[Coco] CoCo Model 1 Cartridge Port

[Alex Evans]

My CoCo 2 didn't not bang heads in the 80s
My CoCo 3 did not bang heads in the 90s.
My new CoCo 1 does not bang heads.
It dosen't matter which of the coco floppy controllers I have use, I do not
get heads banging.
 (26-3022, 26-3129, disto super controller II, or FD-501)
It doesn't matter if I used an old RS full height drive, the half height
drive I got with my 26-3129, the external drive that was also used with a
TI-99/4a, or a 3.5" floppy drive. No head banging.

If you have heads banging, it is a hardware issue like a bad track zero
sensor on your particular drive.

Head banging is normal on a C64 and some other systems.


On Sat, Jan 1, 2022 at 11:24 AM Rick Ulland <rickulland1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> The 'head banger bug' has been a CoCo tradition for decades. Maybe the
> cheap 35trk ss drives?
> A new old mystery.
>
>
> On 12/30/21 11:03 AM, Alex Evans wrote:
> > The coco recognizes the track 0 sensor line. It should not be banging the
> > head. It should step to track 0 and know then that it is on track 0.
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Dec 24, 2021 at 11:02 AM Rick Ulland <rickulland1 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> >> On 12/24/21 8:48 AM, Charles Hudson wrote:
> >>> Following your advice I moved the cable to the last connector (on the
> >>> end with two connectors) and repeated the process of "dksini0".  This
> >>> time the drive light came on and I could hear the stepper motor move
> >>> the head.  I failed to count the steps - I was completely surprised -
> >>> but a dozen steps or more activity ceased and the light went out.  The
> >>> result on the screen once again stated IO ERROR.
> >>>
> >>> I then tried repeating the disk format.  This time I heard the
> >>> mechanism straining; no regular repeated stepping and after a few
> >>> steps with long pauses between them the activity ceased and I got
> >>> another IO ERROR message.
> >>>
> >> I'd bet dollars to donuts Art is correct. The way a CoCo drive is
> >> supposed to work, you turn it own. The head position is unknown. First
> >> operation steps the head a whole buncha times, to make sure it's banged
> >> against the end stop for a while. DECB still doesn't know the head
> >> position, but assumes surely this is 0 and counts from here until death.
> >> If the head doesn't move, or doesn't move properly, DECB doesn't know
> >> and forges ahead until there is a read error.
> >>
> >> Pop the top, watch the show. Bring hair clipper oil for the dry slide
> >> rails. And Merry Christmas.
> >>
> >> -ricku
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
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> >> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> >> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >>
>
>
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