Date   : Sat, 25 Nov 2006 01:28:32 +0000
From   : astravan@... (Alex Taylor)
Subject: BBC Disk Drive?

Richard Gellman wrote:

> I seem to remember some of the old Amstrad PCs had unusual Centronics-type
> connectors for attaching an external FDD. Would this be related to/the
> same connector as DC37?

I know a little bit about this because I've got one. The Amstrad PC1386 
in my garage has a (36-way?) Centronics printer style connector for an 
external floppy. I'd imagine the pin numbering to be similar to the 
standard floppy cabling.

I also have an external 5.25" floppy with the same connector and the 
same 4-pin DIN power connector as the Amstrad. I got this floppy before 
I got the PC in question and I wondered what machine it was for, until I 
got the Amstrad later and it answered my question for me! I don't know 
if they work properly though, the Amstrad PC1386 takes a special 
keyboard with a 5-pin 240deg DIN plug that I don't have, so although it 
boots I can't test them. It's not the same keyboard as the PC1512/1640, 
I have a load of those (PCs and keyboards, that is).

-- 
Alex Taylor