Ensoniq SQ-80

[Rob Ocelot]

I'm having some difficulties getting a HxC rev C firmware 1.60 working with an SQ-80.

I can get the SQ-80 to recognize the HxC, but the software to write the .hfe file from a .eds doesn't seem to write a disk that the SQ-80 can recognize.

If I format the .hfe file with the SQ-80 then I get a readable disk that I can write to and read from, until I turn the SQ-80 off. When I reboot the SQ-80 it still recognizes a disk but loading files from the disk leads to corrupted patch names, with many of them blank.

I've tried several configurations in different combinations with the same effect:

jumpers to d0 and d3
auto, generic shugart, emu shugart, IBM 720k

So, my thoughts are that there's an issue with how HxC software 1.69 handles .eds images.

I'm not sure if this is standard operation but the drive step sounds make a longer beep noise when reading/writing disks sometimes.

additional info:

The drive I'm replacing is a Panasonic JU-364 (used in very early SQ-80's and uses a reversed pin configuration from the later Sony 63W-00D and Panasonic JU-253). Is it possible that I have to swap pin 2 and 34 in the cable like you have to do to get these drives working on an Amiga? I'm pretty sure I have the drive cable in correctly -- the drive light isn't continuously on.

One other oddity I noticed is that when I'm formatting a disk it looks like it's causing errors when it tries to format Side 1. The display shows WEOE on the right side and on the left side alternates between WR and RA on the left side. However, the SQ-80 does a verify check for all tracks in reverse order after it's finished formatting and reports that the disk was formatted successfully.

[Jeff]

Hi,

Please send me by email the eds and hfe files, i will have a look.

[Rob Ocelot]

Update:

Emulator board now working perfectly in SQ-80. Disk image issues fixed with beta software.

Merci, Jeff!