Difference between external FDD and internal FDD

Door HHC

Rookie (30)

30-08-2004, 14:56

Are there any differences between external & internal FDD?

There are several external FDD models and what I want to know is something about panasonic one, FS-FD1A. As I know, it is 720kB double sided floppy disk drive and it 's a FDD & adaptor integrated type.

If it is inserted in the MSX2 or 2+ computer with internal FDD, which one acts as a primary FDD? And are there any problems in loading disks such as MSX-DOS or 3.5" FDD games with external one?

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Van anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

30-08-2004, 15:25

Are there any differences between external & internal FDD?
No

If it is inserted in the MSX2 or 2+ computer with internal FDD, which one acts as a primary FDD?
This depends on the location of the internal DiskROM and the external slot in the slot structure.

And are there any problems in loading disks such as MSX-DOS or 3.5" FDD games with external one?
No

And would you recommend me how I can easily and properly load 720kB images (for example, DSK images) into 2HD disks? I got several failures in formatting them to 720kB and in loading images in floppies. Also, I failed several times in reading the disks with external FDD.
2HD disks are not meant to be formatted to 2DD (720kB). The magnetic properties are different, so they can be very unreliable.
There are many factors that influence this. You could try a different brand of 2HD disks. It also depends on the diskdrive. Some work good, some don't...

Van Sonic_aka_T

Enlighted (4130)

30-08-2004, 15:29

As far as I know, which drive comes first depends on the slot of the disk-rom of each drive. There shouldn't really be any difference between internal and external drives, both should work fine.

Loading DD images on HD disks can indeed be a problem at times. I suggest using new HD disk, formatting them on your MSX and then writing the image to the disk using DiskManager or a similar program. Ideally, you'll want to find yourself some DD disks though. Select office suppliers will still sell DD disks.

Van Sonic_aka_T

Enlighted (4130)

30-08-2004, 15:29

Yeah, that's what I get for typing to slow...

Van HHC

Rookie (30)

30-08-2004, 16:11

Thanks for you replies.

To my exprience, the external FDD(FS-FD1A) is working as primary when it is inserted in primary slot because MSX-DOS made a booting well before. But when I gave it to someone, he did complain to me that external drive was not working well. He did several formatting with plenty of 2HD disks and used utilities such as dcopy, updownc, winimage and so forth (in Windows XP). I cannot understand this situation. I infer that if MSX-DOS is booted well which means that the external FDD is recognized as primary one and works well. In this case, I guess other FDD games should do too. Am I wrong?

And another question. At this point, if we find a system that allows only internal FDD as primary one, could we define a external FDD as primary one when we remove the internal FDD? There are so many Panasonic & Sony MSX2+'s of which internal FDD do not work because of the belt problems so I guess similar situation may happen.

Van anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

30-08-2004, 19:55

In order to use 2HD floppies formatted as 2DD on PC, you have to cover the extra hole (opposite to the write protection) with a piece of tape. Otherwise the PC will treat it as 2HD, regardless of how it's formatted.

Van meits

Scribe (6491)

10-09-2004, 23:14

I recall that there are drives detecting HD mechanical (like in a tapedeck with a little pin falling into the hole), but some drives detect it optical. So it could be that if you use transperent tape to close the hole, it might still not work.

Which drive comes first has a lot to do with the jumpersetting on the back of the drive itself.

Actually I always wondered why external drives always had their own powersupply, since you can only use one drive at the time. I've had a second drive external to my former Sony 700 using a powercord which was soldered on the powercord of the internal drive. So there was only a diskdrive lying on my table with a data- and powercord in it. No 220volt transformers and stuff like that. You won't get any unstable situations, cuz when drive a is used, drive b is gone and vice versa.

Another thing I once discovered is that the external drive connector on the back of a sony 700 is also very usable to connect your a drive to. I ran into a sony 700 of which the internal drive connector was broken, so the internal drive got connected to the external drive connector. It looks a little goofy from the backside of the computer, but no one looks at that and it works perfectly fine.

Van flyguille

Prophet (3028)

11-09-2004, 20:53

first, before to do any format in DD, clean the HD disk with a magneto, rotating the magneto un all the disks.... that will erase all the little tracks...
then format it with the DD unit... no more problems.

Van flyguille

Prophet (3028)

11-09-2004, 20:57

Actually I always wondered why external drives always had their own powersupply, since you can only use one drive at the time.

Normally when you do a access , both drives has the motor turned ON, but one is enable to read the data....