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{{about|the computer hardware device|the children's television show|Catweazle}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

[[File:Cw-Logo.jpg|right]][[File:Catweasel controller Mk3 (circuit board).jpg|thumb|Part of a Mk3 (red/black audio cables)]]
The '''Catweasel''' is a family of enhanced [[floppy-disk controller]]s from German company [[Individual Computers]]. These controllers are designed to allow more recent computers, such as [[IBM PC compatible|PC]]s, to access a wide variety of older or non-native [[disk formatting|disk formats]] using standard floppy drives.

==Principle==
The floppy controller chip used in IBM PCs and compatibles was the [[NEC]] 765A. As technology progressed, descendants of these machines used what were essentially extensions to this chip. Many other computers, particularly ones from [[Commodore International|Commodore]] and early ones from [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], write disks in formats which cannot be encoded or decoded by the 765A, even though the drive mechanisms are more or less identical to ones used on PCs. The Catweasel was therefore created to emulate the hardware necessary to produce these other low-level formats.

The Catweasel provides a custom floppy drive interface in addition to any other floppy interfaces the computer is already equipped with. Industry standard floppy drives can be attached to the Catweasel, allowing the host computer to read many standard and custom formats by means of custom software drivers.

Supported formats:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! System !! Floppy !! Size
|-
| Amiga || 3.5" || 880, 1760 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw">{{cite web|title=Amiga Hardware Database - Expansion cards|url=http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/search.pl?intf=clk}} 100702 amiga.resource.cx</ref>
|-
| Apple Macintosh || 3.5" || 400, 800, 720, 1440 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| MS-DOS || 3.5" || 720, 1440 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| MS-DOS || 5.25" || 360, 720, 800, 1200 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| Atari ST || 3.5" || 360, 720, 800, 1440 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| Atari 800 XL || 5.25" || 130, 180 KB <ref name="amigahw_384">{{cite web|title=Individual Computers: Catweasel|url=http://beta.icomp.de}} 100702 beta.icomp.de</ref>
|-
| Apple II || 5.25" || 140 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| CBM 1541 || 5.25" || 170 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| CBM 1571 || 5.25" || 170, 341 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| CBM 1581 || 3.5" || 800 KB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| Catweasel Extra || 3.5" || 1160, 2380 kB <ref name="amigacx_cw"/>
|-
| Nintendo backup station || 3.5" || 1600 KB
|}

==Versions==
The initial version of the Catweasel was introduced in 1996 and has since undergone several revisions. The Catweasel '''Mk1''' and '''Mk2''', for the [[Amiga 1200|Commodore Amiga 1200]] and [[Amiga 4000]], sold out in October 2001. The '''Mk3''' added PCI compatibility and sold out in mid-2004. It was succeeded by the '''Mk4'''. The '''Mk2''' was re-released in 2006 as a special "Anniversary Edition".

===Mk1===
The original version of the Catweasel was introduced in 1996 for the Amiga computer, and was available in two versions - one for the [[Amiga 1200]] and one for the [[Amiga 4000]]. The Amiga 1200 version connected to the machine's [[clock port]]; the Amiga 4000 version connected to the machine's IDE port. A pass-through was provided on the Amiga 4000 version so that the IDE port could still be used for mass storage devices.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/catweasel|title = Individual Computers Catweasel - Amiga Hardware Database}}</ref>

===ISA===
A version of the Catweasel controller was developed for use in a standard PC ISA slot as a means of reading custom non-PC floppy formats from MS-DOS. Custom DOS commands are required to use the interface.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://icomp.de/man/catweasel.html |title=Catweasel ISA manual}}</ref> Official software and drivers are also available for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]].<ref name="Catweasel Mk4plus Product Page">{{cite web |url=http://icomp.de/products/cwmk4+_e.htm |title=Catweasel Mk4plus Product Page |accessdate=15 January 2012 |archive-date=11 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111033653/http://icomp.de/products/cwmk4+_e.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Mk2 and Mk2 Anniversary Edition===
The Mk2 Catweasel was a redesign of the original Catweasel, merging the Amiga 1200 and Amiga 4000 versions into a single product that could be used on both computers, and providing a new PCB layout that allowed it to be more easily installed in a standard Amiga 1200 case.

