SDCard HxC Floppy Emulator Preordering

[wongck]

Additionnaly i plan to make a HDD driver for ST to turn the SD HxC Floppy Emulator as a Hard Disk drive !

Mmm... is it in this very thread or elsewhere.... you mention that the speed may be of an issue
So you have overcome that?

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Additionnaly i plan to make a HDD driver for ST to turn the SD HxC Floppy Emulator as a Hard Disk drive !

Mmm... is it in this very thread or elsewhere.... you mention that the speed may be of an issue
So you have overcome that?

Yes this is the drawback, but i think floppy speed is enough for many usage on ST.
Anyway this should be try.

[Jeff_HxC2001]

By the way Jeff, do you know Total Commander? It's a PC file browser à la Norton Commander (the old DOS program) and it supports various extensions types.
One of these is archive extension, and some did extensions to manipulate .ADF and .ST disk archive. So you can browse files in those images, copy files from it, files to it, create directories, etc... like a .ZIP archive.
Do you think you could do an extension for it to manipulate your specific disk image type this way?
Here is some documentation about its archive plug-in system.

Yes i know it.

But the sources of these plugins aren't open ?

[wongck]

Yes this is the drawback, but i think floppy speed is enough for many usage on ST.
Anyway this should be try.

Thanks for trying it out.
Sure hope it will work out ... will definitely be another nice feature

[dma]

By the way Jeff, do you know Total Commander? It's a PC file browser à la Norton Commander (the old DOS program) and it supports various extensions types.
One of these is archive extension, and some did extensions to manipulate .ADF and .ST disk archive. So you can browse files in those images, copy files from it, files to it, create directories, etc... like a .ZIP archive.
Do you think you could do an extension for it to manipulate your specific disk image type this way?
Here is some documentation about its archive plug-in system.

Yes i know it.

But the sources of these plugins aren't open ?

Mhh i don't know, maybe the author of the .ST one can be contacted on Atari-Forum : Cyprian_K

[wood_jl]

I just want to let everybody know how good Jeff (HxC Floppy Emulator Man) is!!!!

I had encountered a minor bug with the thing - pertaining to daisy-chaining drive "B" floppy (a real SF314) to the HxC SD emulator (which I had in SF354 case for 520STm or internal for STfm). I was having a problem copying from the HxC to the "real" drive B (SF314) and Jeff saw it, and he made a firmware update and fixed it so fast I couldn't believe it! I was wondering if he had read the message yet when he already solved!

So thank you Jeff! I can not endorse his SD card floppy emulator enough! A year (or so) ago I was just wishing (dreaming) there would be something for ST like SIO2SD or Sdrive on the 8-bit Atari. When I turn on the ST with this thing and it is ***SO** easy to play games, etc with button pushes....I just can't help but smile and laugh at how much fun this is now.

I am also very happy I am saving my SF314s from inevitably wearing out, and backing up my floppies now takes NO SPACE, and is as easy as dragging icons from the SD card on the PC.

My only suggestion would be to sell extension cables - floppy power extension cable (male 4-pin header to female 4-pin plug) and floppy cable extensions (34-pin male to female). You could charge (and I would have gladly paid) extra for them, as not everybody will be needing them, but you could likely sell enough to make it profitable. Advanced users (like the experts here) would have no need. I gathered my own stuff to do it (I am a novice) but the appeal of the device might also be broadened if it were to arrive ready to plug-in easy, for the novice who is willing to pay extra.

Thanks again!

[Shredder11]

Jeff is a top guy. When I requested that a file selector system be implemented so that you did not have to use the hardware buttons, he was on to it immediately and had a firmware update with the new system days later! He is doing a damn good impression of a genie in a bottle Hmmm....maybe one more rub to ask for...?

[wongck]

See my comment on solving the Mint floppy media change... http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 00#p168151

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Thanks for yours feedback !

About the file selector program, the Amstrad CPC version it now available :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=FR&hl=fr&v=bnyC5te6Mn0

[Shredder11]

This is great news as yep I have a CPC6128, Speccy +3 128K and STE/Falcon 030 that can take advantage of this interface. I just need to source some reasonably priced SD cards and I can finally start using it; I have had it sitting doing nothing for a couple of months now...

[Beej]

Yay! My black edition SDCard HxC arrived a few days ago.
Beautiful board...hope to connect it to some things today to see how it goes.

I think I'll try a Falcon then Peavey DPM 4 first...as that'll be easiest to connect atm.
Since it hasn't been tested on DPM stuff that I know of, I'll post back here if it works.

Beej

[wongck]

Yay! My black edition SDCard HxC arrived a few days ago.
Beautiful board...hope to connect it to some things today to see how it goes.
Beej

Black edition... ?
So what's the enhancement for this ?

