No HxC Rev C available?

[Bryce]

As mentioned before. The HxC isn't a CPC device, it works on hundreds of devices, which all need different cables / power solutions. It would be completely impractical to offer kits for every device it can be connected to.

Bryce.

[Neil79]

I agree with you Neil79 - it's a great device but it would be nice if it came with the ribbon cable, power cable, etc. I'm fairly new to the CPC scene so it's been a real learning curve trying to figure out where to buy all the extras from!

Yep

As mentioned before. The HxC isn't a CPC device, it works on hundreds of devices, which all need different cables / power solutions. It would be completely impractical to offer kits for every device it can be connected to.

Bryce.

Considering you need to test these devices on other hardware which all have different cables/power etc I don't see how it's impractical, it's just more beneficial to the buyer if given the option. I would've purchased it much sooner had it come with the kit. And yes I know it's not a CPC device

[Bryce]

Why would he need to test the devices on other hardware? When he developed it he probably tried it on a few devices, but after that, I doubt he's connecting them to anything but one PC set up to test them. It was very helpful of Jeff to include specific detailed instructions for the Amstrad, but if he offers cables for the CPC, then he'd soon be asked for cables for Keyboard X, Oscilloscope Y and Sewing machine Z. Where would it end?

It was designed to be Shugart compatible, most of the other machines that it works on have been reported by users and not all tested by Jeff. If you are selling that many devices, you want to have a simple process of packing the same contents every time, adding an address and off it goes. Not checking whether this time it needs cable A or cable B included.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Indeed - plus, I'm pretty sure the percentage of HxC devices sold for use with CPCs is very, very small compared to the total. Heck, I use mine with a CPC, a CPC Plus and a Schneider (different connectors, then), an Amiga and an Atari ST (whose cable is a bitch to make, so extra thanks to Bryce...)

[Neil79]

My make shift container for the HxC using a plastic package which used to have an 60GB EVO SSD drive . Granted it's not the best but it will keep it from being damaged or scratched on the table

[Nich]

Word of caution (bis): HFE files as shown in the HxC manager on your CPC are NOT sorted alphabetically, but rather by date - files added last will be shown first. That's how files are organised on SD cards from what I understand, so unless you want to end up with everything mixed up, first finalise the file organisation on your PC and THEN copy them over to the SD. Alternatively, there are programs that can touch the files' dates on an SD card in alphabetical order so that you see them in, erm, alphabetical order. Do a search here on the forum, it's been discussed before...

Here is a link to Gryzor's recommendations for programs to sort directories.

I'll just add that I use a little Windows program called DriveSort for this purpose.

[Bryce]

Indeed - plus, I'm pretty sure the percentage of HxC devices sold for use with CPCs is very, very small compared to the total. Heck, I use mine with a CPC, a CPC Plus and a Schneider (different connectors, then), an Amiga and an Atari ST (whose cable is a bitch to make, so extra thanks to Bryce...)

The best solution for an ST would be an old SF314 case. That has the right header inside, but it's a bit big just for a HxC, it would only make sense if you could keep a real floppy inside too.

Bryce.

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTEC 8000X mit Tapatalk 2.

[Neil79]

Is there a step by step guide of what to do when the HxC is all connected?


I have all the *.dsk files from gamebase and have made subdirectories and currently batch converting them all to HFE


EDIT : No matter found it Guide for HxC SD Version - CPCWiki 

[Neil79]

Not sure what happened but HxC batch convert just made tons of duplicates increasing my size usage to 3GB over!


Checked the directory of originals and it came up like game_HFE_HFE.HFE with the proper ones being GAME.HFE


Yet the directories A-Z didn't have that problem, spent all night fixing it 

[Token]

Save the HLE files into another folder. 

[Neil79]

Save the HLE files into another folder. 

Wasn't any need to at first as it created the HFE files just fine, but in a subdiretory of a subdirectory it didn't like it and created many many duplicates


All sorted now though, just need to wait for the cables 


F:\A\
F:\A\Originals

[Gryzor]

Yes, the software does that when you tell it to convert a directory - if you set that directory as the target folder you create a loop as it finds the newly created files and processes them again...

As a workflow, I prefer first converting them all from one folder to a new one and then split them into alphabetical folders.

@Nich : ah, DriveSort is what I use myself these days

[Gryzor]

Just updated the wiki page with the information discussed here.

[Neil79]

 

[Neil79]

QUESTION :


I'm looking to buy an SD HC 8GB for the HxC, but does it matter what make and speed?


Maplins UK are selling an 8GB maplins branded one for £8.99 and an 8GB upto 20m/s maplins branded £12.99


EDIT : Sorted got this one below for £7 through Ebay   : SanDisk Ultra 8 GB SD HC" Card upto 30mb/s

[chinnyhill10]

Bit late but NEVER buy cheap SD cards via Ebay. Always use a reputable supplier.


There are a great number of forgeries out there, especially on Ebay where well known brands are involved. Companies in China knocking out visually extremely convincing forgeries and flooding the market with them.


I use SD cards professionally and the only cards I currently buy for that purpose are Sandisk Extreme cards from Amazon who are themselves supplied direct by Sandisk. Are they they best deal? No. But frankly I don't care as I want the piece of mind that I am getting original media.


My HxC has an 8GB Sandisk Ultra card in it.

[Bryce]

SandDisk are the only ones guaranteed to be 100% to spec, so they should work on any properly coded device. As far as speed is concerned, don't spend extra money for a Super-duper-hi-speed-extreme x3Million or whatever, it will have no effect on the speed of the HxC.

Bryce.

[Neil79]

Bit late but NEVER buy cheap SD cards via Ebay. Always use a reputable supplier.

Agreed, same thing is said for the Amiga CF cards as well.


However this was purchased because it was brand new ( second hand purchase )

Sandisk SD memory Card 8 GB Full HD Speed Up To 30 MB/s 200 XBrand New ) reduced the price to £6.99 for a kick sale!

Hopefully it's an original, but nothing was purchased from Hong Kong, straight in the UK 

[Neil79]

SandDisk are the only ones guaranteed to be 100% to spec, so they should work on any properly coded device. As far as speed is concerned, don't spend extra money for a Super-duper-hi-speed-extreme x3Million or whatever, it will have no effect on the speed of the HxC.

Bryce.

Thought as much 


SanDisk are great SD cards

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Thought as much 


SanDisk are great SD cards

This vary a lot... Some series are very good (SanDisk Extreme Series for example, got one since years now and still have very good RW performance). Some SanDisk low cost series are very very bad : Can be destroyed very easily and with very bad WR performance.
Take care when you choose an SD Card (or any others flash based media...)

I have a lot of kind of SD here

[Neil79]

It all arrived, can't wait to test it tonight 

[Gryzor]

SandDisk are the only ones guaranteed to be 100% to spec, so they should work on any properly coded device. As far as speed is concerned, don't spend extra money for a Super-duper-hi-speed-extreme x3Million or whatever, it will have no effect on the speed of the HxC.

Bryce.

Actually my Class 20 pushed my Z80 to 6MHz, so there.

[Neil79]

Having trouble getting it to work, it's all plugged in correctly I believe...


When I first start it all up, the red light just flickers like crazy and when i type run"Hxc it says "bad command"


I've saved a config file with "enable autoboot mode" and "force loading of autoboot.hfe" from the cpc manager

[Token]

Set the jumpers on the slim, 1 & 2 ON (up), other all OFF.

[Neil79]

Set the jumpers on the slim, 1 & 2 ON (up), other all OFF.

OMG YOU'RE THE BOSS!


It worked, huge thanks