PC floppy adaptor for Amiga

[AlfaRomeo]

Hi, prowler

Originally Posted by prowler

Do you mean it's connected to the 4th floppy drive on your machine?

prowler

No, I didn´t mean that.
Ian has numbered the boards and my it´s the #4

[prowler]

Hi Alfa,

Mine must be a prototype (it's the one I used for testing with my Escom A1200). I can't see a number on it. Or else it's #0!

prowler

[AlfaRomeo]

@prowler

The number isn´t printed in the board, it was in the description paper that comes with the board.

[Paul_s]

Got mine today, great quality as always Ian, you da soldering wizard

Ian Stedman fanclub - deffo going to make one now, the guy should be in the Amiga engineering hall of fame

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi Alfa,

Mine must be a prototype (it's the one I used for testing with my Escom A1200). I can't see a number on it. Or else it's #0!

prowler

Mine ain't got one on it either!

[prowler]

Originally Posted by AlfaRomeo

@prowler

The number isn´t printed in the board, it was in the description paper that comes with the board.

Originally Posted by Paul_s

Mine ain't got one on it either!

Confirmed!

I've just got my second one of these adapters, and they're both exactly the same.

prowler

[Stedy]

Hi,

There are no serial numbers on the PCBs. The #0004 that AlfaRomeo refers to is my stock code system used by PayPal. #0004 is an assembled unit, #0005 is a kit and #0006 is a PCB only. Item #0001 is an assembled ATX adaptor (I know someone will ask).

I should add serial numbers to any future designs, just that for home produced stuff I don't need to.

@Paul_s

Glad you like the unit and it arrived safely, saves me sending an email that it has been dispatched

I don't need a fan club yet, I need to finish projects Aphrodite, Athena and Hermes first, then see what happens

[Yoto]

I need to finish projects Aphrodite, Athena and Hermes first

?

Just because you knew someone whould ask...

[Stedy]

@Yotoxionomai,

Aphrodite is a code name for the A600/A500 accelerator project. The other two projects are under wraps for the time being.

@Thread

Adaptors are still available to purchase.

All further developments for the Amiga will shortly be going on hold for 6-9 months due to another projects commitments. It has been fun creating simple adaptors to fix fiddly problems and has been a welcome break from the norm. Don't worry I will still pop in occasionally and still respond to emails and messages.

Ian

[cosmicfrog]

all your efforts are greatly appreciated steady

lets hope in 6-9 months(christmas) you come back with somethin awsome

all the best & when in dought Ribbit

[prowler]

Thanks for the adapters, Ian!

I'm going to try one of them on the external floppy connector with an adapter.

Already looking forward to your next 'welcome break from the norm'.

prowler

[Yoto]

Aphrodite is a code name for the A600/A500 accelerator project.

Awesomness check!

[Paul_s]

Originally Posted by Yotoxionomai

Awesomness check!

I'm feeling the awesomeness also!

Let's camp outside Ian's house and make him marshmallows/sing songs/tell ghost stories. These kind of Amiga projects are tooooo cool!

Uh oh, the Police are breaking down my door because they think I'm mental

[Eclipse]

Originally Posted by Paul_s

I'm feeling the awesomeness also!

Let's camp outside Ian's house and make him marshmallows/sing songs/tell ghost stories. These kind of Amiga projects are tooooo cool!

Uh oh, the Police are breaking down my door because they think I'm mental

They only "think" your mental. We know you actually are!

[prowler]

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi Yotoxionomai,

If I can put together a suitable DB23 to IDE34 adapter, then I suppose I could check whether or not Stedy's existing design is compatible with the external drive port.

It should also be possible to derive a circuit diagram for the Cumana's interface board from the layout, which will tell us whether it provides functions other than discriminating the drive from others connected to the chain.

Originally Posted by Yotoxionomai

That would be so nice prowler, i would really like to use something like that!

Hi Yotoxionomai,

I have not forgotten about this. I've been collecting the information I need regarding the floppy drive and external floppy socket pinouts.

Were you interested in using the external socket to connect a DF0: drive, or DF1: / DF2: / DF3 ?

prowler

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by prowler

Were you interested in using the external socket to connect a DF0: drive, or DF1: / DF2: / DF3 ?

prowler

Hi prowler,

would it be possible to hack a "normal" (with case etc., from various brands like GoldenImage, Cumana, Commodore etc.) external floppy in order to use it as DF0: (bypassing the internal one) ???

