Gotek Floppy Emulator

Discussions for the Commodore Amiga
User avatar
iced_nine
Member
Member
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 8:27 pm
Location: Central Florida USA
Contact:

Gotek Floppy Emulator

Post by iced_nine »

Anyone use one of these? I hear they're great but I kind of want to keep my original floppy drive...


Commodore 64/Amiga 500 Enthusiast
sm3
Member
Member
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 11:30 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Gotek Floppy Emulator

Post by sm3 »

Nope, but I keep seeing them on eBay. I'm like you, I like to use the real floppy drives. But I still use the ACA500 to make my disks from ADF ;)
User avatar
iced_nine
Member
Member
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed May 07, 2014 8:27 pm
Location: Central Florida USA
Contact:

Re: Gotek Floppy Emulator

Post by iced_nine »

Update: Been using a Gotek - absolutely love it...
Commodore 64/Amiga 500 Enthusiast
sm3
Member
Member
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 11:30 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Gotek Floppy Emulator

Post by sm3 »

iced_nine wrote:Update: Been using a Gotek - absolutely love it...
Well that's good news. Are you using it with a 500? Does it fit inside the case?
User avatar
e5frog
Member
Member
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:04 pm
Location: Sweden
Contact:

Re: Gotek Floppy Emulator

Post by e5frog »

I've got two, have them mounted in external cases, I was going to install a DF1->DF0, DF2->DF1, DF0->DF2 switch (or something like that) so I can boot from the external drive and use the next one as DF1 - your ordinary two drive system but using external Goteks. But I don't like drilling holes in cases for switches and buttons so it's not installed. If you want to be able to use your ordinary disks as well an external Gotek and switch-ability seems like the most kind solution.

Gotek drive fits A2000 and desktop/tower machines but for A500, A600 it's harder to make it fit well. Some cut a rectangular hole... *shrug*
Someone made a floppy disk looking maneuver panel to use with Gotek and A500/A600, don't know if they are manufacturing and selling it.
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=75667
Neat idea.

Some people seem to have found a good enough way to fit it in there but it's difficult to reach the buttons and only thin or small enough USB drives fit there.
https://wnorbi.files.wordpress.com/2014 ... .jpg?w=549
There's nothing that prevents adding a USB extension cable, longer cables for display and buttons that are easier to reach through the disk slot and then mount the small Gotek PCB in some other location, case is quite empty.

Seems we won't see any more updates, author have gotten tired of people earning quite a lot of money on his work - flashing drives and selling them on eBay with a large profit compared to an ordinary Gotek.

While playing around with it I managed to crash it few times, trashing the menu program, so now I keep a spare just in case.
My other hobby: Image
sm3
Member
Member
Posts: 45
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 11:30 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Gotek Floppy Emulator

Post by sm3 »

Hi e5frog, yeah, I would probably do it externally as well, not a fan of modifying the original cases.
User avatar
e5frog
Member
Member
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:04 pm
Location: Sweden
Contact:

Re: Gotek Floppy Emulator

Post by e5frog »

Here's that adapter on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111551006469 (PCB only)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121519109613 (Solder yourself version)

If you have a computer with a poor functioning internal drive then it may not be a bad idea to put the Gotek internally, the same kind of switching can be done to swap just DF0<->DF1 so you can boot from plain disks from an external drive.

It's just a matter of swapping places of two lines on the CIA B (EVEN) like this if you want a removable non-invasive solution:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7HIYtX3y1lM/T ... C_0055.JPG

Copied from http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=27109
Bend out SEL3 on your CIA B (EVEN) chip. Then bend SEL0-SEL2 sideways so that they hit the next holes in the socket.

Now the CIA's SEL0 signal goes to SEL1 on the mobo, SEL1 to SEL2 and SEL2 to SEL3. This means that your internal drive will disappear, DF1 will become DF0, DF2 will become DF1 and DF3 will become DF2.

You can now actually remove the internal mechanism, as it serves no use. I have this mod in the A500 that I use, as I never bothered finding a replacement internal mechanism for it and I have loads of external drives.

If you wish, you could make this switchable: bend out SEL0 and SEL1 and wire a switch to alternately connect them straight or swapped to the socket. Then you could make the first external drive DF0 whenever you wish and easily swap it back.

Ask if you didn't understand.

CIA pinouts:
http://www.amiga-stuff.com/hardware/8520.html
My other hobby: Image
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests