Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

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DjCook
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:11 pm

Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by DjCook »

Hello,
trying to set up and attatch the Gotek drive externally to an Atari STE.
Have used this wiring:
http://www.atari-wiki.com/index.php/Con ... r_to_an_ST
The problem is that the file manager hangs with the message: "LBA Change Test Failed! Write issue?"
it is possible to select files directly, so i assume this cable works, however, the internal drive does the same as the Gotek doing "act as one" effect.
I use latest firmware and the latest file manager.
What have i did wrong? I like to run both drives, external and internal too at the same time to be able to copy some games on the disks.

regards,

-Cook

Jeff
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Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help ne

Post by Jeff »


DjCook
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:11 pm

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help ne

Post by DjCook »

Hi Jeff,
Truyed out Your 1.44a version of file Manager without sucsess:
http://www.mediafire.com/view/rj17krplk ... 085045.jpg

Can You please take a look on the wiring from the first post? Is it correct? as i do not have much knowledge about it :mrgreen:
However, since this cable is able to load files in direct mode - i think the issue is not the lead..

DjCook
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:11 pm

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help ne

Post by DjCook »

just wanna let you know that i was able to solve my problem.
the wiring was good, the problem for this message and malfunction was inside STe.
It is set by default, that the external drive is B, end internal is A end this causes the problem!

The Atari owners's manual indicates that pin5 is Drive0 Select and pin 6 is Drive1 Select but in fact the signals connected to pin 5 and 6 depends upon the model (STE/STF) and position of internal strap(s) on the motherboard.
By default on both Atari STF and STE the straps on the motherboard are set so that Pin 5 is connected to signal Drive1 Select . This allows to see an external floppy drive, that uses the Pin 5 for selection, as drive B. So the internal drive is A and the external drive is B. This works with most external floppy drive for example a SF314/SF354 from Atari or a CSA354 from Cumana. BUT NOT WITH GOTEK Autoboot!!!
On an Atari STF there is one strap W2 that allow to change the signal that goes to pin 5.
If the W2 strap is between pins 2-3 (the default) the signal connected to pin 5 is Drive1 Select.
If the W2 strap is between pins 1-2 the signal connected to pin 5 is Drive0 Select.
Note that the signal connected to pin 6 is always Drive1 Select.
On Atari STE it is more flexible because there are one strap W301 that allows to change the signal that goes to pin 5 and another strap W300 that allows to change the signal that goes to pin 6.
If the W301 strap is between pin 2-3 (the default) the signal connected to pin 5 is Drive1 Select.
If the W301 strap is between pin 1-2 the signal connected to pin 5 is Drive0 Select.
If the W300 strap is between pin 2-3 (the default) the signal connected to pin 1 is logic 1 (drive never selected).
If the W300 strap is between pin 1-2 the signal connected to pin 6 is Drive1 Select.
It is therefore important to verify that these internal straps are set to meet your requirements.

How i solved it:
i cutted these two connections, soldered header in it and added two jumpers. Now my External drive (or Gotek) is A and internal is B. I can boot from Gotek, copy disk Images to real floppys and enjoy my STe. Thumbs up, and thanks to all who have helped.

tzok
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Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:52 pm

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by tzok »

I've done a similar "mod", but I've installed a switch, which changes the signal on pin 5 to be either DS1 or DS0 and in the same time it switches jumper on the internal FDD to be either DS0 or DS1. I've installed a mini push-switch in a space between shielding and cover, over the cartridge slot - it is completely invisible from the outside, but easy to operate. It does not block the cartridge slot (rarely used on ST).

oguzog
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Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:17 pm

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by oguzog »

tzok wrote:
Sun Jan 28, 2018 12:13 am
I've done a similar "mod", but I've installed a switch, which changes the signal on pin 5 to be either DS1 or DS0 and in the same time it switches jumper on the internal FDD to be either DS0 or DS1. I've installed a mini push-switch in a space between shielding and cover, over the cartridge slot - it is completely invisible from the outside, but easy to operate. It does not block the cartridge slot (rarely used on ST).
Can you document it further?

