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Problems running HxC with new DDI-1 clone and a CPC 464

Started by marioweezer, 15:19, 12 July 14

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marioweezer

Hi everyone.

So sorry to have to ask but I'm having real problems getting my HxC Rev C (cased, black version) to run with the new DDI-1 clone on an Amstrad CPC 464. I'll go through the set up in order:

1. The 2GB SD card is formatted as FAT32 - it has a HXCSDFE.CFG file on there and I've tried it with / without an AUTOBOOT file. The roms have been converted from .DSK to .HFE.

2. I have this power splitter which I bought from eBay - one end goes into the CPC 464 keyboard and the other into the HxC:



3. I have a 5V power supply which came as part of this set - Amstrad CPC 464 Television Connection Kit - this goes into the adapter part of the power splitter and then into the mains. (I've also tried using my original Amstrad MP-1 Module to see if that made a difference).

4.  The DDI-1 clone goes directly into the 'Floppy Disc' slot in the Amstrad CPC keyboard. I have a ribbon cable that was purchased from 'urban retro' on eBay. He has the same equipment as me (including the new DDI-1 clone) and he made the ribbon cable for me after consulting with the maker of the clone. This goes from the DDI-1 clone to the HxC.

5. The jumper position was provided to me by the ribbon cable seller on eBay and he tested it on exactly the same equipment as me. I've tried numerous other positions with no luck:



Once powered up, everything seems to be fine. The DDI-1 clone powers up, the HxC boots up and I can select files, etc. The CPC 464 seems to know a disk drive is connected as it comes up with the Parados message and won't respond to any tape commands. However, once I select a file on the HxC, all three lights permanently stay on (until I eject it by pressing the middle button). The three lights are (from top to bottom) green, red and red.

If I type 'cat' into the CPC 464 it just hangs - absolutely nothing happens. I haven't heard the motor on the HxC once and it just doesn't load anything. The DDI-1 clone is in the Drive A position (left hand side button is positioned to the left so it's Drive A) and the HxC is in Drive A as I set it using the LCD screen.

I've tried the ribbon cable both ways but still the CPC just hangs at the 'cat' command.

I'm at a complete loss with this as I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'll admit, I am very much new to this but I think I've followed all the instructions I've read, and been given by the eBay seller of the ribbon cable / power splitter. I've messaged him to see if he can help but he hasn't come back to me just yet.

Can anyone help? Really sorry if I'm doing something obviously wrong but I'd appreciate any advice you can give me. I've included a few pictures of my setup below that might help.

Thank you so much,

Rob.








Redbug

Just invert the position of the cable.
(Remove the Poka-yoke from one side:p)


I have the same problem 2 days ago :)


PS. Look the red line on the cable from the image of Piotr:


RedBug/Crazy Piri
Crazy Piri's productions are available on itch.io
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marioweezer

Thanks Redbug! So if I just remove the little bump in the middle of this end of the ribbon cable, and put it back in the opposite way (with red colour on the left) it should work? Apologies if I've misunderstood!


Piotr


marioweezer

Thank you so much Redbug and Piotr! I removed the little bump on the end of ribbon cable so it fits the other way round - everything is now working! :D

I can manually select games using the HxC and they load fine. Only slight problem I'm having is when using the AUTOBOOT as I get the error: 'Syntax error in 10'. Anyone have any ideas?

Piotr

HXC slim and soft for amstrad? So after error write goto 20 and press enter, this soft is written for cpc 6128 and basic ver.1.1  464 have basic in version 1.0 and don't accept command on first line.

marioweezer

I'm using the cased Rev C version. I can run V2.5 of the HxC Floppy Emulator Manager but not V3. Does V3 not work on a CPC 464 with only 64kb?

Gryzor

Poka-yoke... hadn't heard the term ever since... probably ever since I wrote my dissertation on Ops Management and TQM...

Redbug

My primary language is french.
It's all I have found for the 'little bump' :)


(And I love the word "Poka-yoke")
RedBug/Crazy Piri
Crazy Piri's productions are available on itch.io
AMSnews.fr, a new french information site about the Amstrad. Be the first to know.

ralferoo


Bryce

Key-way... Where the hell did the word "Poka-yoke" come from??

Bryce.

CraigsBar

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

Bryce

Strange, I've never come across that term although I work in an industry full of them (and with many Japanese colleagues!). The common name here is Keyway.

Bryce.... Waiting for Japanese Colleagues to get back from lunch to ask them :)

Gryzor

Never heard of "keyway" myself, though I learned the Poka-Yoke in Wales (and in numerous english-language books) :D

steve

It is exactly the opposite for me, I have heard of keyway but never before poka-yoke.

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