Installing laptop cd-drive in A1200

[AndersHP]

Hey

I'm thinking about replacing my external ugly and old CD-drive for my A1200 with an internal one e.g. from a laptop machine instead..

But I'm not really a master of the tweaks and mods of Amiga's (I prefer to use them as nostalgic gamemachines), so I was hoping it could be simple "plug & play"-procedure since my current CD-drive works fine.

It is connected with IDE as well as the external HD, so my plan was:

Replace old external HD with CF card
Replace old external CD-drive with CD or DVD or such from a laptop
install everything inside the Amiga, for better and more "original" look.

Can you recommend any cheap, slim cd-drives that will install easily to my original setup? Or will this setup require other tweaks, mods and installations that won't easily do on a somewhat standard A1200?

What about power - does a laptop cd-drive work exactly like an external? I'm thinking the IDE hd and CD that I'm using now needs powercables from the board, but the ATA in the motherboard will work fine with a laptop cd-drive AND deliver power as well, right?

[cpiac64]

I mount a slim cd-rom in the a1200 (slave) and a cf 4mega with cf-ide, i have installed ide-fix software and all are ok.

You have external cd-rom?
Please send more info

[AndersHP]

Yes I currently have an external CD-rom drive installed as well as an external 3,5 inch harddrive. They are connected with IDE cables sticking out of the Amiga.

I just wondered if installing a laptop cd-rom drive would apply directly onto the A1200 mobo, as well as replacing the 3,5inch HD with a CF.

So, like this:

MOBO -> IDE cable -> CF -> IDE cable -> laptop cd-rom drive

Using a cable like this:
http://www.vesalia.de/?V02b0f1354554...d20076b6a7b247

Onto CF like this:
http://www.vesalia.de/e_cfide44adapter.htm

3 questions:

1) Is this easily possible?
It would be quite neat to have both hd and cd inside the Amiga, instead of having all these external drives lying around...

2) Will this require extra mods of the Amiga or is it possible to do on a stock A1200?

3) Is it true, that the IDE-controller on the A1200 mobo is a 44pin, so "all" I have to do is buy the two parts mentioned above, as well as a laptop cd-drive with 44-pin IDE interface? Or is modern IDE-drives nowadays with 40 or 50-pins? I have seen both... Also I've seen mentioned that the 44-pin controller on the motherboard is a 44-pin ATA, which confuses me even more.. Is it IDE or ATA?

[cpiac64]

the cable is ok

the cfide in other link are 2,40 €

1) easy

2) you must create a hole for the tray of cd-rom

3) ide, eide, ata, pata are equal, the pin 41,42,43,44 are power 5 volt

you only add a jumper in cd-rom to set slave

i refurbished a toshiba xm-1402b

look here http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=48042

[AndersHP]

Yeah that looks exactly like what I was thinking, thanks!

The IDEFIX-adapter, what does it do exactly? The toshiba-drive is 2,5 inch IDE interface, is it not? Or is the IDE-fix a 2,5 inch -> 3,5 inch converter?

[cpiac64]

in my a1200, only cable 44pin and software idefix (no adapter)

next time i insert photo

[cpiac64]

i use http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/IDEfix97

[AndersHP]

Ah sorry, I thought it was your Amiga on the photos.. I'd like to see a photo of your setup?
Does IDEFIX '97 do the same thing as the IDEFIX-adapter on the photos?

[Fingerlickin_B]

Your don't need the IDEFIX adaptor if only using 2 IDE devices, it simply allows you to use more.

It sounds like you already have the software end sorted out if previously using a CD-ROM, so now it's just hardware you need to worry about.

The IDE adaptors I've seen (& used) for laptop drives are all 40 pin, so you'll need a cable with 2x 44 pin connectors & 1x 40 pin connector.(motherboard-44 pin, CF adaptor-44 pin, CD-ROM adaptor-40 pin)
AmigaKit should be able to help you out there.

Steal the CD-ROM's voltage from the FDD power cable, simply run four extra wires & a plug off it.

If this is already covered in the link provided, nevermind.
PZ.

[AndersHP]

OK I understand the principle, but cannot seem to find a IDE cable 44 - 44 - 40 at neither AmigaKit or Vesalia Online..

The "missing" 4 pins is the power I guess?
Is it possible to buy an adapter for the CD-drive instead? 44 pin - 40 pin + power?

And just to be sure: It's all 2,5 inch, right? I mean 40 and 44 pins are available in both 2,5 and 3,5 inch, I gather?

[Jope]

2.5" drives are 44 pin, 3.5" drives are 40 pin..

Really old laptop CD drives are 44pin, more modern ones have a special 50pin connector, you can find adapters so you can plug these into a 44 pin or 40 pin cable.

The four extra pins are power and ground. The adapters supply these separately. The rest of the pins are identical.

[AndersHP]

Originally Posted by Jope

2.5" drives are 44 pin, 3.5" drives are 40 pin..

Really old laptop CD drives are 44pin, more modern ones have a special 50pin connector, you can find adapters so you can plug these into a 44 pin or 40 pin cable.

So I guess the easiest would be to buy a Toshiba drive like mentioned above:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toshiba-XM-140...orage_Internal

It seems to be 44 pin, meaning it would fit right into the setup I mention..?

[Jope]

Yep, but be advised that there may be compatibility issues. I have two 44 pin cd-roms and only one of them work in the A1200.

[cpiac64]

40 $ is crazy

http://img833.imageshack.us/i/dscf8194.jpg/
http://img844.imageshack.us/i/dscf8195.jpg/