The Real HD-Fix Floppy controller

[amigo1]

Hello fellow Amigans,

I own a "The Real HD-Fix" floppy controller engeneered by T.Hirsch.

As can be read here on the bboah website (http://www.amiga-resistance.info/bboahfaq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=54&id=2280&artlang=de), there appear to be 2 or more versions of this small board.
I happend to have the version which has a small chip clip which should be attached to the CIA located at U7 in A1200s. The plate is green instead of red, and it's the version for the A1200 made by Amiga Technologies.

Now, the bad part is, I accidentally breakaway the small cable off the chip clip and can't see on which pin it was connected.

Is there somebody out there who can provide a picture or tell me on which pin on the chip clip I have to solder the small wire?

Thanks in advance

[Allen1]

Hi there amigo1 and welcome to EAB.

That's an interesting board you have shown in the link, I haven't actually seen one of those but there are loads of people here who know there stuff and hopefully they will provide the answer to your wire location in the chip clip. You learn something new every day on this site :great

[amigo1]

Thanks for the welcome!

Rummaging through the BBOH website, I too, found loads of Amiga hardware I never had heard of.. :-)
Well, let's hope I'm not the only member of this forum still owning such a device! :-)

greetings

[1time]

I do have one of these "The Real HD-Fix".

My card is a little bit different, i do have 3 possible jumper settings. Any one know what they do?

I cant find any pictures on any other site about this version, so i attached my own pictures.

Ideas? :confused

Edit: I did find the jumper-settings.

[clauddio]

this board seems ideal to make one yourself....
is only 1 ic and 1 cap
anyone have schematics of of this boards?

[prowler]

this board seems ideal to make one yourself....
is only 1 ic and 1 cap
anyone have schematics of of this boards?

I seem to recall that something along these lines was published at one time in Amiga Format.

It was only a brief article, but it will be in a copy of the magazine I still have, so it shouldn't take too long to find it. :)

[delshay]

I have this too ( red ) jumpers changed floppy setting df0,df1 & df2.

[clauddio]

I seem to recall that something along these lines was published at one time in Amiga Format.

It was only a brief article, but it will be in a copy of the magazine I still have, so it shouldn't take too long to find it. :)


what are your talking about?

[prowler]

what are your talking about?

Have another look; it might be clearer now. ;)

[clauddio]

btw,

what kind of chip have the board in the picture uploaded by 1time?
I can't found any info on the net... I assume is a flash chip like the PIC xxxxx series?

also I wonder if those adapters works in High Density mode with any floppy drive or works only with the TEAC drive in the pic uploaded

[prowler]

I am trying to find that Amiga Format article now.

[clauddio]

I am trying to find that Amiga Format article now.


ok thanks

[prowler]

It's not in Amiga Format. :sad

I'm checking my CU Amiga Magazines next. It's got to be in one of them now...

[hooverphonique]

what does this thing do? make it possible to use a standard hd drive as an actual hd drive in an amiga? (seems strange that the page on bboah doesn't mention anything about its functionality..)

regarding the chip, it's a PAL which is a PLD (programmable logic device), not a microcontroller (like a PIC). Without the code for it, it's not possible to reproduce this board directly..

[prowler]

what does this thing do? make it possible to use a standard hd drive as an actual hd drive in an amiga?

Yes, that's right.

regarding the chip, it's a PAL which is a PLD (programmable logic device), not a microcontroller (like a PIC). Without the code for it, it's not possible to reproduce this board directly..

I'm not saying that the article I'm trying to find features this particular hardware 'fix' for an Amiga HD floppy drive, but another solution which can be contructed oneself.

[Charlie]

Hi 1time,
Assuming the PAL has been left in a readable state that board of yours looks dead easy to reproduce.
Something that may be useful to a few people? How effective is it?

[prowler]

I've been all through my Amiga magazines and I didn't find that article, but I'm sure it's in one of them (It's not easy to search exhaustively several hundred pages of large format perfect bound magazines when you're browsing EAB as a moderator.), so I'll have another look through them again when I can give it my full attention.

In the meantime, I've followed the OP's link to the Big Book of Amiga Hardware (http://www.amiga-resistance.info/bboahfaq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=54&id=2280&artlang=de), and discovered that I too have an Amtrade A357 Real-HD Floppy Drive, but it's the other version based on a Sony MPF920-E.

