Sony MPF420-1

[Craig Harrison]

Here is another quick question...

Anyone know what the Jumper settings for this drive are? With a 5x3
Jumper block I guess it can be configured to work on a CPC. But I cannot
find any data on the web with the pin settings other than 1-6-11 changes
the colour of the LED and 5-10-15 change DS0/1 but the rest are a
mystery, the layout of the pins is as below... any ideas?

6
1 . .-. 11
. . .
. . .
. . .
5 . .-. 15
10

When configured as above it appears to be DS1 and Green LED

Many thanks

Craig

[Hauke Hagenhoff]

Post by Craig Harrison
Here is another quick question...

Quick is a nice understatement...

You are overestimating me ;->

http://matthieu.benoit.free.fr/pdf/skettes.pdf

It looks like tough luck.
No mentioning of RDY there.
But owners of ENSONIQ ASR10 or TS10/12 might be looking for such a drive
desperately, whatever that is.
The Sony MPF 420-1 is one of the drives originally used in that device
with the other one being the Panasonic JU257A-724P, which has a dip
switch for RDY.
It appears it will also work in Emu Systems - Sampler (ESI 32, ESI 2000,
ESI 4000 - Series)
So you could either trade with an ENSONIQ-owner for his Panasonic
JU257A-724P or a TEAC 235 with jumpers he might have replaced the
original drive with, or you could just sell the drive to people with
such devices.

From the PDF above, i have built this list of CPC-compatible drives:

Chinon FZ-357 (Note: Not 357A, that's an Amiga drive!)
TEAC 235HF-3217U
TEAC 235HF-3218U
TEAC 235HF-3240U
TEAC 235HF-6573
TEAC 235HF-5636
TEAC 235HF-A529
TEAC 235HF-6554
Panasonic JU-257-03T
Panasonic JU-257-03P
Panasonic JU-257-083P
Panasonic JU-257-083PJ
Panasonic JU-257-103P
Panasonic JU-257-103PJ
Panasonic JU-257-293P
Panasonic JU-257A-604P
Panasonic JU-257A-724P
Y-E Data YD702B-6037B
Y-E Data YD702B-6039B
Mitsubishi MF-355C-58ML
Mitsubishi MF-355C-58MF

I guess you are aware of the fact, that you can use any PC-drive on a
CPC if you just simulate the RDY signal, are you?

[Craig Harrison]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Hauke Hagenhoff]

Post by Craig Harrison
Yeah, but I'd rather have a real ready signal. and the drive is 2nd hand
anyway. Perhaps a new(er) one with real RDY might be a better bet
anyway. If I am going to spoof the RDY by hacking the cable I may as

Drives that can simply be jumpered or switched for RDY don't really
exist anymore, only used.

However, the Samsung SFD-321B can have a real RDY signal, by
re-soldering a zero Ohm resistor.
You will also need to solder at the place where the HD/DD-sensor should
sit by design, as it was removed for cost reduction and the drive is
hardwired to HD. By either closing the bridge or opening it, dunno what
it is for HD, you can hardwire it to DD.

Modified in this way, the Samsung SFD-321B works sufficiently well,
though the best drives for hooking up to a CPC are old TEAC with jumpers
(Those are the only ones I have seen so far, wich even operate the LED
in sync with the drive action).

[Craig Harrison]

Post by Hauke Hagenhoff

Post by Craig Harrison
Yeah, but I'd rather have a real ready signal. and the drive is 2nd hand
anyway. Perhaps a new(er) one with real RDY might be a better bet
anyway. If I am going to spoof the RDY by hacking the cable I may as

Drives that can simply be jumpered or switched for RDY don't really
exist anymore, only used.
However, the Samsung SFD-321B can have a real RDY signal, by
re-soldering a zero Ohm resistor.
You will also need to solder at the place where the HD/DD-sensor should
sit by design, as it was removed for cost reduction and the drive is
hardwired to HD. By either closing the bridge or opening it, dunno what
it is for HD, you can hardwire it to DD.
Modified in this way, the Samsung SFD-321B works sufficiently well,
though the best drives for hooking up to a CPC are old TEAC with jumpers
(Those are the only ones I have seen so far, wich even operate the LED
in sync with the drive action).

Hmmm, As I guessed this is gonna be a difficult thing to find in Galway
where our only 2 computer type shops are pcWorld and Maplin! Ebay or
Online I guess it is then... Any suggestions on where to find such a
drive (Either TEAC - Ebay I guess or New Samsung)?

Regards

Craig

[Craig Harrison]

Hmmm, On another tack here.... Ebay appears abundant with BBC Micros
720k drives (Cumana) I assume these would offer a ready signal but I'd
love to have this confirmed before bidding on one.

Regards

Craig

[Rayner]

Post by Craig Harrison
Hmmm, On another tack here.... Ebay appears abundant with BBC Micros
720k drives (Cumana) I assume these would offer a ready signal but I'd
love to have this confirmed before bidding on one.

I got a couple of Cumana 720k drives working very happily with my 6128,
and they did have ready signals. All I had to do was put the right
connector on the cable and set the 'drive A/B' jumper appropriately.

I don't know whether all the Cumana 3.5" DD drives were the same make
and model internally (mine were something or other from Chinon, IIRC),
but I'd guess that they would all be pretty much identical in operation.

HTH,
R

[Bernd Jöbkes]

New Samsung didnŽt have a ready Signal, be careful. Just a hint: try to get
a Atari ST 3.5" B drive (not the original!!!). They mostly have the ready
signal (95 %), there are cheap, they have mostly a power supply, you only
have to make a new cabel!!!

xesrjb aka Bernd

Post by Craig Harrison

Post by Hauke Hagenhoff

Post by Craig Harrison
Yeah, but I'd rather have a real ready signal. and the drive is 2nd hand
anyway. Perhaps a new(er) one with real RDY might be a better bet
anyway. If I am going to spoof the RDY by hacking the cable I may as

Drives that can simply be jumpered or switched for RDY don't really
exist anymore, only used.
However, the Samsung SFD-321B can have a real RDY signal, by
re-soldering a zero Ohm resistor.
You will also need to solder at the place where the HD/DD-sensor should
sit by design, as it was removed for cost reduction and the drive is
hardwired to HD. By either closing the bridge or opening it, dunno what
it is for HD, you can hardwire it to DD.
Modified in this way, the Samsung SFD-321B works sufficiently well,
though the best drives for hooking up to a CPC are old TEAC with jumpers
(Those are the only ones I have seen so far, wich even operate the LED
in sync with the drive action).

Hmmm, As I guessed this is gonna be a difficult thing to find in Galway
where our only 2 computer type shops are pcWorld and Maplin! Ebay or
Online I guess it is then... Any suggestions on where to find such a
drive (Either TEAC - Ebay I guess or New Samsung)?
Regards
Craig

[Hauke Hagenhoff]

Post by Bernd Jöbkes
New Samsung didnŽt have a ready Signal, be careful. Just a hint: try to get

New = ?

For the ones I sold on eBay, I used Samsung SFD-321B drives. They didn't
have jumpers, but a zero Ohm resistor which has to be re-soldered but
the result was a proper RDY-signal.
At least the resistors were properly labelled.

They might of course have replaced the SFD-321B with a new
model/revision, that's why I ask when you got the one you tested.

Models/revisions are also the problem with TEAC drives, because they are
all called FD235HF... the current submodel is the -A291, which doesn't
have any jumpers or soldering bridges which can be easily located.
And sadly, most eBayers just write the "FD235HF" part into the
description, so you have to ask the seller if he can tell you the exact
model number, which is very frustrating, as in most cases, the answer is
-A291.