FlashFloppy Update For GOTEK With
Roland S‑50 / S‑550 / S‑330 / W‑30 / S‑760* Samplers
This is a collection of info borrowed from Keir Fraser's website. I've added some visuals and extra stuff specifically detailing how I use Keir's methods for updating my GOTEK's for use only with the Roland S‑50, S‑550, S‑330, W‑30 & S‑760* samplers. There are many methods of making a GOTEK work with these four Roland samplers. The easiest way is to buy GOTEK Model: SFRM72‑FU‑DL and simply plug it into the sampler where the floppy disk drive used to be. No soldering and no firmware updates are required
The disadvantages of using this model are numerous
- It costs about $10 (USD) more than a standard GOTEK
- The GOTEK factory firmware uses a boring 7‑segment display
- There are very few bells and whistles available with this model
- Using the two button interface is clumsy and difficult to navigate
- It's in an ugly tan color case... not black to match the Roland scheme
Luckily, there are alternatives for updating the firmware on inexpensive model GOTEK's which have a nice looking black case. The best firmware update I've seen is available for free. You can purchase a low‑priced GOTEK for about $16 (USD), a nice OLED screen $2, rotary encoder $3 and update the firmware using free installation software. In the past, other firmware updates required a special serial interface and a special $10 software license for each GOTEK you updated. The only extra hardware you need for this free FlashFloppy firmware update is a standard USB cable. Keep in mind that an OLED screen and Rotary encoder are optional add‑ons but... for these low cost parts, I highly recommended adding them. It's like the difference between driving a Ford Pinto and a Corvette Stingray
The method I have outlined below is the one I prefer because it's a no‑brainer. It worked perfectly the very first time I tried it. Very unusual for mods like this when trying to make 1980's technology work with modern gadgets. In fact, after all of my updates went so smoothly, I thought perhaps that something had gone wrong 
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Which GOTEK Model Should I Buy?
There are many different GOTEK models to choose from. Most people want to match the Roland color scheme and buy one with a black case. Some of the least expensive GOTEK models with a black case that others have used with great success are
- SFR1M44-U100K
- SFRM72-U100
Other GOTEK models will work such as SFRM72-FU-DL, SFR1M44-FEL-DL, SFRM72-FU and SFR1M44-FUM-DL but note that these are higher priced and/or have an ugly tan color case. I own a few of these ugly models and was able to easily match the Roland sample color scheme theme using a flat black spray paint.
Refer to Keir Fraser's GOTEK compatibility webpage for more details and specific GOTEK models to avoid
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Add Three Jumpers - (One is permanent & two are temporary)
The Best Way
Note: Not all GOTEK's will have jumper pins installed at these locations (outlined in blue). You can easily install these extra jumper pins yourself by using a double row pin header strip (Tayda SKU: A‑198). Dupont female jumper wires (Tayda SKU: A‑2375*) or alligator clips (Tayda SKU: A‑2373) can then be used to connect these jumper pins
Before proceeding, ensure that the USB cable is unplugged and the GOTEK is not connected to the sampler
Add a regular jumper block to S0
Add a regular jumper block to J3 (This will be a temporary jumper)
Add a jumper wire diagonally at J4 (This will be a temporary jumper)
For the jumper wire at J4, I like to use Dupont female jumper wires*
The Quick & Easy Way
Add a regular jumper block to S0
Cut a paperclip into two sections, bend them into a U‑shape and place them in the corresponding holes at J3 and J4 as shown in the image below
Don't worry... these jumpers are only temporary to update the firmware and are removed in a later step
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Download The FlashFloppy Firmware
This free firmware update can be downloaded in a *.ZIP file from Keir Fraser's website at this link. There are Stable and Experimental versions available. I have been using v3.9a which has been working smoothly since 2019 with my S‑50/550/760 and W‑30 samplers without any issues
↳ ↳ Note For S‑760 Owners ↵ ↵
* You should install FF v3.9a or greater and add interface = ibmpc-hdout to your FF.CFG file. The S‑760 has a strange setup when accessing floppy disk files. Roland used a more expensive 3.5" FDD which serves a dual purpose by reading and saving both low density 720KB DS/DD and high density 1.44MB DS/HD disks. This means that with the factory installed 3.5" FDD, you are able to use the "Convert Load" command to load S‑550 & W‑30 disks on the S‑760, boot with the default high density 1.44MB Operating System disk and also load/save high density Sound Disks. Some of the older GOTEK setups had issues reading/saving both densities on the S‑760. There was a density‑select issue with the S‑760 which has existed since FF v2.2a but Keir Fraser has fixed this starting with FF v3.9a. I'm soooooooo glad this has been fixed!!!
