• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Tandy External Disk Drive help

dJOS, did you have a 3.5" external for your Tandy EX? I can trade you the 3.5" drive I have for a cable if they work out. I really have no need for the drive since my HX has 2 3/5" drives installed.
 
Gribnitz said:
dJOS, did you have a 3.5" external for your Tandy EX? I can trade you the 3.5" drive I have for a cable if they work out. I really have no need for the drive since my HX has 2 3/5" drives installed.
Click to expand...

I did find one amazingly in the same week as I bought my ex, they are both in transit atm. I must day tho that I would like a spare so your trade offer works for me, as everything arrives and I have everything tested and confirmed working I'll post back here.
 
I received 20x 30 pin edge connectors today - that's double what I thought I ordered, but hey im not complaining, they were really cheap!

Anyway, just waiting for the PCB's to arrive from Elecrow (in a very sexy Blue) and my Tandy 1000 EX + External 3.5" Drive so I can make sure the design works.

If it doesn't, plan B is to use Right Angle mounted Edge connectors instead - I should have bought them in the first place but only found them after the order was placed for the standard units. I might even be able to reuse the current PCB design if it comes to that .. not a big deal if I cant tho as it's been a fun learning curve. I've never made my own PCB design's prior, so I expected to make some mistakes.

g5uPbCJl.jpg
 
It's a crap photo but who cares, the drive adapter boards have just shipped from Elecrow (They sent me a proof pic)!

I cant wait to get them. :D

uaDDIDEl.jpg
 
And done! :cool:

I've tested the first one electrically and everything lines up perfectly ... now I just need to make the other 4 that I have parts to make! :eek:

QpVZODgl.jpg


RmUdmq6l.jpg


rHMvo7wl.jpg
 
Unknown_K said:
Are the adapters keyed?
Click to expand...

The edge connectors aren't but everything else is and the board would be fairly hard to install upside down as it would likely touch the desk. Also it has writing on it which makes it fairly obvious which way is the right way up.

Ps I'll include instructions for anyone who buys one so folks don't have to worry about wrecking their Tandy HW.
 
Last edited:
PS, this pic shows the adapter installed the right way up - the edge connector is at the bottom and the Ribbon cable connector is at the top. The ribbon cable physically cant be installed the wrong way as it's keyed.

rHMvo7wl.jpg
 
Got my 1000 EX yesterday but I cant use it yet, the power plug has been damaged and isnt safe so I'm waiting on a new Leviton plug to arrive.

Mxqxsill.jpg
 
Not sure if this is of any help to the community, but I just dug out a PCB assembly that used to be from a 3.5" external drive. This is the internal PCB that connects the drive to the cable from the HX/EX. It's off no use to me (I scavenged the floppy drive years ago and use the plastic shell as stand - all else is gone).
If there's enough demand, perhaps it worthwhile to reverse engineer it.
 
Iirc Tandy floppy drives use the original shugart standard unlike IBM and clones. This means the floppy drive has to have the option of being set to DS0 1 or 2. There are plenty of the older drives around that can be configured this way and I believe the only thing the PCB in the external case does is break out power and the data signals.

This means reverse engineering it should be a dead cinch. I'm not sure how many ppl would want one tho?
 
Last edited:
I think I still have 2 or 3 external (empty) Tandy floppy drive boxes for the 5.25" plus one complete one with cables. I think the board that connect to the floppy drive is in there, but I don't have spare cables. Are you going to be selling them?
 
Unknown_K said:
I think I still have 2 or 3 external (empty) Tandy floppy drive boxes for the 5.25" plus one complete one with cables. I think the board that connect to the floppy drive is in there, but I don't have spare cables. Are you going to be selling them?
Click to expand...

I've made 5 cable/adapters total (comprised of 2x Adapter Boards and 1x 20cm Cable) - I made one for me and Gribnitz has put his hand up for one which would leave 3 left. I dont plan on making anymore for a bit as I'm pretty time poor atm (young family, day job etc).

Although if I get another 5 "orders", I'll prolly make another 5 units with the remaining edge connectors and cable I have in stock. I'd only need to order the PCB's, IDC-Headers and Sockets.

Once I'm done, I'll release the Gerber files for anyone to use as they see fit.


PS, The cost of the complete adapter is $19 USD plus postage (i need to look into Aus to US postage costs).

PSS, I also need to fully test the adaptor on my EX, just waiting on a new AC plug (could be up to 2 weeks away).
 
All the adapter boards are now complete. Just need to test them all once my replacement power plug arrives for my EX.

afu7OLql.jpg
 
Last edited:
Yeah! Super happy this appears it will work out. I haven't checked back in a while and it appears you made a lot of progress the past couple weeks!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top