Amdrive Hard Disk

Parsec · 31 March 2003, 23:48

I would really appreciate any information on an "Amdrive" hard disk that has just been given to me. It fits on the side of an A500, and has a red power and green activity LED. It is a large metal case, with a built in transformer. Think it's a UK specific model. The serial number on the bottom is about 1000, so it's a fairly rare item I think.

It powers up fine, judging by the sound of the drive it sounds like an MFM or RLL unit rather than IDE. I've plugged it into the side of my A500, powered them both up and nothing seems to happen. I've tried switching to the startup-sequence.hd startup file but this makes no difference.

However when I switched the unit off it guru'd the A500, indicating that the machine knew something about it (or got hit by a power spike :eek).

Will this jobbie need drivers to make it work? Perhaps it's dead?

I've checked this forum and amiga-hardware.com and there is no mention of it.

Any ideas?

Severin · 01 April 2003, 19:56

What KS are you using? if your using 1.3 or 2.0 then you should be able to boot from floppy to access the HD (but you will need a driver

), with 2.1 the drive should auto boot from the HD.

If you only have 1.2 it could be a problem

Parsec · 01 April 2003, 21:32

Hi mate, thanks for trying to help

I'm running KS 1.3 on the A500. I've booted from the Workbench 1.3 disk, and there is no icon on the workbench. Also tried changing to DH0: or "mount dh0:".

Since I never had a hard disk back in the old days I'm a bit out of my depth!

Cheers

Severin · 01 April 2003, 23:45

If it's similar to most old hard drives you will need the disk that should have come with it. Most old hd's systems had their own partitioning software that was imcompatible with the later hdtoolbox

Your best bet is to put wanted ads anywhere you can think of and hope someone still has a copy...

jmmijo · 02 April 2003, 01:16

Is "Amdrive" the name of the manufacturer or the model name?

If you look on the bottom and/or the back of the unit perhaps there is more info about this piece of hardware.

I couldn't locate anything specific on Google, just a bunch of AM radio sites and other such things

Miggy2TheMax · 02 April 2003, 03:36

if you have a digital camera take a piccie of it and post it here! Someone might recognise it that way. I think I know the drive you speak off I think they were advertised in amiga format a while back. cheers.

jmmijo · 02 April 2003, 03:47

Was it only available in a country or two Miggy

Miggy2TheMax · 02 April 2003, 07:58

well, I assume they were sold in the UK as they advertised in the amiga Format. I wish I had a scanner so I could show you the advert I talk about. The drive design was crude, pretty much a metal box with two round leds. The manfacturer was aiming for the budget market and therefore didn't really worry about cosmetics, I recall that their prices seemed pretty competitive at the time too.

Severin · 02 April 2003, 15:21

Is this the drive? if so it's a rebadged 'reference' drive from evesham micros, and you'll be pleased to know it's SCSI not mfm/rll

it also takes up to 4Mb of ram...

Parsec · 03 April 2003, 20:32

Sorry it's taken a while to reply. Here is a picture.

Sounds like drivers are needed then?

Parsec · 03 April 2003, 21:29

Right I've just got this thing opened up, and there is a 3.5" Seagate ST-138N drive in there. According to this http://www.mm.mtu.edu/drives/seagate/scsi/st138n.txt it is a 38Mb SCSI drive.

Good news if the drive's dead it will be easier to replace.

jmmijo · 04 April 2003, 01:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Parsec

Good news if the drive's dead it will be easier to replace.

Correct, the problem however is that you have KS1.3 and thus will most likely need the special drivers/setup/install disk from Amdrive. This most likely would add their own amdrivescsi.device or similar and I bet it had it's own partitioning software like most other manufacturers did

Miggy2TheMax · 04 April 2003, 04:15

I thought it was the drive that severin posted a picture off. I haven't seen an amdrive before, take a snapshot of the inerts so we can see what sort of controller chips they use. Maybe you can getaway with using HDtoolbox?

Have you tried taking the HD out and just powering it up and see what the amiga does with that?

jmmijo · 04 April 2003, 04:41

I thought that HD Toolbox was for KS2.xx and above

Miggy2TheMax · 04 April 2003, 08:39

You are right Jmmijo, but you can always kick up to KS2.xx+ and try running HDToolbox and see if the HD works that way. Just a suggestion.

scaf · 04 April 2003, 13:21

The kickstat 1.3 has its own HDToolBox : on the A2091 driver floppy (using scsi.device).
Don't know if it'll work for AmDrive.

jmmijo · 04 April 2003, 16:55

I see what you mean there Miggy, never really tried to softkick a higher KS then what was on the machine before, just downgraded to KS1.2/1.3 for some games

@scaf, yes this can be tried to see, I do have experience with GVP units but their built-in interface used the gvpscisi.device instead. So you maybe able to get buy if you can change the name of the scsi device, of course you have to know what that name is too

Parsec · 04 April 2003, 20:02

As requested an image of the internals.

Parsec · 04 April 2003, 20:04

And another, of the controller and board info. Interesting to see the AMD chip there!

jmmijo · 04 April 2003, 21:50

Quote:

Originally posted by Parsec
And another, of the controller and board info. Interesting to see the AMD chip there!

