FLASH Floppy

[dionisisg]

Hey everyone, i am still in the process of deciding what floppy emulator to use with my CPC (and getting a real working floppy, i might have located one already!) and stumbled upon this


https://solidstatedisks.co.uk/index.php/products/floppy-scsi-ssd-drives/floppyflash-floppy-drive-emulations-1/floppyflash-emulator-to-replace-legacy-floppy-disk-drives-detail


has anyone ever tried this before? based on the specs it should be able to work with the CPC. I will most likely get a GOTEK but still i have to consider all the options. I also have some arduino's and shields laying around and i am exploring the option to build one myself just to see if we can use of the self hardware to build one without the need of specialized hardware through 3rd parties. I found some info about the subject but not a lot, the closest thing i found about this solution is for  an Atari 800 but it should be able work on our CPCs with some sorcery.

[arnoldemu]

Hey everyone, i am still in the process of deciding what floppy emulator to use with my CPC (and getting a real working floppy, i might have located one already!) and stumbled upon this


https://solidstatedisks.co.uk/index.php/products/floppy-scsi-ssd-drives/floppyflash-floppy-drive-emulations-1/floppyflash-emulator-to-replace-legacy-floppy-disk-drives-detail


has anyone ever tried this before? based on the specs it should be able to work with the CPC. I will most likely get a GOTEK but still i have to consider all the options. I also have some arduino's and shields laying around and i am exploring the option to build one myself just to see if we can use of the self hardware to build one without the need of specialized hardware through 3rd parties. I found some info about the subject but not a lot, the closest thing i found about this solution is for  an Atari 800 but it should be able work on our CPCs with some sorcery.

I haven't used one of those before. I use a Gotek.
Have you e-mailed the company to ask them if it is Gotek compatible?
For the CPC, it would need to have a 3.5"/5.25" Shugart compatible firmware on it. The specification does mention that. :)It would also need to support HFE, DSK to make it easier. If not it needs a good image description so a tool can be written to convert into it's file format.

I would expect the flash floppy to work but without re-programming the firmware you may be limited to pc based disc formats which would not be that flexible.
If you can go for a Gotek or a HxC because these are known to work and support the CPC.

[dionisisg]

I haven't used one of those before. I use a Gotek.
Have you e-mailed the company to ask them if it is Gotek compatible?
For the CPC, it would need to have a 3.5"/5.25" Shugart compatible firmware on it. The specification does mention that. :)It would also need to support HFE, DSK to make it easier. If not it needs a good image description so a tool can be written to convert into it's file format.

I would expect the flash floppy to work but without re-programming the firmware you may be limited to pc based disc formats which would not be that flexible.
If you can go for a Gotek or a HxC because these are known to work and support the CPC.

From the link - The FLOPPYFlash is available with SLIM-26, FLAT-34, 5.25" & 8 Shugart edge connector interfaces with full height and half height frames -


It does not say anything about HFE,DSK but i will contact them for more info, if it does work on a CPC it will simply be one more supported emulator to choose from.

[zhulien]

they are cool, i found their 3 sites though don't have any pricing

[dionisisg]

same here, i'm suspecting big bucks as it is marketed as an industrial solution

[Bryce]

Any device that is being advertised as an industrial solution will have to have gone through UL, CE and other compliance testing, making it automatically considerably more expensive than non-industrial solutions.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Can I quote you the next time upper management asks me why a specific device I want to use in the field is "so much more expensive than I can get on eBay"?

[Bryce]

Yes, but surely your upper management are aware the non-certified equipment is always a bad idea in an industrial environment? If not, ask them which is cheaper: The certified equipment or the compensation claim you hit them with when the non-certified equipment injures you or the cost of damage to something else much more expensive?

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

No industrial environments in my field but commercial ones, sure. For instance, they don't seem to understand why you can't use a €200 screen 365*24*7 in a store instead of a €1200 one ("but it doesn't even play TV!") built to last for ages.


Suits me fine, I either decline to do the project or pay something extra to the supplier to provide next day delivery for when (not if) the screen "doesn't work".


PS Also, they don't seem to realise that manufacturers provide their waranties with the "home use only" proviso.

[Cholo]

Hey everyone, i am still in the process of deciding what floppy emulator to use with my CPC (and getting a real working floppy, i might have located one already!) and stumbled upon this


https://solidstatedisks.co.uk/index.php/products/floppy-scsi-ssd-drives/floppyflash-floppy-drive-emulations-1/floppyflash-emulator-to-replace-legacy-floppy-disk-drives-detail


has anyone ever tried this before? based on the specs it should be able to work with the CPC. I will most likely get a GOTEK but still i have to consider all the options. I also have some arduino's and shields laying around and i am exploring the option to build one myself just to see if we can use of the self hardware to build one without the need of specialized hardware through 3rd parties. I found some info about the subject but not a lot, the closest thing i found about this solution is for  an Atari 800 but it should be able work on our CPCs with some sorcery.

Auch, that "Floppyflash" drive looks really outdated with the CF card. The the network connection i guess is interesting though as it seems to allow for remotely change of the img file.


Also this "Floppyflash" hardware shouldnt be confused with the "Flash Floppy"software/firmware for Gotek floppy hardware (i know stating the obvious, but just in case). Of cause perhaps the Floppyflash drive could be used with a Amstrad CPC .. aka a normal 6128/664 or 464+ddi can technically access a DD 720k pc floppy drive with little trouble just needing either software (like Symbos) or Rom (like Parados) or using the CPCDiskXP "Ninja" format disguising a normal amsdos format 180kb inside a 720kb pc image for easy writing on a pc. Anyways the "Flashfloppy" does mention old drives like 5.25" but dosnt mention particular formats like does it do 720kb DD? or do it only do 1,44mb HD that Amstrad tend to have trouble with?


For this very reason .. all the way back before the whole "flash/emulator" thing started.. i got a quite hard to get Gotek DD 720kb pc drive to make sure it was fully compatible (with 720kb pc dos format). Aka unlike the quite common and cheaper HD 1,44mb pc Gotek drive only supported HD 1,44mb pc dos format (and not DD 720kb).


Today i use a Flash floppy modified Gotek drive with my Amiga 500 & is quite happy with it. Got this a bit more expensive version with beeper, display & rotary dial:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amiga-Atari-ST-Amstrad-CPC-GOTEK-FLASH-FLOPPY-OLed-DISPLAY-Rotary-Encoder-8gb/142684978875?hash=item2138affebb:g:9zgAAOSw7nZarTzJ


Of cause you dont really need those extra mods, but the display cuts down on trouble shooting & navigation (like error messages & see file chosen), beeper lets you know the disk is being accessed (and old experienced ears can hear if there is troubles) &  the navigation dial has the added feature of you can click it to eject/insert discs (yes i know, not a feature used often by software but in case you do run into that 0,0001% that need a empty drive then you can do it).


Of cause getting a cheaper version without the mods & just use HxC menu software to choose discs, is probably what most people do. And it cant get much easier than USB.