IBM 9331-011 8" External Floppy Drive - eBay 183038271095

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 02/01/2018 06:13 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
> On Thu, 1 Feb 2018, Ali via cctalk wrote:
>> Anyone know how easy it is to adapt one of these to work with an IBM 
>> PC compatible class machine? I have one sitting around here somewhere 
>> and if I recall correctly the drive is a bog std. YE-DATA DS 8" drive 
>> so it should be just a matter of making sure the cabling is ok.
>
> If it is a 50 pin edge connector, then it is LIKELY that it follows 
> the Shugart 800/850 pinout.  BUT, it is still a good idea to find and 
> check the pinout of the specific model drive, since some added 
> additional signals and/or repurposed pins for other purposes.
> And, check the drive specific pinout for power connections!
> 5.25" drives had a standardized power connection.
> 8" drives do NOT have standardized power connections.  Not all used 
> the same power nor connector nor pinout as Shugart.  In addition to 
> 5VDC, you may need 24V or 12V, and maybe even -5VDC, or even AC.
>
>
> If it IS SA800/850, then FPADAP,
> http://www.dbit.com/fdadap.html
> is an easy way to handle the cabling.
> The website say that they have 5 in stock,
> so order immediately if you need it!
>
> If you are reading ONLY, and not writing to the drive, then you do not 
> need the TG43 signal and circuitry, in which case it is trivial to 
> make your own cable.  The majority of the 5.25" (SA400) signals are 
> even in the same order, so you can start with a 34 pin flat cable, 
> peel out a small handful of the wires, and crimp them in a 50 pin IDC 
> edge connector.
> YMMV.
>

It doesn't guarantee that you will be able to read most (because of 
shortcomings
in the PC floppy controller) but dbit.com offers an adapter called an 
FDADAP that
lets you connect a 50 pin 8" disk to the PC controller.  I have a couple 
and they
work great.

bill