Emax

Hi Micke! Can you tell me what you did? What floppydrive did tou use? I 
dropped my emax II in the street after a gig last week, and the floppy 
broke down. I also have an Emax I, so I switched the floppies. But now 
the emax I isn't working of course... So I would really like to know how 
you got around the problem...

/Jens

Micke Askernäs wrote:
> Hello!
> 
> I managed to work around the problem!
> 
> I was digging through my old pile of computer components and found an old 
> floppy drive..
> However not fully compatible with the emax, it is compatible *enough* so 
> the emax acknowledges it as a fully working floppy, and thus boots from zip 
> as it should...
> 
> Just thought i'd mention it .. ;)
> 
> //Micke - now with 2 identical emaxes, painted and ready to go on tour...
> 
> At 11:39 2004-10-30, you wrote:
> 
> 
>>You've tried swapping drive cables haven't you?
>>
>>Bob
>>
>>
>>
>>--- Micke Askernäs <micke@...> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Hey!
>>>
>>>The thing is .. if i change the faulty drive to a
>>>working drive i have in my
>>>OTHER emax, my emax boots just fins from the
>>>zipdrive as it should...
>>>
>>>The disk drive has boot priority, and if there is
>>>some way of changing that,
>>>I would be home free.
>>>
>>>Since the faulty drive thinks it has a disk
>>>inserted, it complains constantly
>>>that there is an unusable disk inserted in the
>>>drive, when it is trying to
>>>boot from the floppy (as earlier explained due to
>>>malfunction) ...
>>>
>>>If i remove the drive altogether, the machine NEVER
>>>boots, since it is stuck
>>>in the diagnostics screen.
>>>
>>>Also note that this is the original emax .. there
>>>might be a different issue
>>>with the emax II .. i have the plus os installed i
>>>think .. i'll double check
>>>that... ;)
>>>
>>>like i said. in worst case, i have found that if i
>>>unplug the power cord when
>>>the drive is trying to access its nonexistent
>>>floppy, the boot procedure
>>>continues and the machine boots as it should from
>>>zipdrive.
>>>
>>>I need the floppy in my other emax as I have no zip,
>>>no nothing in that
>>>one .. (yet) ..
>>>
>>>Anyone who have a scsi upgrade kit for an emax with
>>>version2 of the digital
>>>board? .. according to emulatorarchive, my emax can
>>>be modified, i just need
>>>the circuits ;)
>>>
>>>//Micke
>>>
>>>On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 09:52:20 +1000, Damon Crowe
>>>wrote
>>>
>>>>hi!
>>>>
>>>>I've just this minute seen this thread, but my I
>>>
>>>think my old emax II r/m
>>>
>>>>used to boot from hd?....
>>>>
>>>>I'll get back to you on this....
>>>>
>>>>duh,
>>>>
>>>>damon....
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: "Micke Askernäs" <micke@...>
>>>>To: <emax@yahoogroups.com>
>>>>Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 8:43 PM
>>>>Subject: Re: [emax] Emax (first one) without
>>>
>>>floppy...?
>>>
>>>>>Well .. i KNOW its toast.. but i dont WANT to
>>>
>>>get a replacement cause
>>>i've
>>>
>>>>>never used it .. =)
>>>>>
>>>>>I want the darn emax to stop trying to boot from
>>>
>>>floppy and boot from my
>>>
>>>>>built in zipdrive instead... I cant remove the
>>>
>>>floppy cause the self
>>>
>>>>>diagnostics never get past the diagnostics
>>>
>>>screen when booting up .. =)
>>>
>>>>>I dont want to pay what 70$ us, plus shipping to
>>>
>>>sweden for a component
>>>
>>>>that
>>>>
>>>>>i never use and do not need .. ;)
>>>>>
>>>>>If worst comes to worst, I'll just add a switch
>>>
>>>that will cut power to
>>>the
>>>
>>>>>floppy after self diagnostics screen has passed
>>>
>>>... that way it will boot
>>>
>>>>on
>>>>
>>>>>my zipdrive instead...
