CBM 1581 Drive: How to use a 3.5" PC Floppy Drive . By The Vortex.

Step 1: Modify a 34-Pin PC 3.5" Floppy Drive Cable.

(FD) <----...................................................................................................................................................................................................---->(CTRLR)

1 - Grab a 34-pin cable, label one end FD (Floppy Drive), label the other end CTRLR (1581 COntroller PCB)

2 - At End labeled "CTRLR" - Cut Pin 2, Pin 33 & Pin 34 ribbon wires.
3 - At End labeled "CTRLR" - Solder wires 33 & 34 together
4 - At End labeled "FD" - Grab wire 34 , solder to Pin 2 of at End labeled "CTRLR"

Step 2: Set DS Jumper (Drive Select), on the PC 3.5" Floppy Drive.

The Drive Select Jumper can be found, by looking for the letters (DS) and the numbers 0 1 2 3.

You need to set the DS select jumper to 0.

Step 3: Testing the PC Floppy in your 1581.

Double check all your wiring, make sure the 34-pin Cable is attached to the right ends, attach the 4-pin power cable to the Drive.

Turn on your C64/C128 , Turn on your 1581, Insert a 720K Disk (or Amiga Disk)

Format the disk with the command:

OPEN 15,8,15,"N0:1581,00" : CLOSE 15

and then type LOAD"$",8 and LIST and you should see 3166 BLOCKS FREE .

Congratulations.

Step 4: Creating Disk images (.D81) of your 1581 Disks.

If you want to backup your 1581 Disks, using your PC Floppy Drive then you can do this at a speed of about 50 Seconds per disk.

Click here to Download "1581COPY" and Install it on your PC. It runs from the DOS command shell.

Here is a photo of a Modified 1581 Drive, that I found on a forum:

Or another way to use a 3.5" Floppy Drive on a 1581 is to modify the PCB instead, see the article below:

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This Page last updated : 23-02-2012