3.5" Floppy Disk Issues

[t0nyt]

My Trump card has arrived and I've successfully attached and used my GoTek (setup as FLP1_), so seems like the Trump card is operational (shows correct expanded memory too)

But when I attach my 1.4mb floppy drive (GoTek removed for now as I only have a single ended cable until tomorrow) as FLP2_ and try and format a floppy disk (format flp2_test) I get a format failed (not sure it sounds correct either, but as I haven't used a 3/5" floppy for many years I may be wrong)

Is there any knack to formatting a 1.4mb disk or is it likely to just be a faulty drive please? (I'm sure the media disk I tried is good, but did try another just in case). I assume if the ground was the wrong one it wouldn't work at all.

I bought the floppy drive (Samsung SFD-321B) earlier this year but unfortunately I have no way to test it on any other machine

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts please?

Many thanks
Tony

EDIT: Tried both grounds but no change

[janbredenbeek]

What version is the Trump Card's ROM? I know that older versions work only with DD drives and have problems with HD/ED drives.

[tofro]

On a Trump Card that is connected to a HD (1.44M) drive and with a HD disk, make sure you tape off the HD signature hole opposite the write protect flap on the disk (or use a DD disk without such a hole). Otherwise the drive will think it's 1.44M, and the FD controller will think it's 720k. But the controller can only format 720k.

[t0nyt]

What version is the Trump Card's ROM? I know that older versions work only with DD drives and have problems with HD/ED drives.

Hi. It says v1.20 (1984) on the boot screen

Thanks
Tony

[t0nyt]

On a Trump Card that is connected to a HD (1.44M) drive and with a HD disk, make sure you tape off the HD signature hole opposite the write protect flap on the disk (or use a DD disk without such a hole). Otherwise the drive will think it's 1.44M, and the FD controller will think it's 720k. But the controller can only format 720k.

Many Thanks

I have a confession, I'm a total d*ck

You got me thinking and I realised, I had the media write protected...

(In my defence, if there is any, it's been many many years since I used 3.5" media and I got it the wrong way around)

All seems to be working now, thanks all

Sorry for wasting peoples time!

Thanks
Tony

[tofro]

You got me thinking and I realised, I had the media write protected...

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I thought the Trump Card could handle Double Density Disk Drives (720K or 1440 Sectors)

The Gold Card can do HD drives.

[NormanDunbar]

I thought the Trump Card could handle Double Density Disk Drives (720K or 1440 Sectors)
The Gold Card can do HD drives.

This is correct as far as I remember it too Derek. I only ever had 1.44 Mb drives, and I used them and 1.44 Mb discs with my Trump card.

Cheers,
Norm.

[tofro]

Well, you can do HD drives and make them think they're DD (that's important because DD drives become more and more impossible to obtain, while second-hand PC HD drives are still relatively plenty). What you obviously cannot do is use them in HD mode on a Trump card. Thus my hint above.