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Idea:External Atari ST drive transformed to 8-bit (XF551 internals)


manterola

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I know that my sample size is statistically insignificant, but I started buying 354s and 314s as soon as I knew the PCBs would be a reality and I bought 5 354s and 1 314. None of the 354s have a 34 pin connector; so I wouldn't expect to be able to use the board on a 354. I am going to try to fit a standard 3.5 inside a 354 case. If that is possible, my investment will not be completely wasted.

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I am sure you can create something like this (but the opposite). That should be easier and cleaner than trying to find and fit a 3.5 mech. in the case front openings.

 

 

Edit: I also found this:

"my notes are somewhat incomplete (nothing for pin 7or 8 )

If I recall correctly, if you fly the ground, you only have to move a couple pins to put the chinon connector right on the even pins of the floppy drive.

14 pin Chinon connector <-> PC 34 pin floppy

14 <-> 30 read data
9 <-> 32 side 0 select
1 <-> 8 index
6 <-> 14 drive 0 select
10 <-> 10 motor on
2 <-> 18 direction in
3 <-> 20 step
5 <-> 24 write gate
12 <-> 26 track 0
13 <-> 28 write protect
4 <-> 22 write data


11 <-> any odd pin (ground)"

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Edited by manterola
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Today I tried to use a cheap and more common Chinese Samsung 1.44 mech. From an old Compaq computer with the new sf551 board by Dropcheck. It worked.

First I needed to locate the drive select and put in DS0. After that was just a matter of connecting but data and power cable. It worked at the first try. I formatted a diskette in mydos to 720kb without problem. I also wrote the DOS files so I was able to boot the computer with the new formatted disk.

I can confirm, that this regular inexpensive 1.44mb drives can be used with Atari: format and read without problems at 720kb.

I even took an old used IBM 1.44mb diskette and covered the HD hole and it also worked.

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Just another question here... Has anyone considered an external option?

 

I'm only asking because I have some other non-Atari ST drives that I'd love to be able to use on my 8-bit if it's possible... For example, the Future Systems GTS 100 and 1000.... Both would be great to use on the A8 (or failing that, a way to take the mech out of the GTS 1000 and use it in an Indus GT as a 360k drive but still have the track display and the buttons.....)

 

Just wondering....

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Today I tried to use a cheap and more common Chinese Samsung 1.44 mech. From an old Compaq computer with the new sf551 board by Dropcheck. It worked.

First I needed to locate the drive select and put in DS0. After that was just a matter of connecting but data and power cable. It worked at the first try. I formatted a diskette in mydos to 720kb without problem. I also wrote the DOS files so I was able to boot the computer with the new formatted disk.

I can confirm, that this regular inexpensive 1.44mb drives can be used with Atari: format and read without problems at 720kb.

I even took an old used IBM 1.44mb diskette and covered the HD hole and it also worked.

That is very good to know. I have almost finished my first board, just waiting for the cables to get here so I can wire them together.

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I just tried a SF314 drive with a mixed parts board and the hyper XF B and it worked. Loaded DOS 2.5, loaded a file. I had tried it earlier with no success so I took the mech out of the case so I could see is the motor was turning at a reasonable speed. There must be some pinched wires of maybe a bare wire that is grounding on the case so I have some investigating to do.

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I finished a board but it isn't working. The computer acts as if there is no disk drive attached. I have triple checked my cable and it appears to be correct and all wires conducting. I think I will just build another board and cross check each step with the non working board to fi d my error.

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  • 1 month later...

I received my board a couple of days ago. Now I just have to scrounge up all the parts. I'm not worrying about the cables as I've decided to install SF551 in my 1200XL. I'll have to find a mechanism with an off-white face plate to match the XL "white" as closely as possible. But it will save a lot of trouble with not needing and XL style case an SIO differences since it'll be directly wired to the 1200XL's SIO port.

Any news regarding this? I also remember someone wanted to use one of this SF551 board to put a floppy drive inside a 130XE (similar to Ataris STFM).

On other news, I modified my standard Samsung internal 1.44MB floppy drive to match the sf354 case which has a big eject button in the middle and the LED in the right side (as opposed to the regular practice later on: eject button on the right side and LED in the left side). I am doing this because the original mech of many SF354 are one sided and mostly broken.

Pictures coming soon.

Edit: Sorry for the rotated pictures. I suspect the new resizer I used did not keep the EXIF info of the images. Anyway, you can get the idea: I cutted the metallic piece of the original mech, and attached to the Samsung mech. Then I re assembled the whole think. I still need to rise the position of the Samsung mech. since it is too low. Not sure yet how to do that.. maybe some plastic pieces like Legos, or screw post... or something else?

Regards!

