Random STuff

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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

First test board for a new project and the footprint is obviously wrong for the chip I bought. Different makers does their own sizes apparently as well (not the case on this chip though, had that problem on another chip on the board). Had to fit a to wide chip somehow. Bent them underneath like the J-legged chip out there. Seemed to work just fine.

Make your own J-leg.jpg
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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

Does anyone know of some program I can use to "step" the track/motor on a disk drive?
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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

Related to previous post.

It almost works... I think...

I somehow mixed the 01 and 10 number. It seems to be reversed. Or something else is wrong. How do I know which track it reads? The left dot is used for read from floppy and the right dot is used for write to floppy. Need to redesign the board. Add berg connector in and out so I can use the floppy connector for power. Shrink or relocate the board.

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stephen_usher
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Re: Random STuff

Post by stephen_usher »

Interesting project. Do you limit the max/min track number for when the system tries to seek beyond the limit? Do you assume track zero at power on or do you monitor the track zero signal?
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Jul 10, 2022 3:06 pm Interesting project. Do you limit the max/min track number for when the system tries to seek beyond the limit? Do you assume track zero at power on or do you monitor the track zero signal?
Well, I found some schematics online that some guy redesign of an original in a magazine. All for Amiga if I remember correctly. So it's not my idea. It uses the 'Track 00' signal for the reset signal it seems. It also uses 'Disk Select', 'Side', 'Direction', 'Step' and 'Write Enable'. Also 'Motor On' but that signal can be switched off/not used. I'll try to find the original source I worked from again if I can.

I uploaded a new video. I used 'Scan Disk' in FCopyPro v1.2. Apart from the numbers being reversed it seems that something is wrong with the reset signal. I can rewire so that the numbers looks normal first. It's a bit confusing at the moment.

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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

Found it. Site in german but the schematics was from a Australian magazine (Side 20 and 34).
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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

This how my test board looks at the moment.

2022-07-10 18.06.45.jpg
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2022-07-10 18.06.58.jpg
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agranlund
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Re: Random STuff

Post by agranlund »

Hehe, this feels like a totally random but very cool project :)
Do you have a good place on the machine to mount the display too?
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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

agranlund wrote: Sun Jul 10, 2022 9:48 pm Hehe, this feels like a totally random but very cool project :)
Do you have a good place on the machine to mount the display too?
I haven't thought that far. Good place... No! Without destroying the case and have it in eyesight, I don't see it could be fitted anywhere at the moment. I found smaller smd 7-segment displays that probably would be easier to fit. Maybe in external floppy drive case that you wouldn't mind to do a little hack job on. I have seen third party had it back when it was popular to have a second drive. Then the only real use case is for old real drives any way. I hardly use them anymore either and Gotek and HxC already have display on them, so it is redundant there.

Just a fun little random project. Not really thought it thru. I even auto routed the board (shame on me :lol: ).
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DoG
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Re: Random STuff

Post by DoG »

Fixed my ACSI2STM board by adding a battery holder, two 20pF caps and 32,768kHz crystal for RTC (real time clock by using UltraSatan RTC tools). Also added a wire between pin 12 on the ACSI connector and pin 38 (PA12) on the STM32 chip for the reset signal. Did that so that I could upload the new v3.1 firmware from the github. Made some changes in the firmware so that I didn't had to ground five pins on the STM32 (PB0,1,3,4,5).

ACSI2STM fixed with RTC and reset wire.jpg
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XFERRATE in EmuTOS v1.1.1 on a MegaST
XFERRATE in EmuTOS v1.1.1 on a MegaST
ACSI2STM xferrate EmuTOS1.1.1.jpg (93.07 KiB) Viewed 1210 times
XFERRATE in TOS v1.04 and TOS v2.06 on a MegaST
XFERRATE in TOS v1.04 and TOS v2.06 on a MegaST
ACSI2STM xferrate TOS v1.04 and TOS v2.06.jpg (101.54 KiB) Viewed 1210 times



I also rewired my floppy track display so at the numbers are in the correct location at least.

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