Catweasel IV can't make it work

zimgr5 · 13 February 2009, 16:52

The controller installed well and no problem with it. But I have problems with floppy drive.

I connected cables as mentioned in manual but my floppy disk drive behaves strange - the floppy diode stays green all the time and I can't access any diskettes !
I use Sony drive - not Mitsumi

What should I do ?

kipper2k · 13 February 2009, 17:00

Hi there,

If you can i would return it and read this thread about the cyclone, it will be able to do far more than the catweasel once its completed which hopefully should be soon.

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=40959

I know from reading other threads that the Catweasal is buggy, so it may be worth your while to wait for the Cyclone

zimgr5 · 13 February 2009, 17:20

Hm, I didn't buy Catweasel to sell it because of problems. I think it's a hardware problem, but I'm waiting for possible solutions.
Hope someone can solve my problem....

Rabbit80 · 13 February 2009, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by zimgr5

The controller installed well and no problem with it. But I have problems with floppy drive.

I connected cables as mentioned in manual but my floppy disk drive behaves strange - the floppy diode stays green all the time and I can't access any diskettes !
I use Sony drive - not Mitsumi

What should I do ?

Is the cable in the right way? I'm pretty sure I have seen that when cables are wrong at one end!

Arnie · 13 February 2009, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rabbit80

Is the cable in the right way? I'm pretty sure I have seen that when cables are wrong at one end!

Yep i have to agree with Rabbit80, check your cables, swap the drive end around.

IFW · 13 February 2009, 17:52

Despite being heavily involved with the other project: normally you'd get the symptoms you describe if the floppy drive connector is incorrectly attached, try to change the direction of the connector.

zimgr5 · 13 February 2009, 18:27

Thanks for your responses.

So....I connected Catweasel to floppy using cable with 3-endings (supplied in package)
The middle of the cable is connected to the floppy , and end of cabel (not crossed ) is connected to Catweasel

And second connection ....I again use cable [rovided in package (has white ending anb black ending). Crossed ending is connected to Catweasel (black connector) and goes to motherboard.

And I tried to swap motherboard-white connector cable, but no effect - still the diode stays turned on ...

(

And here is a screenshot from ImageTool program...it shows that I have a 5,25'' drive installed - but there isn't any ! ???? And can't change it

((

Marcuz · 13 February 2009, 20:50

that's normal behaviour: the software loads the crappy configuration file in which everything has been edited in by the author regardless the actual hardware present.

1) try to edit the "drive" stuff accordingly to the instructions given in the readme present in the catweasel directory (which is bound anyway to crash the imagetool, so keep an original configuration *.ini at hand)

2) try this (while disregarding the 1st step): close the imagetool, put a normal PC disk in the drive, copy something in to it and back; if it works, get the disk out, open the imagetool, fit the amiga disk in.
if this don't work, then try again after having resetted the pc.

3) while step 2 worked on occasion, the imagetool may be actually a crap, so try this one instead:
http://siliconsonic.de/t/bin/imagetool_hotfix.zip
warning: step 2 it is needed in most of the cases anyway, for instance, if a working amiga disk gets readed as completely faulty: the reason is known only in the mind of catweasel' producer.

zimgr5 · 13 February 2009, 23:53

Problem solved, another Catweasel user helped me - had to overwrite invalid cwconfig file with another one. Now seems to work!

mr.vince · 17 February 2009, 13:48

I wonder if these annoyances ever get fixed...

Gavilan · 17 February 2009, 17:45

I have the EXACT same symhptom than zimgr5 had.
I "fixed" by using an older version of ImageTool and by disconnecting the floppy from the moterboard, so i only have acceso to my floppy drive under Catweasel.
At least, using version 2.3 of ImageTool, the program recognizes i have a 3.5 floppy drive and not a 5.25 drive...

@Marco pedrana: for some strange reason , im not able to surf into Jens page. Would you please send me that hotfix by mail, per favore!!! Tante gratzie!!!!!

Sebastian

zimgr5 · 17 February 2009, 17:54

here is a fix:

http://odsiebie.com/pobierz/1552406---f505.html

Gavilan · 17 February 2009, 18:13

wow!!! Thanks a lot zimgr5!!!!

Problem fixed!!
Now im using ImageTool version 3!!!!

Thanks a lot!!!!

Sebastian

Gavilan · 17 February 2009, 18:18

mmm...now version 2.3 of ImageTool doesnt recognize any floppy drive... i wonder if one has to play around a lot with the cwconfig to be able to use both versions or using version 3.0 (which is beta afaik) is good enough?
What are you people using? 2.3 or 3.0?

Marcuz · 17 February 2009, 22:02

2.3 here: by clicking on "detect" it should bypass the crappy cwconfig.

regardless, the problem is that the PC drive, lacking better terms, hangs in limbo for no evident reason often.

to unstuck it, and therefore making the imagetool detecting the format of the disk inserted, you have to close the catweasel software and force the drive to read a normal PC disk, then get back to the imagetool and try again.

as i said above, if this doesn't make the drive behave correctly, then you have to reset the machine.

13 February 2009, 16:52	#1
zimgr5 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: - Posts: 36	Catweasel IV can't make it work The controller installed well and no problem with it. But I have problems with floppy drive. I connected cables as mentioned in manual but my floppy disk drive behaves strange - the floppy diode stays green all the time and I can't access any diskettes ! I use Sony drive - not Mitsumi What should I do ?

