A500 Floppydrive makes random weird buzzing-sounds.

trackah123 · 29 April 2010, 15:07

Hi EAB People.

I have a problem with 2 A500's.

Both have the same symptoms.. the floppydrive sometimes makes weird buzzing noises out of itself. and that sometimes causes disks to fail loading.
But its not the drive, i already tried other good working internal A500 drives on it from other working amiga's. other floppy cable and power cable.. even switched those CIA (ODD and EVEN) chips.. different PSU. but no luck so far. different good working floppy disks.

Do you know what could be wrong with my A500. im afraid its PCB related or 1 of those other Chips.

For example when you insert a disk right after kickscreen it sometimes buzzes. sometimes it happens somewhere in workbench when its booting (it asks to insert disk again or you must replace/insert disk requester).

And on NDOS/trackloader disks that buzzing causes the disk to stop loading sometimes and crash the game (distorted graphics etc or software failure guru).

Its totally random, it can work fine for 1 to 5 minutes.. and then it can go all crazy again.
Hope you can help me out.

Loedown · 29 April 2010, 15:37

Check your voltages, it sounds like ripple is getting through to the floppy and causing it to vibrate, try a different power adapter if you have one.

trackah123 · 29 April 2010, 15:38

I did. like i said its not the PSU because i tried a different PSU.. but no luck.

and those PSU's works fine on all the other Amiga's they dont have that problem

I think the problem lies somewhere in a part of the A500 motherboard that actually steers/controls the floppydrive.

Loedown · 29 April 2010, 16:57

I missed the bit about changing the PSU, I blame shift work!

Ripple voltage getting through is still the most likely, Amigas are just getting older, check your capacitors, does the motherbaord have a smell on it like fish or urine?

trackah123 · 29 April 2010, 17:03

Well it smells like shit

no but seriously i dont smell anything weird and nothing looks weird no burning spots of any kind or liquid stuff on it. so i have no idea.

I think i have to get a working A500 motherboard and try each chip 1 by 1 replacing it and see what the cause is.

But can you smell it when there is something wrong? like 1 capacitor or something that smells funny?

rkauer · 29 April 2010, 22:04

Start with Paula, it controls the floppy port.

trackah123 · 29 April 2010, 22:18

Thanks will try that first then.

trackah123 · 10 May 2010, 19:13

UPDATE : i fixed it. it was not the motherboard nor the PSU or anything like that.

Now my A500 works like new again

It was the drive itself and i think it can easily be fixed (it worked for me).

This fix works for the Chinon FB-354 Drive or probably any other drive that has these kind of pins (see red marked square in picture above).

I think through all the years these pins get a bit stiff/rusty so just press them a few times with your finger, and the drive should work fine again. These pins have something to do with the "Drivestate" function because when there is no disk in it and i press 1 of those pins it tries to read the disk even without a disk in it.

cosmicfrog · 10 May 2010, 20:37

yep one for disk in drive and the other for disk write protect

29 April 2010, 15:07	#1
trackah123 Amiga User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delft / The Netherlands Posts: 327	A500 Floppydrive makes random weird buzzing-sounds. Hi EAB People. I have a problem with 2 A500's. Both have the same symptoms.. the floppydrive sometimes makes weird buzzing noises out of itself. and that sometimes causes disks to fail loading. But its not the drive, i already tried other good working internal A500 drives on it from other working amiga's. other floppy cable and power cable.. even switched those CIA (ODD and EVEN) chips.. different PSU. but no luck so far. different good working floppy disks. Do you know what could be wrong with my A500. im afraid its PCB related or 1 of those other Chips. For example when you insert a disk right after kickscreen it sometimes buzzes. sometimes it happens somewhere in workbench when its booting (it asks to insert disk again or you must replace/insert disk requester). And on NDOS/trackloader disks that buzzing causes the disk to stop loading sometimes and crash the game (distorted graphics etc or software failure guru). Its totally random, it can work fine for 1 to 5 minutes.. and then it can go all crazy again. Hope you can help me out.

29 April 2010, 17:03	#5
trackah123 Amiga User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delft / The Netherlands Posts: 327	Well it smells like shit no but seriously i dont smell anything weird and nothing looks weird no burning spots of any kind or liquid stuff on it. so i have no idea. I think i have to get a working A500 motherboard and try each chip 1 by 1 replacing it and see what the cause is. But can you smell it when there is something wrong? like 1 capacitor or something that smells funny? Last edited by trackah123; 29 April 2010 at 17:29.

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29 April 2010, 15:37	#2
Loedown Precious & fragile things Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,946	Check your voltages, it sounds like ripple is getting through to the floppy and causing it to vibrate, try a different power adapter if you have one.

29 April 2010, 15:38	#3
trackah123 Amiga User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delft / The Netherlands Posts: 327	I did. like i said its not the PSU because i tried a different PSU.. but no luck. and those PSU's works fine on all the other Amiga's they dont have that problem I think the problem lies somewhere in a part of the A500 motherboard that actually steers/controls the floppydrive.

29 April 2010, 16:57	#4
Loedown Precious & fragile things Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,946	I missed the bit about changing the PSU, I blame shift work! Ripple voltage getting through is still the most likely, Amigas are just getting older, check your capacitors, does the motherbaord have a smell on it like fish or urine?

29 April 2010, 22:04	#6
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	Start with Paula, it controls the floppy port.

29 April 2010, 22:18	#7
trackah123 Amiga User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delft / The Netherlands Posts: 327	Thanks will try that first then.

10 May 2010, 19:13	#8
trackah123 Amiga User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delft / The Netherlands Posts: 327	UPDATE : i fixed it. it was not the motherboard nor the PSU or anything like that. Now my A500 works like new again It was the drive itself and i think it can easily be fixed (it worked for me). This fix works for the Chinon FB-354 Drive or probably any other drive that has these kind of pins (see red marked square in picture above). I think through all the years these pins get a bit stiff/rusty so just press them a few times with your finger, and the drive should work fine again. These pins have something to do with the "Drivestate" function because when there is no disk in it and i press 1 of those pins it tries to read the disk even without a disk in it.

10 May 2010, 20:37	#9
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	yep one for disk in drive and the other for disk write protect

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