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Author Topic: KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB  (Read 9782 times)

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Offline mr.vinceTopic starter

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KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB
« on: February 18, 2010, 08:33:44 PM »
Hi there,

this is not directly a piece if hardware for the Amiga, but might be very helpful anyway I guess...

---------------------------------------------------------------------

====== KryoFlux Beta 2 Released - Apple 400K/800K Sector Dump Support ======

//2010-02-18//

We have just released KryoFlux beta 2. You can get the complete package and manual from here or just the updated "host" software from beta 1 here. KryoFlux is free for private, non-commercial use. Beta 2 adds support for sector dumps of Apple 400K/800K disks. This means we now support the vast majority of popular sector formats.

If you are new to KryoFlux, you can read more about it here, and see the info-trailer here.

KryoFlux supports dumping any floppy disk to "stream files", which contain the raw flux transition information. It supports output of a range of common "sector dumps" to allow you to use your dumped images right away in your favourite emulator, Apple 400K/800K support being the most recent addition.

Like the sound of it? Great. You might have already known this much, but did you also know that KryoFlux:

  * Checks the data for sector formats to ensure data integrity.
  * Allows you to indicate the target platform even when dumping to stream files in order to still do appropriate integrity checks.
  * Allows you to dump disks to stream files and to a more emulator-friendly image formats **at the same time**. So for a dual format Amiga/Atari ST disk, KryoFlux can produce stream files, a .ADF and a .ST all on-the-fly while dumping the disk.
  * Allows you to use stream files dumped previously as a "virtual floppy" in order to produce sector dumps later.

A rather insane amount of work has been put into this system to resolve the ongoing issues we see in the retro-computing and preservation world. All this for the cost of building/buying the hardware detailed by our public domain / open hardware designs (Hardware manufacturers: Did you just hear us say public domain hardware design? Yes you did! You can build this hardware right now and sell it with no further input from us. If you would like to sell it under our "KryoFlux" or "KryoFlux Compatible" trademarks (and you probably do, given this will get your product officially endorsed and promoted by us), no problem! You just need to obtain a license and certification - please contact us for more information.).

In summary, here are the image types supported in beta 2:

  - KryoFlux stream files
  - CT Raw image, 84 tracks, DS, DD, 300, MFM
  - FM sector image, 40/80+ tracks, SS/DS, DD/HD, 300, FM
  - FM XFD, Atari 8-bit
  - MFM sector image, 40/80+ tracks, SS/DS, DD/HD, 300, MFM
  - MFM XFD, Atari 8-bit
  - AmigaDOS sector image, 80+ tracks, DS, DD/HD, 300, MFM
  - CBM DOS sector image, 35+ tracks, SS, DD, 300, GCR
  - Apple DOS 3.2 sector image, 35+ tracks, SS, DD, 300, GCR
  - Apple DOS 3.3+ sector image, 35+ tracks, SS, DD, 300, GCR
  - DSK, DOS 3.3 interleave
  - Apple DOS 400K/800K sector image, 80+ tracks, SS/DS, DD, CLV, GCR
 
Given that "FM sector image" and "MFM sector image" doesn't sound very glamorous, let us just point out that due to intelligent handling, this supports basically any normal disk used for systems that contain a generic FM or MFM FDC - for example, all those weird synthesiser sample disk formats should work right out of the box!

Also, as far as we are aware, KryoFlux is the only system free for private, non-commercial use that can produce sector dumps for both Apple DOS 3.2 and 3.3 disks without interfacing to original drives and/or machines.

All this means we support pretty much any platform already: Acorn Electron, Apple, Amstrad CPC, Archimedes, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, BBC, Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, MSX, IBM PC, PC-8801, Sam Coupe, Spectrum, and many, many others.

