Famicom World

Family Computer => Famicom / Disk System => Topic started by: JessicaWolf on January 18, 2014, 09:47:29 pm

Title: Writing FDS Disks
Post by: JessicaWolf on January 18, 2014, 09:47:29 pm
I have seen a bunch of different pages about writing FDS disks, but I can't quite get my head around what exactly needs to be done to a Disk System to be able to write disks. I would like to be able to mod my FDS to write disks (some of which are my own that have become corrupted).

Can anyone (perhaps someone who has done this personally) explain to me straightforward what is required and what needs to be done?
Title: Re: Writing FDS Disks
Post by: fredJ on January 19, 2014, 04:32:21 am
My and my colleagues tried it but never got it to work reliable.

If you have an early model disk system, you don't have to do anything to the system itself. If you just get yourself a disk copier disk, you can then copy from one disk to another. However, you need to have an original disk with the game you want to copy from.
If you have a later model disk system, you have to check the guides here on famicomworld for the relatively simple mods that needs to be done to it.

To copy from a ROM you will need to build a little device that connects between the LPT port of a computer, and an older computer with an LPT port.
Also, not all old computers support this even with LPT port. The laptop we used worked, but turned out to be unreliable.
Even if you get it to work, the writing FDS needs to be exactly calibrated. We never got it to write disks that worked reliable on other disk systems.

I wish there are better ways but I don't know of any. Saying "you can write disks yourself" is easy. Yes, you can find many that say that.
Title: Re: Writing FDS Disks
Post by: JessicaWolf on January 19, 2014, 09:24:55 pm
I have no shortage of computers with LPT ports, but I am curious as to how one actually hooks up the FDS to a computer. Can anyone point me to said device or to an article about writing disks with an FDS (that's not the one hosted here).
Title: Re: Writing FDS Disks
Post by: famifan on January 20, 2014, 01:51:08 am
Quote from: fredJ on January 19, 2014, 04:32:21 am
We never got it to write disks that worked reliable on other disk systems.

sounds like that's really enough for restoring corrupted disk for yourself, but not for commercial purpose :)

Post Merge: January 20, 2014, 01:58:20 am

i'm also interested in rewriting disk just because i got a corrupted disk game. In doubt if i will invest time into re-creating disk writer just for fun. But who knows. Those kind of activities can easily last for years :)

80sFREAK apart, any other hardware guy else is also interested ? :)
Title: Re: Writing FDS Disks
Post by: P on January 20, 2014, 03:32:31 am
Quote from: JessicaWolf on January 19, 2014, 09:24:55 pm
I have no shortage of computers with LPT ports, but I am curious as to how one actually hooks up the FDS to a computer. Can anyone point me to said device or to an article about writing disks with an FDS (that's not the one hosted here).

Here you go http://www.famicomdisksystem.com/. FredJ is talking about FDSloader.
Title: Re: Writing FDS Disks
Post by: kiwidaveinjapan on January 20, 2014, 03:33:18 pm
To write disks, you need this cable: it connects the parallel port to the FDS RAM adapter.

you also need a disk copying software FDS file...Disk Keeper, disk copier, etc. You choose. I can't point you to one, but Google if your friend.

http://www.tototek.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_35&products_id=98

Then you need to check your Power board doesn't need to be modified, if it does use this guide:

http://famicomworld.com/workshop/tech/fds-power-board-modifications/

Check your drive doesn't house the FD3206 chip, and if it does, mod it, or get a different drive if possible.

http://famicomworld.com/workshop/tech/famicom-disk-system-fd3206-write-mod/

Make sure your compy is suitably old and can run DOS

and follow the attached guide to make disk images writable to FDS

One more thing....if the disk you are using has more than one side...change the last hex digit of the FDS header to '02' instead of '01'.

Hope this helps! I've been able to write disks on my drive that work with no issues on other machines, but your results may vary.