Compaq Portable 386 Diskette Controller Error

[GreasyKnowledge]

I am getting a 601 Diskette Controller Error with my Compaq Portable 386.

I am getting this regardless of which drive(s) I have connected to it. With the original 5.25 inch drive, or my 3.5 inch drive. It appears that it is not getting any juice to the power connectors for the diskette controller.

To test this, I took my 3.5 inch drive and connected it to the power supply on another machine, and to the floppy connector on the Portable 386. I powered on the Portable in this configuration, and it started up with no errors and booted into DOS off of the drive.

Ideas?

 

[T-R-A]

I am getting a 601 Diskette Controller Error with my Compaq Portable 386.

I am getting this regardless of which drive(s) I have connected to it. With the original 5.25 inch drive, or my 3.5 inch drive. It appears that it is not getting any juice to the power connectors for the diskette controller.

To test this, I took my 3.5 inch drive and connected it to the power supply on another machine, and to the floppy connector on the Portable 386. I powered on the Portable in this configuration, and it started up with no errors and booted into DOS off of the drive.

Ideas?

Obviously you're not getting power (internally) to the drive. Do you have (and know how to use) a multimeter to check power and continuity?

 

[GreasyKnowledge]

I checked it out. It's getting +12V but not +5V. Also nothing for +5V where the power supply connects to the motherboard. All of the other voltages there check out okay though.

 

[kc8eyt]

You're not getting +5V from the power supply? That doesn't sound right because the motherboard would not fire up then.

 

[T-R-A]

You're not getting +5V from the power supply? That doesn't sound right because the motherboard would not fire up then.

Wondered the same thing myself. Again, I'd suspect a continuity problem from the power supply if that's truly the case.