Join the beta...
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Offline fiath

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KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2010, 08:49:32 PM »
KryoFlux is an advanced software-programmable FDC (Floppy Disk Controller) system that runs on small and cheap ARM7-based devices and connects to a host PC over the ubiquitous USB connector. It reads (and in the future, will write) flux transitions from magnetic media (most commonly, floppy disks) at a very fine resolution. KryoFlux can read data with no regard for what disk format or copy protection a disk may contain, and it can also read disks originally written with different (and even varying) bit cell widths and drive speeds, with a normal fixed-speed drive.

KryoFlux supports dumping any floppy disk to “stream files”, which contain the raw flux transition information. It supports output of a range of common “sector dumps” (e.g. ADF) to allow you to use your dumped images right away in your favourite emulator.

KryoFlux is available for free for private non-commercial use. You will of course need to build or buy a board based on our open hardware design.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjfT-F0GUl4
Info: http://softpres.org/glossary:kryoflux
Beta 2 Release News Item: http://kryoflux.org/news:2010-02-18
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Offline fiath

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Re: KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2010, 10:35:46 PM »
Haha... Fancy meeting you here Mr. Vince.
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Offline Karlos

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Re: KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2010, 12:08:13 AM »
You guys pretty much posted parallel threads so I thought it prudent to merge them :)
int p; // A
 

Offline Dr_Righteous

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Re: KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2010, 02:00:37 AM »
I have been instructed to inform you that this project endangers one of the Amiga community's few remaining hardware manufacturers. Please for the sake of the community as a whole discontinue this project.
- Doc

A4000D, A3640 OC-36.3MHz, custom tower, Mediator A4000D. Diamond Banshee 16M, Indivision AGA 4000, GVP HC+8.

Mac Mini 1.5GHz, that might run MorphOS someday, when the fools who own it come to the realization that 30 minutes just isn\'t enough time to play with it enough to decide whether or not you like it enough to cough up $200.

 - Someone please design SOME kind of DIY accelerator for the A4000. :D -
 

Offline Trev

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Re: KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2010, 03:53:39 AM »
@Dr_Righteous

I own four Catweasels, three of which are boxed because Jens hasn't produced a 64-bit Windows driver. Legitimate competition is a good thing.
 

Offline fiath

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Re: KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2010, 06:33:09 AM »
Quote from: Dr_Righteous;543920
I have been instructed to inform you that this project endangers one of the Amiga community's few remaining hardware manufacturers. Please for the sake of the community as a whole discontinue this project.

I would be quite surprised if that is the case, but even if it was, we have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours, and quite a lot of money on this project.... With all due respect, I don't really think we should have to discontinue it to protect a monopoly.

KryoFlux was created by us at the Software Preservation Society and was motivated by our own needs. For example, as it is, we have to lug around an Amiga + TV when we are on the road doing preservation. It would be just as bad having to lug around a PC and screen. With KryoFlux, we now use an EeePC!

Besides, KryoFlux has already been released. There is nothing that can be done about that now.

Anyway, rather than talk about other systems here. Let me say that we are currently readying the beta 3 release. Watch this space!

Trev: KryoFlux does indeed work on Windows 64 right now.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2010, 06:46:43 AM by fiath »
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Offline motorollin

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Re: KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2010, 07:06:57 AM »
Quote from: Dr_Righteous;543920
I have been instructed to inform you that this project endangers one of the Amiga community's few remaining hardware manufacturers. Please for the sake of the community as a whole discontinue this project.


Instructed by whom?

--
moto
Code: [Select]
10  IT\'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
20  FOR C = 1 TO 2
30     DA-NA-NAAAA-NAAAA DA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAA
40     DA-NA-NAAAA-NAAAA DA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAAA
50  NEXT C
60  NA-NA-NAAAA
70  NA-NA NA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAA NAAA-NAAAAAAAAAAA
80  GOTO 10
 

Offline mr.vinceTopic starter

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Re: KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2010, 08:38:51 AM »
Quote from: Karlos;543910
You guys pretty much posted parallel threads so I thought it prudent to merge them :)

Excellent. I bet I just overlooked this... Thanks!

