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avatar_radu14m

Floppy disk emulator, HXC, CF card adapter

Started by radu14m, 12:41, 31 March 13

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radu14m

I was curios about the HxC Floppy emulator, so that i almost was so far to order one.
Fortunately i saw him working on the CPC6128 ( youtube), and i do not like it anymore...
Reason: For every application, you must always mount it, and then restart the CPC. To many restarts...
Is there any other way to avoid this restarts ? Maybe some of you here have this HxC, so that i appreciate you opinion. ::) 
Why is not possible to see the entyre SD card content, and to choose the file directly ?
Afaik this is the only available and 100% working solution for the CPC...or ?
What about this solution ? : http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?t=43228
What do you recomend me ?
P.S. I know Zetr0 did the IDE adapter for the amstrad +3 spectrum, so i hope that he will develop one as well for the CPC.

db6128

Quote from: radu14m on 12:41, 31 March 13i do not like it anymore...
Reason: For every application, you must always mount it, and then restart the CPC. To many restarts...
I do not own an HxC, but I have read quite a bit about it, and I never heard of it being true that the HxC requires reboots between changing (ejecting and inserting) virtual disks.

QuoteWhy is not possible to see the entyre SD card content, and to choose the file directly ?
What file? The image file? Those can be selected using the buttons on the HxC itself or by choosing the image within the dedicated software programmed for the CPC.

QuoteAfaik this is the only available and 100% working solution for the CPC...or ?
As far as I know, it has been the only emulator that supports the raw non-IBM formats used by the Amstrad's floppy controllers.

QuoteWhat about this solution ? : http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?t=43228
Far more information would be needed to be provided by the seller before anyone should take a gamble on the product, even for 25 EUR. Look at this:
Quote1,44Mb IBM and CP-M support.
What does this mean? It works with 1.44 MB IBM disks and 1.44 MB CP/M disks, or 720 kB CP/M disks, or 180 kB CP/M disks, or what? This is why the seller should provide more information. Notice also the lack of any definitive statement as to whether it does or does not work with Spectrums, Amstrads, etc., even despite being advertised on a forum for such systems.
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 13:04, 27 February 12
Quote from: ukmarkh on 11:38, 27 February 12[The owner of one of the few existing cartridges of Chase HQ 2] mentioned to me that unless someone could find a way to guarantee the code wouldn't be duplicated to anyone else, he wouldn't be interested.
Did he also say things like "My treasureeeeee" and is he a little grey guy?

Gryzor

No restarts are needed. The HxC has several slots (I forget how many, because it's more than you'll need) into which you insert your disk image files. You then boot into BASIC or whatever. 1 boot. Then you can switch between the pre-inserted images by using the buttons on the HxC, on the fly.


Believe me, well worth the money.

dcdrac

#3
if there was a cleaner way to accomplish the same thing I would go for it, cleaner in say you have a 664/6128 with a dead drive and use the drive bay to insert one of these hxc drives ready loaded with images from a pc download, that plugs straight into the drive bay using the original ribbon cable and power source, and a similar thing for cartridges, just do not know if that's a practical propistion though for either.

MartinW

Would I be right in thinking that the whole slot thing applies to the HxC when using the Amstrad host software? Which, at the end of the day is what you would use if you bought the slim version without the display. I have so far assumed that if you buy the version with the display then you can just browse and select all the files on the SD card directly on the unit itself?

Is that all correct or not? I don't own one but am looking at getting one at some point. I just need to sell some stuff first since they're not cheap! I do like the fact that it would work with other systems too should I decide to also try stuff like the Amiga or ST.

robcfg

Quote from: dcdrac on 10:02, 01 April 13
if there was a cleaner way to accomplish the same thing I would go for it, cleaner in say you have a 664/6128 with a dead drive and use the drive bay to insert one of these hxc drives ready loaded with images from a pc download, that plugs straight into the drive bay using the original ribbon cable and power source, and a similar thing for cartridges, just do not know if that's a practical propistion though for either.


You can go for the cased HxC Rev F from Lotharek, and put it in your 664/6128 drive bay. You could use your internal cable/power supply but you'll have to do some modding, the same way you'd have to do it if you changed your 3" drive for a 3.5" one.

MartinW

How do you make a 3.5" drive casing (HxC in this case) physically fit inside a 6128?

radu14m


MartinW

It needs someone that actually owns one to chime in and confirm but I just read in the manual (can be downloaded from their site) that basically if you choose to use the host software then yes, you use the host software to load up the disk images into slots and then when it reboots the buttons on the HxC navigate from slot to slot as per the video. The manual doesn't say how many slots there are from what I can see.

