Difference between revisions of "Amstrad External Disk Drive"

From CPCWiki - THE Amstrad CPC encyclopedia!
Jump to: navigation, search
(Service Manual)
Line 52: Line 52:
  
 
* [http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/DDI-1%20FD-1%20Service%20Manual.en.rar Amstrad DDI-1 FD-1 Service Manual]
 
* [http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/DDI-1%20FD-1%20Service%20Manual.en.rar Amstrad DDI-1 FD-1 Service Manual]
 +
 +
== Datasheets ==
 +
 +
* [[Media:UPD765 Datasheet OCRed.pdf]] - uPD765 disc controller
 +
* [[Media:FDC9229BT Datasheet.pdf]] - FDC9229BT data separator (that usually assists the uPD765 chip)
 +
* [[Media:DDI Schematic.png]] - DDI-1 Schematic (disc interface for CPC464)
  
 
[[Category:Hardware]] [[Category:Peripherals]] [[Category:Manual]][[Category:DATA Storage]][[Category:CPC Internal Components]][[Category:Amstrad Products]]
 
[[Category:Hardware]] [[Category:Peripherals]] [[Category:Manual]][[Category:DATA Storage]][[Category:CPC Internal Components]][[Category:Amstrad Products]]

Revision as of 02:37, 20 February 2010

Amstrad made two different disk drives for the Amstrad/Schneider CPC range:

  • DDI-1: a set consisting of the real DDI-1 (= Disk Drive Interface) and a FD-1 3" disk drive, as well as the CP/M 2.2 license and disk.

This set was for the CPC464 which didn't have a built-in 765 FDC disk controller.

  • FD-1: a 3" disk drive as secondary disk drive unit for the CPC664, CPC6128 and CPC464 with DDI-1

There was no official external disk drive for the 6128Plus or even the 464Plus. The difference between a CPC664/CPC6128 and a 6128Plus was simply a changed pin-out which can easily be solved by a new plug on the disk drive's cable.

The 464Plus was harder to equip with a disk drive. Although the pin-out of the expansion port was left unchanged, the DDI-1 cannot be used on the 464Plus without modifications.

Technical Details

The two disk drives were identical. The only difference was that the DDI-1 shipped with controller, manual and CP/M 2.2 on one disk.

The disk drives were jumpered (more accurately, soldered) to react on both drive select lines, A: and B:.

The cable decided which drive became A: and which one became B: :

  • On the CPC664 and CPC6128 computers, DRIVE SELECT 0 was not connected on the external connector, so the drive could only become drive B: on these systems.
  • For the DDI-1, DRIVE SELECT 0 was only wired to the outermost connector of the attached cable, while the inner connector was wired to DRIVE SELECT 1 only, thus the drive at the cable's end always became A: while the other one became drive B: accordingly.

Note that the drive also powered the DDI-1 interface when used together with it. Certain pins documented as N/C in the CPC664/CPC6128 manual in fact carry +5V from the drive to the controller. The main reason for this was that you couldn't connect a standard drive with a more common format (5¼" in the beginning, 3½" later and today) and thus cheaper disks as drive A: without modifications, as the DDI-1 wouldn't work without the power fed from the FD-1.

Pictures

Covers

Manuals

Service Manual

Datasheets