budz2355 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 First I would like to say to thanks to everyone for their help. I finally got my TI-99 PEB in a state where it seems to not crash *knocks on wood* which is awesome so I am feeling like it is time for another dumb question! So I have a PEB with 32K card, RS 232 card, disk controller and full height 5.25" floppy drive. All are TI brand and original stock. I also have a second disk controller card and full height 5.25" floppy drive. (among other misc stuff) My question is I see that the disk controller seems have some exposed circuits out the back of it. Is it possible to hook up another floppy drive to it? Is it possible to put two disk controller in the same PEB? If so how would one go about powering the second floppy drive? Is there a place to buy a 5.25" external floppy drive housing with the 4 pin power plug? Would it be better to hook up a hard drive as opposed to a floppy drive? I also have a 2 cassette player cable (no cassette players) would this be a better or maybe additional option? My goals are to use original equipment if possible. I know there are some awesome mods available, and I have a second PEB I would like to get some of those for in the future, but I am trying to make my current original machine as functional as possible. All of these questions were spawned as I play the Legends RPG and save my game to the original disk every time. It would be cool I thought to have a second disk drive so that I could make copies of my games disks without altering them permanently. Again I apologize for my lack of knowledge and dumb questions and appreciate any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz442 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 (edited) The connector on the back is for a second drive, It will have to be a external drive with its own power supply. You can only have 1 disk controller in there, and yours(TI) can run up to 3 drives. Every now and then you'll see an external housing on Ebait, but not often. Two half height drives internal is the easiest and will double your disk sizes(double sided) to 180k. Your controller cannot run a hard drive and cassettes are very slow. Edited March 21, 2015 by Fritz442 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budz2355 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 This seems insanely expensive http://www.mgtape.com/PTI60098SAS.aspx Is this what I want to buy? Also could you link me to the proper cable to connect the controller to the second drive please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz442 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 (edited) This seems insanely expensive http://www.mgtape.com/PTI60098SAS.aspx Is this what I want to buy? Also could you link me to the proper cable to connect the controller to the second drive please? Ouch, no. I would look for an older enclosure for your external drive. I found mine at a thrift store for $7. Also if you look for half-height drives, make sure there are double density drives not HD(1.2M) drives. Almost ANY 3-1/2 drives also work with the TI controller too. I have seen the cables listed in another post, but can't seem to find it right now. Edited March 21, 2015 by Fritz442 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 (edited) http://www.connectworld.net/cgi-bin/cabled/L1160? http://www.ebay.com/itm/External-Power-Supply-12V-DC-4-Pin-Molex-Adapter-Cable-/360170366699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53dbd3a6eb Get these two things and you're good to go. You have to take the resistor pack out of the second drive and change the drive number setting from 0 to 1. If you're not sure about that, take a pic of the circuit board on the drive, post it here, and we'll tell you what to do. Gazoo Edited March 21, 2015 by Gazoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 You can make your own enclosure fairly cheaply if you have the means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budz2355 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 http://www.connectworld.net/cgi-bin/cabled/L1160? http://www.ebay.com/itm/External-Power-Supply-12V-DC-4-Pin-Molex-Adapter-Cable-/360170366699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53dbd3a6eb Get these two things and you're good to go. You have to take the resistor pack out of the second drive and change the drive number setting from 0 to 1. If you're not sure about that, take a pic of the circuit board on the drive, post it here, and we'll tell you what to do. Gazoo Awesome thank you! You can make your own enclosure fairly cheaply if you have the means. Err I'm not very handy. Do you anyone is making them with 3D printers like Roli's nanoPEB enclosure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Here's a nice enclosure normally used for SCSI drives (just remove one of the connectors from the back and thread your drive cable through). Not a bad price--and you can use it for a full-height or a pair of half-height drives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Schmitzi Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hi, I am not sure, but I think that the external drive should be configured as DSK2 ? (And the internals as DSK1 + 3 if have) And there was something with the shunt packs to have a look on. I would prefer a 3.5" one TI php1250.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Disk drives can be strange when it comes to numbering. Sometimes the drives can be numbered starting at zero instead of one--even though the disk identified as zero is actually drive one as far as the system is concerned. Other companies started with one and went up to four (as opposed to three for the ones that started with zero). The TI controller can only use the first three in any event--and each has to have the correct drive shorting blocks set to be the correct drive, with the last drive having the shunt pack left in--and removing it from the others. IIRC, the shunt pack was a set of 330 Ohm resistors in the form of a 14-pin IC. The shorting blocks on an original TI drive were also in the form of an IC, but there were little metal strips that either crossed to short two pins (or the wire was broken) to leave a pair of pins open. One or two additional lines were shorted IIRC (I'll have to take a look at one of my original spares). They are needed. All you should have to change is the ones that select the specific drive you want it to be (0-2 or 1-3 depending on brand). The correct pins are identified on the board. I usually just removed the IC thingie and replaced the wires I needed with some jumper wire, that way I could switch it around easily if I wanted to change it later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Disk drives can be