But...

If you buy the full version (not the slim version) with the screen then the use of that software is entirely optional and you can instead navigate directly through the SD card's file system with the buttons on the front instead which then doesn't need any reboots.

I'd like this confirmed too since I wouldn't want to HAVE to use that software - though I might if I got to the point of having a lot of discs.

robcfg

Quote from: MartinW on 13:12, 01 April 13
How do you make a 3.5" drive casing (HxC in this case) physically fit inside a 6128?


You can see it here, obviously skipping the ParaDOS mod.


And no, you don't need to use the host software. Also, think that the HxC works on a lot of different machines, but not all of them have native software for handling the images...

dcdrac

Just saw this on ebay if something like this could be made for the CPC would definitely get one

C64 Style SD2IEC Commodore 1541 Disk Drive Emulation SD Card Reader Vic20 C128 |

Gryzor

@dcdrac: not sure what you want to accomplish - you throw in a few things; inserting the HxC to the CPC's case is a totally different story, but is of course feasible. "loaded with images from a pc download"=??? There's the HxC USB version, too, but of course the SD one is much easier to use. How would you imagine the image downloading would work? Also, the HxC does take its power from the monitor cabling (you need an extra cable)

It's as simple as it can get, really. If I read your posts correctly you'd like to have all your disk images at hand and access them at will - that's not possible with any solution. But as I said, it provides slots aplenty (16???), you won't need them all before rebooting...

@MartinW: you use the host software to insert images to the slots, the presense of the screen doesn't affect this (IIRC you can't browse the SD's FS with the screen+buttons). the procedure you describe in your last post is what I said earlier - you use the software to assign images to slots, then use the hardware keys to switch the active image.

Then, of course, let's not forget that NoRecess also made a really nice manager for the HxC: HxC Floppy Emulator Manager - NoRecess/Condense . (Also, if you've got a ROM manager, having his QCMD file manager makes working with the CPC more of a joy. A real gem!).

For internal placement, look at these links:
HxC Standalone Floppy Emulator - CPCWiki
HxC SDCard Internal - CPCWiki
and also for general info: Guide for HxC SD Version - CPCWiki

dcdrac

what I am driving at if is even remotely possible is something like the HXC, but it can be plugged straight into the expansion port where the old external floppy would be plugged into, have slots for sds and a usb port  to plug into a PC if needed.

Gryzor

I still don't get it.


The HxC *does* connect to the external drive port.
There *is* a USB version that is vastly inferior to the SD one, as much more cumbersome to use.
There *is* an SD version.
There is *not* a version combining the two, because... why do it???

dcdrac

so to be absolutley  clear
1. The HXC SD version uses the old CPC ribbon cable to connect to the edge connector just like the old  external drives used to it gets its power from an external supply and all I have to do is, put in an sd and it reads it just like the floppy would have been.
1. I can put a .dsk image on it and the CPC will just see it as it would have done if it was a physical floppy so I type CAT then get for instance Gryzor come up and if I type run"Gryzor it will run?
I just want to be clear before I shell out for it you just been cautious

Gryzor

1. Correct. You don't need an external power supply though, you can draw power from the monitor->CPC cable. You can build an adapter or buy one off eBay (they're pretty nice)
2. correct, the nice thing with the HxC solution is that, for all intents and purposes, the computer sees it as a disk drive. So you operate it just like one (after you have loaded some dsk images).


Extra bonus: the CPC is just one of the many machines the HxC works with. On the ST they've even turned the SD into a HDD!

dcdrac

Will wait for pay day then get one of these and a power adapter can you recommend one?

db6128

#17
Quote from: dcdrac on 22:38, 01 April 13so to be absolutley  clear
1. The HXC SD version uses the old CPC ribbon cable to connect to the edge connector just like the old  external drives used to it gets its power from an external supply and all I have to do is, put in an sd and it reads it just like the floppy would have been.
In contrast to Gryzor, I have to say no. As was already answered earlier in the thread, an different cable/adaptor is needed to convert the 26-pin interface of the CPC to the 34-pin interface of modern floppy drives/emulators, whether the drive is to be used externally or internally. If the latter, chances are you will want to create some sort of housing around the 3.5" drive as the original 3" bay is larger. ikonsgr registered here and on eBay sells very good cables for connecting 34-pin drives to the CPC; I can recommend the external cable from personal experience, and I imagine he could put together an internal one (if it's different).
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 13:04, 27 February 12
Quote from: ukmarkh on 11:38, 27 February 12[The owner of one of the few existing cartridges of Chase HQ 2] mentioned to me that unless someone could find a way to guarantee the code wouldn't be duplicated to anyone else, he wouldn't be interested.
Did he also say things like "My treasureeeeee" and is he a little grey guy?

