If You Connect the Floppy Cable in the Wrong Direction the Floppy Drive Light Stays on Continuously
I have put my Acorn Risc PC, two slice, back together after installing a new CMOS battery and all is now well except the floppy drive returns an error of "Drive Empty". I believe the drive was working correctly before I removed it along with the first slice and had to disconnect the ribbon cable and power supply. Is it possible to plug the ribbon cable back incorrectly, I have the red indicator conductor on the left when the drive is viewed from front to back. Also as the drive was and is connected to the motherboard with the same ribbon cable as the hard disc and it is function correctly what can the problem be? The disc indicator light is lit and appears to be yellowish, was it always lit even when the drive was empty?
Steffen Huber (91) 1805 posts I found out (involuntarily) that it is very easy to connect the ribbon cable not centered correctly, i.e. one pin row to the left or the right. But look again, floppy and IDE drive have seperate cables! Floppy is 34pin, IDE ist 40pin.
The disc indicator only lights up when the floppy drive is accessed, so this looks like a misconnection or a duff cable.
Chris Evans (457) 1602 posts If the cable is on a floppy drive the wrong way round, the light will be on all the time and never go out. If it is coming on only when you try and access it and goes off when the error appears then the problem could be drive, cable or PCB.
John Rickman (71) 433 posts I believe the drive was working correctly before I removed it along with the first slice and had to disconnect the ribbon cable and power supply.
It is possible that the combined age of the drive and floppy disc is responsible. In the last year I have had three floppy drives stop working without having disturbed them. The machines are, Iyonix, Risc PC and A7000+
They all give the message "drive empty".
Allan Williams (2337) 45 posts Thank you for your replies, it could be that I have connected the ribbon cable incorrectly as suggested.
I marked the cable before I disconnected it, so sure I am using the correct one.
I understand that both the original Hard Disc and the Floppy are ADFS and are on the same ribbon cable, but as I am unable to check this without removing all the components yet again I cannot be sure. I have an IDE disc from APDL and a Blitz interface and they use 40pin. The CD drive works correctly I believe this is on a completely separate cable. As I do not need the floppy drive at the moment dismantling the machine will have to wait!
Allan Williams (2337) 45 posts My memory played tricks on me. I took the machine apart and found that the CD drive and the Hard Drive are on the same ribbon cable and the floppy has its own cable and connection to the mother board. I have rechecked the connections to the floppy and still same problem. May have to find a new/second hand one somewhere.
John Williams (567) 768 posts As others have stated;
either you have the cable upside down, or, displaced by one pin.
Both are easily done, and easily rectified whilst you have it dismantled!
Hope I'm in time!
Allan Williams (2337) 45 posts Thanks again for all replies. I am as sure as I can be that I have not got the connector connected incorrectly and have the red marker on the ribbon cable on the left when viewed from the front of the drive.
Stefano Bertinetti (2986) 11 posts As others stated, if the floppy drive has the yellow LED constantly ON it indicates that the cable is reversed. Either in floppy or motherboard connector.
For the 'drive empty' problem, maybe one of the switches in the drive needs cleaning with a proper spray?
Configuration of floppies is correct (number)?
Also, if the cable isn't the original one, PC cables have two connectors that aren't interchangeable (one for A: and other for B: drive) – I'm not sure, but I remember that for some reason Acorn drives were shipped configured as drive :1. Maybe Chris Evans knows better?
Wouter Rademaker (458) 196 posts I'm not sure, but I remember that for some reason Acorn drives were shipped configured as drive :1
In the original floppy drive standard, floppy drives were configurable 0, 1, 2, 3. Somewhere, a PC manufacturer decided it was simpler to configure all floppy drives as 1 and do a turn in the floppy cable for drive 0.
Jeffrey Lee (213) 5984 posts According to my RiscPC: For the motherboard, pin 1 (i.e. the red marker) should be on the outside edge of the motherboard (left edge when viewed from the front of the machine). For the drive, pin 1 should be next to the power connector (right edge of the drive when viewed from the front).
N.B. I reserve the right to be wrong! (I just took the top off and peered inside using a mirror, rather than go through the hassle of fully disassembling the machine).
Rick Murray (539) 11951 posts I don't think the motherboard socket can be messed up – it is keyed isn't it? A notch, like IDE. Is the floppy end the same? There ought to be an indication on the boards (a number one, an arrow, a line) indicating which end pin 1 is.
However, anybody who grew up with the BBC Micro and used old 5.25" drives (notorious for many weird connectors at the floppy end) will tell you that the activity indicator always being on is highly indicative of end end being plugged in upside down…
Rick Murray (539) 11951 posts A random Google took me to a guide on installing floppy drives at pcguide.com which says:
Many 3.5" floppy drives today are not keyed to prevent upside down connection of the floppy drive cable. This means that it is possible to connect the cable upside-down, and then of course the drive will not work. In most cases this will not cause permanent damage. If when you boot up the PC the floppy drive activity LED comes on and stays on, this is a dead giveaway that you have done this. Reverse the connector.
Will Ling (519) 98 posts Jeffrey is right on the motherboard connector. Pin 1 nearest the board edge. The floppy connector is the shorter of the two. As for the drive, I've just looked at 3. Each is different, power left, right, box header notch top, bottom, and no box header at all. As Rick says, it probably would do no harm plugged upside down. It just won't work. Though I believe convention would be red, pin 1, nearest the power.
Frederick Bambrough (1372) 768 posts Just had a look in my spare Risc PC which has never been dismantled. Jeffrey is correct.
Allan Williams (2337) 45 posts Today. I reversed the ribbon cable into the drive, all is back to normal. I just seems wrong, but if it works all well and good. I should have taken more notice when I disconnected it. I marked where it should go but not its orientation.
Source: https://www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums/1/topics/11366
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