Problem using two drives in a german rev 4

[taper3ad]

After getting the broken sound repaired on my german rev 4 Amiga 2000 (thanks in part to tips on this forum, thanks guys!), I also installed a Buddha Flash in it which works fine.

However, I have some problems adding a Gotek as DS0, while using the original drive as DS1.

I probably made every mistake in the book trying to get this to work, but information on how to do this is very confusing if you ask me. Some state that it should be a straight cable, some that it should be twisted (but not like a PC floppycable), some say both drives should be jumpered as DS0, while other say one should be jumpered DS0 and the other DS1... And so on.

However, after making every mistake there is and then some, I am getting somewhere. But I still have problems...

This is where I am at right now:

1. Gotek is jumpered to DS0.

2. Original drive is jumpered to DS1.

3. The jumper at J36 on the A2000 motherboard (for two drives) is closed. (This jumper is named differently on Amiga 2000B, but j36 on my german rev 4).

4. I have a floppy cable that is straight until the first connector, then twisted pins 4-6 to second connector (amiga twist, not PC twist).

5. Gotek is connected after the twist, original drive connected before the cable twist (some say this doesn't matter much).

6. After booting workbench, df0 works but df1 is displayed as "bad" (just as if no second drive was connected at all, I get the same when I just remove the drive and boot without it).

The Amiga 2000 original drive works fine on its own (then j36 is open on the motherboard as only one drive is active, and original drive is jumpered ds0 instead of ds1 of course).

I tested one Amiga 500 drive in its place, same thing. I tested one 1581-drive mech in its place, again same thing. All those three drives are labeled Chinhon fb 354 by the way.

The Gotek works fine on its own as well.

So, after pulling my hair for hours, by chance I tested an Amiga 600 drive jumpered as ds1. Naturally, this drive has the wrong formfactor. But it works!

With the A600 diskdrive, df0 and df1 work in tandem just as they should. Replacing it with any of the drives above and it stops working. That should mean that my cabling IS correct, right?

The A500 drive works in an Amiga 500 and the 158 drive works in a 1581, so they are not dead either (but of course they are DS0 in their original environments). It is almost like the Chinon fb 354 drives totally disregard that I am jumpering them as DS1!

What is so different between an A600 drive and an A500 drive?? I am confused... Sure, I could just use the Amiga 600 drive, but then my 600 lacks a drive, and the form factor is way off, and with no nice front...

[solarmon]

The most immediate difference between A500 and A600 drives is that the A500 drive requires 12V.

[taper3ad]

Ah, I see. I double checked, and I have 12 volts on the two floppy connectors in the Amiga 2000, so it can't be that missing at least...

[taper3ad]

...my Gotek is only jumpered to DS0. There is another jumper, called JA, which has something to do with the drive ready signal. Do I need to jumper that as well, and if yes - could the fact that I don't have it jumpered now on the Gotek affect the original floppy drive which is DS1?

That would not explain why the Amiga 600 drive just works though...

[solarmon]

What is the actual 12V reading? Is it within spec? With the drive connected and attempting to do something.

Have you tried putting the DF0 Gotek at the end, after the twist? The Gotek doesn't use the motor signal (which I understand what the twist is touching).

Also try setting "interface=amiga" in your FF.CFG file on the Gotek (assuming it has FlashFloppy firmware).

[Jope]

Originally Posted by solarmon

The Gotek doesn't use the motor signal

True

(which I understand what the twist is touching).

True on PC, false on Amiga, where all drives share a motor signal. On the Amiga the twist is there for the drive LEDs.

[solarmon]

Originally Posted by Jope

True



True on PC, false on Amiga, where all drives share a motor signal. On the Amiga the twist is there for the drive LEDs.

Sorry, I mis-remembered! Thank you for the correction.Yes, the twist on the Amiga is for the INUSE signal, for the floppy drive LEDs.

[taper3ad]

Guys, thanks a million for all your suggestions, but you wont believe what the problem was...

I was using the original jumper on the A2000 diskdrive. Since the other drives I tested with didn't have their own jumpers, I moved the A2000 drivejumper to them. The A600 diskdrive had a jumper of its own.

So, turns out that the jumper from the original A2000 drive was broken, or at least makes very bad contact. I noticed that when I took my multimeter and measured on the backside of the drive PCB where the solder pads for the jumper block is. Even though the jumper was there, when measuring on the pads they were open.

So, took another jumper, attached it to the jumper block, and original A2000 drive now works fine as DS1 alongside Gotek as DS0.

Sigh, what are the odds...
Sorry for wasting your time, guys!

[Jope]

Good that you found it. Not the first place to look definitely. :-)

[solarmon]

It seems your hunch was right:

Originally Posted by taper3ad

It is almost like the Chinon fb 354 drives totally disregard that I am jumpering them as DS1!

Glad you found the root cause!