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General and Gaming => Hardware and Tech => Topic started by: shadowzero on February 16, 2020, 10:54:26 am

Title: Famicom Disk System Error 2
Post by: shadowzero on February 16, 2020, 10:54:26 am
Greetings all.  I acquired a Famicom Disk System with error 2 every time a disk is loaded.  I figured the likely culprit was a loose or missing belt.  upon receiving unit I found that while it did not have the original belt (part of that was melted to the board) but had an in-tact black belt.  This belt did not provide much in the way of tension especially compared to the new ones I ordered.  However, nothing changed once I replaced the belt.  Still get error 2.  By definition this error relates to power to the disk drive.  Now both before and after I can see the disk header moving and hear the disk spinning.  I have used brand new batteries and two different AC power supplies via Sega 3025 and 3025-1 power adapters.  I have checked continuity through most of the two simply boards and have found nothing.  Any suggestions?
Title: Re: Famicom Disk System Error 2
Post by: oldgamerz on February 16, 2020, 06:18:31 pm
All I know is that on a PC the small floppy disks have a plastic lever on the top right of the floppy disk. that if it's in the wrong position the computer can't read the disk,

I wish you the best of luck, but since a belt was melted to the circuit board, I don't know :(

(edit) I looked up a Famicom Floppy and I still can't tell if it's the same as on a computer

Title: Re: Famicom Disk System Error 2
Post by: shadowzero on February 16, 2020, 07:13:34 pm
Boy I wish it was the same as a PC floppy drive.  A PC floppy drive doesn't need proper calibration in order to seek the start of the disk like this beast does.  I noticed the FDS used a standard DC motor instead of a stepper motor for precision.  Even though I don't have the proper error I know of nothing else except to proceed with the black art of calibrating this thing. 
Title: Re: Famicom Disk System Error 2
Post by: shadowzero on February 28, 2020, 07:49:50 am
Just an update for someone i future who runs into this.  I have proceeded to calibrate the header and even re-soldered every point on the power board and driver board with no success.  In fact , in all the hours I've poured into this the error message has never changed from #2. I did find just a couple of other folks who had the same issue on the world wide interwebs and they never found a fix either.  One said the power board is bad, but here's the thing, everything in the system is powered.  The disk spins, the header moves and attempts to seek. 

Which brings me to my theory.  I think the header is bad.  Sadly there is no technical specs out in the wild and no "new" parts except for the belts.  Despite no tech specs many believe that Error #2 has to do with initialization as much as power supply.  If so that would support my theory that the header is kaput. 

Accepting defeat I ordered another disk drive and am finally playing my disk games.