1541 disk drive alignment software

Commodores 1541ii disk drive has a pair of dip switches on the back to let you change its device number. There are others as well, but this one gives good feedback. Commodore 1541ii disk drive users guide 1986commodore. The 1541 was the standard floppy disk drive for the commodore 64, with nearly all diskbased software programs released for the computer being distributed in the 1541 compatible floppy disk format. It was the successor to the 1540 drive intended for the vic20 and actually was a small computer in itself. Unplug the drive from the power before you start disconnecting data cables.

Its super easy to do with the free spirit software 15411571 drive alignment software. Llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to. Commodore 1541 1571 drive alignment software for commodore disk drives 03 ebay second drive fully supported. Used commodore 64128 15411571 alignment program disk. Nov 06, 2012 its super easy to do with the free spirit software 15411571 drive alignment software. Commodore 64 alignment of the 1541 disk drive opening and adjusting fixing the drive alignment with the free spirit software and alignment disk. On screen help is available while the program is running. I picked up a c128d with a nonfunctioning internal 1571 disk drive. I know of two such programs but they require the original disks due to the testing software requiring a specially formatted disk. Commodore 1541 disk just solve the file format problem. This program for the commodore 128 will run in 64 or 128 mode and test both the 1541 and 1571 drives. It is also closer in color to the original beige breadbin c64. Commodore 1541 academic dictionaries and encyclopedias.

The disks in their standard formatting had 35 tracks with from 17 to 21 sectors in each outer tracks had more sectors, for a total of 683 sectors. Used commodore 64128 15411571 alignment program disk ubb. Model 15401541 disk drive november, 1985 pn31400201 commodore business machines, inc. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. The 15411571 alignment system is probably the most well known alignment software. Mar 27, 2017 ill show you how to replace it, but youll need another working disk drive to align it. At this point, quit the software, then shut down your c64 and your 1541. Not only will this software tell you if you drive is aligned, it also gives. Although this program likely needs a special alignment floppy to do an actual alignment of your 1541 floppy drive, the other feature that could be useful is the option to spin the drive so you can use a head cleaning disk. The newer 1541 is smaller and is more white in color.

The analogue disk is a factory produced disk and has patterns written on specific tracks. April 2012 this articles tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on wikipedia. Commodore 1541 disk drive not working archive amibay. Complete instruction manual on aligning both the 1541 and 1571 drives. It enabled users of the c64, to play tapes via your mobile or audio equipment directly into the c64 as mp3 or wav files. Free spirits 1541 71 alignment system reports the alignment condition of the disk drive as you perform adjustments. These programs command the drive to read specific parts of the disk, then interpret the results to see and report what the drive actually did. Adjusting the commodore 1541 disk drive alignment c64 copy. This version uses a newtronics drive mechanism, and the rotating lever is used to engage the drive mechanism with the disk i. How to repair your commodore 1541 disk drive nexus23.

This program was distributed with a computer magazine and gives a quick drive alignment health instead of hooking up an oscilloscope. Front view of the secondmost common version of the commodore 1541 disk drive, with open disk slot. Dymek manufactures many different types of alignment disks. The commodore 1541 was the most popular disk drive manufactured for the commodore 64. Commodore 64 alignment of the 1541 disk drive opening and adjusting fixing the drive alignment with the free. Also this software will help you adjust your drive speed. Adjusting the commodore 1541 disk drive alignment c64.

Free spirits 154171 alignment system reports the alignment condition of the disk drive as you perform adjustments. Commodore 64 128 1541 1571 alignment program disk for sale. The flipside of the program disk is the alignment disk, and as such, should not be copied a copy is only as good as the drive that made it. The instructions are written by a computer engineer. The commodore 1541 disk drive is a standalone computer that talks to the c64 through a somewhat slow serial port. The one on the right is more prone to have problems reading disks. If youre looking for one today, look for one that looks like the drive on the left. It also allows you to check and adjust disk rotation speed.

