Atari XF551 - Error 173

[Moe]

[+bob1200xl]

The fact that your drive goes thru the format process would seem to indicate that the SIO is functional. You send it a format command and it tries to comply.

 

Best thing to do is swap the drive with a known good XF551 drive. If it is the drive, you have very little recourse other than replacing the drive. You could send the whole unit to someone that has the resources but back and forth to Canada would be brutal from out here on the West Coast.

 

Bob

 

[Moe]

Hey bob1200xl,

 

I was thinking similar things about my SIO connection and cable.

 

 

 

Cheers

Moe

 

 

 

[Nezgar]

On 3/13/2021 at 7:33 AM, Moe said:

Can anyone confirm that these are HD disks, and are useless for the XF551?

No hub rings usually means the disk is HD. These will not work at all in atari drives... I've tried....

[hueyjones70]

I know this question is slightly off topic but is there a list somewhere of drive mechanisms that will work in the XF551

[Peri Noid]

You should ask a different question - what mechs fit in the case. And the answer is, only the default Mitsumi since every other is too long. I used an Alpsech but needed to modify the inside of the drive. 

[BillC]

6 hours ago, Peri Noid said:

You should ask a different question - what mechs fit in the case. And the answer is, only the default Mitsumi since every other is too long. I used an Alpsech but needed to modify the inside of the drive. 

I believe the XF551 also shipped with the Chinon FZ502 mechanism.

 

https://blog-3b2-sk.translate.goog/igi/post/Pouzitelne-FD-525-mechaniky-pre-Atari-XF551-Atari-XF551-compatible-525-drive-mechs-Part_0.aspx?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Edited May 9, 2023 by BillC
Add link

[Peri Noid]

Yes. That's the second one I heard of - but never met.

[manterola]

9 hours ago, Peri Noid said:

You should ask a different question - what mechs fit in the case. And the answer is, only the default Mitsumi since every other is too long. I used an Alpsech but needed to modify the inside of the drive. 

That is totally correct. I 've been down that road before. It is doable, but you need to move the large capacitors away and cut the heatsink. So I aborted the idea and fixed the mech. using another mitsumi mech that was also not working. The problem in my case was the stepper motor.

 

[Peri Noid]

1 hour ago, manterola said:

The problem in my case was the stepper motor.

You were lucky. My problem was a dead head. I couldn't find another mech at a reasonable price, therefore I fitted that Alps.

[hueyjones70]

Thanks for the clarification.

[djglish]

I've been checking out my Atari drives and one of my XF551s won't format.  It gives the error 173.  I've tried DOS XE, DOS 2.5 and MyDos 4.50 with the same result. This drive has the CSS Enhancer in it.  It will read fine.  It also would write the DOS files if the disk was formatted on my other XF551.

 

I don't know if the CSS Enhancer could be the problem or if it is something else.  Is the CSS Enhancer easy to remove (restore to baseline)?  I could try and switch the drive out with the other XF551 but that would entail unsoldering at least one connection from the drive mechanism.  

 

The disks being used will all format in the other drives, 1050, 1050 with duplicator upgrade, XF551 (stock), and an Indus GT.  They have double notches and two timing holes in them.  

[+kheller2]

6 hours ago, djglish said:

I've been checking out my Atari drives and one of my XF551s won't format.  It gives the error 173.  I've tried DOS XE, DOS 2.5 and MyDos 4.50 with the same result. This drive has the CSS Enhancer in it.  It will read fine.  It also would write the DOS files if the disk was formatted on my other XF551.

 

I don't know if the CSS Enhancer could be the problem or if it is something else.  Is the CSS Enhancer easy to remove (restore to baseline)?  I could try and switch the drive out with the other XF551 but that would entail unsoldering at least one connection from the drive mechanism.  

 

The disks being used will all format in the other drives, 1050, 1050 with duplicator upgrade, XF551 (stock), and an Indus GT.  They have double notches and two timing holes in them.  

I'm going to guess that the double timing hole is the issue.  But just a guess.  Cover the hand made one and see if that fixes the format issue.

 

EDIT:  it is probably not that, since said 2nd timing hole is required from some mechs and flippies

[djglish]

I can try a different brand of disk, but the disk with the double timing hole worked fine on the other XF551.  

I'm hoping that it is an issue with the CSS Enhancer.

[+kheller2]

4 hours ago, djglish said:

I can try a different brand of disk, but the disk with the double timing hole worked fine on the other XF551.  

I'm hoping that it is an issue with the CSS Enhancer.

This comes down to a few things:

1) CSS Firmware

2) Drive mech (XF551 have two different stock mechs that behave differently with timing holes)

3) Dead/damaged head

 

EDIT: I'm going to backoff on the 2nd hole being a problem, as that is what is required to use flippies in some of these mechs.

 

Since you have two XFs, try swapping the mechs between them to narrow down the problem.

[macsonny]

I know this is a long shot, but when I had a "fussy" XF551 I spent days trying to get it working the same as many of the steps you have taken. As a last resort, I swapped out the ROM and bam - worked fine ever since. The ROM in the unit may have gone bad or whatever, but I now use the Hyper X+ ROM and drive has hummed along for a few years now.

 

Have you tried a new ROM?

[_The Doctor__]

I suspect he means two jacket index holes and not two index holes themselves as that would be an unknown standard.

[djglish]

You're right.  I meant two jacket index holes. The disks are "A Data" brand.  I have at least 8 unopened boxes sitting around.  The one from the open box still work great.  The problem drive is a Mitsumi brand.  Haven't opened the other one up yet to check it out.

 

I will probably switch out the physical drives between the two XF551s this week.  That should tell me if it's a drive problem or a controller problem.  I'm trying to get them tested out and cleaned up.  I'll  probably be selling them off at the VCF Midwest show this September along with the other drives and my old 800XL (with the Rambo memory upgrade). Both of the XF551s have their original boxes and one still has the manual.

 

Not sure if I'm going to keep my ST or sell it off too.

Edited July 14 by djglish
Forgot to add info

[djglish]

Sorry, got the disk brand wrong.  It's Athana.  Model 47-4201

[djglish]

Good news!

 

I swapped the drive from the problem XF551 with the working unit.  It works fine.  When putting the drive back in the problem unit I noticed an unattached wire from the CSS Enhancer switch.  I resoldered it and the XF551 is working properly again.

Now I have all 5 disk drives working.