Connecting an external zip drive to the amiga

paulo_becas · 02 March 2010, 16:14

I'm planning to connect an external zip 250 drive to my 1200, does anyone know how can a accomplish that?
Thank's

thomas · 02 March 2010, 16:34

If it's a SCSI drive and you have a SCSI controller with external connector, then just connect it.

If it's a parallel drive then you need to build a custom connector, because the Amiga's parallel port is not compatible. http://aminet.net/package/docs/hard/ppazip

paulo_becas · 02 March 2010, 16:50

It's a Paralel Zip Drive. Do you have any schematics for the cable?

Photon · 02 March 2010, 17:49

What's wrong with an IDE Zipdrive? They're about 20 EUR. Should be much easier to just plug in? Could even go inside the A1200 with some modding.

paulo_becas · 02 March 2010, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photon

What's wrong with an IDE Zipdrive? They're about 20 EUR. Should be much easier to just plug in? Could even go inside the A1200 with some modding.

I have two external zip drives at home one 250Mb and another 100Mb.
Why buy one if i have two???

thomas · 02 March 2010, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulo_becas

Do you have any schematics for the cable?

See the link in my first reply.

Photon · 03 March 2010, 01:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulo_becas

I have two external zip drives at home one 250Mb and another 100Mb.
Why buy one if i have two???

Just wanted to make sure it got mentioned that the Zipdrive comes in IDE form as well. If you don't mind making a cable, it's fine to use the parallel Zipdrive - but there is a big difference in speed, of course.

I guess you want to use it to shuffle data between the Amiga and PC, and not as a harddisk. Then it is a decent solution, of course.

paulo_becas · 03 March 2010, 11:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Photon

I guess you want to use it to shuffle data between the Amiga and PC, and not as a harddisk. Then it is a decent solution, of course.

That's the idea, but it seems a little tricky to put it to work.

paulo_becas · 03 March 2010, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

See the link in my first reply.

I see it now thank's

Matt020 · 04 March 2010, 09:24

How do you mount a SCSI zip drive?
And does it detect disk changes in OS 2.05/3.1 ?

paulo_becas · 04 March 2010, 15:44

I've just finished the adpater but i can't get the zip drive to work.
I've copied the drivers to devs directory and nothing happens when i plug it.
I've double chek every connection and they seem ok, i don't know if there's something wrong with the zip drives, they used to work but they were stored away for quite some time.
When i plug it to the amiga does it appear as Zip0?
I opened dopus and i see nothing, what am i doing wrong?

It turns out pretty cool.

Jope · 04 March 2010, 19:40

So.. Did you actually mount your zip0 device after plugging it in?

paulo_becas · 04 March 2010, 21:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jope

So.. Did you actually mount your zip0 device after plugging it in?

Now i feel really stupid...

So here's a stupid question... How do i mount the zip0???

Jope · 04 March 2010, 21:50

did you put zip0 as an addition to devs:mountlist or as a separate file inside devs:dosdrivers?

If devs:dosdrivers, it should be automatically mounted at boot time, but you said you put it in devs:

So.. What did you actually do?

If you type info in a shell, do you see zip0 there?

prowler · 04 March 2010, 21:58

There's some additional information about using a parallel Zip drive with the Amiga 1200 in this recent thread:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=49501

Photon · 05 March 2010, 00:27

Paulo, on the Amiga you put the driver in devs directory (done!). This is to let the Amiga communicate with the zipdrive on the hardware level. (Signals)

Then, you can either format the 100mb zipdisk as PC format (called FAT) or Amiga format (FFS). Amiga format is only readable via something like WinUAE (Add harddrive button in winuae config).

If you format as FAT16 (PC format), you also need a FAT filesystem, install FAT95 from aminet.

But it's not autodetected, like IDE or SCSI harddisks. To "activate" it, you must create or open a file in the devs directory called Mountlist.

If you have some unit, like a harddisk in the mountlist already, you can copy the chunk of text including the # sign at the end.

Then you must change the "drive:" name at the start, find the right values for 100MB zipdisks (lowcyl, highcyl, surface, blockspertrack) and put them there. If you want to put it from Amiga into PC, copy files, and put it back, you must add a line to make it removable I think.

Then you type "mount Zip0:" to activate the drive (or add it to startup-sequence to do it every boot).

I wanted to paste my zipdrive entry from an old mountlist here, but I can't find it easily right now. But I think the cylinders, heads etc are on the drive. (Heads=surfaces in mountlist)

Jope · 05 March 2010, 07:45

In 2.1 and onwards, the mountlist is just a relic. Dosdrivers are where it's at!

paulo_becas · 05 March 2010, 10:29

Once again, many thank's to you all, i'll give it a try later on and post it in here to tell you how it went.
In the end i'll have to give you all a gift for all the help you guys are giving me.

