Floppy emulator

[Jeff_HxC]

Hi tnt23

I work on a similar project since January. My floppy emulator is a parallel port interface for PC with 2 SRAM buffers (2* 32Ko) and an shift register and some others TTL components. The PC send in real time the MFM flow to the floppy interface.

Actually this interface works for Atari ST and Amiga.

To see some pictures of the prototype of this interface go to this page (in French) :

http://jeanfrancoisdelnero.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/

Jeff / HxC2001

[Jeff_HxC]

Not for the moment but the software will cope with these formats soon.  :-)

[Jeff_HxC]

I am not a particular fan of the LCD & Multiple buttons idea. Yes it makes it platform independent, but it adds significantly to the overall cost and as you say it makes it difficult to replace "any" 3.5" floppy drive.

Is the price really a problem ? The price difference of an LCD based device and an OSD based device is about 10 euros.

After all you have a powerful computer and a TV, why do you need an LCD?

The device that you are talking about already exist:

http://atariamiga.free.fr/installation_sdiskemul_stf.php
http://atariamiga.free.fr/installation_sdiskemul_amiga600.php
http://atariamiga.free.fr/plateformes.php

But what do you do when you need to plug the emulator on this kind of "computer" ?:
http://www.reflexmusic.de/DSS-1/HxCEmu.htm

Hi Tim, yours device looks great ! :-)
One question: why didn't you use SDRam in this version like in the first version ?

[Jeff_HxC]

Hello Jeff, glad to see ya  Thanks! My congratulations on your completion of a standalone emulator. It looks pretty fast, do you use specially prepared MFM files to speed things up?

Yes, Original file image are converted to a prepared MFM file. The emulator simply read MFM data directly from this file and send it through the Pic EUSART.
 

[Jeff_HxC]

Hello Jeff, glad to see ya Thanks! My congratulations on your completion of a standalone emulator. It looks pretty fast, do you use specially prepared MFM files to speed things up?

Yes, Original file image are converted to a prepared MFM file. The emulator simply read MFM data directly from this file and send it through the Pic EUSART.

If you want, i can add a new output file format in the software for your emulator !
The only thing to do is specify it! :-)

[Jeff_HxC]

alexh wrote:
I think there are 3 projects

Wrong, there are at least 5 projects, even more:

SVD Floppy Emulator:
http://www.thesvd.com/SVD/

the "MegaDrive":
http://www.sensi.org/~tnt23/megadrive/

the HxC Floppy Emulator USB/SDCARD:
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/

the SdiskEmul:
http://atariamiga.free.fr/sdiskemul.php

the TFE  : Tolga Floppy Emulator:
http://www.commodore.gen.tr/forum/index.php?topic=2278.0  

Additionnaly there are some others "commercials" devices :
http://www.datex.fr/emulateur/DTX200_EN.pdf (an industrial grade floppy emulator)
and some others floppy remplacement for musical instrument...

So the floppy emulator is now an "classical" concept/project.

[Jeff_HxC]

Some corrections :

HxC Floppy Emulator support those computers :
Atari ST,Amiga, Amstrad CPC6128, Korg DSS-1, Oric+MicroDisk, PC (720kB & 1.44MB), Super Wildcard DX-SWC3201 (Super NES/famicom rom loader), MSX 2 .
Some others support are planed.
The emulator support copy protections (Pasti/STX images, IPF/Caps/SPS images, etc).

More informations here : http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/index.html

the PCB of the USB version are available from 1 or 2 years! (you can read some small reviews from people who make the device here :
http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic.php?t=125 ,
http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic.php?t=109 ,
http://www.reflexmusic.de/DSS-1/HxCEmu.htm ,
http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic.php?t=144 ,
...
)
additionnaly a small batch of 21 devices was made this year:
http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic.php?t=129&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Actually SdiskEmul's pcb seems to be not available !

[Jeff_HxC]

So for me, I am only able to start to ask for pcb prices when I have a suitable format..

For one device ? this will be very expensive ! ;-)
Seriously it cost ~30euros with pcbpool for one 1 pcb:

PCB-POOL Prototype double sided:    30.63 EUR  
Length in mm: 100
Width in mm: 100
File name: floppyemu.max
File format: ORCAD
Delivery time: 8 working day (WD)
Soldermask: no
Position print / Silkscreen: no
Would you like to buy overdelivery at half price if available? no
Do you require electrical test? no

So I hope, that you are releasing them when you find some time..

this should be done this WE :-).

You said:
"Actually SdiskEmul's pcb seems to be not available!"

According to the web site, it should be in the zip archive.
(I didn't check that myself)

i didn't found it!

[Jeff_HxC]

@Jeff: I would not ask for a single pcb, but rather for 20,30 up to 50 pcb's.. there are already some interrest in the forum64 and a lot of other places.. but mostly for the stand alone version.. That should bring the price down to <10€ per piece..

right, but the standalone version isn't ready: no copy protection emulation and no write support for amiga !

BTW: How to get the FPGA software into the FPGA an startup..?
Do you need this to load from pc everytime you power up the device..? I didn't see a special flash to load from..?

it's not an fpga but an cpld ! so i don't need flash ! ;-)

Looking also forward to the release of pcb files..

you can find all you need in this file:
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/HxCFloppyEmulator_ipcore.zip

[Jeff_HxC]

So from the homebrew directory, I see that the pcb size is 87 x 96mm.. correct?

no, you must take the "prod" version : 100mm*100mm 2 layers

Is there a usb driver required?

yes : this one http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm

Which Software Part is needed on pc side? Same as for the stand alone version..?

yes the same !

if you have more questions about HxCFloppyEmulator,it is better to put them on this forum : http://www.torlus.com/floppy/forum/index.php.
it's not the HxCFloppyEmulator thread but the "Megadrive" thread here ;-)