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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: Hodgkinson on January 12, 2008, 01:45:41 PM

Title: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: Hodgkinson on January 12, 2008, 01:45:41 PM
Has anyone ever tried to make a driver for one of these?

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital/download/10/

If drivers existed for this device, this would be a really useful way of transferring large files and images between a PC and the Amiga without the need for networking or USB; albeit perhaps a bit slow.

My guesswork says that this device works by positioning the R/W heads of the floppy drive above similar heads in the "Floppy" and simply using the floppy drive as a means to communicate to the SD-Card.

Hodgkinson.
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: bloodline on January 12, 2008, 02:05:06 PM
What a horribly complex device!!! :-o

Let the floppy drive die ... instead a better idea would be an SD-Card reader that replaces the mechanical disk drive, and plugs directly into the Disk Drive cable :-)
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: Oli_hd on January 12, 2008, 02:18:39 PM
That aint an SD card!
Its smart media which was one of the first flash media's made. No such thing exists for SD cards or any other formats.

I have a SD card to IDE adaptor off ebay that works very well with the Amiga (doesnt support hot swapping though) which I am currently booting different OS's off (3.9 at the mo), thats probably the best route.
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: oddmario on January 12, 2008, 02:30:57 PM
Wrong!
Sony made one for Memory Stick cards.
And Sandisk made for SD.

"No such thing exists for SD cards or any other formats."
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: Oli_hd on January 12, 2008, 02:46:00 PM
Hmm seems there is one for the Sony Memory stick, cant find the Sandisk one though, got a link?

Best I could find was: Amazon link to a Sandisk Smartmedia adaptor (http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-FlashPath-Floppy-Reader-SDDR-21-01/dp/B0000488VL)

Ahh feck there is such a thing.
Technically its MMC not SD but mehh.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200190796017 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200190796017)
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: oddmario on January 12, 2008, 03:08:27 PM
My bad.
Made by Apacer, not Sandisk.
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: Oli_hd on January 12, 2008, 03:12:53 PM
Quote
My bad.  Made by Apacer, not Sandisk.

Link?
/me wonders back to google and starts looking.
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: oddmario on January 12, 2008, 03:30:03 PM
Don't have.
Found them at work last year.
If they still are there i'll post a pic.
Title: Re: SmartMedia-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: Hodgkinson on January 12, 2008, 08:27:53 PM
Yeah, OK, smart media then :-) My mistake

The adaptor itself is an interesting solution to allowing memory cards to work on a computer without taking the case off or having working USB.

Still think it would be nice to have one of these working on a miggy, though.
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: Jeff_HxC on January 12, 2008, 10:31:58 PM
Quote
Let the floppy drive die ... instead a better idea would be an SD-Card reader that replaces the mechanical disk drive, and plugs directly into the Disk Drive cable


this already exist :
(http://jeanfrancoisdelnero.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/Working_MCUStandAlone_HxCFloppyEmulator.jpg)[
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: alexh on January 12, 2008, 11:41:12 PM
If any developer who has worked on these homebrew "floppy disk emulators" is interested in working together to bring one of these to the market I feel they could be made commercially viable.

Especially if it targetted towards multiple platforms (Amiga, AtariST, Spectrum, C64, CPC, BBC etc.) and includes support for protected disk formats.

I would certainly be interested in offering technical and hardware assistance, together with commercial expertise and manufacturing contacts on how to turn this into a real, saleable product.

I have many ideas in this area which could reduce the BOM considerably and improve usability.
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: monami on January 12, 2008, 11:43:34 PM
please get together guys. i hate to see these projects go nowhere... they always seem to get half finished then just die. :-(
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: metalman on January 13, 2008, 12:17:58 AM
Quote
bloodline wrote:
What a horribly complex device!!! :-o

Let the floppy drive die ... instead a better idea would be an SD-Card reader that replaces the mechanical disk drive, and plugs directly into the Disk Drive cable :-)


Addonics SD to IDE Adapters (http://www.addonics.com/products/cf_adapter/)

Addonics flash memory readers (http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/)

Do these type devices exist for SCSI?
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: cv643d on January 13, 2008, 12:50:14 AM
Can you buy "this" anywhere?
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: ZeBeeDee on January 13, 2008, 02:49:46 AM
Quote

cv643d wrote:
Can you buy "this" anywhere?


It seems that it may be a possibility to purchase this or something like it in the future should, as alexh said earlier and I quote ...

Quote

alexh wrote:
I would certainly be interested in offering technical and hardware assistance, together with commercial expertise and manufacturing contacts on how to turn this into a real, saleable product.

I have many ideas in this area which could reduce the BOM considerably and improve usability.
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: LoadWB on January 13, 2008, 04:56:48 AM
Quote
metalman wrote:

Addonics SD to IDE Adapters (http://www.addonics.com/products/cf_adapter/)

Addonics flash memory readers (http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/)

Do these type devices exist for SCSI?


I supposed you could use one of those with a SCSI-to-IDE adapter.  Wow, wouldn't that be amazingly complex...
Title: Re: SD-Floppy adaptor ... Amiga device drivers ???
Post by: metalman on January 13, 2008, 10:12:03 AM
Quote

LoadWB wrote:
Quote
metalman wrote:

Addonics SD to IDE Adapters (http://www.addonics.com/products/cf_adapter/)

Addonics flash memory readers (http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_memory_reader/)

Do these type devices exist for SCSI?


I supposed you could use one of those with a SCSI-to-IDE adapter.  Wow, wouldn't that be amazingly complex...


Searching finds the following:

Dual ports or single port IDE to SCSI adapter (68 pin) (http://www.addonics.com/products/io/ad2idesc.asp)

SCSI to IDE/SATA/USB/FW Adapters (http://www.pc-pitstop.com/scsi_ide_adapters/)

This model converts 40pin IDE to 50pin Male SCSI interface.
ACARD SCSI to IDE Adapter, Model AEC-7720U (http://www.pc-pitstop.com/scsi_ide_adapters/aec7720u.asp)

SFF IDE to Compact Flash Adapter (http://www.acscontrol.com/Index_ACS.asp?Page=/Pages/Products/CompactFlash/SFF_IDE_To_CF_Adapter.htm)

The next question would be if you can format it as a bootable drive. Both devices claim to be transparent and require no drivers.