a hardware problem. As I remember, there is a single select line for each DFx:. You'd have to separate the select line for DF0: out of the cable and bring it out to the select pin for DF1:

External drives used to wire the "next drive" select line on the incoming cable to the "DF0" select line on the output connector. So you could have up to three external floppies, chained together. I once tried it with three external drives (and the original internal), but the A1000 power supply couldn't carry the load of four drives at once  :-D

tony

[Colmiga]

Why don't you take the external drive out of its case and put it in the Power Tower. You can then put the original drive back into the 1200 case with the new MB and you'll have a drive with a faceplate in the tower.

[lionstorm]

Thanx guys, I will see, did not order the MB yet.
LionStorm

[Effy]

There's another way out !! Get a Catweasel controller so you can connect any pc drive to use it as DF0 !! Hook it up to the floppy controller and off you go !!