>>>>>
>>>>>my guess is that it is a mechanical fault with
>>>
>>>the drive that thinks it
>>>
>>>>has a
>>>>
>>>>>disk in it .. if so, it should be fixable so the
>>>
>>>floppy at least doesnt
>>>
>>>>think
>>>>
>>>>>there's a drive in it ... but might not work
>>>
>>>anyway.. which would be
>>>
>>>>fine...
>>>>
>>>>>cause the startup wouldnt halt ;)
>>>>>
>>>>>//Micke
>>>>>
>>>>>On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 01:13:04 -0700 (PDT), Bob
>>>
>>>Conner wrote
>>>
>>>>>>Sounds like the drive is toast. I recommend
>>>
>>>getting a
>>>
>>>>>>replacement.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Bob
>>>>>>
>>>>>>--- Micke Askernäs <micke@askernas.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>>>>Thanks for the tip Bob, unfortunately it
>>>
>>>keeps on
>>>
>>>>>>>accessing the drive and
>>>>>>>returning with the error message that the
>>>
>>>disk isn't
>>>
>>>>>>>formatted ... regardles
>>>>>>>if there is or isnt a floppy in the drive =/
>>>
>>>>>>>So, my options are:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>1. find out what mechanics in the floppy
>>>
>>>that thinks
>>>
>>>>>>>there is still a disk in
>>>>>>>the drive... it is not always hanging, but
>>>
>>>sometimes
>>>
>>>>>>>it actually manages to
>>>>>>>pass through this state, and sees that there
>>>
>>>is no
>>>
>>>>>>>disk ....
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>What is it in a floppy that sends a signal
>>>
>>>"hey,
>>>
>>>>>>>i've got a disk here!" ...
>>>>>>>could it be dirty disk headers or
>>>
>>>something..? .. or
>>>
>>>>>>>is it something
>>>>>>>mechanical?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>2. see if there is some way of bypassing the
>>>
>>>floppy
>>>
>>>>>>>check during startup, so
>>>>>>>it skips checking for diskdrive in
>>>
>>>diagnostics mode
>>>
>>>>>>>.... doesnt seem like an
>>>>>>>easy option ... (bypass floppy check in some
>>>
>>>emax
>>>
>>>>>>>bios?)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>3. faking the emax with a jumper somewhere
>>>
>>>that
>>>
>>>>>>>gives the right signal back
>>>>>>>to the machine that there is indeed a
>>>
>>>floppy. sounds
>>>
>>>>>>>like a real tough one...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>4. build in an additional switch that cuts
>>>
>>>the power
>>>
>>>>>>>to the floppy when it
>>>>>>>acts up.. this way i can get it to boot and
>>>
>>>i save
>>>
>>>>>>>some power as well, but
>>>>>>>i'd rather not drill another hole in the
>>>
>>>case
>>>
>>>>>>>So ... I have options, but I'm working on
>>>
>>>trying to
>>>
>>>>>>>get #1 fixed... if i cant
>>>>>>>do that, i know that option #4 WILL work
>>>
>>>(works fine
>>>
>>>>>>>to just unplug the power
>>>>>>>cable to the floppy when it is being a jerk)
>>>
>>>but it
>>>
>>>>>>>is a dirty option imho ;)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Any other input and tips on how to get this
>>>
>>>work?
>>>
>>>>>>>thanks,
>>>>>>>Micke
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 17:26:41 -0700 (PDT),
>>>
>>>Bob Conner
>>>
>>>>>>>wrote
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I believe the "disk in drive" change disk
>>>
>>>signal
>>>
>>>>>>>goes
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>down one specific wire in the cable but I
>>>
>>>can't
>>>
>>>>>>>>remember which.
>>>>>>>>I suppose you could install a switch.
>>>>>>>>
>>>
>>=== message truncated ===
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>Emax and Emax II User's Group Website
>>
>>http://www.silveriafamily.com
>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
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