1541 issues!

Stainless · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:32 pm Post subject: 1541 issues!

Hoping someone can help... I`ve done a bit of a search.. but nothing really came to me!

Just got my C64 working with a video/audio cable I made Smile

all fine and dandy...
When I bought my other C64.. it came with a 1541.. kettle lead ( power ) and a din plug lead. ( guessing it`s the drive lead )

Switching it all on.. I get the power LED on the drive.. not sure what socket ( on the back of the 1541 ) to plug it into.. but I tried both anyways..
Nothing...
Load "*",8,1
Nothing.. no whirrr, no lights.. nothing...
ANy ideas?? I`mnot scared of opening it up to check stuff...
Just wondered if this is a problem that someone else has come across!!

hoping......

Daz
_________________

C128D King

sparx · Groupie Joined: 23 Aug 2007 Posts: 165 Location: London UK

Check each pin on the DIN lead with a multimeter. Sounds like one may have come unsoldered OR use another lead, a known working one.

If thats OK, then the problem is with the drive.

Post back.

S

Stainless · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject: Hey

Multimeter in hand! I`ll check each pin on either end of the cable Smile

Will post back!

thanks matey!
Razz

_________________

C128D King

sncboom2k · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 11:56 pm Post subject: Voltage Regulator

If you have power to the drive but the motor does not spin, you should check the voltage regulators on the back of the circuit board. Check out this site for great info on troubleshooting your drive.

This guy has a ton of knowledge.

Ray Carlsen

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm.html

Gabriel Angelos · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:48 am Post subject:

Does the 1541 drive spin up when powered on? If not it's definitely the 1541 that has an issue.

If it does spin up on power on, then with it connected to the C64, does it spin up when the C64 is powered on? If not it's probably one of the CIAs in the C64, the IEC cable, or one of the VIAs in the 1541.

BTW The two ports on the back of the 1541 are both IEC serial ports. It doesn't matter which you use to connect to the C64. The reason there's two is so you can connect the next device in the chain.

mistermsk · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:48 am Post subject:

What error message you get?

I would try load"*",9 and load"*",10 then 11. I had a few 1541s that had the traces cut inside. Might as well start with the basics.
_________________

Gabriel Angelos · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:51 am Post subject:

mistermsk wrote:

What error message you get?

I would try load"*",9 and load"*",10 then 11. I had a few 1541s that had the traces cut inside. Might as well start with the basics.

That's a good point. Does the drive have any switches on it other than the power switch?

Stainless · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:26 am Post subject:

THanks guys!!

The drive light lights up when I switch it on... can`t remember if it does the same whether it`s connected to the C64 or not..
No other switch apart from the power rocker switch.. and a big fuse holder!

I`ll try the ,8,10,11 thing when I get home Smile

I guessed the other port was a pass through, but wasn`t sure if the first drive needed to be ina particular port or not!
_________________

C128D King

Stainless · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject:

OK.. I cleaned the pins on both ends of the drive cable.. ( all manky ) multimetered them all.. all nice, clean signals now..

still the same though..

With it all connected up.. I power the C64 up and the drive hums ( whirrs ) with the red light on for about a second or two.. then goes out..

I tried load"*",8,1 and 9 10 and 11..

Just sits there

searching for *
_________________

C128D King

Gabriel Angelos · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:07 pm Post subject:

Stainless wrote:

OK.. I cleaned the pins on both ends of the drive cable.. ( all manky ) multimetered them all.. all nice, clean signals now..

still the same though..

With it all connected up.. I power the C64 up and the drive hums ( whirrs ) with the red light on for about a second or two.. then goes out..

I tried load"*",8,1 and 9 10 and 11..

Just sits there

searching for *

Just to make sure, you tried load"*",9,1 etc. not load"*",8,9 ?

If the drive is not responding at all to the load commands the most likely cause is a bad CIA on the C64 or a bad chip in the 1541. A spare C64 or 1541 would be helpful to isolate which side the problem's on.

Try this:

10 OPEN 15,8,15
20 INPUT#15, A,B$,C,D
30 PRINT A,B$,C,D
40 CLOSE 15

RUN

and let us know what happens.

Gabriel Angelos · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:15 pm Post subject:

One other thing, did the computer lock up with "SEARCHING FOR *" with all the commands:

LOAD "*",8
LOAD "*",9
LOAD "*",10
LOAD "*",11

?
It should return "DEVICE NOT PRESENT" if the drive isn't set to that device number.

Also, what happens if you try the LOAD command with the drive disconnected?

sncboom2k · Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:19 am Post subject:

This is a common issue with the 1541 and I have 2 of those same issues of the 10 drives I have here. It is said that the UB4 is the common failure however that did not fix either of my drives when I swapped it out with a known working IC.

The other 2 chips that are prone to cause this issue are the UA1 and UB1. No real way to test them except to swap them out. I plan to do so with mine, so I'll post back here when I figure out which chip was the culprit.

If you're handy with a soldering iron, you may want to purchase another 1541 for parts and have a go at it!

Sncboom2k

Stainless · Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:43 pm Post subject:

Gabriel Angelos wrote:

One other thing, did the computer lock up with "SEARCHING FOR *" with all the commands:

LOAD "*",8
LOAD "*",9
LOAD "*",10
LOAD "*",11

?
It should return "DEVICE NOT PRESENT" if the drive isn't set to that device number.

Also, what happens if you try the LOAD command with the drive disconnected?

I think it hangs! it doesn`t return with anything with any of the LOAD commands..
Not tried the load command with the drive disconnected yet!

also not this either
Try this:

10 OPEN 15,8,15
20 INPUT#15, A,B$,C,D
30 PRINT A,B$,C,D
40 CLOSE 15

RUN

I`ll get round to it tomorrow I think... if I have time Smile

thanks again..

Also.. I only have another C64 to try.. but that doesn`t work... just a black screen.. with RF and my new video cable! Sad

_________________

C128D King