Quote from: Dr_Righteous;543920
I have been instructed to inform you that this project endangers one of the Amiga community's few remaining hardware manufacturers. Please for the sake of the community as a whole discontinue this project.

Give me a second to gather my thoughts... Ok, here's the reply (please feel instructed to report back): No.

Quote from: Trev;543926
@Dr_Righteous

I own four Catweasels, three of which are boxed because Jens hasn't produced a 64-bit Windows driver. Legitimate competition is a good thing.

I think it is. KryoFlux works fine in 64bit Windows (have not seen it personally, but beta testers report it does) and has USB support, which is nice, I guess.
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Offline dammy

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Re: KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2010, 01:08:51 PM »
Quote from: mr.vince;543868
Hi there,

this is not directly a piece if hardware for the Amiga, but might be very helpful anyway I guess...


I'm sure those using OS4/MOS/AROS will find it very helpful in using their stack of old floppies.
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Offline Ral-Clan

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Re: KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2010, 01:14:16 PM »
So, does the external floppy drive have to be an Amiga drive, or just any PC drive in an external case?
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Offline mr.vinceTopic starter

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Re: KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB
« Reply #11 on: February 19, 2010, 01:57:18 PM »
Quote from: ral-clan;543945
So, does the external floppy drive have to be an Amiga drive, or just any PC drive in an external case?

All you need is an ordinary PC HD 3.5" drive (if you want to image Amiga disks that is) which you can get for a few bucks on eBay. Got mine for EUR 2,-... eBay... brand new.

Generally speaking there are some specific models out there, some with SD card reader built in, which don't work. Therefore I recommend getting different brands/models and use the one that works best.

I found out that older models from around 2000 or slightly older work better than the cheap crap they sell today. The problem is that newer models more often use thin metal cases which can get out of alignment if you screw them into a case to firmly. When buying 5.25" drives try to get some that are made of a solid block of aluminum instead of metal sheets.
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Offline dammy

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Re: KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB
« Reply #12 on: February 19, 2010, 02:15:06 PM »
When are you projecting the custom boards to be ready and what retail sale price level are you aiming at?
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Offline mr.vinceTopic starter

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Re: KryoFlux - High Definition Flux Sampler for USB
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2010, 04:19:03 PM »
Quote from: dammy;543952
When are you projecting the custom boards to be ready and what retail sale price level are you aiming at?

hmmm... hard to tell. you might have read elsewhere that we're very picky about things. we want to make sure everything works as expected, so we'll definitely do a first run with very limited quantities only. if these do work, we'll team up with more hardware manufacturers to do local runs, e.g. separate batches for e.g. germany, uk and the us.

it is very hard to tell prices because these vary depending on units made in one batch.

if you look at prices for parts, the most expensive thing, the cpu, costs about eur 8,- here (if you buy only one that is), i think i have seen prices of us$10,- somewhere. pcbs are very expensive when you do only 10 (about us$20 per board), but much cheaper when bought in larger lots (guess we could reach us$10 or less).

seeing that atmel dev boards with similar and more parts sell for about us$70-80 (i assume they do larger batches of them at one time), kryoflux should not be more expensive. could happen though, but i wish (!) we can make it happen for less.

please note that this is an estimate only, and i must admit i have no idea how much margin hardware sellers usually have / must have.
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Offline Trev

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Re: KryoFlux - USB Floppy Controller Beta Released
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2010, 04:32:10 PM »
Quote from: Trev;543926
@Dr_Righteous

I own four Catweasels, three of which are boxed because Jens hasn't produced a 64-bit Windows driver. Legitimate competition is a good thing.


Plus, KryoFlex and Catweasel have different functionality--for now. Re: 64-bit, if Toni (or anyone else) went back to direct I/O for Catweasel access, the 64-bit problem could be solved as far as WinUAE is concerned.