Re: IIGS FD EXTERNAL CARD?

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

TRUC PHAN <TTPHAN@postoffice.worldnet.att.net> wrote:

> My Apple 2GS FD 3.5 doesn't work! I think the Controller (In the apple
> 2GS bad. I check it by go to basic prompt [ and type PR#5+enter but it say
> "no device found" I buy another external 3.5 FD & plug in but it said the
> same; The system boot-up Ok on Hard-drive.

There are many possible reasons for this.

1. If you connected or removed either drive while the computer was
switched on, you might have damaged either the computer or the drive.
I'll assume this was not the case.

2. You plugged the disk drive into the wrong connector.  This is not
very likely: the IIgs has a single connector on the motherboard which
the disk drive would fit into, but you might have a card installed in
the computer which provides a connector of the same type, such as a
5.25" disk controller card.  The Apple 3.5 Drive will not work with this
card, but does work with most other cards that provide the same
connector.  As long as you used the built-in connector (in line with the
joystick and monitor connectors, and between them) then this isn't the
problem.

3. If you have any 5.25" drive plugged into the IIgs disk port, you must
remove it and plug in the 3.5" drive first, then daisy-chain the 5.25"
drive after the 3.5" drive.  If you try to daisy-chain the 3.5" drive
after the 5.25" drive, it won't work (but it won't damage anything).

4. Go into the IIgs Control Panel (press Control-Apple-Escape and select
"Control Panel" from the menu), then into the "Slots" screen, and verify
that slot 5 is set to "SmartPort", not "Your Card".  If it was set to
"Your Card", then you won't be able to access 3.5" drives connected to
the built-in disk port.

5. You might have the wrong type of 3.5" drive.  Did your original 3.5"
drive work before, and has it just stopped working, or have you never
tried it before?  (This seems very unlikely.)

> What sould I do? Buy another motherboard or looking for external 2GS 
> Floppy controller? Do they make any of external FD controller for IIGS?

If it is a hardware problem, then you have three options:

1. A new motherboard.  Alltech Electronics have an exchange service for
IIgs motherboards.

2. An Apple SuperDrive Controller card (official name is "Apple II 3.5
Disk Controller Card").  This supports the Apple 3.5 Drive, UniDisk 3.5
and SuperDrive (high density).  Unfortunately, these cards were not sold
for very long, and they are very rare.

3. A "Universal Disk Controller".  This is a third-party card which
supports the Apple 3.5 Drive, Macintosh 400K and 800K drives (not sure
about 400K) and 5.25" drives.  It was originally sold by Central Point
Software and Lazer, I believe.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand