Floppy Drive for IBM PS/2 70 or instructions how to use an other to boot

[Heinz]

I need a Floppy Drive for my old IBM 70 386 to boot with the reference disk. I have never turned off the PC the last 15 years. After power failure i used the reference disk.
Now I have replaced the battery and make three refdisks with Win 2000, win 95 and one of my OS/2 Warp3 PC but all disks dont work.
The 3 refdisk or an empty disk: the same error 162, 163 and the yello light of the floppy drive stays on.
I think i need a new floppy drive or in worse case a instruction how to use an other to boot.

Sorry for my bad english from germany, i hope annyone can help me.

 

[IBMMuseum]

Post at the comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware newsgroup and you will have someone able to help in German, perhaps even Peter Wendt himself. Does the drive seem like it is reading the floppies? Can you read or regenerate them in another system?

 

[Heinz]

Thanks for the quick also answer. I think the reference disks are ok, the drive seems reading 2 seconds with normal nois but nothing happens, error 162, 163 and the yello light of the floppy drive stays on.
(This morning it was the first post of my life and it takes a lot of time, how can i contact Peter Wendt if possible?)

 

[Chromedome45]

If the disk drive is a Mitsubishi type MF355W-99M3 you can try to fix it yourself by replacing some bad capacitors. See this link:
http://asavage.dyndns.org/PS2/FD_144/FD_144_01.html
I did it and it worked for me.

Also I think if you push the F1 key 2 times it might try to boot from the Hard Drive.

Try here to contact Peter Wendt: http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware/topics?hl=en&lnk

 

[tezza]

Interesting. I have a couple of ALPs drives that don't work. I wonder if it is caps? I might give replacement a go.

Tez

 

[Chromedome45]

Hey Tez, You Ok? Heard of an Earthquake over there! Anyway the alps drives are usually the track 0 adjustment is out of whack. The Cap replacement is mainly the Mitsu's but you can try it though. I have seen a few marginal ones on the Alps too. And if you do try the Track 0 adjust turn very slowly and test after each adjustment using a known good disk. I had a few alps doing that and I got them going.

 

[tezza]

Hey Tez, You Ok? Heard of an Earthquake over there! Anyway the alps drives are usually the track 0 adjustment is out of whack. The Cap replacement is mainly the Mitsu's but you can try it though. I have seen a few marginal ones on the Alps too. And if you do try the Track 0 adjust turn very slowly and test after each adjustment using a known good disk. I had a few alps doing that and I got them going.

Thanks for that. A re-examination of those drives is on the "to do" list (albeit near the bottom) but I'll look at giving that a go. I think I might have both types from memory.

Yes, big earthquake in the South Island of NZ. Lots of houses damaged/uninhabitable in our 2nd largest city Christchurch. No deaths. Nowhere near me luckily. In saying that we did have a small quake about 4.18pm yesterday (about 5.2 mag I think). When my monitor started rocking, I thought "uh oh...".

Tez

 

[tezza]

Thanks for that. A re-examination of those drives is on the "to do" list (albeit near the bottom) but I'll look at giving that a go. I think I might have both types from memory.

Yes, big earthquake in the South Island of NZ. Lots of houses damaged/uninhabitable in our 2nd largest city Christchurch. No deaths. Nowhere near me luckily. In saying that we did have a small quake about 4.18pm yesterday (about 5.2 mag I think). When my monitor started rocking, I thought "uh oh...".

Tez

P.S. funny how these quakes make you "aware". I reduced the number of "stacked boxes" of valuable vintage computers in the computer shack last night.

 

[rtwo]

Hey Tez, You Ok? Heard of an Earthquake over there! Anyway the alps drives are usually the track 0 adjustment is out of whack. The Cap replacement is mainly the Mitsu's but you can try it though. I have seen a few marginal ones on the Alps too. And if you do try the Track 0 adjust turn very slowly and test after each adjustment using a known good disk. I had a few alps doing that and I got them going.

