Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!tomb
From: tomb@hplsla.HP.COM (Tom Bruhns)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: External 3.5 info wanted
Message-ID: <5160020@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 19 Jan 89 17:31:25 GMT
References: <620004@hpnmdla.HP.COM>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 35

>In article <620004@hpnmdla.HP.COM> glenb@hpnmdla.HP.COM (Glen Baker) writes:
>>I took a look at the external drive connector and waddya know, it's pin for
>>pin compatable with the connector on the back of the SONY MP-F73W-50 1 MB 
>>drive. ... Is it REALLY that easy?
>
>You can plug a 5.25 disk or a 3.5 disk into that external drive connector.
>The way the Amiga can tell the difference is that it sends a "what kind of
>drive are you" signal to the disk, and it replies with an "I'm an Amiga 3.5
>inch disk" or "I'm an Amiga 5.25 inch disk" pattern back.  The trackdisk.device
>will get upset when the Sony doesn't answer.
>
>I'd like to know if there is an easy hack (maybe even a flip-flop or two) to
>provide this signal.
I've seen  hacks for both 5.25 and 3.5 drives posted to many Amiga BBS's.  
I put together one that was a combo of both, to handle up to three drives.
Works fine.  Is indeed quite simple.  Please check your local BBS ...
file usually includes an IFF pic of the schematic.
>
>On a related question: Is it possible to take any old half height 5.25 inch
>360K disk, put it in the A2000, and have it work with programs such as
>DOS-2-DOS without this ID signal?  The external 5.25 disk for the A1000 is
>too expensive for me (and getting difficult to find) and I don't want to have
>to buy the BridgeBoard just to read and write MS-DOS 5.25 disks.
Can't you just do the same hack for the 2000 to use the drive externally?
That is, won't an external 1000 drive work on the 2000?  (I'm interested
in the answer to this, since I am considering getting a 2000 to replace
my 1000...)
>-- 
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Tom Bruhns
tomb%hplsla@hplabs.hp.com