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avatar_anyf33

PCW 8256 AND HXC?

Started by anyf33, 19:41, 26 April 16

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anyf33

i am asking a question for a friend who bought a amstrad pcw 8256.
is it possible to connect a gotek usb with hxc ?
or my favorite 6128 usb for piotr?
i know the second maybe more difficult


i am thinking also for a 3,5 drive will be good.


Token

Hi
I did connect a Gotek HxC on a PCW 8512 mainboard. Not perfect but it works. It require the indexed mode in the setting and "DSKA000X.HFE" type of name.

Gryzor

Quote from: anyf33 on 19:41, 26 April 16
i am asking a question for a friend


Come on, nothing to be ashamed of :D

anyf33

I dont feel like that . but thank you. i wrote that because i dont have a pcw and this amstrad pcw is at united states! if it was in Greece i believe it was easier to help...

Gryzor

I'm teasing you mate, relax :)

Shinju_PCW-8256

#5
Hello!

I am the friend who this post was originally made for :)

Quick and dirty, I found this PCW-8256 in a CRT junk pile and I saved it.  I bought a PCW-9512 Keyboard as the 8256 was with out its K/B and after reading John Elliott's Wiki the 9512 K/B is compatible.

Anyway, being that I am in the states and this was released here and marketed as a Word Processor, game software is damn near impossible to find stateside.

I would like to outfit this with a HxC floppy emulator programmed Gotek drive and go that route.

I see Token above as said he got one to work but its not 100%?  Could you give me more details on what you did and how you got the HxC drive working?

I repaired the 3" drive with a new belt and I am waiting for some disks I bought to test it.

It powers up and turns on, just waiting to be used!

Thank you in advance!



-j

Shinju_PCW-8256

Bump this up!

Itching to play some games on this bad boy!

Token

#7
I did a ZIP, so have fun :D
TinyUpload.com - best file hosting solution, with no limits, totaly free
Just check HXCSDFE.CFG with the HxC editor, I have no other solution. Sure I would prefer a PCW HxC manager.

Shinju_PCW-8256

Token,

Thank you for the ZIP!

This is the drive I am thinking about getting, would this HxC drive work on the PCW?

Again THANK YOU! :)

-j

Token

It works with my HxC Gotek or HxC slim :)
Cheers! 

Token

But there are few modifications to do in intern. Exactly like an internal Gotek or 3.5" inside a 6128.

Shinju_PCW-8256

#11
Token:

I assume you  mean outfit a 34pin cable to fit both the 26 pin and 34pin connections?

Oh and I realized I forgot to link the auction for the drive.

HXC Floppy Emulator Programmed Gotek Drive Free US Shipping | eBay

Token

That's it. Also beware with 5V/12V, it's only 5V on the Gotek, so just invert the plug.

michomis

Quote from: Token on 18:24, 10 May 16
I did a ZIP, so have fun :D
TinyUpload.com - best file hosting solution, with no limits, totaly free
Just check HXCSDFE.CFG with the HxC editor, I have no other solution. Sure I would prefer a PCW HxC manager.

I have asked one person by e-mail, and wait for respond, but I thought I will ask globaly as well.

I have gotek with HxC soft installed (I am using it with cpc 6128 with no problem) but I cannot force it to work with PCW8256. I have loaded dedicated PCW autoboot selector (from Habi I think?), and I've tried different config files made by HxC Manager, but nothing happens. It switches to 000 and wait with empty green screen, like disk was never inserted.
The same PCW works with standard HxC emulator with no problem by the way.

Oh, and cfg file from that post is missing, maybe it will work?

Token

Quote from: michomis on 21:11, 13 March 18
I have asked one person by e-mail, and wait for respond, but I thought I will ask globaly as well.

I have gotek with HxC soft installed (I am using it with cpc 6128 with no problem) but I cannot force it to work with PCW8256. I have loaded dedicated PCW autoboot selector (from Habi I think?), and I've tried different config files made by HxC Manager, but nothing happens. It switches to 000 and wait with empty green screen, like disk was never inserted.
The same PCW works with standard HxC emulator with no problem by the way.

