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128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - shane.crozier - 21-02-2026
Hi Folks
While I'm waiting on my sister digging the old bee hardware out of my parent's storage shed, I'm thinking about how I can add a Gotek drive to the SBC Disk unit - there are obviously two 5.25" bays but I am considering adding it as a third device - so I effectively have drives A,B and C - I dont think power will be an issue as there are 'splitters' readily available. (And if necessary I can fit a modern PC power supply)
I can get a ribbon cable re-crimped with three connectors - I'm hoping that they all will play nice, when set to the correct drive ID?
If I can physically fit the unit, will the 128k Bee recognise the Gotek as a Drive C: so I can INIT and Copy system files to the SD card, and then make it the first device?
I would really also like to add a 3.5" drive to the system as I feel I'm more likely to be able to get diskettes for this moving forward, this would potentially swap out the B drive.
Has anyone got any experience doing similar they can share?
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - ChickenMan - 21-02-2026
Unfortunately the Gotek can only be set as A: or B: drive. I personally would put the Gotek in as A: with a 3.5" as B: (IBM 1.44mb drives are hard wired as B: ) and your 5.25" as C:
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - someone - 03-03-2026
(21-02-2026, 08:26 PM)ChickenMan Wrote: Unfortunately the Gotek can only be set as A: or B: drive. I personally would put the Gotek in as A: with a 3.5" as B: (IBM 1.44mb drives are hard wired as B: ) and your 5.25" as C:
Someone is pretty sure that the Gotek can be set as drive 2 & 3 by modding its PCB to use signals DS2 & DS3 rather than DS0 and DS1.
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - shane.crozier - 08-03-2026
Interesting a small modification on the header might also allow that - I recall seeing some pcb 'risers' that could potentially be put between the edge connector and the drive with the necessary hotwiring-
I'm contemplating getting hold of a Couple of bits of other kit to allow me to explore this a bit further - including a Greaseweezel and a decromancer board for mfm emulation - I'm hoping at some point I will be able to track down an elusive Hard Disk system for sale but dont fancy my chances of a working MFM drive.
I have seen many mentions of the Greaseweezel being used, so I hope to ask questions here when possible - has anyone had experience with the Decromancer ?
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - cfbsoftware - 09-03-2026
(08-03-2026, 05:27 PM)shane.crozier Wrote: I'm contemplating getting hold of a Couple of bits of other kit to allow me to explore this a bit further - including a Greaseweezel and a decromancer board for mfm emulation - I'm hoping at some point I will be able to track down an elusive Hard Disk system for sale but dont fancy my chances of a working MFM drive.
I have seen many mentions of the Greaseweezel being used, so I hope to ask questions here when possible - has anyone had experience with the Decromancer ?
I don't have experience with the Decromancer but have used another MFM emulator - the DREM. The list of DREM supported systems is here:
https://www.drem.info/drem/tech-info#h.2t0or3ij29u9
I bought it for use with my Sage IV computer as an insurance if the MFM drive stopped working. It works fine as a substitute for the floppy drive but haven't yet been able to use it as a hard drive. However, I'm not surprised as the Sage has a proprietary MFM controller design. I currently have five MFM drives and the Sage only works with the two IMI ones. The DREM and the other MFM drives all work well with my IBM 5160 PC/XT.
I haven't bothered to acquire a Microbee as I plan to buy one of new models. Their potential CP/M-68K capabilities are particularly appealing - but I won't need an HDD with one of those anyway.
However, I would be happy to test whether the DREM works with an original Microbee if you or somebody else would like to lend me one suitable for use with an MFM drive for a week or two. I'm in Adelaide and would have time to do this sometime after mid-April.
At the same time I could test the spare MFM drives I have and would be willing to let one of those go if they work for no more than what I paid for it (+ shipping).
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - shane.crozier - 10-03-2026
(09-03-2026, 10:10 AM)cfbsoftware Wrote:(08-03-2026, 05:27 PM)shane.crozier Wrote: I'm contemplating getting hold of a Couple of bits of other kit to allow me to explore this a bit further - including a Greaseweezel and a decromancer board for mfm emulation - I'm hoping at some point I will be able to track down an elusive Hard Disk system for sale but dont fancy my chances of a working MFM drive.
I have seen many mentions of the Greaseweezel being used, so I hope to ask questions here when possible - has anyone had experience with the Decromancer ?
