Gotek - Revisited

[Franchute13]

maybe another place than ebay?
I never buy here, but is more cheap.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-...308.4.2.hUCQ4b

[supaduper]

hey Brian it will be great if you can incorporate your new project to read and play IPF images so we use our kryoflux copies which are untouched non cracked adf`s which is what we are restricted to on the Gotek

[utri007]

I belive that these chinese sellers post also to Canada

http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?...archText=gotek

[crasbe]

I hope, you include some money for HM in the price. Without him, that would not be possible at all.

[Solo761]

Originally Posted by Retrofan

Flashing is difficult. I need Windows XP.

I would like an external unit that could work as DF0 or DF1 with a switch. Not filing or cutting the case. I want also the floppy drive sound.

(Just what I want)

Edit: I would add a large lcd screen to show names instead of numbers, but no idea if that's possible.

Difficult only if you use prolific based USB to TTL adapter since most of them on ebay use fake prolific chips and new drivers won't work with them.

I use CP2102/4 based adapters and haven't had problems with flashing under win7.



And yes, most sellers don't call them "Gotek", that name stuck only because it's written on case front. Back when H.M. made first version of the firmware you could only find them by entering "USB floppy emulator" in ebay search.
Now, since there are a lot of leeches that sell preflashed one for double the money you can find flashed ones by searching for "gotek".

[Allen1]

Originally Posted by crasbe

I hope, you include some money for HM in the price. Without him, that would not be possible at all.

I think that we all would have liked to have given a donation to HM for his excellent work and updates for the Gotek, unfortunately he refuses to accept any form of payment mainly due to tax reasons (the reason is mentioned on his site). I have done 3 drives for my own use with his firmware and instructions, finding the right driver for the flasher was a problem but he even pointed out that it had been found on another site and linked to it in one of his replies to someone else.

People like him (and Brian) are a godsend for us lot, its a shame that other people mainly on eBay got dollar signs flashing before there eyes and ruined a great project which was heading towards emulating the Amstrad floppy too. (I don't know if that ever continued though)

Its also good to see that Brian is still coming up with more ideas for the Amiga, everything so far has been great and even improved on as more batches were made

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by crasbe

I hope, you include some money for HM in the price. Without him, that would not be possible at all.

Read the first post again, you obviously didnt digest what i said. Crasbe, i do not want to start getting personal with you in this forum so please do not start with your back handed comments in this forum also.

edit, just to add something, i have already left messages on his blog for him to contact me, but as previously mentioned he doesnt appear to want to talk to anyon publically on this subject (check the last time he was on EAB)

[crasbe]

You didn't wrote anything about giving money to HM and I didn't know that he refuses to take it.

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by crasbe

You didn't wrote anything about giving money to HM and I didn't know that he refuses to take it.

Sorry, i didn't realise i need to answer to you, as mentioned i already left messages to him, Why do you need to know all my conversations with everyone else ? You are not in the loop and your post was very insinuating

[kipper2k]

I have the main board done it is about 2.5" x 1.75". Now it is a case of trying to get the daughter board containing all the switches etc to fit with as little modification as possible.

So here is the first and probably biggest mod to the case that needs to be done, due to the width of the LED display a little bit of filing is necessary, but, its not that hard to do and very unintrusive... i'll post a few pics.







The file cost me $1 from the $ store and the width was almost perfect. The only big problem i see is because of the USB fitting i will need to use 2 daughter boards at 90 degree angle to each other to get everything in place

Anyone with any thoughts about this or other options ?. The main board will have a 10 pin header to send all neeeded signals to the daughter board.

Here is a picture of the mainboard (wiring is still rough and needs to be optimised). The A500 will not require 34 pin cable or 4 pin cable. (the A600/A1200 will need your 4 pin power cable to be connected). The height of the fitted mainboard will have enough clearance from the CIA chip and capacitors in that area



just thinking that i could add a USB header to the main board as an added feature, for those people who may want to cut out a USB port hole at the back of the case. (mabbe next to the HDMI hole

[Yulquen74]

Have you considered a solution similar to the attached picture?

This way there is no butchering of A500 cases, the display is readable from
the front view of the A500, the usb stick is available there also (an eject switch
could be useful as there is no eject mode in software except for removing the stick) and up/down buttons is available on the flipside of the board.

This solution would require only one board, but you would need the ribbon cable for the floppy signals. That might be a good thing, as other expansions could conflict with your board.

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by Yulquen74

Have you considered a solution similar to the attached picture?

This way there is no butchering of A500 cases, the display is readable from
the front view of the A500, the usb stick is available there also (an eject switch
could be useful as there is no eject mode in software except for removing the stick) and up/down buttons is available on the flipside of the board.