They started by making controller and flash memory chips years ago

Now a days they are better known for their x86 CPU's

31 March 2003, 23:48	#1
Parsec Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Age: 49 Posts: 434	Amdrive Hard Disk I would really appreciate any information on an "Amdrive" hard disk that has just been given to me. It fits on the side of an A500, and has a red power and green activity LED. It is a large metal case, with a built in transformer. Think it's a UK specific model. The serial number on the bottom is about 1000, so it's a fairly rare item I think. It powers up fine, judging by the sound of the drive it sounds like an MFM or RLL unit rather than IDE. I've plugged it into the side of my A500, powered them both up and nothing seems to happen. I've tried switching to the startup-sequence.hd startup file but this makes no difference. However when I switched the unit off it guru'd the A500, indicating that the machine knew something about it (or got hit by a power spike :eek). Will this jobbie need drivers to make it work? Perhaps it's dead? I've checked this forum and amiga-hardware.com and there is no mention of it. Any ideas?

02 April 2003, 15:21	#9
Severin Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Gloucester / UK Posts: 700	Is this the drive? if so it's a rebadged 'reference' drive from evesham micros, and you'll be pleased to know it's SCSI not mfm/rll it also takes up to 4Mb of ram... Attached Thumbnails

03 April 2003, 20:32	#10
Parsec Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Age: 49 Posts: 434	Sorry it's taken a while to reply. Here is a picture. Sounds like drivers are needed then? Attached Thumbnails

04 April 2003, 20:02	#18
Parsec Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Age: 49 Posts: 434	As requested an image of the internals. Attached Thumbnails

04 April 2003, 20:04	#19
Parsec Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Age: 49 Posts: 434	And another, of the controller and board info. Interesting to see the AMD chip there! Attached Thumbnails

01 April 2003, 19:56	#2
Severin Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Gloucester / UK Posts: 700	What KS are you using? if your using 1.3 or 2.0 then you should be able to boot from floppy to access the HD (but you will need a driver ), with 2.1 the drive should auto boot from the HD. If you only have 1.2 it could be a problem

01 April 2003, 21:32	#3
Parsec Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Age: 49 Posts: 434	Hi mate, thanks for trying to help I'm running KS 1.3 on the A500. I've booted from the Workbench 1.3 disk, and there is no icon on the workbench. Also tried changing to DH0: or "mount dh0:". Since I never had a hard disk back in the old days I'm a bit out of my depth! Cheers

01 April 2003, 23:45	#4
Severin Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Gloucester / UK Posts: 700	If it's similar to most old hard drives you will need the disk that should have come with it. Most old hd's systems had their own partitioning software that was imcompatible with the later hdtoolbox Your best bet is to put wanted ads anywhere you can think of and hope someone still has a copy...

02 April 2003, 01:16	#5
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	Is "Amdrive" the name of the manufacturer or the model name? If you look on the bottom and/or the back of the unit perhaps there is more info about this piece of hardware. I couldn't locate anything specific on Google, just a bunch of AM radio sites and other such things

02 April 2003, 03:36	#6
Miggy2TheMax Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Australia Age: 45 Posts: 381	if you have a digital camera take a piccie of it and post it here! Someone might recognise it that way. I think I know the drive you speak off I think they were advertised in amiga format a while back. cheers.

02 April 2003, 03:47	#7
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	Was it only available in a country or two Miggy

02 April 2003, 07:58	#8
Miggy2TheMax Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Australia Age: 45 Posts: 381	well, I assume they were sold in the UK as they advertised in the amiga Format. I wish I had a scanner so I could show you the advert I talk about. The drive design was crude, pretty much a metal box with two round leds. The manfacturer was aiming for the budget market and therefore didn't really worry about cosmetics, I recall that their prices seemed pretty competitive at the time too.

03 April 2003, 21:29	#11
Parsec Registered User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Age: 49 Posts: 434	Right I've just got this thing opened up, and there is a 3.5" Seagate ST-138N drive in there. According to this http://www.mm.mtu.edu/drives/seagate/scsi/st138n.txt it is a 38Mb SCSI drive. Good news if the drive's dead it will be easier to replace.

04 April 2003, 04:15	#13
Miggy2TheMax Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Australia Age: 45 Posts: 381	I thought it was the drive that severin posted a picture off. I haven't seen an amdrive before, take a snapshot of the inerts so we can see what sort of controller chips they use. Maybe you can getaway with using HDtoolbox? Have you tried taking the HD out and just powering it up and see what the amiga does with that?

04 April 2003, 04:41	#14
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	I thought that HD Toolbox was for KS2.xx and above

04 April 2003, 08:39	#15
Miggy2TheMax Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Australia Age: 45 Posts: 381	You are right Jmmijo, but you can always kick up to KS2.xx+ and try running HDToolbox and see if the HD works that way. Just a suggestion.

04 April 2003, 13:21	#16
scaf Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: france Age: 48 Posts: 116	The kickstat 1.3 has its own HDToolBox : on the A2091 driver floppy (using scsi.device). Don't know if it'll work for AmDrive.

04 April 2003, 16:55	#17
jmmijo Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: PDX Age: 62 Posts: 2,396	I see what you mean there Miggy, never really tried to softkick a higher KS then what was on the machine before, just downgraded to KS1.2/1.3 for some games @scaf, yes this can be tried to see, I do have experience with GVP units but their built-in interface used the gvpscisi.device instead. So you maybe able to get buy if you can change the name of the scsi device, of course you have to know what that name is too

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