I don't have experience with the Decromancer but have used another MFM emulator - the DREM. The list of DREM supported systems is here:
https://www.drem.info/drem/tech-info#h.2t0or3ij29u9
I bought it for use with my Sage IV computer as an insurance if the MFM drive stopped working. It works fine as a substitute for the floppy drive but haven't yet been able to use it as a hard drive. However, I'm not surprised as the Sage has a proprietary MFM controller design. I currently have five MFM drives and the Sage only works with the two IMI ones. The DREM and the other MFM drives all work well with my IBM 5160 PC/XT.
I haven't bothered to acquire a Microbee as I plan to buy one of new models. Their potential CP/M-68K capabilities are particularly appealing - but I won't need an HDD with one of those anyway.
However, I would be happy to test whether the DREM works with an original Microbee if you or somebody else would like to lend me one suitable for use with an MFM drive for a week or two. I'm in Adelaide and would have time to do this sometime after mid-April.
At the same time I could test the spare MFM drives I have and would be willing to let one of those go if they work for no more than what I paid for it (+ shipping).
Thanks for your generous offer Chris - systems with HDD controllers in them are quite rare and I dont have one as yet - I will have access to one through an associate but can almost guarantee he won't want to ship one from Perth to Adelaide unfortunately.
I would be very interested in purchasing a MFM hard disk if you have one for sale - from recollection the 10Mb hard disks that can be supported are;-
- TEAC SD-510
- TEAC SD-520
- Miniscribe 3012
- Miniscribe 3212
- Mitsubishi MR521
- Mitsubishi MR522
A 20Mb with a compatible geometry to the above would also be welcome (Even RLL 15+Mb potentially).
The Decromancer can take a copy of a drive attached to its host interface which I think is something DREM can't do - I beleive it can also emulate 2 HDDs like the DREM.
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - ChickenMan - 10-03-2026
The Mitsubishi MR522 is actually a 20 Mb drive and supported 4 x 5 Mb partitions.
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - shane.crozier - 22-03-2026
(10-03-2026, 07:48 AM)ChickenMan Wrote: The Mitsubishi MR522 is actually a 20 Mb drive and supported 4 x 5 Mb partitions.
Fantastic - wouldn't fancy my chances of getting one though - a Seagate ST225 has a few more cylinders and should do the same job though - if we can get a set of Init system software for it.
I notice a few folks have Gotek's - is there a go-to for these (reliable supplier) in Australia?
In a machine with a Gotek as A: drive - does the system just 'go with' the configuration of the CPM on the A: drive for the second (and subsequent) drives?
If I boot from the SS80 image - does it automatically expect B to be SS80 as well?
And etc so on for DS40 / DS80?
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - ChickenMan - 22-03-2026
I've bought all my Gotek's via eBay or Aliexpress and all from China sources without and problems. Make sure you buy the right model. Using a Gotek is no different than using real floppy disks, what ever A: (gotek) boots to determines the what other drives will be. There are programs to set B: to different types though. I fitted a 5.25" floppy to my original Premium twin 3.5" floppy box, so 3 drives, only to transfer Multiplan files to and from IBM 360k disks as thats what we had at work.
Using INIT you can set the number of drives in your system. Boot a DS40 disk and if set for 2 drives, the B: drive will be a DS40. If A: boots as a DS80 then B: can be seen as a DS80 or a SS80. But if A: boots as a SS80 then B: will be SS80 only.
If you boot a Peter Boughton disk, then you can set (with SETSYS or CD) what B:, C: & D: you want them to be. Handy if you have a mixture of floppy drives in your system.
RE: 128k SBC Disk System - Add Gotek - shane.crozier - 22-03-2026
(22-03-2026, 10:21 PM)ChickenMan Wrote: I've bought all my Gotek's via eBay or Aliexpress and all from China sources without and problems. Make sure you buy the right model. Using a Gotek is no different than using real floppy disks, what ever A: (gotek) boots to determines the what other drives will be. There are programs to set B: to different types though. I fitted a 5.25" floppy to my original Premium twin 3.5" floppy box, so 3 drives, only to transfer Multiplan files to and from IBM 360k disks as thats what we had at work.
Using INIT you can set the number of drives in your system. Boot a DS40 disk and if set for 2 drives, the B: drive will be a DS40. If A: boots as a DS80 then B: can be seen as a DS80 or a SS80. But if A: boots as a SS80 then B: will be SS80 only.
If you boot a Peter Boughton disk, then you can set (with SETSYS or CD) what B:, C: & D: you want them to be. Handy if you have a mixture of floppy drives in your system.
Ok - what should I look out for as the 'right' model?
Does the Peter Broughton OS work with the hard disk models?