This solution would require only one board, but you would need the ribbon cable for the floppy signals. That might be a good thing, as other expansions could conflict with your board.

I do like that solution, i am hoping not to copy someone elses' design. I dont think there are any addons in the area of the floppy header that would cause a conflict. a 10 pin header cable could easily extend to the board that would stick out of the floppy slot. There is also another reason why i am trying to get it done on a small board, but thats news for later.

With the 10 pin header it would be easy for other people to come up with other solutions too as the main board supplies all required signals for people to make their own break out boards very easy.

The false floppy sticking out of the Amiga is a nice idea, it would be easy to copy but i don't really want to copy someone elses finished look solution.

edit. I can probably make a small extension board and have it stick out the same as that one shown, not as much though, just enough to show the display. (I dont like addons that stick out too much).

I'll do up some small designs. i have been checking prices some more for these components and if the people who are advertising them come through then the finished price would be low $30 range. hopefully i can make some mounting plates on my printer for the different models inside the cases

[Yulquen74]

just to mention an idea Ive been thinking of implementing myself.

an extension board could be made that extended from under the trapdoor lid, fastened by screws (ok so you would have to make some holes in the lid), which only extended just enough for display, usb and select switches.

this way you could even keep the old floppy drive, although you would need to add
an additional 34pin header + power socket, and some switch system to toggle the sel0 signal between the gotek and old floppy. having this switch you could just switch back to
old df0: if you would not want to boot the gotek instead of removing the usb stick.

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by Yulquen74

just to mention an idea Ive been thinking of implementing myself.

an extension board could be made that extended from under the trapdoor lid, fastened by screws (ok so you would have to make some holes in the lid), which only extended just enough for display, usb and select switches.

this way you could even keep the old floppy drive, although you would need to add an additional 34pin header + power socket, and some switch system to toggle the sel0 signal between the gotek and old floppy. having this switch you could just switch back to old df0: if you would not want to boot the gotek instead of removing the usb stick.

I like this too, The nice thing about the 10 pin header (there is also a 2 pin header which supplies the 5v and ground too) would be the capability of moving the display board wherever you want, All USB, switch and display signals are on it, DF0 could b easily selected at startup by using a flipflop to select and lock either the gotek or the real floppy as active.

I want the goal of this to be minimum cutting of the case but at the same time make it so that it is practical. Using the floppy eject hole for the extension board will require some glueing on the inside to hold the support columns but that is invisible so most people wont mind that. Ultimately there will be some modification required

I'll post the schematics once i have the board tested and working



-----------------------
i spent last night trying to find out why prgramming the gotek is a hit and miss thing, here are my findings...

Using a known good prolific usb to serial pogrammer....

Drivers here... http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowPr...id=225&pcid=41
trying to program using win7 64 bit ultimate computer (tried 2)... No way, no how!
Programming on Winxp once i had downloaded the prolific drivers, very strange on how to make it work every time, but i succeeded


Here are the steps once drivers installed...

open up the ST programming software
plug in hardware, (Use the device manager to verify the port assigned to the prolific usb), click next
if you receive an error saying device not found...
remove red wire (5v) from the gotek, wait a few seconds... plug it back in
retry, and it should now find the gotek


if you click next and it freezes, it will probably time out after 10 seconds. This means you have the 2 data wires (normally white and green in backwards, swap them and retry)

[Arnie]

Isn't there a smaller/thinner LCD display you could use to avoid cutting the case? Or maybe have it protruding flat so you can read it top down?

[kipper2k]

Originally Posted by Arnie

Isn't there a smaller/thinner LCD display you could use to avoid cutting the case? Or maybe have it protruding flat so you can read it top down?

I have been looking around and cant find any slim ones, it has to be compatible with the existing firmware too and the source for that is not available.

[appiah4]

I actually just bought a Gotek from Aliexpress for less than 19$ so I'm kind of miffed about not reading about this before.. If someone makes a custom casing that will fit inside an A500 and be usable, I will buy it in a heartbeat though.

[kipper2k]

just a tease...



2 buttons and the LED still need to be placed on the top. Am still waiting for some more parts for internal version

[kipper2k]

here is some pics of the external casing now, pretty well done. HW is all but done.







there is a 4 pin header that has been added, not shown, should be there on the release version

[Supamax]

WOW, very nice!

Looking forward for it...

Kipper, do you think it would be possible, somehow, to have a similar interface with the added bonus of being able to read/transfer the files on the USB key? I mean, Amiga drives (df0, ram, etc) <--> USB key ?