Re: Problems with slot 6 on IIGS... can anybody help???

[rubywand@aol.com]

In article <5abva0$bls2@usenet1w.prodigy.net>, ToasterKing
<toastjuice@aol.com> writes:

>
>I've had an Apple IIGS ROM 01 for 8 years and I just recently started
>having problems with the external 5.25" floppy drive in slot 6. 
>
>When it's daisy-chained to the 3.5" drive (slot 5), it sometimes works
>okay, but usually not.  When reading a 5.25 floppy, I get excessive read
>errors and it makes that loud noise (carriage at center and still trying
>to move) quite a bit when reading/writing.  Sometimes it even damages the
>disk.
>
>When it's NOT daisy-chained to the 3.5" drive, the IN USE indicator comes
>on when I turn on my GS and it freezes like that.  The spindle motor
>doesn't spin, the light just comes on.
>
>I first suspected the 5.25" drive, but when I exchanged it with another
>Apple 5.25" drive that I borrowed from a friend, same results.  I now
>suspect the problem to be in the motherboard of the GS, maybe in the
>"SLOTMAKER" IC?  (Just a blind guess.)  That IC isn't swappable (e.g. it
>doesn't have a socket).
>
>I've also tried swapping the microprocessor (the "CPU" chip) with
>another.  Problem still exists.


     This sort of problem with a plug-in peripheral often means that some
connection at the socket has broken or become loose. (Plugging stuff
in/out flexes and stresses the connections to the motherboard.)  One
quickie check is to see if slightly jiggling/moving the cable plug at the
connector suddenly clears up the problem during a 5.25" drive freeze-up.