[Shredder11]

It's blaack init!

[Beej]

Yay! My black edition SDCard HxC arrived a few days ago.
Beautiful board...hope to connect it to some things today to see how it goes.
Beej

Black edition... ?
So what's the enhancement for this ?

No different from previous run that I know of, but the PCB is BLACK in color.
Looks really nice...
Beej

[Beej]

Yay! My black edition SDCard HxC arrived a few days ago.
Beautiful board...hope to connect it to some things today to see how it goes.

I think I'll try a Falcon then Peavey DPM 4 first...as that'll be easiest to connect atm.
Since it hasn't been tested on DPM stuff that I know of, I'll post back here if it works.

Beej

Update:

Runs nicely in stock Falcon mode for sure. Tested the full screen manager also and it does a good job of forcing the Falcon into a resolution it can use and all seems working just fine here.

With CT2b...
Of course it reads images fine when using firmware and the LCD to set things up and access with GEM.

Atari ST HxC Management Disk Image:
In TOS 4 mode (overclocked but no TT memory) it works fine.

In TOS 7 mode (Fast RAM and other enhancements):
So far for me with CT2b on TOS 7 mode: the Atari Management utility does not work. I'll try some different things and get back later, but I suspect it's not going to work due to the way CT2b bypasses blitter and needs an external VDI put in place to TT memory to do much of anything.

Full screen manager not working with TOS 7 isn't that big of deal to me...because few things one would want that menu for work with CT2b TOS 7 anyway...

The Peavey DPM:

Sadly this is yet another piece of kit that got designed with 3.6v NiCad batteries sitting on several of the PCBs...they've rotted and leaked all over the place after years of storage and I'll have to attempt to resurrect them before I can test

Beej

[1024MAK]

It's blaack init!

Are you sure you're not Bristolian? You sounded (in my head) just like someone I know, innit
http://www.mintinit.com/speakbristolian.php
http://www.thatbebristle.co.uk/dictionary/i.shtml

I do have to say that the SDCard HxC Floppy Emulator is gert lush. Thanks to both Jeff and Lotharek for producing and supporting it
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... ert%20lush

[Shredder11]

Hehehe, no I am just poking fun at the general stock phrases that black people, or indeed much of the population come out with.........'you get me?'

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=init

[wongck]

No different from previous run that I know of, but the PCB is BLACK in color.
Looks really nice...
Beej

Ahhh...Blend in better than my red one... looks too obvious.

[wongck]

Hehehe, no I am just poking fun at the general stock phrases that black people, or indeed much of the population come out with.........'you get me?'

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=init

sorry... too IT....
INIT is the program that Mint runs at startup

[wongck]

My SDCard HxC is working great.
However, I see that there is a new firmware v1.3.0.2 & possibly some new hardware adjustment for Amiga write mode.
Question is: will this new firmware work on my HxC card that does not have the mod for the Amiga write mode?

[DrCoolZic]

I have been to the HxC2001 Headquarters... and I have seen that in order to support variable bitrate I need to use the USB version.
Do you plan to support in future variable bitrate on the SDCard version?
Is it just not implemented or not feasible?
Thanks

Is there a thread about the the USB HxC Floppy Emulator on Atari-forum?
I could not find one ? Nobody on Atari-forum uses the USB version ?

[SofiST]

I use USB version. And I posted here one month ago some news considering better Atari support by HxC
What thread would you like ? :

[DrCoolZic]

I use USB version. And I posted here one month ago some news considering better Atari support by HxC
What thread would you like ? :

Can you provide reference to the thread I could not find it.
I am thinking of buying a USB version

[SofiST]

That thread has misleading title: STT image files
I rather write here HxC related things:
"Now STT is supported by HxC floppy emulator. With it is possible to run some very tight packed images, which can not be written to double density floppies without special equipment. Examples: Maupiti Island (Maxis crack - 12 sectors per track) , F19 from same cracker. But not only cracks - for instance some originals can be imaged well with STT: Virus, ReadySoft games as Space Ace, Dragon's Lair serial. + who know how many more...
Btw. there are some other improvements in HxC: faster work with ST images (added skew) and not refusing ST images with incorrect CHS in bootsector . "
Above is text from Aug. 31. I just checked what is done in meantime:
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emu ... _notes.txt

It seems that Jeff listens to suggestions, and implement them fast: skew with ST, HD too, MSA too. Better ST handling in case when CHS in bootsector is invalid - all done in meantime.

[wongck]

yes, those are in the new implementation of firmware & porgrams.
I wonder if it will work in my SD HxC as it does not have that extra hardware on it.