Hi all,
I'm really sorry to post what is likely a really obvious question, but I simply cannot work it out - all the more annoying as I am sure I have had this working at some point.
I have a Floppy Emu model C that I've recently put into one of PTB's wonderfully retro Disk ][ cases. It works wonderfully on my Apple IIc with the provided internal/external drive switcher. But, as it looks like a Disk ][ it makes sense to use it on my IIe. The problem is I cannot get it to work!
The IIe has a 655-0101-C card in it as I was using a DuoDisk. If I remove the Apple IIc adapter and plug the cable into the Floppy Emu Model B Adapter, the Floppy Emu lights up with the "welcome" page and then just sits there - it doesn't go to the contents menu. If I replace the 655-0101 with the old style disk card - the one with two 20-pin IDC connectors - I get no display at all.
Obviously I'm not doing something right but after a lot of Googling I simply can't work out what it is. I wooudl love to use the 655-0101 as I like the ability to connect externally with cable snaking inot the case, but is this possible?
Thanks,
Dave
Ah, I seem to have fixed the issue with the Disk II Controller Card - it is a tight fit and I hadn't pushed it on far enough for it to make contact.
That said, I really would like to get it to work on the DuoDisk card (I thibnk that's the name for the 655-0101 card). Has anyone got a simmilar setup?
Dave
Generally I refer to the card with two IDC-20 connectors as the "Disk ][ Controller Card" and the one with the single DB19 as the "Apple 5.25 Drive Controller Card". The DB19 cards were sold with both the DuoDisk 5.25 and the UniDisk 5.25 A9M0104 and Apple 5.25 Drive A9M0107 (two different labels). They are more or less interchangeable but have minor differences. I've heard certain versions will work on the Mac LC //e card and some won't and that some versions don't have the daisy chain connector, but I don't have any that don't have the daisy chain connector and I don't have a Mac LC let alone one with the //e card.
Of the 5.25" Apple II drives with the DB19 connector, only the Disk IIc lacks a daisy-chain connector. The DuoDisk (as you know) has a different connector from all other Apple floppy drives, a DB25.
The only drives that work with the Mac LC IIe card are the UniDisk 3.5" (A2M2053) and the Apple 5.25" (A9M0107). But the host Mac LC's floppy drive can also be used.
Thanks for the clarifications. For completeness sake if someone is looking at this later, although the DuoDisk requires a different cable, the DB19 end that goes to the card is the same, it is the drive that is different. The single drives the cable is attached to the drive and not removable with a DB25 on the drive like the DuoDisk.
My Floppy EMU drive works with the Disk II controller as well as the Apple 5.25 Disk Controller, the later giving the advantage of performing as two disk drives.
Just for FYI:
Apple Disk Drive Cable Pinouts.jpg
Thanks all, one for confirming the proper naming convention for these cards and secondly for confirming it should work.
So, the issue is then is what could be causing the issue I'm seeing. I've done more testing and the problem changes, depending upon the state of the Floppy Emu. If, for example, the Emu is on the top level menu (showing the floppy list) when I connect it to the Apple 5.25 Disk Controller it shows the boot screen, flashes, shows the boot screen again and stays there. However, if the Emu was on a disk image previously, upon power up it shows the boot screen and then chnages to disk screen - only showing the top line (the disc image title). In both cases the navigation buttons are unresponsive. I'm using the Floppy Emu Model B Adapter to convert the 20 pin IDC cable from the Emu to the DB19 end.
The fact that the Emu powers up and shows a display would suggest that at some level some of the wiring is correct. If anyone is using the Apple 5.25 Disk Controller with an Apple IIe, can they confirm they too are using the Floppy Emu Model B Adapter please?
Thanks,Dave
I used my FE model C with the "model b" adapter to connect to the 5.25" drive controller ("the duodisk controller") on my IIe all the time before I upgraded to a Yellowstone drive card. And I still use the same adapter with that.
The only difference is mine was not modded to fit the disk II enclosure. I don't know why that would make a difference though. Your best bet at this point would probably be to reach out to Steve, the FE creator to see if he has any ideas.
Thanks for confirming - at least I know that it should work.
The modifications were very simply and only involved soldering some cable between the external switches and the onboard ones; the same with the power and activity LEDs. I'll contact Steve on the FE web page.
Regards,
Dave
Hi Dave,
I don't have one of those cards so I cant test. There are also smarter people than me responding so far. I'm just an observer at this point.
What version of the Floppy emu software are you using ? Is it the latest 230712A? There are also 2 firmwares available, one is dedicated to daisy chaining but I'm unfamiliar with this.I also had a bit of a read on BMOW and saw this.....
I don't know if that is a problem or not. I still have so much to learn.
Cheers
Dave