strange when it comes to numbering. Sometimes the drives can be numbered starting at zero instead of one--even though the disk identified as zero is actually drive one as far as the system is concerned. Other companies started with one and went up to four (as opposed to three for the ones that started with zero). The TI controller can only use the first three in any event--and each has to have the correct drive shorting blocks set to be the correct drive, with the last drive having the shunt pack left in--and removing it from the others. IIRC, the shunt pack was a set of 330 Ohm resistors in the form of a 14-pin IC. The shorting blocks on an original TI drive were also in the form of an IC, but there were little metal strips that either crossed to short two pins (or the wire was broken) to leave a pair of pins open. One or two additional lines were shorted IIRC (I'll have to take a look at one of my original spares). They are needed. All you should have to change is the ones that select the specific drive you want it to be (0-2 or 1-3 depending on brand). The correct pins are identified on the board. I usually just removed the IC thingie and replaced the wires I needed with some jumper wire, that way I could switch it around easily if I wanted to change it later. Dip switches fit quite nicely into the drive select sockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Schmitzi Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 yeah, so the shunts works like the terminators on the SCSI-bus, I think. For the "one-way"-wires - if broken - I found somethink that should fit, also for very old drive-selectors without jumpers, same size I just have ordered them to find out . Only this one, from US-market, seems to fit into the sockets. One pin may be missing, but is not used on the drives anyway (but this info is BETA !! http://www.ebay.de/itm/181438303104 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Here's a nice enclosure normally used for SCSI drives (just remove one of the connectors from the back and thread your drive cable through). Not a bad price--and you can use it for a full-height or a pair of half-height drives. Yup -- nice price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 yeah, so the shunts works like the terminators on the SCSI-bus, I think. For the "one-way"-wires - if broken - I found somethink that should fit, also for very old drive-selectors without jumpers, same size I just have ordered them to find out . Only this one, from US-market, seems to fit into the sockets. One pin may be missing, but is not used on the drives anyway (but this info is BETA !! http://www.ebay.de/itm/181438303104 8 switches on these, and you get 10 of them real cheap. http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-DIP-Switch-8-positions-DE3444-/310725501673?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4858aee2e9 Keep a few of them and give the rest to your friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I have several THOUSAND dip switches from 4 to 10 position that I bought really cheap a few months ago. I paid less than 20 cents each for them. . .so anyone needing some should probably talk to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I did two videos on my YouTube channel about installing and troubleshooting disk drives on the TI... One that discusses removing a shunt pack off a TI brand drive to allow the other drives to be recognized. Been a while.since I did them, but they're on my channel. Type in "TI-99 Disk Opry99er" in a youtube search... Should get you there. Dont lnow if they will help, but youre welcome to watch and see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Schmitzi Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I have several THOUSAND dip switches from 4 to 10 position that I bought really cheap a few months ago. I paid less than 20 cents each for them. . .so anyone needing some should probably talk to me. Oh yes, one complete table d'hote for me please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 What I'd like to find is a POWERED case, something similar to this... ...but with the back open so I could use a ribbon cable going to the external connector on my TI's FDC. I'd like to use my extra 3.5 in 40 track format, the problem is everything I've located seems to be Firewire or USB... if it's not expensive it's as big as a tank. I remember back in the old days some people used surplus TI console power supplies (then available at Radio Shack) to power an external disk drive. I'm thinking with the talent we have here, someone could come up with a SMALL drive enclosure, possibly 3D printed and source a supply of cheap, already assembled, suitable Chinese power supplies to power an external 3.5 or 5.25 drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budz2355 Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 I'm thinking with the talent we have here, Talent is right. Thank you all so much for the help. All of this information should get me what I was trying to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wang-Computer-external-floppy-drive-case-/291412425618?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43d988bb92 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I like it! I almost clicked... then I saw what the dude wants for shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 That's about right for a flat-rate box, Omega. That thing is going to be too heavy to ship it any other way for a reasonable price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Talent is right. Thank you all so much for the help. All of this information should get me what I was trying to do I'm constantly amazed with the stuff these guys come out with, and the quality of the work is totally professional in appearance. As an example, look at the SID board below, that looks to be some real nice work. The complete package looks well done. I'm just patiently waiting for the release of the new Myarc DSDD 80 Track controller card. I expect that'll be as awesome as everything else we've come to appreciate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Schmitzi Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I like it! I almost clicked... then I saw what the dude wants for shipping. ...that is inluding the whole ship 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ksarul Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Actually, I just looked at it again--$11 is about dead-on to ship that Wang case from Michigan to the East coast. Those things were built like tanks. I think I may even have one around here somewhere. The seller is good too--I've bought lots of stuff from him in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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