Any Spectravideo users here?

[protek]

Got the SVI-602 adapter yesterday. Of course I had to try it with my SVI-801 and then I ran into most unexpected of situations.

To my best knowledge, the SVI-801 floppy controller should fit into the SVI-602 single slot expander, since it basically is the same expander slot as in SVI-601 superexpander, or at least should be. Well, anyway the card edge doesn't fit into the slot as it is too wide. Here's a pic of the controller and expander (something for Zetr0 too.. ):

And a closeup:

The expander consists of two card edge slots of the same width. Other plugs into the backside of the 328 and other is for the expansion card. The card edge connector on the 328's back is similar to the one on the card. Only difference is that the gap between the wide and narrow section is narrower in the 328 and also the narrow section has leads.

First I thought that I should simply just align the card so that the gap goes into the end of the slot but the card casing comes in the way. Of course I could grind some material off the narrow section as it doesn't have any leads but then I would have to be absolutely positively sure that the 801 can also be used with the 602. The net isn't much of help as the knowledge base on Spectravideo is practically next to nada, when compared to Amiga or Commodore.

I really could use some insight on this. :help:

Raritynine, I'll be PM:ing you about this but if you read this, would it be possible for you to post a picture of the expansion slots of the superexpander and the connector of your SVI-801? I assume you got one with your other bay winning since there was two floppy disk drives.

EDIT: I found some info stating that in the SVI-601 superexpander #6 of the seven (marked from #0 to #6) available expansion slots is reserved for the floppy controller. That makes me wonder if that particular slot is physically different from the others.

EDIT2: Looking at the 328 expansion port pinouts, the pin #1 is 5V, which, when compared to the 801 connector, would indicate that grinding of the PCB is out of the question as the first pin of the 801 is also 5V. It may be that I'd have to use the card without the casing or modify the case but I'd still need some confirmation that the 801 can be used in the 602.

 

[protek]

Did take another look at my reference docs. It seems you need to have either SV-601 or SV-605 to accommodate SV-801 floppy controller (I think the 605 has floppy controller by default). The SV-602 is only good for other expansion cards. oh:
I guess the search continues...

 

[Glenn]

Wow, this is an old thread.. but since I am an old SV328 user, and just found it..

Yes, the floppy controller slot is different from the rest, but to be honest i always thought the singlre slot expander could take both normal expansions and the floppy controller, but I never seen one of those, only the super expanders (most people got those, or stayed with the tape only)

As you probably already understood the floppy drive is not exactly a standard PC drive, it also have power over the flat cable, however I belive it should be easy to adapt, some day I want to try to add another drive to my machine, I only have one, and I have several old PC 5.25" floppy drives.

I think I should have the service manual of the SV601/5 or at least the schematics for them, I dont remember exactly, but I think it was not that advanced, you should probably be able to build your own adapter..

BUT.. you are going to get anoter problem if you source a super expander or build your own, you cannot use the diskdrive at all without a DOS (Disk operating System), when you start the computer with the super expander and floppy controller connected the computer first of all try to read the DOS from disk 1, before that is done none of the disk commands will work, period.

This disk is a special format, and well, as Amiga people we know the problem, it cannot be writted by a PC floppy controller..

So if you do not have this disk your diskdrive is useless.. then you have to get someone with a working SV328 setup copy the disk for you and send by snail mail.

My SV328 system consists of one SV328 computer, swedish char cart, RF modulator, SV601 super expander, SV902 diskdrive, SV802 centronics interface (missing the IDC-to-centronics cable, easy to make a new), SV806 80column card (gfx card for the spectravideo, wee )

..I also have a broken SV328 (going to try to make it work some day), a working extra tape recorder, a RF-modulator, but missing the PSU to this one.

I also have some scanned manuals, at least for the SV902 and for the SV806, the SV902 manual is handy because it describe how to format disks and copy the system disk.

---------- Post added at 21:25 ---------- Previous post was at 21:23 ----------

Btw, I have been working on a 16k RAM card for the super expander.. but I have been doing this for a while ..my projects usally never go over 80% completion..

If anyone have a nice easy way to create card edge connectors in eagle (CAD) please tell me, because that was what made me giving up the last time

(the component editor in eagle really sucks btw..)

 

[Glenn]

btw again, I add a pic of my super expander with the lid off..

 

[protek]

Glenn, thanks for your insight regarding the floppy controller. Hmm, didn't realize that the DOS would reside on a disk. I always assumed it was in the controller itself, more or less like in the MSX.

