Amstrad Essential Floppy Drive Repair Tips for Your DDI-1

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AMSTRAD

DISC DRIVE & INTERFACE

DDI-1

Congratulations on becoming the proud owner of the Amstrad DDI-1. You will soon discover the wisdom of your choice, and what a worthwhile investment your unit is.

Its speed will allow you to load and save files in seconds which would take several minutes using cassette. Furthermore, each disc allows you to store up to 180k Bytes of program on a single disc surface (360k on both sides). In other words, all your utilities on a disc, 10 or so games on a disc, all your standard letter files on a disc, the database from your indexing system on a disc - and so on.

Moreover, you can access files at random - which means that you don't have to pass laboriously through unwanted program files to get to the one that you want to use.

Disc operation comes into its own when you want to write any sort of program. When developing any software, it's very reassuring to take a copy every now and again in case you happen to attempt to run it, and then discover that you've left an 'ON BREAK GOSUB' lurking to prevent you from ever escaping back to direct mode; and if you can do this in 5 seconds rather than 5 minutes, you will obviously get a lot more done!

When developing assembler programs, the convenience of being able to assemble from disc and then test within seconds rather than minutes will be a boon to both the seasoned programmer, and the novice feeling his way through machine code for the first time.

The inclusion of CP/M opens a vast wealth of programming experience to the user. The 80 column mode ensures that programs will require minimal modification to run on the CPC464 - and the number of books written on the subject of CP/M and its use runs well into three figures.

In short, you have made exactly the right decision to upgrade to disc based operation. It will help and speed up your understanding and appreciation of computing in a way that is simply not comparable with cassette-only systems.

Furthermore, the 3 inch compact floppy disc format, in its tough plastic casing (with a protective shutter covering the head area) prevents accidental damage and provides a positive and rigid location in the drive mechanism.

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Contents Page Amstrad Disc Drive & Interface DDI-1 Amstrad Contents Contents Page Foundations 1 Setting Up Connecting the Mains LeadConnecting the DDI-1 to the Computer Computer Interface Unit Main Disc Drive Drive a Computer Foundations 2 About Discs Write ProtectionOpen Closed When Your Disc Is Indicator Lamp Eject ButtonRun rolcave Drive a disc missing Retry, Ignore or Cancel?Foundations Loading Software/Games ROLCAVE. not foundDrive a read fail Retry, Ignore or Cancel? Bad commandSyntax error Type mismatchFoundations Introducing Amsdos and CP/M Disc Drive B disc missing Retry, Ignore or CancelLoad filename Tape.inCpm First Steps Using The CP/M DiscStoring Data Onto Disc CLS? Saving a Program in Memory onto Disc Back to AmsdosBeware EXAMPLE.BAS CatalogLoading From Disc Copying Programs From Disc to Cassette Copying Programs From Disc to DiscCopying Programs From Cassette to Disc Copying Using the CP/M System Disc Copying Using DisccopyWriting track 0 to Copying Using CopydiscCopying started Reading track 0 to Do you want to copy another disc Y/NDiscchk Checking DiscsAborting ChkdiscInstallation Amstrad Disc Drive & Interface DDI-1 Manual Backup Master Disc Making Working DiscsTurnkey Amstrad Basic discs Working SYSTEM/UTILITY discBasic only disc DISCCOPY.COMTurnkey Basic onto your Working disc Turnkey Basic using disc suppliedTurnkey CP/M Discs Creating a Turnkey CP/M System discAmbiguous filename Confirm individual files Y/N ? Configuring a CP/M ProgramConfiguring the Output from the package Payroll Configuring the Input to the packageStarting a Turnkey CP/M Package Autostarting a Turnkey CP/M Package Amsdos Primer IntroductionConstruction of Filenames Disc DirectoryAmsdos filenames and filetypes Save PROG.BAS a Save Bprog .BAS Amsdos headersFilenames on two drives Saving variables and performing a Screen Dump Examples of Using Amsdos Commands in a programWild cards BERT.BAS FRED1.BAS FRED2.BAS FRED3.BAK FRED3.BAS FINISH.BASNeat CloseoutWhile not EOF Reference guide to Amsdos commandsPre-empting a Garbage Collection Wend CloseinSave OPENOUT, Print #9, Write #9, List #9, Closeout Summary of Basic commandsSummary of Amsdos external commands CATDisc CPMDIR DISC.INTape ERAREN TAPE.INAmsdos files with headers File Copying proceduresCopying Files Ascii filesFile has a header Amstrad Reference guide to Amsdos Error Messages Drive Drive read fail Drive Drive disc missingDrive Drive disc is write protected Drive Drive write failCP/M system tracks CP/M PrimerOperating with CP/M Logging in a disc Configuration SectorConsole control codes DIR command Direct Console CommandsSwitching default drives ERA commandType command Transient commandsREN command Peripheral ManagementWhole disc copiers and checkers File and disc copyingSingle file copying Cassette filesSystem Management StatStat SECRET.BAS $DIR SetupDo you want to update your system disc Y/N Is this correct Y/NFormat Disc GenerationAmsdos Format D Format I FormatMovcpm BootgenAdvanced programming SysgenAmstrad Disc Drive & Interface DDI-1 Manual What is Logo Introduction to LogoDr. Logo Getting StartedTo square Repeat 4 fd 60 rt 90 end Procedures with parametersRepeat 4 fd 60 rt To squareanysize side repeat 4 fd side rt 90 endCs squareanysize 100 rt 45 squareanysize Using Variables to remember valuesEditing programs and procedures To triangle Repeat 3 fd edge rt 120 endOperating hints Summary of Dr. Logo primitivesChar Word and List ProcessingAscii CountFput EmptypFirst ListArithmetic Operations Logical Operations Not ?= Logo LogoProcedures VariablesSetsplit EditingText Screen ShowType CleanGraphic Screen DotWindow PalSetpal Turtle Graphics WrapSeth SetpcErn Workspace ManagementSetpos NodesGprop RecycleGlist PlistSave Disc Files DirLoad KEYBOARD, Joystick buttonp?make key rc Paddle?paddle 0 ?keyEnt SoundEnv ReleaseRun LabelRepeat StopPause ErrorCatch ThrowSystem Properties Technical information for the user Firmware HeadersChanging Discs Store requirementsAmsdos messages Error MessagesBios messages Failed to load boot sector Disc Organisation Common to ALL FormatsReturn Parameters Jump Block Interception by AmsdosJump Block Re-Interception by the User 137 #BC9B Intercepted Firmware Calls132 #BC8C 133 #BC8F 134 #BC92 135 #BC95 #BC98 Page Appendix Glossary of Terms CP/M Dr.Logo Primitives TPA Amstrad Disc Drive & Interface DDI-1 Manual Appendix Term Limitations of Remedies Amstrad Disc Drive & Interface DDI-1 Manual Appendix Index ERA Setpos