The continued popularity of the Catweasel Mk2 led to a special "Anniversary Edition" of this model being released in 2006. The PCB of the Anniversary Edition received minor updates, however it retained the same form factor and functionality as the Mk2.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/catweasel2|title=Individual Computers Catweasel Mk2 - Amiga Hardware Database}}</ref>

===Z-II===
The Catweasel Z-II version was an Amiga Zorro-II expansion that combined the Catweasel Mk2 controller with another Individual Computers product, the Buddha, on a single board providing floppy and IDE interfaces to the host computer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/catweaselz2|title = Individual Computers Catweasel Z-II - Amiga Hardware Database}}</ref>

===Mk3===
The Catweasel Mk3 was designed to interface with either a [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] slot, an [[Amiga]] [[Amiga Zorro II|Zorro II]] slot or the [[clock port]] of an Amiga 1200. In addition to the low-level access granted to floppy drives, it has a socket for a [[Commodore 64]] [[MOS Technology 6581|SID]] sound chip, a port for an [[Amiga 2000]] keyboard, and two 9-pin digital [[joystick]]s ([[Atari 2600]] de facto standard).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=386 |title=Hires pictures |access-date=21 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705080956/http://amiga-hardware.com/showhardware.cgi?HARDID=386 |archive-date=5 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Mk3 was succeeded by the '''Mk4'''.

===Mk4 and Mk4plus ===
The Catweasel Mk4 was officially announced on 18 July 2004, with a wide array of new features planned. However, due to manufacturing delays and production backlogs, the Mk4 was not released until early February 2005.{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}}

This version of the Catweasel makes heavy use of reconfigurable logic in the form of an [[Altera]] ACEX EP1K30TC144-3N<ref name="catweasel_manual">{{cite web |url=http://siliconsonic.de/t/catweasel-usermanual.pdf |title=Catweasel User Manual |page=4 |accessdate=15 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200354/http://siliconsonic.de/t/catweasel-usermanual.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Field-programmable gate array|FPGA]] chip, as well as an [[AMD]] MACH110 [[Programmable logic device|PLD]] and a PCI interface IC. The Mk4/Mk4+ driver uploads the FPGA microcode on start, which makes easy updates possible without having to replace hardware.

Official software and drivers are available for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]],<ref name="Catweasel Mk4plus Product Page"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://beta.icomp.de |title=Individual Computers Beta Software and Drivers |accessdate=15 January 2012}}</ref> and unofficial drivers and utilities are available for [[Linux]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://unusedino.de/cw/ |title=Catweasel Linux driver list |accessdate=15 January 2012}}</ref>

The Catweasel Mk4Plus appears to be no longer available.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://icomp.de/home/prices.htm |title=Individual Computers Price List |accessdate=15 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510165611/http://www.icomp.de/home/prices.htm |archive-date=10 May 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Amiga}}
*[http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/Catweasel Official wiki]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041009213817/http://www.jschoenfeld.com/products/catweasel_e.htm Catweasel product webpage], [https://web.archive.org/web/20061216043032/http://amiga.think42.com/news/news99_e.htm Catweasel MK4 announcement]
*[http://www.tim-mann.org/catweasel.html Catweasel Floppy Read/Write Tools for TRS-80 & DEC RX02 diskettes]
*[http://www.acid64.com ACID 64 Player - C64 Music Player for all HardSID cards and the Catweasel MK series]
*[http://unusedino.de/cw/ Karsten Scheibler's Linux kernel driver and command-line utility]
*[http://www.soundtracker.org/raw/cwfloppy/ Michael Krause's Linux block-device kernel driver]
*[http://arjuna.sourceforge.net Arjuna floppy controller software homepage]
*[https://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk DrawBridge aka Arduino Amiga Floppy Disk Reader and Writer]
*[https://github.com/keirf/Greaseweazle Greaseweazle USB Floppy Drive Reader]
*[https://github.com/davidgiven/fluxengine Fluxengine USB Floppy Disk Interface]
*[http://www.retroreview.com/iang/Catweasel/ AmigaOS & MorphOS driver development page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227153821/http://www.retroreview.com/iang/Catweasel/ |date=27 December 2010 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131104235929/http://siliconsonic.de/t/flipside.html Reading 1541 reverse sides]

{{Amiga hardware}}

[[Category:Floppy disk drives]]
[[Category:Amiga]]
[[Category:MorphOS]]

Individual Computers Catweasel - Revision history

imported>InternetArchiveBot: Rescuing 2 sources and tagging 0 as dead.) #IABot (v2.0.9.5