Didn't know that the floppy header provides power to the drive. That's probably the reason why you need the SuperExpander as that appears to come with it's own PSU. Best solution with bog standard floppy probably is to omit the power lines in the ribbon and power it from a different source.

Well, I've nevertheless acquired two card edge connectors and I'm going to simply make a wire between the floppy controller and the SVI-328's expansion port. According to the technical manuals the expansion port can provide all the pins the floppy controller needs so it should be a simple pin-to-pin connection. I have a TEAC 5,25" floppy drive that I plan to connect to the controller. If I can get that to work I then turn my attention to acquiring the DOS diskette.

Nice pic of the SuperExpander by the way!

 

[Glenn]

Glenn, thanks for your insight regarding the floppy controller. Hmm, didn't realize that the DOS would reside on a disk. I always assumed it was in the controller itself, more or less like in the MSX.

Yes, so did I when i bought my super expander and floppy.. and I had no idea why it didnt work ..As you said the MSX work different there, and I think this is a pretty strange solution.

I had my SV328 as my first computer in 1984, but back then I only had a tape drive.. so I got the other stuff much later.

Didn't know that the floppy header provides power to the drive. That's probably the reason why you need the SuperExpander as that appears to come with it's own PSU. Best solution with bog standard floppy probably is to omit the power lines in the ribbon and power it from a different source.

Yes, I think that should work, if I looking into this some day i probably do the opposite, make an adapter that take the power from the floppy connector and feed it into the standard drive, but I already have a super expander and an original SV902 so I would like to make the ******* drive more like an original SV902.

I should have the pinconfig for the floppy drive cable somwhere too, since last time I was thinking of adding a PC-floppydrive, if i remember correctly there was like ten lines that where power in the cable, probably because the small area of the wires.

Well, I've nevertheless acquired two card edge connectors and I'm going to simply make a wire between the floppy controller and the SVI-328's expansion port. According to the technical manuals the expansion port can provide all the pins the floppy controller needs so it should be a simple pin-to-pin connection. I have a TEAC 5,25" floppy drive that I plan to connect to the controller. If I can get that to work I then turn my attention to acquiring the DOS diskette.

I could have made a bootdisk for you, if it wasn't for the fact that I have some problem with my setup now, i can read and use disks, but cannot format them, I can do the low level format, but not the BASIC-format, no idea why, have to solve this first

I can try to find the schematics of the super expander if you want, that probably would make it easier to do an adapter. (not sure if it would be ok to upload here however, it is scanned from spectravideos service manual and probably still are under copyright)

I'm glad I have the SV601, but I would really like to have the SV605 instead

 

[Glenn]

I opened the diskdrive now, the adapter is fully passive, i took a photo of it, but haven't transfered the image to the computer yet, can post it later.

..However, I tried to replace the drive with two other spare 5.25" drives I had laying around, it didn't work at all :/ ..this was DSHD drives however, and the original drive is a Shugart SA200 SSDD drive. ..I'm also not sure of if I jumpered it correctly.


..I also managed to find all my old SV328 casettes, yay! ..however not the tapedrive

I also going to build a interface from standard line level to SVI328 casette port.. that would make it easy to play wavfiles on my laptop and connect it to the 328 directly.

 

[xpress]

real old thread.. but hows things going with the 328? i have a lot of svi gear..

 

[utri007]

I have also a preMSX Spectravideos, just wondering is there any multicarts, or similar to it?

 

[Spode]

There is a small following for SVI, mainly active on an FB group called Spectravideo. I try to collect what I can, just got a 318 but it does not work unfortunately. Someone recently worked out how to make an adapter from your PC to the SVI instead of needing a tape drive, from Australia too, so through pet projects we are moving forward.

- - - Updated - - -

I have also a preMSX Spectravideos, just wondering is there any multicarts, or similar to it?

I've never seen a multicart, and I fact the carts for the 328 are really hard to find. I have only ever once seen them for sale and that was in Finland!

 

[Deleted member 20864]

Hi,

I am a proud new owner of a SVI 318. The SVI has some problems with the ram and/or videoram (pic). I will attempt to repair it this fall. My lady does not accept any hobby action during summertime! But i already have the correct ram ic's in my hands.

Greetings Günther

 

[miggymad]

Just as a modern day follow-up to the thread, the device mentioned by Spode in a previous post is the SVI-CAS.