[Color Computer] [Coco]Re: Transfer utilities

[Gene Heskett]

On Sunday 09 October 2005 12:22, Glen VanDenBiggelaar wrote:
>    My J&M systems controller does not seem compatible with my FD502
> drive because of a "Tooth" in the cable that I cant seem to remove (not
> for lack of trying).
>
>
>Think outside the box: Don't remove the tooth, clip the wire leading to
> the tooth. If the connector's keyed, then drill out the key. Simple
>
>It doesn't look like a wire is leading to the tooth, its just a plastic
> tab that runs 90 degress between the second and third contact on the
> power side (red wire).
>I have thought that also my FD 500 controler or drive might be dead (or
> Both for that matter) but, I have had no time to putz with it. I just
> took the drive out and I am (was) going to add it to my 501.
>
>One more really dumb question, but if I wanted 4 drives on my system,
> would I need 2 controllers (and a multi-pak)or a special cable?
>-Glen

For that you have only 2 choices Glen.  The floppy interface
specification at one time had 4 drive select possibilities, but when
double-sided drives came on the scene fairly early, the last, DS3, was
moved and converted to a side select signal, leaveing only 3 active drive
selects available.  So if you want double sided drives, then 3 is the
limit, _unless_ a special decoder board is placed in series with the
cable, between the cable connector and each drive to allow the decoding of
a 1 of 8 that can be had with the 3 bits/wires normally used as drive
selector addressing.  Its possible, and it would be nice to have, but
AFAIK, nobody has actually done it except the maybe the coco based BBS in
chicago, Sand-V I think it was called.  The gents name that ran it was
Mike IIRC.

Dave P. could probably step in and clarify that since thats his back yard.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
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Copyright 2005 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.