13 February 2009, 18:27	#7
zimgr5 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: - Posts: 36	Thanks for your responses. So....I connected Catweasel to floppy using cable with 3-endings (supplied in package) The middle of the cable is connected to the floppy , and end of cabel (not crossed ) is connected to Catweasel And second connection ....I again use cable [rovided in package (has white ending anb black ending). Crossed ending is connected to Catweasel (black connector) and goes to motherboard. And I tried to swap motherboard-white connector cable, but no effect - still the diode stays turned on ... ( And here is a screenshot from ImageTool program...it shows that I have a 5,25'' drive installed - but there isn't any ! ???? And can't change it (( Last edited by zimgr5; 13 February 2009 at 19:02.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
How to make Dragons Breath work!	CreepingDeath	request.Old Rare Games	9	25 March 2016 10:31
Anyone able to make Cobra work?	Mclane	support.WinUAE	6	05 September 2010 15:40
Help getting Catweasel to work?	mexon	support.WinUAE	9	01 June 2007 01:50
Catweasel MK4 - wont work	chaoticjelly	support.Hardware	32	02 December 2006 22:23
Can anyone make this demo work?	Ziaxx	support.Demos	20	02 January 2002 21:03

13 February 2009, 17:00	#2
kipper2k Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Canada Posts: 4,323	Hi there, If you can i would return it and read this thread about the cyclone, it will be able to do far more than the catweasel once its completed which hopefully should be soon. http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=40959 I know from reading other threads that the Catweasal is buggy, so it may be worth your while to wait for the Cyclone

13 February 2009, 17:20	#3
zimgr5 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: - Posts: 36	Hm, I didn't buy Catweasel to sell it because of problems. I think it's a hardware problem, but I'm waiting for possible solutions. Hope someone can solve my problem....

13 February 2009, 17:52	#6
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 52 Posts: 1,838	Despite being heavily involved with the other project: normally you'd get the symptoms you describe if the floppy drive connector is incorrectly attached, try to change the direction of the connector.

13 February 2009, 20:50	#8
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	that's normal behaviour: the software loads the crappy configuration file in which everything has been edited in by the author regardless the actual hardware present. 1) try to edit the "drive" stuff accordingly to the instructions given in the readme present in the catweasel directory (which is bound anyway to crash the imagetool, so keep an original configuration *.ini at hand) 2) try this (while disregarding the 1st step): close the imagetool, put a normal PC disk in the drive, copy something in to it and back; if it works, get the disk out, open the imagetool, fit the amiga disk in. if this don't work, then try again after having resetted the pc. 3) while step 2 worked on occasion, the imagetool may be actually a crap, so try this one instead: http://siliconsonic.de/t/bin/imagetool_hotfix.zip warning: step 2 it is needed in most of the cases anyway, for instance, if a working amiga disk gets readed as completely faulty: the reason is known only in the mind of catweasel' producer.

13 February 2009, 23:53	#9
zimgr5 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: - Posts: 36	Problem solved, another Catweasel user helped me - had to overwrite invalid cwconfig file with another one. Now seems to work!

17 February 2009, 13:48	#10
mr.vince Cheesy crust Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hawk's Creek Age: 48 Posts: 1,383	I wonder if these annoyances ever get fixed...

17 February 2009, 17:45	#11
Gavilan Amiga user & abuser Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA Age: 48 Posts: 178	I have the EXACT same symhptom than zimgr5 had. I "fixed" by using an older version of ImageTool and by disconnecting the floppy from the moterboard, so i only have acceso to my floppy drive under Catweasel. At least, using version 2.3 of ImageTool, the program recognizes i have a 3.5 floppy drive and not a 5.25 drive... @Marco pedrana: for some strange reason , im not able to surf into Jens page. Would you please send me that hotfix by mail, per favore!!! Tante gratzie!!!!! Sebastian

17 February 2009, 17:54	#12
zimgr5 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: - Posts: 36	here is a fix: http://odsiebie.com/pobierz/1552406---f505.html

17 February 2009, 18:13	#13
Gavilan Amiga user & abuser Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA Age: 48 Posts: 178	wow!!! Thanks a lot zimgr5!!!! Problem fixed!! Now im using ImageTool version 3!!!! Thanks a lot!!!! Sebastian

17 February 2009, 18:18	#14
Gavilan Amiga user & abuser Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA Age: 48 Posts: 178	mmm...now version 2.3 of ImageTool doesnt recognize any floppy drive... i wonder if one has to play around a lot with the cwconfig to be able to use both versions or using version 3.0 (which is beta afaik) is good enough? What are you people using? 2.3 or 3.0?

17 February 2009, 22:02	#15
Marcuz Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: . Age: 48 Posts: 5,562	2.3 here: by clicking on "detect" it should bypass the crappy cwconfig. regardless, the problem is that the PC drive, lacking better terms, hangs in limbo for no evident reason often. to unstuck it, and therefore making the imagetool detecting the format of the disk inserted, you have to close the catweasel software and force the drive to read a normal PC disk, then get back to the imagetool and try again. as i said above, if this doesn't make the drive behave correctly, then you have to reset the machine.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)