Another FDSloadr thread

[gorgyrip]

I made the ram adapter to pc cable and it's working great.
Next i build the disk unit to pc cable. I can read disks but when i try to save the image, fdsloadr freeze.
No problem, my main goal is to be able to write disks.
I also tryed to write a disk and it seemed it worked, but when i read it back the progress bar doesn't appear, only a 0 (zero).
Thecable i made:
http://www.famicomdisksystem.com/tutorials/cables/how-to-build-a-fdsloader-dump-cable/

I also di the power board mod. Disk unit is 7201.

Some things i noticed:
1. disk unit connected to lpt (no ac adapter, and no usb power) - the red led is on but kind of fainted.
2. I connected ac adapter, usb power, led still fainted, but when i read the disk the led light is normal.

From fdsloadr txt file:
"Of course, I had to fix up my disk drive to test the program on, so that's what I did. Several modifications were made (I completely eliminated the circuit board atop the battery compartment (and along with it, the requirement for a second power supply), plus I threw some discrete logic onto the drive mechanism's circuit board to repair the disk writing ability).

When I tested the ability to read/write data from/to disks via my program, I had no problems. However, people on the internet who had built the project themselves had told me that they were not able to overwrite _any_ data on their existing FDS disks. It was clear to me that my drive's write features were working because I bypassed a couple of integrated circuits that were originally intended to be used to control writing (originally damaged in my case).

Anyways, it is my opinion that Nintendo has put unneccessary circuitry inside the FDS disk drive unit (seeing that I've successfully managed to remove it without compromising any functionality), prehaps to prevent the complete rewriting of the contents of FDS disks (which explains why others who've built my project claim that rewriting FDS disks didn't work for them). Pretty much all the unneccessary circuitry is contained on the circuit board above the battery compartment (labeled "FMD POWER").

First, the board has a electronically switchable 5-volt power supply on it. This is questionably useful, since the drive motor (which is what it's used to power) really doesn't use all that much current (~250mA during operation). I've replaced this with a medium current pnp xstr tied to the NES's main 5-volt line. The xstr switches on when the drive motor is to be activated with about a 100mV drop in voltage across the CE junction, and you'd better believe that this works just as good as Nintendo's part-wasteful (and power-wasting) independent power supply.

Second, there's an integrated circuit (BU3213) which intercepts 2 disk control signals: "-stop motor", and "-write". This may be a microcontroller, since there's a 4MHz crystal attached to it. Anyways, I have no idea what it really does, but since it intercepts the "-write" signal (and has access to the "-ready" signal), it's a good guess that this chip is programmed to know when someone is trying to rewrite an entire disk (which is when it blocks the write signal), or simply update a file (when the write signal is allowed to pass). Either way though, you might as well consider this chip to be an FDS equivelant cicurity chip, since it serves no other purpose that I can see.

The bottom line is that it _may_ not be possible at all to use conventional FDS disk drives to reprogram the contents of FDS disks, without having to modify the disk drive unit's circuitry. Remember, this information is based mostly on speculation, since I have no way of verifying any of it. I'm basing these hypotheses off of claims that FDS disk reprogramming attempts via my program were ineffective, the unexplainable existence of otherwise useless circuitry inside the disk drive unit, and the fact that I was able to properly rewrite FDS disk contents completely with my modified disk drive. If anyone can provide me with more information in regards to this, *please*, contact me.""

Maybe if i mod the disk unit the same way, disk writing will be possible. BUT how?

[ericj]

If you want to write disks, the easiest way is to use a copy program and FDSLoader. My site shows you how to do that.

I'd forget about trying to write with FDSLoader alone. It just won't work, so don't waste your time. 

[gorgyrip]

You have a very nice site, but i don't have Disk keeper. I  still hope that there's a way to write disks just with fdsloadr.
I'm just very curious what Brandon Taylor did to his fds, plus it would be nice to know how to mod the unit to work without a power supply.

[Asprate]

If you use google you will find it 

[famiac]

Load disk keeper rom to fds ram adapter. Tadaaaa!

[gorgyrip]

Load disk keeper rom to fds ram adapter. Tadaaaa!

It's been reported that it's not working this way.

[133MHz]

It has worked for me! Even with copy protected games such as Doki Doki Panic.

[gorgyrip]

Then i will load disk keeper in fdsloader, after that a game image, swap the cables with the disk unit and report back if it works.

EDIT: It's working!!!

[famiac]

Yup. No reason for it not to.