Connector:2nd disc drive (CPC664, CPC6128, CPC6128+)
The following table lists the signal on the "2nd Disk Drive" connector on the back of the CPC664/CPC6128/6128plus.
Signal names in simple brackets show the meaning the signal has today.
For your convenience, the pin no. are given as specified in the Shugart standard first, followed by the pin no. as assigned by Amstrad and shown in the manual.
Note that pins 35 and 36 (Amstrad CPC enumeration) exist on Schneider CPC6128 only due to the use of a 36pin Centronics connector.
For a maximum confusion, Amstrad has completely changed the pin out on the 6128plus
| Pin No. (Shugart) | Pin No. (CPC) | Pin No. (6128plus) | Signal Name | Description |
| n/a | "35" | n/a | N/C | Schneider CPC6128 only |
| 1 (red wire¹) | 34 | * | GND | Ground |
| 2 | 33 | 1 | N/C (/REDWC) | Density Select 1=Low/0=High |
| 4 | 31 | 3 | N/C | Reserved |
| 6 | 29 | 5 | N/C | Reserved |
| 8 | 27 | 7 | /Index | 0=Index |
| 10 | 25 | 9 | N/C (/MOTEA) | -/- (0=Motor Enable Drive 0) |
| 12 | 23 | 11 | /DRVSB | Drive Select 1 |
| 14 | 21 | 13 | N/C (/DRVSA) | -/-(Drive Select 0) |
| 16 | 19 | 15 | /MOTEB | 0=Motor Enable Drive 1 |
| 18 | 17 | 17 | /DIR | 0=Direction Select |
| 20 | 15 | 19 | /Step | 0=Head Step |
| 22 | 13 | 21 | /WDATE | Write Data |
| 24 | 11 | 23 | /WGATE | Floppy Write Enable, 0=Write Gate |
| 26 | 9 | 25 | /TRK00 | 0=Track 00 |
| 28 | 7 | 27 | /WPT | 0=Write Protect |
| 30 | 5 | 29 | /RDATA | Read Data |
| 32 | 3 | 31 | /SIDE1 | 0=Side 1 Select |
| 34 | 1 (blue wire²) | 33 | /RDY (/DSKCHG) | 0=Ready (1=Disk Change/0=Ready³) |
| n/a | n/a | 35 | N/C | Amstrad 6128plus only |
| All others (odd) | All others (even) | All others (even) | GND | Ground |
¹: Assuming you are using a cable which is made to match the Shugart standard on the floppy side.
²: Original cables from Amstrad/Schneider had blue wires to mark pin 1 (which is pin 34 in Shugart standard).
³: Although it might look like it, /RDY and /DSKCHG are not compatible. The CPC expects the drive to become ready (=0) by itself, while the DSKCHG signal stays high until confirmation through the PC, so the drive will never become RDY.
- Due to the first signal being on pin 1, there is no pin left for the first wire of the floppy cable (usually red). You can just cut it off, it's just another GND.
Except for the hint in note 3, a PC floppy can be directly operated on this connector, as long as you keep attention to the fact that the red wire of a PC floppy cable which is unchanged on the floppy side belongs on pin 34 of the CPC connector. Some drives can be jumpered to output the desired /RDY signal, some can at least be soldered. Others can be operated by "tuning" the cable. See 3 1/2" & 5 1/4" Disk Drives for more detailed instructions, incl. Side Switch.
