Anonymous

External floppy drives on the Spectrum +3: Difference between revisions

From Sinclair Wiki
Use double-prime and vulgar fraction symbols (3½″ and 3″, etc.)
(Use double-prime and vulgar fraction symbols (3½″ and 3″, etc.))
Line 39: Line 39:
|}
|}
====Connecting the Amstrad FD-1====
====Connecting the Amstrad FD-1====
The Amstrad FD-1 external FDD is an external drive manufactured for the Amstrad CPC range of computers. The unit is mains powered and contains a single sided 3" drive like the one in the +3.
The Amstrad FD-1 external FDD is an external drive manufactured for the Amstrad CPC range of computers. The unit is mains powered and contains a single sided 3″ drive like the one in the +3.
The main thing to be aware of when using these units with the +3 is that they place a 5v supply on four of the pins (needed to power the DDI-1 disk interface for the CPC464). This could cause issues if the connector is reversed when connecting to the +3. The 5v can be disconnected inside the FD-1 by unplugging the 0.1" latched connector from the small 34-26 pin ribbon adapter board at the rear of the unit.
The main thing to be aware of when using these units with the +3 is that they place a 5v supply on four of the pins (needed to power the DDI-1 disk interface for the CPC464). This could cause issues if the connector is reversed when connecting to the +3. The 5v can be disconnected inside the FD-1 by unplugging the 0.1″ latched connector from the small 34-26 pin ribbon adapter board at the rear of the unit.


====Connecting a modern 3.5" FDD====
====Connecting a modern 3½″ FDD====
=====Cable=====
=====Cable=====
[[File:Spectrum_plus3_external_floppy_drive_cable.jpg|thumb|An example of a suitable cable]]
[[File:Spectrum_plus3_external_floppy_drive_cable.jpg|thumb|An example of a suitable cable]]
Line 51: Line 51:


=====Drive=====
=====Drive=====
Any modern 3.5" floppy drive will work as drive B: with the above proviso, you must create a ready signal for the spectrum otherwise it won't work.
Any modern 3½″ floppy drive will work as drive B: with the above proviso, you must create a ready signal for the spectrum otherwise it won't work.
All modern drives are hard wired to appear as drive B: (hence the "twist" cable in a PC to make it appear as drive A:) so the cable is just a straight through wiring of all the signals.
All modern drives are hard wired to appear as drive B: (hence the "twist" cable in a PC to make it appear as drive A:) so the cable is just a straight through wiring of all the signals.


=====Media=====
=====Media=====
The +3 doesn't know about High Density (1.44MB) diskettes so you need to use Double Density (720K) ones. You can also cheat and tape over the hole on a HD diskette to make it appear as a DD one. This may or may not work, and the data may only last weeks or days (or it might be fine! but better safe than sorry if you save anything vaguely important on them). If you're just going to use a single diskette to "ferry" files from a PC to 3" disks then this is a perfectly adequate solution.
The +3 doesn't know about High Density (1.44MB) diskettes so you need to use Double Density (720K) ones. You can also cheat and tape over the hole on a HD diskette to make it appear as a DD one. This may or may not work, and the data may only last weeks or days (or it might be fine! but better safe than sorry if you save anything vaguely important on them). If you're just going to use a single diskette to "ferry" files from a PC to 3″ disks then this is a perfectly adequate solution.


====Formatting====
====Formatting====
Line 61: Line 61:


=====+3DOS format disks=====
=====+3DOS format disks=====
3.5" disks can be formatted in a variety of different capacities as CP/M disks. The +3 ROM cannot format 3.5" disks itself so either a utility is required on the +3 (such as [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/zxplus3e/software.html#mformat|The Spectrum +3 Multiformatter] by Garry Lancaster), or the disk must be prepared on the PC.
3½″ disks can be formatted in a variety of different capacities as CP/M disks. The +3 ROM cannot format 3½″ disks itself so either a utility is required on the +3 (such as [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/zxplus3e/software.html#mformat|The Spectrum +3 Multiformatter] by Garry Lancaster), or the disk must be prepared on the PC.


=====DOS format disks=====
=====DOS format disks=====
to access a DOS formatted 720k disk on the +3 you can use [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/zxplus3e/software.html#msdos Garry Lancaster's MSDOS utility]
to access a DOS formatted 720k disk on the +3 you can use [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/zxplus3e/software.html#msdos Garry Lancaster's MSDOS utility]
This will allow you to "log on" to a DOS format disk in drive B: and copy files from it to a +3DOS formatted 3" disk in drive A:
This will allow you to "log on" to a DOS format disk in drive B: and copy files from it to a +3DOS formatted 3″ disk in drive A:


====Writing Images====
====Writing Images====
=====3.5" diskettes=====
=====3½″ diskettes=====
To access +3 formatted disks and format disks to this format on Windows NT you will need the [http://simonowen.com/fdrawcmd/ FDrawcmd driver by simon owen]. This will only work with real floppy drives, not USB floppy drives attached to laptops.
To access +3 formatted disks and format disks to this format on Windows NT you will need the [http://simonowen.com/fdrawcmd/ FDrawcmd driver by simon owen]. This will only work with real floppy drives, not USB floppy drives attached to laptops.
A good utility for writing the images is [http://www.seasip.demon.co.uk/Unix/LibDsk/#tools John Elliot's dsktool].
A good utility for writing the images is [http://www.seasip.demon.co.uk/Unix/LibDsk/#tools John Elliot's dsktool].
=====3" disks=====
=====3″ disks=====
A guide to connecting a 3" drive to a PC and reading/writing disks is available from the [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/sdp/FAQ.html Spectrum Disk Preservation Project]
A guide to connecting a 3″ drive to a PC and reading/writing disks is available from the [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/sdp/FAQ.html Spectrum Disk Preservation Project]


====Writing individual files====
====Writing individual files====