To ensure correct operation with the S-760 and FFv3.9a (or greater), add this line to your FF.CFG file residing in the Root Directory on the USB stick
interface = ibmpc-hdout
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Install DfuSe USB Device Software
Download and install the DfuSe USB Device software on a Windows PC (this free software is needed to install the FlashFloppy firmware into the GOTEK)
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Connections
Ensure the PC recognizes the GOTEK as a USB Device
Before proceeding, verify the GOTEK is not connected to your sampler
Open Control Panel ➤ Hardware and Sound ➤ Devices and Printers
Plug the GOTEK into the USB port on the Windows PC (Use a standard USB Cable)
The GOTEK should appear in Devices as STM Device in DFU Mode
If Unknown Device appears, you need to install the driver yourself
➤ Right‑click Unknown Device ➤ Choose Properties ➤ Hardware ➤ Properties ➤ Driver ➤ Update Driver
➤ Choose Browse My Computer ➤ Point to C:\Program Files/STMicroelectronics\Software\Dfuse v3.x.x\Bin\Driver
Choose the O/S which matches your system (WIN7, WIN10, etc...)
Choose x86 (32bit) or x64 (64bit), depending on your system type
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Update GOTEK With FlashFloppy Firmware
Run the DfuSe Demo program on the Windows PC
(Do Not Run the DfuSe Filemanager Program)
Available DFU Devices ➤ STM Device In DFU Mode
Actions ➤ Selected Target(s) ➤ Click on Internal Flash
Click on the Choose button
(There are two Choose buttons. Click on the one near the bottom of the window)
Select the FF_Gotek-v2.13.dfu file you downloaded earlier
(or the current stable version)
Responds with File correctly loaded
Click on the Upgrade button ➤ Responds with Protected: Remove Protection?
Press the YES button ➤ Responds with Impossible to Make Sure: Continue?
➤ Press the YES button again
Should respond with Target 00: UPGRADE SUCCESSFUL
(if you get an error, keep trying until it works)
Safely eject the USB Device
It is important to note that the DfuSe software is supplied with it's own DFU Windows driver. If you experience issues with the GOTEK not being recognized in the Windows Control Panel under Devices And Printers, you may need to install (or reinstall) this special DFU driver. There is a good video to watch about the driver installation process. The DFU driver installation starts at 1:25m into the video. Also, ignore the section about using the Cortex update *.HEX file from 2:23m thru 2:57m. You don't need to do this part because you already have a *.HEX firmware file. It's the FlashFloppy *.HEX file downloaded in the previous step (i.e. FF_Gotek-v3.9a.hex)
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Remove The Two Temporary Jumpers
Before proceeding, ensure that the USB cable is unplugged and the GOTEK is not connected to the sampler
Now that the firmware has been installed, you can remove the two temporary jumpers from the locations at J3 and J4
Leave the jumper block at S0 in place
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Install The OLED - (optional but highly recommended -and- Rotary Encoder recommended)
Install the OLED using the diagram shown below
(Additional configuration/installation images are available at Hardware Mod Diagrams)
OLED P/N: SSD1306 (0.91' 128x32 I2C/IIC Blue)
The Best Way
Connect the four OLED pins using the female jumper wires you removed from the old 7‑segment LCD display ‑or‑ use Dupont female jumper wires (Tayda SKU: A‑2375)
The Quick & Easy Way
Use wires and solder the four OLED pins directly to the GOTEK PCB
Note: There are several different OLED's and LCD's that will work with FlashFloppy firmware. The OLED shown above is my recommendation because it is the only one I have actually installed and tested. Depending on the OLED or LCD model you buy, you will need to tailor your FF.CFG file to match the correct display settings on the OLED or LCD
(Additional configuration/installation images are available at Keir Fraser's Hardware Mod Diagrams)
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Install The Rotary Encoder - (optional but highly recommended -and- OLED Required)
Install the Rotary Encoder using the diagram shown below
ENCODER P/N: 652-PEC11L4215FS0015
15 PPR
Incremental
15mm D/Flatted Shaft
30 Detent With Switch
KNOB: Tayda SKU: A‑2835
(a nice small knob with brass set screw)
The Best Way
I prefer to use Dupont female jumper wires (Tayda SKU: A‑2375) with one end cut off and the other end connected to double row right‑angle jumper pins (Tayda SKU: A‑638). This makes it easier to remove the encoder later on, if needed. If you decide to use this method, note that not all GOTEK's will have these two jumper pins installed for the Encoder pins CLK and DT. You will need to install these two jumper pins yourself (circled in red at location JK)
The Quick & Easy Way
Use wires and solder encoder connections to the GOTEK PCB
Notes:
1) If your encoder does not work initially, you can troubleshoot to see if your wiring is correct by pressing the Up And Down Select buttons. These simulate rotating the rotary encoder knob Left (Down) or Right (Up)
2) There are many rotary encoders and knobs that will work with FlashFloppy firmware. The part numbers shown above are my recommendations because those are the only ones I have actually installed and tested. Depending on the encoder part number you buy, you may need to tailor your FF.CFG file to match the correct rate of Pulses Per Revolution (PPR)
(Additional configuration/installation images are available at Keir Fraser's Hardware Mod Diagrams)
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Format A USB Stick Using The MBR Option (Master Boot Record)
I have used USB sticks from 1GB up to 32GB so size doesn't matter (...insert joke here...)
