Chapter 5
The +3 disk drive

Subjects covered...

	Disks and drives
	Insertion
	Write protection
	Read/write indicator lamp
	Eject button

Disks and drives

The +3 uses 3 inch compact floppy disks. We strongly recommend that
for reliable data-to-disk transfer, you use AMSOFT CF-2 floppy
disks. Disks made by other leading manufacturers, however, may also be
used.

If you have connected an additional disk drive to the +3, note that
the main disk drive (within the +3) is called drive A: and the second
(additional) disk drive is called drive B:.


Insertion

Each side of a disk may be used independently. A disk should be
inserted with its label facing outward from the drive, and with the
side that you wish to use face up...

                                         _____-----__
                               _____-----  ____----  --__
                     _____-----   _____----__            --__
           _____-----    ____-----    .....  --__            --__
  ____-----     _____----     ....:::::::::::..  --__        ___---
 /--__ ____-----      ....::::::::::::::::::::::..   --___---  ___|
|     -+__     .:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::''  ___+ __---_)  --__
|_        --__   ''::::::::::::::::::::::::''' ___---   ___---__      __-
 |--__        --__   ''::::::::::::::''' ___---   ___---__--    --__-- 	_____
 |__  ---__       --__   '::::'''' ___---   ___---__---		       |    _|
    ---___ ---__      --_    ___---   ___---__---		       |    \
          ---___---__    +---   ___---___---			       |_|\  \
                ---__--__|___---___---					   \_/
                     ---_|___---


Write protection

In the left-hand corner of each side of a blank disk, you will see an
arrow pointing to a small shuttered hole. This is called the write
protect hole, and allows you to protect the contents of the disk from
erasure or 'overwriting'...

                           ___--____
                     ___---  o ^    ---____   
               ___---  ___                 ----____ 
         ___---    _---   ---___                   ----____
   ___---__ o       ---____     --                         ----____    
 --__ --___-<== Write protect hole    ___               __--^--____----__
 |_  ---__                           (___)           _--           ---_-|
   --___  ---__                              o   __--              _--|_-
        --___  ---__                          _--                _- __-
             --___  ---__                 __--                _-- _-  
                  --___  ---__        __--                  _- __-    
                       --___  ---__     ---__            _-- _-       
                            --___  ---__     ---__     _- __-         
                                 --___  ---__     --_-- _-            
                                      --___  ---__--|__-              
                                           --___ |__-
                                                -- 

When the hole is closed, data can be 'written' onto the disk by the
computer. When the hole is open, however, the disk will not allow data
to be written onto it, thus enabling you to avoid the accidental
erasure of valuable programs.

Various disk manufacturers employ differing mechanisms for opening and
closing the write protect hole. The operation carried out on the
AMSOFT CF-2 compact floppy disk is as follows.

To open the write protect hole, slide back the small shutter located
at the left-hand corner of the disk, and the hole will be opened.

Write protect hole (OPEN)               Write protection hole (CLOSED)

          |                                      ,^.
         `v'                                      | 
        ____________________________            ____________________________
Shutter/ |o|         __             \   Shutter/ |^|         __             \
    ====>|_|        /  \            |       ====>|_|        /  \            |
OPEN   |  :         |  |            |   CLOSED |            |  |            |
       |  :         |  |            |          |            |  |            |
       | `v'        \__/            |          |            \__/            |
       |             __             |          |             __             |
       |            /  \            |          |            /  \            |
       |           |    |           |          |           |    |           |
       |            \__/            |          |            \__/            |
       |                            |          |                            |
       |             ()             |          |             ()             |
       |  ________________________  |          |  ________________________  |
       | /                        \ |          | /                        \ |
 Write protection ON              | |    Write protection OFF             | |
       | |                        | |          | |                        | |
       \_|________________________|_/          \_|________________________|_/

Once the hole is open, write protection is ON.

To close the write protect hole, simply slide the shutter to its
closed position. Write protection is then OFF.

Other manufacturers' disks employ a small lever located in a slot at
the left-hand corner...

	            Lever 
		      ||  
       	   	      \/  
                  ___________  ______________________......
               	 |/]| ||    |^^|                           
                 |_]|_||____|--|____________________.....
		 \     	       	                         
 Write protect ======> @
 hole (CLOSED)     \       
		    :      
				Write protection OFF

To open the write protect hole on this type of disk, slide the lever
towards the middle of the disk (using the tip of a ball-point pen or
similar object)...

        	      \ 
               ___\ \  \  
 Slide lever   ^^^/  \ _\ 
 towards middle       -_,|
 of disk          ______-|___  ______________________......
               	 |/]|    || |^^|                           
                 |_]|____||_|--|____________________.....
		 \     	       	                         
 Write protect ======> O
 hole (OPEN)       \       
		    :      
				Write protection ON

Note that regardless of the method employed to open and close the
write protect hole, opening the hole in all cases facilitates
protection against overwriting.


When your disk is in

At the front of the disk drive, you will see a push button (for
ejecting the disk), and a red lamp (called the read/write indicator
lamp)...

	  _____________________________________________________
       	 |  _________________________________________________  |
         | |                   _____________                 | |
         | |  |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^|  | |
         | |  |                                           |  | |
         | |  |________________-------------______________|  | |
Read/write_|                   =============        ______   |_|
indicator ===> ##                                  [______] <==== Eject button
lamp       |_________________________________________________| |
       	_   _  	_   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _   _          |
      _| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_________|


Read/write indicator lamp

This lamp indicates that data is being read from or written to the
disk. Note, however, that if a second disk drive is connected, the
read/write indicator lamp on drive B: will be constantly on (except
when drive A: is reading or writing to disk).


Eject button

Pressing in the eject button allows you to remove your disk from the
disk drive.

Do not press the eject button while the disk is being read from or
written to.

Always eject your disk from the disk drive before switching the system
off.