It is connected with a data cable on the serial bus to the commodore 64. One of the things on the list is to get the drive up and running. The 1571 doesnt exhibit this behavior either through a very soft stop or a real track zero sensor. The 1541 was very slow in loading programs because of a poorly implemented serial bus, a legacy of the commodore vic20. Although usually not supplied with the machine, floppy disk drives of the 5. For the specially interested or connoisseurs who wants to calibrate their vintage disk drive. Commodore software 1541 disk drive alignment csm manual. Software that also has a special disk but you can do a complete alignment just using the info displayed on the monitor. Jun 10, 2019 the best alignment software for the 1541 is a program from free spirit software called the 1541 71 drive alignment system. Commodore 64 peripherals storage floppy disk drives. The best alignment software for the 1541 is a program from free spirit software called the 154171 drive alignment system. Analog alignment disk a dymek alignment disk is a specially prerecorded disk that is used to align and adjust various elements of a flexible disk drive.

You can read more howto from the manual, the closest example is the newer external 1571 described. Sep 24, 2018 the commodore 1541 disk drive was the most common commodore 64 floppy drive. The red led should flash if the drive is out of alignment. It is based on similar technology to the c64 itself, employing a 6502 cpu, two 6522 via io chips, and only 2k of memory. Vintage 1980s commodore 64 1541 pc single drive floppy disk ja1174515. The problem with diskette drive repairs is that most diagnostick software has to be loaded from disk.

Ill show you how to replace it, but youll need another working disk drive to align it. We have found out that our original fastloader and protection system required 1541 and 1571 disk drive alignment to be in close adjustment. Apr, 2019 i am refurbishing an old computer that has a 5. The 1541 followed the previous commodore 1540 meant for the vic20 the disk drive used group code recording gcr. These are unstable illegal bits on disk, bits that sometimes read back as zeros and sometimes as ones. The 1541 diagnostic cartridge has all the software you need and loads nicely from your expansion port. New commodore 64 reloaded mk2 pal power supply and switchable jiffydos. Commodore 1541 floppy disk drive for commodore 64, 128. The 1541 finds track zero by seeking 35 or 40 tracks back from its current position. When writing a sector, the software in the disk drive waits for the correct sector header to pass by the read head, then waits until the exact end.

Instructions, 1541 service manual 1571 service manual 1581 service manuals, 1541 maintenance guide, 1541 users guide, 1571 users guide, the 1571 problems, tuning the 1541 drive, 1541 ii service manual, sams computer facts 1541,1541ii,1571, 1581. This package also included two bent piano wire track 1 stops to replace the original solid metal ones that were responsible for most 1541 drive alignment problems. The dos disk operating system resides inside the 1541 and it actually contains a mos 6502 processor essentially the same processor inside the c64. Side one is the boot program and the back side of the disk is used for alignment.

Dos and windows computers use drive letters to address its disk drives usually a. Commodore 1541 floppy drives from the c64 era are known to be slow and unreliable. Jun, 2014 the 1541 floppy drive was equipped with its own mos 6502 chip and was therefore capable of understanding and executing its own commands to format the disk, copy files, erase files, etc. The commodore 1541 was a single sided, single density floppy disk drive that stored 170k of data on 5. Align a commodore 1541 disk drive the silicon underground. To overcome this, jani from world of jani has created a 1541 diagnostic cartridge with all the tools needed for reparing the old drives. It enabled users of the c64, to play tapes via your mobile or audio equipment directly into the. Alignment of the 1541 disk drive opening and adjusting please. Squirt a bit of thread locker on the screws on the stepper motor to hold them in place, and let it dry for about 30 minutes. The particular disk you need will depend on the type of disk drive with which it. Vic 1541 or germany only vc 1541 is useable with 5,25disks. So any commercial disk that doesnt contain deliberately implanted errors should be very close to the standard.

The 1541 floppy drive was equipped with its own mos 6502 chip and was therefore capable of understanding and executing its own commands to format the disk, copy files, erase files, etc. Includes features for speed adjustment and stop adjustment. I know of two such programs but they require the original disks due to the testing software requiring a specially formatted disk calibration disk to perform the testing accurately. Commodore 1541 disk drive users guide 198209commodore. Side one is the boot program and the back side of the. It was a 5 14 singlesided disk with a capacity of 170 kilobytes.

