External diskdrive doesn’t work as it should

[Fatter_agnus]

I have 3external disk drives and when I connect the faulty one like df2 and then df3 both disk drive have the same problem. “ can’t read 0” when I try to formatting it.

If I use the 2 working drives it works fine as long I don’t use the faulty one if it not the last one.

So back to the faulty one I have used ipa on the sensors that tells if the floppy’s is writeable and if there is any floppy loaded but when I start WB 3.1 then the drive can say unreadable even if there is not a floppy in it but sometimes it works so my question is how can it block df3 if I have it connected it like df2 or the whole chain from df1 to df3? I have used a multimeter and tested the sub 23? for breaks but not anything that I found.

I have tried it on a500 Rev 3 wb1.2 a500+ Rev 8A Wb 2.04 and a1200 wb 3.2.

[cpiac64]

the signal "ready" is the same for all

use a software for test all drive like https://github.com/keirf/Amiga-Stuff.../testkit-v1.18

[solarmon]

Does the suspect external drive work OK on its own as DF1?

What make/model is the suspect drive. Can you provide some pictures of the setup and drive.

[Fatter_agnus]

Thanks for the ATK, now when I tested it I got no problems. If I boot the Amiga to workbench with a floppy in DF1 then it works but if I don’t do it I have the icon of a floppy and “DF1:unreadable” so I have no clue. It searching for 3 seconds on the DF1 on boot when no floppy is present then it boot to workbench.

What I understand it is a ROCTEC RF302C

[solarmon]

Sounds like the disk presence switch on the drive needs cleaning? Check the switch for continuity and that it works.

To clean it, flood/soak it with IPA and repeatedly press the switch.

[Fatter_agnus]

I´ve cleaned it now and it got better

So what i found out is this if i connect like this

Roctec RF302C READY SIGNAL - DF1
Roctec READY Signal - DF2
Supra Drive !NO! Ready signal - DF3 CHECKDISK NR 5 "Error in the header / long format" What do i do then? is this fixable?

[solarmon]

Make sure you are using a good known AmigaDOS formatted disk to do the checks - preferably an original magazine coverdisk or Workbench disk. Even using the same disk to check all the drives.

[Fatter_agnus]

I´ve used Workbench 1.3 and used x-copy to check it in every drive, I´ve clean DF1-DF3 heads with IPA and lubricated the stepmotor rod.

when i connect the SupraDrive the roctec works the supra drive get 3 read errors 1,2 and 3 over the first 10 sectors

DF0 sounds like a trainwreck when its connected and get only 5 in all 80sectors and when i just disconnect the supradrive everything works. If i only use the supera drive then it works like a charm. When i run ATK i have a accelerator card, CF-HDD and my 3 external drives.

is my powersupply to weak? I use a mean well rt-65B.

5v - 5A
12V - 2,8A
-12V - 0,5

I have a meanwell rt-125B should i try that one?

maybe i should leave the superadrive to the amiga heaven? Or recap it

[solarmon]

It could be a power issue Measure the +5V and +12V rails when you have no external drives connected and when you have to three external drives connected.

[Fatter_agnus]

So no weird sound from the drives, no read problem in ATK all the drives works, no access problem on the cylinders but in WB3.2 when i try to format the floppies then DF1- DF3 cant read sector 0

DF0 can format.

The Supradrive is connected to DF3, disconnecting the supradrive DF0-DF2 works flawlessly.

Off topic when I use rt125b the Amiga feels faster / responsive or is it just placebo

So is it possible to just change external floppydrive, Rotecdrive in Supradrive case and test the logicboard or do they work in some other way?

Mean well power output:

5v - 12A
12V - 5A
-12V - 1.0A

[solarmon]

I meant to get a reading of the power supply rails by using a multimeter, not what the power supply is rated at.

[Fatter_agnus]

Sorry I just left my brain somewhere else, here is the readings:

All drives x-copy ( no load)
5v - 5.09 (5.09)
12v - 12.9V (12.84)
-12 - -12.36 ( -12.36)

Comment: can’t find df3 in x-copy but under WB
—————————————————————————

No drives just DF0 no load
5.09
13.17
-12.32

[solarmon]

The +12V reading seems a bit high to me. However, most floppy drives won't need/use it. But the internal floppy drive in the A500/+ will use +12V - so it seems a bit too high for that.

The +5V reading seems OK, which is what most external floppy drives will only use.

[Fatter_agnus]

I think I have to test the logic-board and swap a working drive to the faulty one and see what’s happening