Installing a Gotek floppy drive in Atari-ST
This weekend I fitted one of my Atari's (Atari-STe 1040 with 2 mb) with a gotek drive with Flashfloppy .
I now know what needs to be done to install the Gotek Floppydrive without any problems.
The models in the Atari-ST family have a standard floppy drive connector (Shugart 34 pins).
The Gotek drive can be easily installed in machines with a Shugart connector, because this drive has a standard interface.
This description is based on my own STe 1040:
Take a USB stick and copy to the root the following files :
HXCSDFE.CFG and AUTOBOOT.HFE (from the Atari zip file)
Then create a folder structure to your own preference eg (Gems, utils, demos, Games etc etc), copy a number of files in the relevant folders (*.st files)
Installing a Gotek floppy drive in Atari-ST : Jumpers
The default jumper setting on the Gotek is not correct for use in an ST(e/fm), the jumper from S1 should be moved to S0, and a jumper should be placed on M0.
(I have not been able to find consistent information about the jumper on M0, I finally decided to put the jumper and here it worked properly.)
Installing a Gotek floppy drive in Atari-ST : removing the old Floppydrive
Then unscrew the Atari, remove the cover plate behind the floppy drive, unplug the power and floppy cable.
Unscrew the 3 screws from the bottom of the Atari from the floppy and remove the drive from the system.
Then connect the gotek to the floppy connector and the power plug,
Warning : The floppy connector on the Gotek floppy drive is rotated 180 degrees with respect to the Atari internal floppy drive,
So twist the cable once so that the colored wire is on the opposite side from where it was originally.
Installing a Gotek floppy drive in Atari-ST : Twisted cables (Life is) Too Short !!
It may be that the cable is too short if you have turned it 180 degrees,
sometimes you can replace the cable (only use cables without twist), if you have a soldered cable, there is also a solution to extend the cable, this special Atari floppy extender ensures that you no longer have to twist the cable, the interface i designed already does that.
It is also possible, if the cable is really only a few mm too short, to split the cable lengthwise into 4-5 strands.
As a result, it can be twisted with less loss and thus becomes effectively a few mm to a cm longer.
Installing a Gotek floppy drive in Atari-ST : Testdrive 🙂
When the drive is connected, plug in the USB stick you just installed, connect the cables from your Atari and turn on the atari.
The display on the drive will report with FF , and after a few seconds the USB stick will be scanned and the HXC bootloader will report on your screen with a boot menu containing all found usable files on the USB Stick.
Load the image of choice into slot 1, and press F10 , after this your Atari will reboot and start as if you had loaded a floppy into the floppy drive.
Installing a Gotek floppy drive in Atari-ST : placing the Gotek in the drivebay
If all this went well, the Gotek can be secured (If you put it in place of the Floppy drive it will not be aligned properly, I put 4 soft plastic tubes of 2-3 mm between the feet and the floppy drive to drive properly so that the display is visible and the buttons can be operated.
The screws to fix the Gotek drive may not be long enough with the tubes in between, then take 3 screws of the same thickness that are 5 mm be longer, this gives you more than enough room to secure everything.
Installing a Gotek floppy drive in Atari-ST : conclusion
Tighten the screws only a single turn, the tubes work like springs and afterwards, when everything is put together, you tighten the screws until everything is properly aligned.
After this, the cover plate behind the Gotek drive can be mounted back, the hood can be placed and secured and your Atari is ready for use.
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Time for selection and installation : 90 minutes
Estimated net time for installation : 15-30 minutes
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Supplies :
Gotek Drive
USB Stick with at least the 2 boot files and a *.ST disk image file
4 plastic rings 1-2 mm thick
Optional:
3 x 5mm longer screw
1 x Floppy cable 5-10cm longer
