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Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 9:42 am
by t0nyt
I have a dual Floppy (Gotek & 3.5" Floppy) box that I currently use with Original Trump 768K card & SGC with a STRAIGHT thru cable
The Gotek is configured as DS0/FLP1 & the Floppy as DS1/FLP2
This all works perfectly with these 2 cards so I don't want to change the drives jumper configuration (each drive is connected to a short extension cable so I can swap the main cable without opening the box)
But when I use the drives with a TWISTED cable for use with TrumpMini3 interface the GoTek works fine but when I access FLP2 both drives light up which causes various issues
I'm struggling to get my head around a solution to this and was wondering if anyone had any thoughts please?
Many thanks
Tony
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 10:57 am
by Derek_Stewart
Hi Tony,
What sort of twist do you have in your cable?
For the QL, only lines 10,11,12 should be twisted.
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 11:03 am
by t0nyt
Derek_Stewart wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 10:57 am
Hi Tony,
What sort of twist do you have in your cable?
For the QL, only lines 10,11,12 should be twisted.
It has 10 to 16 twisted, so I guess that's the problem?
The TrumpMini3 instructions says to use an "AT" twisted cable (been a long time since I worked on AT PC's or PC's with Floppy's) which is what I thought I'd purchased
I'll try building a 10,11,12 cable though then thanks
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 12:54 pm
by t0nyt
No luck
Both drives respond at the same time, but dir flp1 or flp2 both return contents of Floppy, gotek can't be read in any position
Thanks
Tony
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 1:44 pm
by t0nyt
Made a little progress
Have gone back to the AT cable along with a spare floppy (has no jumpers) and spare Gotek
I can get them working properly with floppy on the end connector (beyond twist) and Gotek on first connector (before twist)
But am struggling to get them to work in reverse as I need gotek as FLP1
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:00 pm
by t0nyt
Have put gotek after twist but set to S1 and floppy before twist and that works with gotek as flp1
That combination only works with a flat cable (original trump) if gotek is set to S0
I'm assuming therefore that my only options are to either break the connectors for S0/S1 out of the box or just get another empty box to put the spare drives in
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:17 pm
by aalea
There is no easy solution.
MiniTrump3 is designed to be used with modern disk drives and disk cable, that is the note that indicate that only work with AT cables.
Is not intended to be used with old DS0/DS1 drives and plain cables.
You need to made a cable to undo the twist, or you can do a adapted board, or I can design a new PCB that use plain cable and transfer the ICs from one to another (in my opinion this is only about 15€ and best option).
This is the situation, if you want to do the cable twist:
ACTUAL CONFIGURATION WITH AT CABLE
Code: Select all
BOARD DISK B TWIST DISK A
PIN 10 - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 10 - Not used X - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 10 - Not used
PIN 11 - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 11 - GND X - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 11 - GND
PIN 12 - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 12 - DISK 1 X - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 12 - DISK 1
PIN 13 - GND - Cable 13 - Pin 13 - GND X - GND - Cable 13 Pin 13 - GND
PIN 14 - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 14 - Not used X - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 14 - Not Used
PIN 15 - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 15 - GND X - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 15 - GND
PIN 16 - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 16 - Motor ON X - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 16 - Motor ON
So what you need is to undo the twist on cables 15,16, and only twist 10-14
WHAT YOU NEED:
Code: Select all
BOARD DISK B TWIST DISK A
PIN 10 - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 10 - Not used X - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 10 - DISK 0
PIN 11 - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 11 - GND X - GND - Cable 13 - Pin 11 - GND
PIN 12 - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 12 - DISK 1 X - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 12 - Not Used
PIN 13 - GND - Cable 13 - Pin 13 - GND X - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 13 - GND
PIN 14 - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 14 - Not used X - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 14 - Not Used
PIN 15 - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 15 - GND = - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 15 - GND
PIN 16 - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 16 - Motor ON = - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 16 - Motor ON
Position of drives continue to be mandatory FLP1 (DS0) at end of cable.