I can confirm that my version works as a 1760K Amiga HD floppy drive in my A1200s. The chip clip is not featured on this unit, but in all other respects the adaptor PCB is identical to the one supplied with the TEAC-235HF floppy drive.

I wonder if those adapters works in High Density mode with any floppy drive or works only with the TEAC drive in the pic uploaded

I imagine that it would work with any good quality high density PC floppy drive which can be converted to be compatible with the Amiga's FDC. By good quality I mean one that can maintain sufficient stability at 150RPM for operation with high density disks.

[clauddio]

I

I imagine that it would work with any good quality high density PC floppy drive which can be converted to be compatible with the Amiga's FDC. By good quality I mean one that can maintain sufficient stability at 150RPM for operation with high density disks.

I hope you are right...but I always seen those high density adapters were supplied together with the sony 920 floppy drive or the TEAC 235
(correct me if I'm wrong)

btw, can you check if your adapter works with any other PC drive as high density apart from these two?

[1time]

I will not be able to try it out until friday again. But as far as i can remember, i am reading and writing 1760k Amiga HD Floppys.

[hooverphonique]

I wonder if this piece of hardware simply switches the motor signal on and off at 50% duty cycle, thereby halfing the rotation speed???

[clauddio]

I wonder if this piece of hardware simply switches the motor signal on and off at 50% duty cycle, thereby halfing the rotation speed???

yes this piece hardware put the motor to work at 150 rpm instead 300 when a high density disk is inserted
however I calculate this piece of hardware only works with a specific drive...in this case the TEAC 235
all drives uses different methods for motor signal,...different oscillators and different circuits to set the motor work at 300 rpm...so I assume is impossible for to this piece of hardware to work as high density in all drives

[prowler]

Can you check if your adapter works with any other PC drive as high density apart from these two?

That won't be possible, because I need a high density PC floppy drive which has been modified to work with an Amiga FDC. I don't own such a thing, because I use Stedy's PC to Amiga floppy drive adapter whenever I wish to use a PC floppy drive with my Amigas.

A test for compliance which involves another adapter would be inconclusive.

[clauddio]

btw,

I think all those high density adapters were done in Poland exclusively....and were supplied with a specific PC floppy drive ....but there is no docs or schems about how to build one
There are docs on aminet how to modify a specific drive to work as HD on the amiga....but the main thing is design the most simple adapter to work on the most popular PC floppy drive in the world
which is the most popular PC floppy drive?

[prowler]

I think all those high density adapters were done in Poland exclusively....and were supplied with a specific PC floppy drive...

While it may be correct that the HD adapters are Polish in origin, Amtrade is a German firm, as confirmed by this brief review (http://www.amigareport.com/ar411/review4.html) of the Amtrade Real HD-Drive featuring the TEAC drive mechanism.

And here is an Amtrade A357 Real HD-Drive A4000D Internal Installation Guide (http://amigarealm.whdownload.com/archives/manuals/AmTrade%20A357%20-%20The%20Real%20HD-Drive%20-%20Manual-ENG.pdf) (PDF, 872K), which gives details of the jumper settings.

However, there is another conversion of the Sony MPF920-E to an Amiga HD floppy drive which originated from Poland. In this version, the extra components are mounted internally. This is a drive I also own:

http://eab.abime.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=25720&stc=1&d=1277937563

I bought it from fitzsteve, who got it from eBay in a Power Tower. This drive conversion was originally marketed on this Polish site:
http://www.efunzine.com/

And just like the Amtrade A357 HD-Drive I own, this one also behaves as a 1760K HD Amiga floppy drive in my A1200s.

[1time]

i love thous crazy hardware mods =)

[Dic_Ray]

I guess you should have a look at the HD Floppy Fix from http://www.terminal-entry.de/amiga/ - BUT complete in german language and the author has still some printed circuits. As far as I know, this solution really works reliable.

In the download section http://www.terminal-entry.de/amiga/download.html you find further informations.

Good luck

[prowler]

Thanks for the links, Dic_Ray! :great

[Lord Aga]

I think Kipps should take a look at this :)
Maybe tweak the design a bit, and launch a sale.