[Coco] Need new disk drive...

[J.P. Samson]

On Sep 17, 2008, at 3:43 PM, Michael Robinson wrote:
> My 360k drives are faulty.  I looked on ebay, all I could find were  
> DSDD
> drives.  I can't use DSDD drives can I?

DSDD floppy drives are the 360k models you require.  Do not buy a 5  
1/4" HD 1.2M drive; this won't work with a CoCo.  I use Panasonic  
JU-455-5 drives with my CoCo.  For example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Panasonic-5-1-4-Floppy-Disk-Drive-Pair-5-25-Matsushita_W0QQitemZ230291796517QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230291796517&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.com/Panasonic-JU-455-5AAB-5-25-Internal-Floppy-Matsushita_W0QQitemZ170197648771QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170197648771&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Note that these drives do not have a built-in terminator+jumper,  
required for the last drive on your floppy cable.  Depending on your  
luck, the drive may come with the resistor pack (you may want to  
ask).  If not, you'll need to buy one from an electronics store (e.g.  
mouser.com).  I believe the part type you'd be looking for is a 4114- 
R-1-151.


> My controller says hard drive specialists on it, it only controls  
> disk drives.

This is the floppy disk controller I use.  Gold contacts and two EPROM  
sockets, one 24-pin and one 28-pin.  The active ROM is selected using  
jumpers on the PCB.

I've never needed a keyed or twisted cable for any of the floppy  
drives I've purchased.  You just have to take care to plug the card  
edge connector in the right way around!


-- JP