Choose your operating system flavor from the choices below
Mac OS X
- Run the Disk Utility application and choose the USB stick you want to format
- Select Erase then set these options in the pop‑up window;
- Name: (Your choice ‑ You can leave this field blank if you want)
- Format: MS‑DOS (FAT)
- (Do Not Use ExFAT, OSX Extended, GUID Partition Map or Apple Partition Map)
- Scheme: Master Boot Record
Example: Formatting a generic USB stick
using the Disk Utility app with Mac OS X
Windows XP
- Right-click My Computer
- Left-click Manage
- Left-click Disk Management
- Select FAT32 and verify it is formatted using the MBR option using this guide
- NOTE: I've had mixed results using Windows XP. Sometimes it won't format using the MBR option so...... Keep Trying Until It Works
Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)
- Run the Disk Management program by clicking the START button and enter diskmgmt.msc
- Right-click on the volume for the USB then Left-click on Format
- Select FAT32 and MBR then press the OK button
Windows 7 Ultimate (32-bit)
- Run the Disk Management program by clicking the START button and enter diskmgmt.msc
- In the Upper Section of the window where all the disk drives and CD-ROM's are listed
- Right-click on the USB Stick listed under the column named Volume
- Left-click on Format
- Select FAT32 and MBR then press the OK button
To verify the USB stick was properly formatted using MBR, from the same window for the diskmgmt.msc program
- In the Lower Section of the window where all the disk drives and CD-ROM's are listed
- On the far left side of the window, Right-click on Disk# where # = the USB stick you just formatted
- Left-click on Properties then Left-click the Volumes tab at the top
- Look at the info displayed under "Partition style:" and it should read Partition style: Master Boot Record (MBR)
Windows 8
- The MBR option was replaced with GPT on this crappy Windows O/S version so a third‑party app is needed to format the USB stick
- A free utility called RUFUS enables a USB stick to be formatted using the MBR option
- Click here for a screenshot of RUFUS showing the MBR parameters needed to format your USB stick
Windows 10 - Pro & Home Editions (64-bit)
- Run the Disk Management program by typing diskmgmt.msc in the search text box field at the lower right on the Desktop
- In the Upper Section of the window where all the disk drives and CD-ROM's are listed
- Right-click on the USB Stick listed under the column named Volume
- Left-click on Format
- Volume label: (Your choice ‑ You can leave this field blank if you want)
- File System: FAT32
- Allocation unit size: Default
To verify the USB stick was properly formatted using MBR, from the same window for the diskmgmt.msc program
- In the Lower Section of the window where all the disk drives and CD-ROM's are listed
- On the far left side of the window, Right‑click on Disk# where # = the USB stick you just formatted
- Left‑click on Properties then Left‑click the Volumes tab at the top
- Look at the info displayed under "Partition style:" and it should read Partition style: Master Boot Record (MBR)
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Add Customized FF.CFG File To The USB Stick
These are some of the settings I like to use for my GOTEK when a Rotary Encoder and OLED are installed
All of these are optional so feel free to tailor the FF.CFG file for your own use
Place this standard text file in the Root Directory of the USB stick
rotary = half
display-off-secs = 120
display-on-activity = yes
oled-font = 6x13
display-type = oled-128x32-narrow
image-on-startup = init
↳ ↳ Note For S‑760 Owners ↵ ↵
* Adding this extra "interface" switch tells the S‑760 that the GOTEK is operating in "dual purpose mode" to load 720KB and 1.44MB disk files
interface = ibmpc-hdout
Configuration Descriptions
rotary = half / This is required for proper knob rotations when using rotary encoder P/N: 652-PEC11L4215FS0015
display-off-secs = 120 / Turns the OLED off when it's when not being used (to prolong its lifespan)
display-on-activity = yes / Turns the OLED on when any activity is sensed
oled-font = 6x13 / Sets a smaller font size for the OLED
display-type = oled-128x32-narrow / I don't like to modify my GOTEK case. This setting uses an existing window display area for small OLED's
image-on-startup = init / Add an underscore character in front of your boot disk image filename so the boot disk image file will always load first
( i.e. Rename your boot disk image filename from S550BOOTDISK.IMG to _S550BOOTDISK.IMG )
(A vast array of additional settings for this file are available at Keir Fraser's FF.CFG Configuration File webpage)
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Add *.IMG Sample Disk Files To The USB Stick
All of your *.IMG Sample Disk files should be copied to the Root Directory of the USB Stick
There are some large sample collections already converted over to the *.IMG format available for free downloading at the llamamusic.com Samples Webpage
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Plug In The Newly Updated GOTEK And Test
Don't forget to remove the two temporary jumpers during the firmware update in an earlier step!
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Future Firmware Updates
When new firmware updates are released, they are much easier to install than the process detailed above (i.e. using extra jumpers, computer programs, etc...) Since you have already flashed a version of the full firmware, you can make future firmware updates easily by copying a *.upd config file onto a USB stick, simply plug it into the USB port on the GOTEK and turn the power on with both buttons pressed
Detailed instructions are available at
Keir Fraser's Firmware Update webpage
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The Information On This Page Is Current As Of
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