Oh, and cfg file from that post is missing, maybe it will work?

There's autoboot mode and Habi's manager (16 slots) https://www.amstrad.es/forum/download/file.php?id=4496&sid=8bc170a88abd55860399422e5cb4eb2d

Then indexed mode, first slot must be a file called "DSKA0000.HFE", then "DSKA0001.HFE" etc. (I think it's the best mode to test since the CFG is pretty simple, just enable indexed mode)

I don't use it anymore since I made the 16x2 LCD mod and 3rd "JB" button and use normal mode with much more slots, no manager. Instead other mode, no need a CFG file.

Lately I made it cleaner, inside the Gotek case instead the 3 digit LED, using the 128x32 OLED screen. It require the very last firmware to work without bugs. I installed V3_1_16_3a. It's now really a pleasure to use my PCW.

I don't remember what I setted on the Gotek Jumper but it should not be a problem to find it under any mode.

michomis

#15
Quote from: Token on 01:34, 14 March 18

Then indexed mode, first slot must be a file called "DSKA0000.HFE", then "DSKA0001.HFE" etc. (I think it's the best mode to test since the CFG is pretty simple, just enable indexed mode)


Maybe I am missing something here but that is what I do:

1. I use HxCFloppyEmulator software v2.1.8.0 and make CFG file with indexed mode and autoboot option for autoboot.hfe file.
2. Put on USB stick 2 files - this CFG file, and AUTOBOOT.HFE from Habi. And games of course.
3. Turn on gotek with HXC software on board. It shows 000
4. Turn PCW8256.

Then nothing happens. Oh, and I have tried both jumper settings.

If I make the same route, with the same files with SD HxC floppy emulator from Lotharek, all works fine, AUTOBOOT.HFE (Habi selector) is loaded automatically. Cannot test more, becasue I am still missing keyboard.

I am not sure where I should use those names DSKA0000.HFE. On game files names? If I load with SD emulator, they load fine without changing names.

Token

Try to test CP/M or Batman.

In autoboot mode it should work with your CFG file if you remove indexed mode.

In indexed mode as well if you remove everything in autoboot section and you rename the file  DSKA0000.HFE



michomis

Quote from: Token on 17:17, 14 March 18
Try to test CP/M or Batman.

In autoboot mode it should work with your CFG file if you remove indexed mode.

In indexed mode as well if you remove everything in autoboot section and you rename the file  DSKA0000.HFE

Tested both. Sorry, no luck yet.
Have tried with indexed mode, and names DSKA0001.HFE to DSKA0003.HFE for Habi's selector, cpm and batman.
Have tried all 3 files renamed to AUTOBOOT.HFE with indexed option off, and autoboot setting on in HxC software.

Maybe my gotek is faulty or something. Works with Amiga though.

Token

Indexed mode, with just the CFG and DSKA0000.HFE (batman or cpm)

Autoboot mode, it can be the manager (Habi's selector, or Batman and any other (but then there's only slot 000)

I found this on my hard disk, it should work if you unzip on a blank USB key.
https://ufile.io/amyu8

The CFG file must be the oldest file on the root.

michomis

Quote from: Token on 20:26, 14 March 18
Indexed mode, with just the CFG and DSKA0000.HFE (batman or cpm)

Autoboot mode, it can be the manager (Habi's selector, or Batman and any other (but then there's only slot 000)


No luck here as well.

Quote from: Token on 20:26, 14 March 18

I found this on my hard disk, it should work if you unzip on a blank USB key.
https://ufile.io/amyu8

The CFG file must be the oldest file on the root.

When I do this, nothing happens, and I cannot even change files with gotek buttons, it only shows hXc on digits. When I put additional file named DSKA0000.HFE to Your collection, I can change files with button, but still green screen on PCW and no loading process. Tried with couple pendrives.

After this I started to mess up with jumpers, after I've found this: https://torlus.com/floppy/forum/download/file.php?id=1077

I made jumper on motor Select, and it worked! It loads autoboot on start.

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