Bryce

Quote from: db6128 on 23:09, 01 April 13
In contrast to Gryzor, I have to say no. As was already answered earlier in the thread, an different cable/adaptor is needed to convert the 26-pin interface of the CPC to the 34-pin interface of modern floppy drives/emulators, whether the drive is to be used externally or internally. If the latter, chances are you will want to create some sort of housing around the 3.5" drive as the original 3" bay is larger. ikonsgr registered here and on eBay sells very good cables for connecting 34-pin drives to the CPC; I can recommend the external cable from personal experience, and I imagine he could put together an internal one (if it's different).

Eh, no. He asked about external connection, ie: using the connector on the back on the CPC, not the 26way connector inside.
So...

If you want to use the HxC internally, then you'll need a cable to convert the 26pin to 34pin. This one: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:Internal_HxC_Cable.png and you'll need to swap the wires on the 5V/12V connector inside the CPC.
If you want to use the HxC externally, then you can use the same cable / powersupply you'd use for an external  3.5in dirve, which you can get on ebay.

No re-booting is necessary when using the HxC. Unless of course you've started a game that doesn't allow a soft-reset when you've finished playing it.

Bryce.

robcfg


Quote
so to be absolutley  clear [/size]1. The HXC SD version uses the old CPC ribbon cable to connect to the edge connector just like the old  external drives used to it gets its power from an external supply and all I have to do is, put in an sd and it reads it just like the floppy would have been.1. I can put a .dsk image on it and the CPC will just see it as it would have done if it was a physical floppy so I type CAT then get for instance Gryzor come up and if I type run"Gryzor it will run?I just want to be clear before I shell out for it you just been cautious


Yes and almost yes.


The images have to be converted to a special format for the HxC to be used, but the PC software that comes with the HxC can batch convert all the files you need.

Gryzor

Quote from: db6128 on 23:09, 01 April 13
In contrast to Gryzor, I have to say no.


As Bryce said, I didn't say anything about ribbon conversions.

db6128

Quote from: Bryce on 08:38, 02 April 13If you want to use the HxC externally, then you can use the same cable / powersupply you'd use for an external  3.5in dirve, which you can get on ebay.
Quote from: Gryzor on 10:21, 02 April 13As Bryce said, I didn't say anything about ribbon conversions.
A conversion will be necessary if dcdrac does not already possess an external 3.5" drive with its own specific cable, something that has never been indicated as affirmative or negative in the preceding posts.
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 13:04, 27 February 12
Quote from: ukmarkh on 11:38, 27 February 12[The owner of one of the few existing cartridges of Chase HQ 2] mentioned to me that unless someone could find a way to guarantee the code wouldn't be duplicated to anyone else, he wouldn't be interested.
Did he also say things like "My treasureeeeee" and is he a little grey guy?

Gryzor

Well, true, though this is not HxC-specific.


Speaking of cables, here's what one will need:
hxc amstrad | eBay


I see some new seller from Austria has entered the game, but he's quite expensive.



I guess the best solution comes from our very own ikonsgr: AMSTRAD / SPECTRUM +3 KIT:RIBBON CABLE AND PSU FOR 3,5" FLOPPY DRIVE OR HxC EMU


His cable has a couple of extras thrown in, too :)

db6128

Indeed, it's a very good cable, as I recommended earlier from personal experience. ikonsgr's tech support over email was very helpful, too.
Quote from: Devilmarkus on 13:04, 27 February 12
Quote from: ukmarkh on 11:38, 27 February 12[The owner of one of the few existing cartridges of Chase HQ 2] mentioned to me that unless someone could find a way to guarantee the code wouldn't be duplicated to anyone else, he wouldn't be interested.
Did he also say things like "My treasureeeeee" and is he a little grey guy?

dcdrac

#24
took the plunge got the power adapter and the HXC

Power adapter

AMSTRAD / SPECTRUM +3 KIT:RIBBON CABLE AND PSU FOR 3,5" FLOPPY DRIVE OR HxC EMU

Once I got it I will write a complete novices/newbies guide an a b c join the dots
I have an old copy of Bonzo Supper Meddler and Hackpack would this work with transferring tape games to the SD?

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