As an alternative you can use a DPDT switch (6 pins) to do a changeover between cable 10 and 14, on a plain cable, to allow both interfaces.
Or cut trace to pin 10, and jumper 10,14 on the PCB. (unfortunately the trace is under the conector in component side).
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:34 pm
by t0nyt
aalea wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:17 pm
There is no easy solution.
MiniTrump3 is designed to be used with modern disk drives and disk cable, that is the note that indicate that only work with AT cables.
Is not intended to be used with old DS0/DS1 drives and plain cables.
You need to made a cable to undo the twist, or you can do a adapted board, or I can design a new PCB that use plain cable and transfer the ICs from one to another (in my opinion this is only about 15€ and best option).
This is the situation, if you want to do the cable twist:
ACTUAL CONFIGURATION WITH AT CABLE
Code: Select all
BOARD DISK B TWIST DISK A
PIN 10 - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 10 - Not used X - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 10 - Not used
PIN 11 - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 11 - GND X - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 11 - GND
PIN 12 - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 12 - DISK 1 X - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 12 - DISK 1
PIN 13 - GND - Cable 13 - Pin 13 - GND X - GND - Cable 13 Pin 13 - GND
PIN 14 - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 14 - Not used X - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 14 - Not Used
PIN 15 - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 15 - GND X - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 15 - GND
PIN 16 - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 16 - Motor ON X - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 16 - Motor ON
So what you need is to undo the twist on cables 15,16, and only twist 10-14
WHAT YOU NEED:
Code: Select all
BOARD DISK B TWIST DISK A
PIN 10 - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 10 - Not used X - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 10 - DISK 0
PIN 11 - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 11 - GND X - GND - Cable 13 - Pin 11 - GND
PIN 12 - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 12 - DISK 1 X - Disk 1 - Cable 12 - Pin 12 - Not Used
PIN 13 - GND - Cable 13 - Pin 13 - GND X - GND - Cable 11 - Pin 13 - GND
PIN 14 - Disk 0 - Cable 14 - Pin 14 - Not used X - MOTOR ON - Cable 10 - Pin 14 - Not Used
PIN 15 - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 15 - GND = - GND - Cable 15 - Pin 15 - GND
PIN 16 - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 16 - Motor ON = - MOTOR ON - Cable 16 - Pin 16 - Motor ON
Position of drives continue to be mandatory FLP1 (DS0) at end of cable.
As an alternative you can use a DPDT switch (6 pins) to do a changeover between cable 10 and 14, on a plain cable, to allow both interfaces.
Or cut trace to pin 10, and jumper 10,14 on the PCB. (unfortunately the trace is under the conector in component side).
Many thanks aalea, I'll make a 10-14 twisted cable and see how I get on
I've noticed something else very odd (compared to an original Trump)
If you use res_128 (or another utility) then whatever memory size you tell the QL to reboot with (e.g. on a 640k QL I've tried res_128 & 128, 256, 384, 512) then when the QL resets the Trump card is not detected (it's like it's been removed). The only time it's seen is if it resets with the full 640k, or whatever, memory? Is this a function in the GAL please?
Many thanks
Tony
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 4:07 pm
by t0nyt
The new cable (twisted 10 to 14) works a treat with my existing drives thanks!
Can now use the same drives with twisted cable for mini trump and straight cable for original trump & SGC
Many thanks
Tony
Re: Floppy Drives with TrumpMini3 Woes
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:02 pm
by aalea
t0nyt wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:34 pm
I've noticed something else very odd (compar
If you use res_128 (or another utility) then whatever memory size you tell the QL to reboot with (e.g. on a 640k QL I've tried res_128 & 128, 256, 384, 512) then when the QL resets the Trump card is not detected (it's like it's been removed). The only time it's seen is if it resets with the full 640k, or whatever, memory? Is this a function in the GAL please?
Many thanks
Tony
And with original trump this work right? I suppose that this is with JS ROM.
The mechanism of ROM pagging only work with reset (hardware) so I will say that this is the expected operation, I need to check the original GAL code from tetroid, but I think is the same code, no difference.