The FDS I bought recently (discussed here) seems to have some problems, probably the drive belt needs to be replaced. I get to the startupscreen and while the FDS tries to read from the disk, err. message 21 or 22 shows up;

ERROR 21 Disk header block(*NINTENDO-HVC*) part is wrong.
ERROR 22 Disk header block reecognition #$01 isn't read and cant be ignored.

Anyways, I opened the FDS to have a look, and the drive belt seems to slide along just fine, could it still be bad? Or is it the header that could need some configuration? Just cleaning perhaps?

Well well, I also noticed that some modifications has been done to the unit. Anyone recognize these?

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/9715/copyofimg3768bs0.th.jpg   http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2301/copyofimg3769nm4.th.jpg

I don't know much about the FDS, but it looks like extra ram has been installed.  Perhaps the ram in the FDS went bad or something?  Is there a ram chip on the other side of the board where most of the blue wires go?  If so, has the chip been altered in any way?

There is a chip there but it doesn't look as if it's been altered in any way. Just read the following at assemblergames.com: The forumthread was about something else so I'm just quoting what's necessary:


Quote:

There are around 10 absolute revisions but all that matters is the controller IC. The old IC allows for writing to anywhere on the disk with some minor PCB modifications, the new one doesn't. To do anything fun with a FDS, you need a modified old model or you need to reconstruct the missing logic with additional components which is far more difficult. If your FDS is from Japan, there is a pretty good method of determining which model you have without locating the IC, I think many people can tell you this method, if however yours has passed through Hong Kong (most sold online have!) most shops altered the thing that gave away the model in order to keep the more desireable ones.

Could this be the mod? Making the FDS able to write to anywhere on the disk? My unit was sold together with a Turbo Gamedoctor 6m and a couple of bootleg disks, so someone has been bootlegging. Maybe they made that mod as well?

I don't know.  You would probably want to talk to that guy at assemblergames then...

Yeah, the guy has been PM'd, and I'm waiting for an answer. Thought I'd post it here as well if he weren't to reply..

I know very little about the FDS and would like to know more, so please post when you find out more!

Still waiting for answer from that guy. He hasn't been online for a while. I'm also waiting for some FDS-documents to come back online on SimplyNES (apparently he recently moved to a new ISP and some documents still have dead links).
But from pics I've seen and some forum threads I've read, I'm now almost positive that this is a modification that disables the FDS write-protection.

Yep, only FDS mod I know if is for disabling the copy protection.  I have a guide for it shared on emule if you want the link (since it's a rather large PDF).  I didn't compare the wiring, but I'm sure that's what it is.

edit: link - ed2k://|file|Famicom%20Kaizou%20Manual%20Vol3-BW-Press%20Quallity.pdf|17486425|BC929095E01D9BC5BF8572C237B626AA|h=ZD56PWQ675KM4X4TIBONQNWETD3U43Q2|/|sources,70.235.30.164:4900|/

Yeah.. I now have the guide (thx though), the FDS-mod is for disabling copy-protection. This version of the FDS is a newer one with the 3206-IC also known as the "evil-IC", which has a more complicated copy-protection than the older version with the 7201-IC. I have now gotten the FDS to work (replaced belt and calibrated the drive) but I forgot to update this thread. I have taken some photos and I'll try to get them up later this week. I've promised rbudrick some pics of the modified board over at dp..

After last time when I had it up and running, a cable fell loose due to poor soldering so I thought I should take some time within the next few weeks to go over the cables and make sure none of them will fall off again.

I've also gotten two of the five pirated disks to work. These turned out to be Kid Icarus and Arumana No Kiseki (Miracle of Arumana).

None of the disks I have work when the TGD6+ is connected. Neither official Nintendo disks nor bootlegged disks. I don't get any FDS-error, the FDS gets past that and loads the FDS-copyright screen. But after that all I get is a black screen. I noticed there was an uncovered eprom inside the TGD, maybe it's dead? Thoughts anyone?

Pics:
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/4373/copyofimg3945tr9.th.jpg http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/938/copyofimg3975jh0.th.jpg http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9771/copyofimg4006fn7.th.jpg http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9650/copyofimg4007yc2.th.jpg http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/3892/copyofimg4003yh0.th.jpg

I took these pics while replacing the drive belt, and I guess I concentrated too much on the belt because I forgot to take any clear overview pics of what wire goes where. And I'm too lazy too open it up again now.

Shrimp,

Are you going to get rid of this FDS unit?  If you do, can I buy that chip or GAL off you?  I am interested in the programming that went into the GAL.  I want to dump the contents and analyze the code.

Please PM me.

-CFB

aaaaaaaaaaah you got a kid icarus disk!!!
Is it in any way possible that you can dump it?!

I am all crazy about kid icarus and I started looking for an FDS dump as soon as I found out there was an FDS version (no luck finding the dump)

Also gonna see if I can get the FAMICOM MINI cart for my GBA.

This Topic was moved here from Famicom Disk System by Martin.