Michael A. Terrell wrote:
"David R.Birch" wrote:
Right now we'd be happy if we could load files from anything other
than the failing floppy drive. The control has a db25 serial port, but
for some reason, Mitsubishi decided that just being able to transfer
files with a COM program shouldn't work.


There are solid state replacements for 3.5" floppy drives, but they
aren't cheap. They allow you to use a USB memory stick to load programs
or data in CNC machines and other, old computers & computer based
systems.

http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/index.html is one type.

This is a possibility, we're already using flash drives to load
programs to our newer Mazak, but I'd rather get everything networked.

What type, brand & model floppy drive are you using? There may be a
replacement, or if it is an older, full height 3.5" a good clean & lube
of the bearings in the disk elevator may fix your problems. I used to
repair 3.5" floppy drives when they cost $75. Dry bearings and missing
springs were common. Drives with bad heads gave me a good supply of
donor parts.

If it is an oddball drive, photos would help. I currently have a
couple hundred used floppy drives on hand. They are leftovers from a
closed computer business, and others were removed from scrapped computer
systems.

It looks like a standard half height 3.5" floppy drive, but it isn't.
I've tried substituting new drives, but the control doesn't read them,
so Mitsubishi seems to have monkeyed with them so they can charge
$700+ for them.

David