[prowler]

Originally Posted by Supamax

Hi prowler,

would it be possible to hack a "normal" (with case etc., from various brands like GoldenImage, Cumana, Commodore etc.) external floppy in order to use it as DF0: (bypassing the internal one) ???

Hi Supamax,

Yes, I imagine it could. This is all subject to my testing it of course, but the external DB23 socket provides no connection to the /SEL0 signal, which is required for operation as DF0:, so this would have to be provided separately.

As far as I am yet aware, this would be the only "hack" required.

prowler

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by prowler

the external DB23 socket provides no connection to the /SEL0 signal, which is required for operation as DF0:, so this would have to be provided separately.

If doing so, would it be needed to disable/detach the internal DF0: (if working, I mean not broken)? Or would they work "synchronously", both reading/writing the same data?

[EDIT] I know it looks like a strange question... You could think "Why having an external DF0: if your internal one is working?".
Well, one could (I had to, because I have an external 5,25" and many many floppies in that format) boot from another drive than the internal one

Wait, I forgot! I had an internal interface which switched DF0: and DF1: when needed ... are you interested in its scheme?
It was connected to an internal Amiga IC, though...

[prowler]

Originally Posted by Supamax

If doing so, would it be needed to disable/detach the internal DF0: (if working, I mean not broken)? Or would they work "synchronously", both reading/writing the same data?

Hi Supamax,

I would think it best to use the externally connected drive as an alternative to the internal one, because (a) I don't think it would be safe to assume that the signals could handle two drives without additional buffering and (b) you cannot guarantee that both drives would have the same seek, read and write times, so the signals would never be synchronized.

Originally Posted by Supamax

I know it looks like a strange question... you could think "Why having an external DF0: if your internal one is working?".
Well, one could (I had to, because I have an external 5,25" and many many floppies in that format) boot from another drive than the internal one

In that case, I think you would either have to ensure that only one drive was connected at any time, or else switch the signals from one drive to the other as required.

Aren't the 5.25-inch floppies a different capacity to the 3.5-inch disks?

Originally Posted by Supamax

Wait, I forgot! I had an internal interface which switched DF0: and DF1: when needed ... are you interested in its scheme?

It was connected to an internal Amiga IC, though...

Yes please, mate!

prowler

PS. I'm sorry for my slow response times. My internet connection is terrible tonight.

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi Supamax,

I would think it best to use the externally connected drive as an alternative to the internal one, because (a) I don't think it would be safe to assume that the signals could handle two drives without additional buffering and (b) you cannot guarantee that both drives would have the same seek, read and write times, so the signals would never be synchronized.

I think you're absolutely right

Aren't the 5.25-inch floppies a different capacity to the 3.5-inch disks?

Normally yes, but I have an 80-track 96tpi 5,25" TEAC which is seen by the Amiga as equal (and it is: same number of tracks and same density) to a 3,5" drive. They were very nice and sturdy drives. They are not DD 360KB (under DOS) neither HD 1.2 MB (idem); they are DD 720KB (DOS) / 880 KB (Amiga).
I archived hundreds of Amiga floppies as 5,25" because they were less expensive (half the price of the 3,5").
I "criminally" used normal DD 48tpi floppies (instead of 96tpi) but they kept my data until now: beautifully reliable floppies!

Yes please, mate!

OK! (gotta find it first in my bags)

[prowler]

Originally Posted by Supamax

I have an 80-track 96tpi 5,25" TEAC which is seen by the Amiga as equal (and it is: same number of tracks and same density) to a 3,5" drive. They were very nice and sturdy drives. They are not DD 360KB (under DOS) neither HD 1.2 MB (idem); they are DD 720KB (DOS) / 880 KB (Amiga).
I archived hundreds of Amiga floppies as 5,25" because they were less expensive (half the price of the 3,5").
I "criminally" used normal DD 48tpi floppies (instead of 96tpi) but they kept my data until now: beautifully reliable floppies!

I didn't know that. Thanks for the information!

Originally Posted by Supamax

OK! (gotta find it first in my bags)

Thanks! Or you could just send me the bags and I'll find it!