NoRecess - HxC Floppy Emulator Manager V2.3 released

[NewsBot]

HxC Floppy Emulator Manager V2.3 released
22 September 2011, 6:44 am

 Version 2.3 of HxC Floppy Emulator Manager just got released here. It's now faster to launch, spaces in directory names can now be used, and the user interface is now using the default system font with new color scheme (aligned to ParaDOS and QuickCMD's ones). As previous releases, ROM version is also available. If you experience issues with the software, please report them on the cpcwiki's dedicated thread. Your feedback is important to us ! :)




Source: NoRecess {the website} - News

[Gryzor]

Woo-hoo! Downloading right away!

Now, how about a two-pane file explorer?

(actually it would be really useful here)

[Gryzor]

Actually, it still doesn't work; it gives me a [72] error, I think it doesn't recognize HxC (which, of course, is working perfectly)

[Edit] I'm talking about the ROM, the disk-based version is fine.

[norecess]

@Gryzor Please use the one in the HXC23ROM.HFE and let me know how it works for you. I played like crazy yesterday with those files and that was OK, but I suspect the standalone HXC23.ROM file being eventually corrupted. So just let me know if you used the one in the HXC23ROM.HFE or not 

[Gryzor]

That's the one I tried, actually... the ready-made HFE containing the ROM.

Just to clarify, my HxC board is |B .

[norecess]

OK so there is an issue, which is weird since I just double-checked on my real CPC (downloaded the archive, tested it out) and it worked fine. I will check that this evening..

[Gryzor]

Ah darn...

Well, I'm willing to help if I can, if you're interested we could have a chat this evening, even maybe a get-together through Google vid chat or something...

[Bryce]

if you're interested we could have a chat this evening, even maybe a get-together through Google vid chat or something...

And who said romance is dead? It's alive and blossoming right here on our wiki

Bryce.

[norecess]

Well I hate this kind of situation actually, you know, when it perfectly works at home and it don't somewhere else.. grr.


@Gryzor I prefer not putting me lots of pressure on this, but I promise to contact you sooner or later this week to try to solve the issue


@Others please try this ROM / disc-based version and let me know how it works for you..


Thanks!

[Gryzor]

Well, what can I say, with Maritina away I've been feeling lonely... (plus, actually, we discovered how nice and simple Google chat is ).

@norecess: I understand mate, no pressure

Anyone else has some feedback?

[norecess]

BTW - did you install latest firmware version ?

[Gryzor]

1.6.0 I think, there hasn't been a new one for months, no?

[TFM]

Thanks for the release! Cool! But don't wait too long for releasing 2.4 because 23 is a bad number ;-)

EDIT: NoRecess, please use a full 16 KB ROM, then you can install a checksum in byte &FFFF. You can use the ROManager to create such a checksum. This way it's possible to check if your ROM is corrupted or not. You can even implement a routine it the ROM itself that checks for the own integrity.

The checksum is calculated by adding the contents of addresses &C000 to (including) &FFFE. The result is an 8 bit value and will be stored at &FFFF.

[norecess]

@gryzor Your firmware version is recent enough


I will try to fix and release new version asap. I will release this only when I will get the go from Gryzor. Actually, this gives me a good lesson : next time I will send new version to beta-testers first to make sure it's ok everywhere.


I understand the concept of checksum but why/how exactly a ROM could be corrupted? unless if you are a developer, it's not possible from a user-perspective to corrupt a ROM.. or am I wrong?

[TFM]

I understand the concept of checksum but why/how exactly a ROM could be corrupted? unless if you are a developer, it's not possible from a user-perspective to corrupt a ROM.. or am I wrong?

No, you're right! But on the other hand one could imagine the the process of Burning an Eprom or Flashing a Flash could introduce errors. Further Eproms or Flash chips could loose just by accident (some bear evil gremnins inside) a bit. And a corrupted bit is enought to perform a lot of troubles (we saw that in the movie Tron). Even on a CPC a RET can become a JP or whatever. Furthermore if a ROM is stored on an disc, also the disc may get corrupted due to passing time. And without a checksum - well - you're done! 

No critics, just comments! 

[norecess]

Last news : the HxC ROM never worked actually for Gryzor (even latest versions). I have to track down what his config has so special.


Anyway, if you had previous ROM versions working on your CPC then it's safe to install the 2.3 ROM.

[TFM]

Maybe in Gryzors case it's a problem of the hardware or an incompatibility of the HxC and the SD card. Gryzor,  I remember that you already used different SD cards, right?!? So the problem seems not to be due to the card. Can you use another HxC? Another point, do you have some wired expansions at your CPC (probably not ;-)).

Good luck for both of you!!!

[norecess]

More on the investigation...


It's really safe for all of you to use and abuse of ROM version !!


The issue occurs when using DRIVE B + ROM version (which is, let's admit it, about 2%-5% of total CPC users?


Anyway, I will try to bugfix the thing - this never got reported actually - but it's far from preventing you to use the software.

[Gryzor]

Norecess beat me to it; the program works flawlessly if I set HxC as A: . So it's not the SD card (yes, TFM, you remember correctly, though I haven't had any issues in ages now, thankfully!).

Anyone else who uses HxC as B: can confirm?

[norecess]

I have been able to reproduce the exact Gryzor's context... drive B & HXC Manager executed from ROM = error 72. Will fix that before the end of this day, I promise

[CanonMan]

I have been able to reproduce the exact Gryzor's context... drive B & HXC Manager executed from ROM = error 72. Will fix that before the end of this day, I promise

I've had the exact same problem too, as I use the HxC as drive B with the 3" drive still connected as drive A.

I'd be well pleased if you could fix it 

[TFM]

I have been able to reproduce the exact Gryzor's context... drive B & HXC Manager executed from ROM = error 72. Will fix that before the end of this day, I promise

Thank's a lot!!! (I intend to use both of my two HxC's as B drives, to be able to use 0.7 MB Vortex format)

A version number 23 can't bring luck ;-)

[Terje_Norway]

Hi,


I have the same setup as Gryzor and CanonMan ! ! !


Previous versions of the HxC ROM hasn't been working so fare. Did update the ROM to version 2.3 earlier today, and have found something odd 
1.) Restarting the CPC and typing "|HXC" gives me the following error "ERROR: Floppy Access error! [72]". This occurs with or without a disc in drive A:
2.) Restarting the CPC and typing "|B:|HXC" works 100 %. No error or any problems at all. The result is the same with or without a disc in drive A:


Based on these observations, I have a small theory.
1.) Disc version. When You are running the HxC software from disc, You first have to specify witch disc drive You are running it from. Drive "A:" or "B:".
      If You have the file on drive B, you starts it like "|B:RUN"HXC". No problem ! ! !
2.) ROM version. When starting HxC it looks for the config files on the default disc drive. (Default drive is A:) It doesn't find these files, and gives an error.
3.) IF someone has HxC as drive "A:", and a REAL disc drive as "B:" this would probably also occur to them if they tried "|B:|HXC"


Yours


Terje Grind
NORWAY

[norecess]

Lol, thank you.. I just also found out the real problem 5 minutes reading you


As you mentioned (it's a pity I did not think about this before !!!) the manager got run from drive A, so it tries to detect the HxC in this current drive...


If current drive is B, then.. it will work


I have a solution for this (auto-detection whatever the drive is) I'm just double-checking with Gryzor for that.


Thank you all!

[norecess]

New version has been released fixing this. Wait for the wiki to catch it up (RSS feed), or visit my website..


Many thanks to Gryzor, CanonMan and Terje_Norway : you really helped to make HxC Floppy Emulator Manager even better