02 March 2010, 16:14	#1
paulo_becas Registered User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Porto, Portugal Posts: 464	Connecting an external zip drive to the amiga I'm planning to connect an external zip 250 drive to my 1200, does anyone know how can a accomplish that? Thank's

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Amiga formatted zip disks via USB zip drive in WinUAE?	planetidiot	New to Emulation or Amiga scene	8	02 February 2018 08:43
Connecting HxC2001 FDD Emu to external disk drive port	DoJu91	support.Hardware	4	09 November 2013 08:39
PC Drive in an External Amiga Drive	mr_magnell	support.Hardware	15	29 August 2013 00:48
Looking for Driver for external LPT ZIP drive	amigoun	support.Hardware	11	04 April 2011 23:56
Connecting external SCSI Zipdrive to Trumpcard 500	Photon	support.Hardware	10	15 December 2006 12:52

02 March 2010, 16:34	#2
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,020	If it's a SCSI drive and you have a SCSI controller with external connector, then just connect it. If it's a parallel drive then you need to build a custom connector, because the Amiga's parallel port is not compatible. http://aminet.net/package/docs/hard/ppazip

02 March 2010, 16:50	#3
paulo_becas Registered User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Porto, Portugal Posts: 464	It's a Paralel Zip Drive. Do you have any schematics for the cable?

02 March 2010, 17:49	#4
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,643	What's wrong with an IDE Zipdrive? They're about 20 EUR. Should be much easier to just plug in? Could even go inside the A1200 with some modding.

04 March 2010, 09:24	#10
Matt020 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: West Australia Age: 47 Posts: 210	How do you mount a SCSI zip drive? And does it detect disk changes in OS 2.05/3.1 ?

04 March 2010, 15:44	#11
paulo_becas Registered User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Porto, Portugal Posts: 464	I've just finished the adpater but i can't get the zip drive to work. I've copied the drivers to devs directory and nothing happens when i plug it. I've double chek every connection and they seem ok, i don't know if there's something wrong with the zip drives, they used to work but they were stored away for quite some time. When i plug it to the amiga does it appear as Zip0? I opened dopus and i see nothing, what am i doing wrong? It turns out pretty cool.

04 March 2010, 19:40	#12
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,882	So.. Did you actually mount your zip0 device after plugging it in?

04 March 2010, 21:50	#14
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,882	did you put zip0 as an addition to devs:mountlist or as a separate file inside devs:dosdrivers? If devs:dosdrivers, it should be automatically mounted at boot time, but you said you put it in devs: So.. What did you actually do? If you type info in a shell, do you see zip0 there?

04 March 2010, 21:58	#15
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	There's some additional information about using a parallel Zip drive with the Amiga 1200 in this recent thread: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=49501

05 March 2010, 00:27	#16
Photon Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Eksjö / Sweden Posts: 5,643	Paulo, on the Amiga you put the driver in devs directory (done!). This is to let the Amiga communicate with the zipdrive on the hardware level. (Signals) Then, you can either format the 100mb zipdisk as PC format (called FAT) or Amiga format (FFS). Amiga format is only readable via something like WinUAE (Add harddrive button in winuae config). If you format as FAT16 (PC format), you also need a FAT filesystem, install FAT95 from aminet. But it's not autodetected, like IDE or SCSI harddisks. To "activate" it, you must create or open a file in the devs directory called Mountlist. If you have some unit, like a harddisk in the mountlist already, you can copy the chunk of text including the # sign at the end. Then you must change the "drive:" name at the start, find the right values for 100MB zipdisks (lowcyl, highcyl, surface, blockspertrack) and put them there. If you want to put it from Amiga into PC, copy files, and put it back, you must add a line to make it removable I think. Then you type "mount Zip0:" to activate the drive (or add it to startup-sequence to do it every boot). I wanted to paste my zipdrive entry from an old mountlist here, but I can't find it easily right now. But I think the cylinders, heads etc are on the drive. (Heads=surfaces in mountlist)

05 March 2010, 07:45	#17
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,882	In 2.1 and onwards, the mountlist is just a relic. Dosdrivers are where it's at!

05 March 2010, 10:29	#18
paulo_becas Registered User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Porto, Portugal Posts: 464	Once again, many thank's to you all, i'll give it a try later on and post it in here to tell you how it went. In the end i'll have to give you all a gift for all the help you guys are giving me.

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