HELP:X68000 XVI Compact floppy drives problem

[caius]

Hi all,
I finally managed to get a X68000.Infact I bought on Yahoo Japan an "untested"  X68000 XVI Compact.I expected a bad power supply but instead it powers up and show me the disk prompt while the green led of disk drive 0 is blinking.
So I trasnfer some .xdf images on 3.5" disks (after formatting them at 1.2MB with a USB drive with WinImage) using various programs like Omniflop, NTrawrite and Xfloppy (on Windows 98ME).But when I insert these  disks the floppy drive (after making a high noise like disk spin)   reject them after few seconds and the system seems to reset itself.The floppy drive switch is set to  "0 1".
Which can be the problem? Maybe bad capacitors on floppy PCB or I badly transfer .xdf images?What happens usually if you insert a disk not recognized by the floppy drives?They behave like I described before?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[netwalka]

Hi all,
I finally managed to get a X68000.Infact I bought on Yahoo Japan an "untested"  X68000 XVI Compact.I expected a bad power supply but instead it powers up and show me the disk prompt while the green led of disk drive 0 is blinking.
So I trasnfer some .xdf images on 3.5" disks (after formatting them at 1.2MB with a USB drive with WinImage) using various programs like Omniflop, NTrawrite and Xfloppy (on Windows 98ME).But when I insert these  disks the floppy drive (after making a high noise like disk spin)   reject them after few seconds and the system seems to reset itself.The floppy drive switch is set to  "0 1".
Which can be the problem? Maybe bad capacitors on floppy PCB or I badly transfer .xdf images?What happens usually if you insert a disk not recognized by the floppy drives?They behave like I described before?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

You check these out.
1. When formatting disk, use command line below.

c:\> FORMAT A: /A:1024 /T:77 /N:8 /U

   Don't use Winimage program.

2.  Use diskimage v 1.3b to write image file to 3.5" diskette (download attached zip file)

   FD mode option should be "1.25M" and use "HD->FD(125)" button to browse *.xdf file.

   If you are using Windows Vista/7, use Windows XP mode for compatibility.

That's all.

If error continues, change every condenser on the mainboard with new one. Everything!! Not just one on the FDD.
Then everything will be fine.

Maybe.... you are the one explored my blog recently, Italian guy... :-D
Good luck~!

[caius]

Hi,thanks for this procedure.The problem, I think, you should have a 3mode floppy, I have a USB floppy but when I try to format with those parameters it give me always an error.I'm using WIndows XP SP3
Meanwhile  I set up a PC with Windows 98 and I tried Xfloppy , it can format at 1.2 and write .xdf images, the problem is that the foppy drive reject the disk after few seconds.Anyway I'm going to change capacitors on floppy PCB and if doesn't works I'll change every capacitors...

[netwalka]

Hi,thanks for this procedure.The problem, I think, you should have a 3mode floppy, I have a USB floppy but when I try to format with those parameters it give me always an error.I'm using WIndows XP SP3
Meanwhile  I set up a PC with Windows 98 and I tried Xfloppy , it can format at 1.2 and write .xdf images, the problem is that the foppy drive reject the disk after few seconds.Anyway I'm going to change capacitors on floppy PCB and if doesn't works I'll change every capacitors...

I'm not sure, but, as I noticed, the xfloppy program is for 5.25 inch diskette only. Not for 3.5inch disk.  So try to use diskimage 1.3b.

I guess your usb FDD doesn't support 3mode. Ususally  Japanese corp's FDD supports 3 mode.

'Cause,  actually those characteristics  are not needed to other than in Japan.

Try to find 3 mode usb FDD. Model number is IBM FD-05PUB(Teac OEM). I heard sony usb FDD for VAIO laptop is another one.

Once you boot your Compact model, you can write *.xdf image file onto disk with Compact model's own 3.5" FDD.

You can use  MKIMG.X program that way. (Download attached zip file)

Anyhow, find someone who can help you get a real 3.5" bootable diskette.

That will determine which one is trouble, diskette or FDD or Capacitors....

P.S. I'm using WinXP SP2 version.
How about try on clean sp2 setup, that is,  just after  windows installl and give it a try.

[caius]

Ok, I'll try another USB FDD.Is this good ?:

http://cgi.ebay.it/IBM-External-USB-POWERED-Floppy-Drive-FD-05PUB-39T2519-/380295570327?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item588b61e397

P.S.
First  I could try to format a disk at 1.2MB using my FM-TOWNS Marty 2 console....

[netwalka]

Ok, I'll try another USB FDD.Is this good ?:

http://cgi.ebay.it/IBM-External-USB-POWERED-Floppy-Drive-FD-05PUB-39T2519-/380295570327?pt=PCC_Drives_Storage_Internal&hash=item588b61e397

P.S.
First  I could try to format a disk at 1.2MB using my FM-TOWNS Marty 2 console....

I think that looks fine. But try it at your own risk.
Because someone who sells FDD and knows well about FDD told me that some of the FDD manufactured after 2005 does not function 3 mode.
I'm not sure it is rumor or not.
My FDD is manufactured in 2005. 09

[NFG]

That IBM FDD unit looks identical to my Panasonic unit, a CF-VFDU03.  Internally, and as far as Windows is concerned, it's a TEAC unit.  I opened it up, and sure enough there's a TEAC FD-005 unit inside. 

According to the PDF this drive is compatible with 1.4MB, 1.2MB and 720kB modes.

It's a very nice little unit, and there's no adaptor: the FDD drive is native USB, it's the only connector available.

FWIW, I bought mine from a street vendor in Akihabara.

[pro7]

hi,  at first and first tryouts,   i couldnt format...   seemed the command.com or usb corrupted...tried another computer, same...

tried again on my laptop (dell 8500),  it's ok now apparently !     (can only test in end april to my real x68k,   living in Paris,  and computer is near spain...)       

the short  isnt working... FORMAT A: /A:1024 /T:77 /N:8 /U

the long command is OK    format a: /fs:fat /v: /a:1024 /t:77 /n:8 /y

 ,   with a :  "usb toshiba  n° PA3109U-1FDD"  on a windows xp sp2,   no information on floppydrive birth date...

[pro7]

    it's goooood