All i want is to make my internal floppy as a drive and external gotek as b drive. Let them work together. Thats all. No switch needed by my side :)

tzok
Posts: 79
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:52 pm

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by tzok »

If you don't want to install a switch you just need to set your internal drive to DS1, and switch the jumpers so that the DS0 signal would be routed to the external FDD connector's PIN 5. It would be 1-2 on W2 if you have STf, or 1-2 on W301 if you have STe.

poiex
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:02 am

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by poiex »

Hi i have been trying to get my ste to boot from drive B gotek but no luck, fileselector hangs with the LBA change test failed message.
I've made the A/B switch mod so ste swaps drives correctly tested it with floppydrive it was working correctly.

I have 1.44 internal diskdrive with exxos HD6.x 2016 kit, and Mario Becroft's ide interface.
Also tryed with normal mode and gotek loads disk just fine.

The wiring is from old external floppy case it has almost same wiring, http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=26656
it's was missing the motor enableB jumper wire on pin 16, where do those pin 3+7 supposed to go on gotek connector now they are 31+33?

Tryed to rename pompey pirates menu 100 to autoboot.hfe and it is booting fine, just the HxC fileselector hangs is there any other version that
i could try, or is there some tweaks in the firmware customization page that could help?

My firmware is 3.1.23.1a and file selector is 1.89a.

Jeff
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Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by Jeff »

poiex wrote:
Sun Apr 14, 2019 8:58 pm
Hi i have been trying to get my ste to boot from drive B gotek but no luck, fileselector hangs with the LBA change test failed message.
I've made the A/B switch mod so ste swaps drives correctly tested it with floppydrive it was working correctly.

I have 1.44 internal diskdrive with exxos HD6.x 2016 kit, and Mario Becroft's ide interface.
Also tryed with normal mode and gotek loads disk just fine.

The wiring is from old external floppy case it has almost same wiring, http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=26656
it's was missing the motor enableB jumper wire on pin 16, where do those pin 3+7 supposed to go on gotek connector now they are 31+33?

Tryed to rename pompey pirates menu 100 to autoboot.hfe and it is booting fine, just the HxC fileselector hangs is there any other version that
i could try, or is there some tweaks in the firmware customization page that could help?

My firmware is 3.1.23.1a and file selector is 1.89a.
Can you try to use a dos formatted hfe file, rename it autoboot.hfe and try to write something on this disk from the desktop ?

poiex
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:02 am

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by poiex »

This is stupid question but where do i find dos formatted hfe file?
tryed to make one with floppyemulator 720k dsdd fat12 if thats the correct one, got to a desktop
and tryed to save desktop, newdesk.inf appears to the drive but when i reset it has gone so it seems
i cannot write to usb tested with other usb stick same result.

I also copied some programs to disk image with floppyemulator and i cant start those either just disk not responding message.

Jeff
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Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by Jeff »

poiex wrote:
Tue Apr 16, 2019 4:33 pm
This is stupid question but where do i find dos formatted hfe file?
tryed to make one with floppyemulator 720k dsdd fat12 if thats the correct one, got to a desktop
and tryed to save desktop, newdesk.inf appears to the drive but when i reset it has gone so it seems
i cannot write to usb tested with other usb stick same result.

I also copied some programs to disk image with floppyemulator and i cant start those either just disk not responding message.
You have a connection problem or a defective gotek.
Can you try to connect it internally to check if you can save something ? (your save destop method is fine to test it).

btw which firmware version are you using ?

poiex
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 10:02 am

Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by poiex »

My firmware is 3.1.23.1a and tryed to write in internal disk drive, got one file copied another one didnt work at all disk not responding message,
after pressing retry it shows cannot created directory, third one just throws 2 bombs on screen.
i guess the gotek is faulty then, or could it be the floppy controller wd1772, also tested with my friend FFgotek and it didnt work either.

Jeff
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Re: Atari STE + external Gotek Floppy drive wiring - Help needed

Post by Jeff »

poiex wrote:
Fri Apr 19, 2019 10:43 am
My firmware is 3.1.23.1a and tryed to write in internal disk drive, got one file copied another one didnt work at all disk not responding message,
after pressing retry it shows cannot created directory, third one just throws 2 bombs on screen.
i guess the gotek is faulty then, or could it be the floppy controller wd1772, also tested with my friend FFgotek and it didnt work either.
Try the diagnostic firmware present in the archive to test the gotek floppy I/O lines.

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