Hi, I have a couple of ALPS for my IBM P70 that wont work, can you tell me how/where I can adjust that track 0???

 

[Chromedome45]

Unfortunately right now I don't have any slim line Alps drives to look at. may have to look around for a screw adjustment on the back side of the drive. And as I said turn slowly then check with good disk.

 

[rtwo]

Unfortunately right now I don't have any slim line Alps drives to look at. may have to look around for a screw adjustment on the back side of the drive. And as I said turn slowly then check with good disk.

Have been looking on two ALPS drives for the adjustment screw, but cant seem to find it, anyone can show me how/where to adjust?

 

[Chromedome45]

Some pictures to help out. Starting from left most picture. This should be your drive! If not this won't help out. If it is then proceed with picture number 2 by removing 2 screws holding down small circuit board. !Do not remove this board or disconnect from drive! Next remove small plate that was used to hold down the circuit board as shown in picture 3. Please note the left screw is recessed! Next remove cover over the top of the drive as shown in picture 4. Looking down into the lower left hand corner of the drive with it oriented as shown in the picture you will see a screw that is a holding a kind of "T" shaped bar. Loosen this screw slightly. Next picture is a rear view of the drive. Picture 5. You will see 2 screws with what looks like green paint or laquer. Loosen only the right hand screw when viewed as in my picture ever so slightly and you will have to hold the ribbon cable out of the way. This is the track "ZERO" adjustment. Be very careful when loosening and only adjust a tiny bit at a time. Once you turn it tighten the #4 picture screw and try to boot from the disk drive by connecting it to the Model 70 by sliding in drive and connect the little circuit board to the drive connector in the computer. Repeat adjustment as needed to get it to boot. Just be advised that this is done at you own risk and I will not take any blame for any damages done to the drive or to the Model 70 computer. And also this is a hit or miss try you might get it to work but then you might not. Good luck and hope this helps.

 

[alexfloca]

replacing the original alps drive with a "normal" pc floppy drive

replacing the original alps drive with a "normal" pc floppy drive

i also had the problem with one of the alps drives but didn't manage to adjust the track 0, recap also didn't work so I took one step ahead and changed the drive with a new-used one from a regular PC. this is very easy done and worked like a charm for me. You need some soldering skills to do this. Here is how it's done:
- first of all test the new drive in a regular pc to make shure it works fine.
- try identifying if your new drive is +5V only or needs both +5V and +12V (mine was +5V only) - this can be done easy by just looking at the PCB where the 4 pin power connector is connected. Look on both sides of the PCB because some of the drives have double sided PCB-s. If the +12V pin is not connected to any trace this means your FDD is +5V only for shure.
- now take a good look at the connection of the data cable. We are interested in pin 3 and pin 6.
- Pin 3 is a key and is missing for most drives.
- Pin 6 is connected for some FDD, if the pin is connected to some electronic components, make shure you DISCONNECT it by cutting the traces on the PCB with a sharp knife, if not this could damage your drive
- Pin 3 is the +5V on the data cable from the PS2 system, pin 6 is +12V from the PS2.
- now, connect one of the pins 5,7,9,11,13,...,33 (should be all connected together on the FDD PCB) to the ground pins 2 and 3 of the power connector for your FDD if there is no connection already on the PCB (try using an Ohmmeter to find out)
- if your drive is +5V only then you have to "manufacture" a pin for the missing pin 3 and connect it to the + 5V of the power connector
- if your drive also needs +12V connect the pin 6 to the +12V pin of the power connector.

Pictures comming soon.
I tried this on two systems, a IBM P70 portable and a IBM PS1 - modell 2011, using two different "modern" floppy drives (a Sony and a Teac) both FDD's worked fine.

DISCLAIMER: IF NOT DONE CORRECTLY THE ABOVE COULD DAMAGE YOUR FLOPPY DRIVE OR THE MAINBOARD OF THE PS2. BY TRYING THIS YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN RISK, I CAN'T GUARANTEE IT WILL WORK WITH ALL SYSTEMS.