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Edited by manterola
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Since I wanted to test the overall alignment and basically do a prove of concept, I used contact cement, thinking that later once I have the whole floppy drive mech aligned with respect to the sf354 face plate, I will have to use epoxy glue to fix it permanently.

I haven't done the fit of the drive mech. to the sf354 case since I am not sure what to buy to rise the level of the drive to make it match the faceplate. But so far, the contact glue worked much better than I thought and I might keep it.

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Since I wanted to test the overall alignment and basically do a prove of concept, I used contact cement, thinking that later once I have the whole floppy drive mech aligned with respect to the sf354 face plate, I will have to use epoxy glue to fix it permanently.

I haven't done the fit of the drive mech. to the sf354 case since I am not sure what to buy to rise the level of the drive to make it match the faceplate. But so far, the contact glue worked much better than I thought and I might keep it.

 

 

As an observer, and also as an ST owner, I like your idea the best. Use PC disk drive mechanisms. They're plentiful, unlike the Atari drives. Now as a hater of the SF354, I'm more than happy for people to repurpose their cases for such projects because in a lot of ST fans' opinions, Atari Corp shouldn't have ever made that drive for the ST. The SF314 is a whole different story...

 

Which reminds me, does Best Electronics [or any other vendor] have XF351 badges? [like how Best has always had the European market 2080ST/e and 4160ST/e badges].

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Which reminds me, does Best Electronics [or any other vendor] have XF351 badges? [like how Best has always had the European market 2080ST/e and 4160ST/e badges].

I would love to know how to reproduce those ST/XE era badges. For know I am just planning to print a sticker label to cover the blue "Atari" fonts with red "Atari". "SF354" part of the badge is another story, since it is raised and metallic finish.

Another proof of concept I did was using a laptop slim floppy drive to replace the original sf354 mechanics. The idea is that the eject button in some of this drives are very flat, thin and close to the opening for the floppy disk itself, so a small modification using a metal file can be made to enlarge the opening in the faceplate. The real slanted eject button will need to be glued and will serve no purpose, just make the disk drive look complete. Check the pictures.

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Edited by manterola
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  • 2 weeks later...

 

On 6/20/2019 at 9:12 AM, dash_rendar said:

Hello,
maybe someone of you has a completely assembled (soldered with all components) board (the one from Dropcheck SF551) and can copy a detail photo from here. Just for comparison?

I can do that tonight. 

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23 hours ago, dash_rendar said:

@manterola : thank you ?

Large (and redundant) images coming. I guess one of the sources of problem are the orientation of the resistor network RN1, the diodes and the oscilator since there are not that obvious/easy to make a mistake. Notice that I set the processor type to 8040 to make it work even when using an 8050.

 

 

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Edited by manterola
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  • 3 weeks later...

Has anyone besides me had any problems with their assembled boards? I have done two and neither one is working. I am pretty sure that I have done something wrong but I can't see the problem. I have compared my work with a blowup of Manterola's pictures and nothing looks wrong. I also had a problem with one of my XF551 boards. I assembled two and only one works. I have examined all of the components and found nothing obviously wrong. I have checked solder joints, looked for solder brIdges, and even swapped out socketed chips all to no avail. I just wonder if it may be these old tired eyes and an unsteady hand that is the main problem.

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Not me, mine is good and working. I've tried 3 different mechs, all working. It might be the jumper to set 8040/8050 or some component with defects. Other easy errors to make is related with the diode, resistor network and crystal positions. 

It is very cool: high speed in spartados and mydos, and 2800+ sectors avaliable

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/10/2019 at 11:32 AM, manterola said:

I would love to know how to reproduce those ST/XE era badges. For know I am just planning to print a sticker label to cover the blue "Atari" fonts with red "Atari". "SF354" part of the badge is another story, since it is raised and metallic finish.

Another proof of concept I did was using a laptop slim floppy drive to replace the original sf354 mechanics. The idea is that the eject button in some of this drives are very flat, thin and close to the opening for the floppy disk itself, so a small modification using a metal file can be made to enlarge the opening in the faceplate. The real slanted eject button will need to be glued and will serve no purpose, just make the disk drive look complete. Check the pictures.

post-49742-0-21320700-1560181100_thumb.jpg

post-49742-0-96529300-1560181122_thumb.jpg

post-49742-0-59768600-1560181143_thumb.jpg

post-49742-0-55713400-1560181156_thumb.jpg

Do you think that a pop rivet would interfere with the operation of the mechanism?

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I have found a 314 and three 354s that have the 34 pin data cable connector and work with the new board but the 314 is the only one that the mechanism and the board will fit into the case. The 354 mechanism is about 3/8 to 1/2 longer and there isn't enough room in the case for the mechanism and the board.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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