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From: dannys@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Daniel Shurilla)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Sony MPF11 to A1000
Message-ID: <3369@uwm.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 90 18:26:27 GMT
Sender: news@uwm.edu
Reply-To: dannys@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Daniel Shurilla)
Organization: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Lines: 51

Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Sony MPF11 to A1000
Summary: RDY* is needed, is it required? 
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Reply-To: dannys@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Daniel Shurilla)
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Organization: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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[eat this]

>>
>>The question :
>>The Sony drive provides the diskchange signal (CHNG pin11) but doesn't
>>provide the ready signal (RDY pin1). The RDY line should become active
>>500ms after motor on. I left the RDY line connected to the autoconfigure
>>part of the interface circuit but not connected to any drive signals.
>>Why does this work? Does software wait 500ms after motor-on before doing
>>any read/writes? I would think you would wait for the RDY line to become
>>active before doing read/writes but this must not be the case. I wonder
>>what the recommended method is, wait for the hardware RDY line or wait in
>>software for 500ms to pass.
>>
>
>I had my homebrew dual SONY drives since last summer and they have been working
>fine for me.  They would run most of the copy protected programs -games without
>any problems.  All I did was to route the SELn* signal back to the RDY* pin by
>using a $0.05 diode. (I build the hack into one of the SONY drives and use the
>drive selection signal coming out of the switch at the far right hand corner.
>This allows me to select the drive number at will.)  The diode  makes the
>autoconfig software as well as some of the copy programs (such as Marauder
>(sp?)) happy.  Other programs simply ignore the RDY* and didn't care whether or
>not I put it in.
>
>K. C. Lee
>( Happy owner of the A1000, Lucas/Frances, internal Hard drive & Sony drives. )


You're right! I ran Marauder II and it doesn't work with RDY* not connected 
anywhere. Which leads to the $64 question. What is the Commodore guideline
in this case. Should software monitor the RDY* line before doing read/writes
or is a software delay recommended. Installing the diode you suggest should
work in most cases provided disk activity occurs after 500ms.

Wiring in a 500ms delay of RDY* would not be difficult but if the $.05 diode
trick is all that's needed I won't bother. I would like to know what the
'proper/recommended' procedure is.

dannys@csd4.csd.uwm.edu