Nov 20, 2012 commodores 1541ii disk drive has a pair of dip switches on the back to let you change its device number. This is especially a problem if the only drive you have is broken. Includes feature for speed adjustment and stop adjustment. Run the alignment program and have it read track 17. Commodore 1541 floppy disk drive for commodore 64, 128 made. A weakness in commodores 1541 disk drive design along with the fact that other companies older protection schemes involved the stepper motor banging itself against the track. The program was completely disassembled, compacted code and texts and disk routines rewritten to share io routines just to fit onto the cart with the other tools. Free spirits 154171 alignment system nightfall blog. If the drive is too far out of alignment you may have to type it in. This often results in the head mechanism being hammered against a hard stop. The commodore 1541 aka cbm 1541, and originally called vic1541, made by commodore international, was the bestknown floppy disk drive for the commodore 64 home computer. May 28, 2017 commodore 64 alignment of the 1541 disk drive opening and adjusting fixing the drive alignment with the free spirit software and alignment disk. Using a copy of 15411571 drive alignment loaded from an external 1571 drive logical drive 9, i was able to guess my way through the process, given the directions do not cover the internal 1571 of the c128d. Its super easy to do with the free spirit software 1541 1571 drive alignment software.

Dec 16, 2017 the problem with diskette drive repairs is that most diagnostick software has to be loaded from disk. Even a badly misaligned 1541 disk drive can format a blank 5. The idea was that it could operate autonomously without the attached c64 to get involved revolutionary at the time. Now with the case open, we need to remove the metal shield. The 1541 diagnostic cartridge has all the software you need and loads nicely from your. Commodore 1541 this article needs additional citations for verification. The commodore 1541 disk was a popular disk format used on commodore 64 computers. This package also included two bent piano wire track 1 stops to replace the original solid metal ones that were responsible for most 1541. The commodore 1541 disk drive was the most common commodore 64 floppy drive.

It is an intelligent device, containing its own microprocessor, ram, rom and operating systems. Each one has different features for different uses. The 1541 directly followed the commodore 1540 meant for the vic20. Besides the usual head alignment test, this program will also test disk rotation speed. Alignment of the 1541 disk drive free spirit software opening. C1541 disk drive product specification general description the c1541 disk drive is an external 514 inch floppy diskette recorder, offering highspeed and capacity for programs and data.

The 1541 was the standard floppy disk drive for the commodore 64, with nearly all disk based software programs released for the computer being distributed in the 1541 compatible floppy disk format. From my pc repair days, i seem to remember a special disk that you would need to insert to do an alignment. The older version of the 1541 is rather large and is heavier than the c64 unit itself. Ive been looking for software that tests 1541 1571 drives for alignment issues. Vintage commodore 1541 disk drive for c64 bottom case only fdd.

Massproduced commercial disks such as the 1541 testdemo disk are usually created on industrial equipment, not 1541 disk drives, and software companies have a strong incentive to keep such equipment in good alignment. Lets start by removing the top case, the drive has four screws in the bottom. You do have to remove the cover and disconnect the power supply to access the stepper motorinstructions included. Ive been looking for software that tests 15411571 drives for alignment issues.

The best way to realign a disk drive is using an accurite reference diskette and a good oscilloscope. Sep 01, 2019 commodore 1541 floppy drives from the c64 era are known to be slow and unreliable. There are a variety of disk programs on the reverse side of the disk. Alignment of the 1541 disk drive free spirit software. Alignment of the 1541 disk drive opening and adjusting youtube. Put an alignment disk, or a commercially prepared disk in the drive. If you cant do that then the problem is not with alignment, its possible your rw head is dead.

This is a 1541 disk drive for the commodore 64 it isnt designed to my knowledge to work with any other computer. How to repair your commodore 1541 disk drive nexus23 broderbund. Commodore 1541 1571 drive alignment software for commodore. The commodore 1541 also known as the cbm 1541 and vic1541 is a floppy disk drive fdd which was made by commodore international for the commodore 64 c64, commodores most popular home computer. The commodore disk drive 1541 or cbm 1541 early models.