Amstrad PCW 9512+ disk drive

[rlkleijn]

I recently got this computer but with a faulty 3.5" disk drive. I managed to buy a Chinon FZ-357 which has got jumper settings. However I wouldn't know which jumpers to set as I never opened a PCW to remove the disk drive. I hope this drive will do.

[GeoffB17]

You need to set the drive as A:,  so make sure the two pins DS0 are connected by jumper.   Prob you can leave the others where they are.   Most recent floppy drives come set as B: and the twist in the PC cable allows one to be B: and the other A:, without needing to change jumpers.


Geoff

[GeoffB17]

Yes, just looked again at the blown up pic, and I can see that the relevant jumper is shown there as connecting the DS1 pins, which will set the drive as B:.   You need it to be A:, so move that jumper to connect the two DS0 pins.


Geoff

[rlkleijn]

Thank you.  What about the power supply? Is a 3.5" drive wired the same as a 3.5" on a PCW 9512+?

[rlkleijn]

I forgot.  Apparently this drive is a 1.44 MByte drive, any jumpers need changing to make it 720KB?
There is also another drive I have which is a Mitsumi D359M3D without jumpers as it hasn't got any at all.
The only last thing I have to do it getting some computer shop to straighten the DIN plug on the keyboard as it came rather bent.  Not so much the pins but the casing around it.

[GeoffB17]

Regarding the power connector, a 3.5" drive is a 3.5" drive.   It was the 3" drives on the earlier machines that were the other way around.   So if your machine originally had a 3.5" drive, then the power connectors should be OK.   If it was originally a 3" drive, then they could be the wrong way around for a 3.5" drive.


Not sure about the DD/HD thing.   Some drives have jumpers to set that, but they should also select by the sensor and the HD hole on the disk.   Maybe the jumper sets the default if the hole isn't there?  Not sure if there was a jumper for this on the info you posted??

Looked at pic again...



The MM and MD pins may be relevant, but this is a guess.   prob MM is normal, and MD is double (HD).   Looks like the jumper is MM, so if you use a disk without HD hole, then it'll be DD, i.e. normal for a PC.

Geoff

[rlkleijn]

Thank you very much. The drive is in the mail, so I'll be looking forward to changing it to the needs of the PCW 9512+