Floppy emulator

[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! :-)

[PeterSieg]

Hi tnt23.

Great project! I'am looking forward, that you hopefully release your great project files in a not so far future ;-) ?

I really would like to build one or more of these devices. I prefer DIL package, but SMD is also a possibility.

So if you use eagle as the layout software, the smd avr could be easily replaced with a dip avr and a new board routed..

I have just placed an order at pcbcart in china.. I will know
in 2 weeks, how the quality is ;-) The price in quite cheap!


Many thanks,
Peter

[PeterSieg]

So.. another dead project..?
Too bad! Why do we have 2 projects, and with both, it takes weeks to get an answer, if you get one at all..?

BTW:
The pcb's ordered from china where excellent quality for an unbeatable price.. just to let one know.. (pcbcart.com).

Peter

[alexh]

I think there are 3 projects

[JLPedro]

  This is an awsome project! Great work.

  I want two of them!!! When ill it be available (extimate) and how mutch is it expected to cost?

[orange]

I'd like parallel port version and driver so that card is seen as HDD.

[alexh]

Get making it then. I've not had a parallel port on any of my last two motherboards. No-one is going to make parallel port designs these days are they?

[InTheSand]

alenppc wrote:
I admit I never ever heard of this feature before. :-o But how is it possible? The file systems are completely incompatible

Ah, you never experienced the ST Amiga Format coverdisks!

I'm not 100% sure of the technical details, but believe the ST side of things was to mark the disk as single-sided and any Amiga-specific tracks/sectors as "bad" as far as the ST was concerned.

Likewise for the Amiga, it was marked to use the other side of the disk and the ST tracks/sectors as "bad".

It also helped that the Amiga would look at track 40 for its directory, etc, whereas the ST would look at track zero.

Something like that, anyway! It was a long time ago!

 - Ali

[_ThEcRoW]

Any news on the project?

[easy_john]

It work very well to me.
Read all dos and non dos from .adf images.
Write to .mfm images (save games, temp files, etc)
Work good in my 600/1200, and with 4000 (only in external box at this time).

[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.

[PeterSieg]

ok, so the way I see it at the moment is:



I did not include TFE - I don't understand the language ;-) and it don't seem to be ready for consideration..

So, since I am seeking for Amiga usage, the HxC and SDiskEmul are the best options/projects.. Hopefully at HxC the release of pcb layout files will be not so far in the future..
There seems to be an odering of devices in progress of SDiskEmul right now!!
MegaDrive seems to be dead to me.. too bad!!
And SVD ist just fine, but no Amiga format supported..

Peter

[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 !

[PeterSieg]

Hi Jeff.

Thank you for the corrections. I didn't want to upset you and your great project!

You said:
"the PCB of the USB version are available from 1 or 2 years!"

Yes, but in a format, that one can make oneself a single copy with printing on photo-pcb and using chemicals and drilling holes at the end..
That ist not what I ment.. I ment in a format that a pcb manufacturer can directly use (eagle/gerber).

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)

So for me, I am only able to start to ask for pcb prices when I have a suitable format.. So I hope, that you are releasing them when you find some time..

Many thanks for your work!

Peter

[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!

[tnt23]

@PeterSig

To the best of my knowledge, last updates on Megadrive have been reported early in 2008. Probably it is worth mentioning in your table