13 pin din to usb?

Discussions
1

Hello all,

I’m hoping someone might know the answer to this or could direct me to someone that might. My late mother was a write and poet and she used a Panasonic KX-E508 with a KX-E32 disk drive and she has boxes of the 2.8” disks. I would like to find a way to connect the 13 pin din connector from the disk drive to a pc using a USB if it is possible.

I appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

2

Ah, those 2.8" disks are a little special. Unlike normal disk drives with multiple tracks, the Quick Disk drives have one spiral track that is read or written in one operation. They don’t have a file system that’s readable by other computers. Additionally, like the slightly larger 3" drive used in Amstrads, the drive belt will likely have failed with age.

If the drive works (or can be repaired to work) and the typewriter has a serial output port, then there’s a chance you can recover the files via transfer to a PC.

1 Like
3

Thanks for the reply and info. I will have to look and if it doesn’t have a port then… I guess the only option is to buy a pallet of paper to print everything.

4

I will be surprised if the typewriter is working at this point, it been in a box in storage since 1990.

5

Welcome, @Banebadboo!

That’s a remarkable technology - this linked tale of trying to recover data lists three different kinds of adjustment one might make to a drive, to calibrate it, by trial and error. As well as worrying about the exact physical property of the replacement drive belt.

It does seem to be a technology which was picked up, by appliances such as this typewriter/word-processor, and several synthesisers. And the Famicom (aka NES), and Dragon, Thomson, and Spectrum. Triton Quick Disk Drive - Wikipedia

1 Like
6

no serial port on the typewriter, but for the moment it still works. The problem is the drive belt on the disk drive has melted. I’m not finding a listed replacement belt for it so hopefully I can find a generic belt that will work.

7

Ok so new belt on the drive seems to work, cycles like its reading the disk but say disk error after 10 sec or so. any ideas or just look for another drive. I have tried a dozen different floppies and they all return disk error?

8

maybe the heads are dirty?

Maybe the disks are shedding oxide, too. If so, you have very few chances to read them before they’re gone

9

I cleaned the head with no improvement.

I found a thread that talk about belt tension causing issues. so I installed a smaller belt and now some of the disk will print their lists but still generate a disk error when trying to print something from the list.

So I have order some more belt that are wider in different sizes. I can’t find any info on what should be used. so far I can’t even find a used drive in case this one has other issues. They seem to be a rare item.