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 (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.
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 (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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=42), 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.
How do you make a 3.5" drive casing (HxC in this case) physically fit inside a 6128?
here are the rebooting stepts clearly visible:
Amstrad CPC SDCard HxC Floppy Emulator Manager (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnyC5te6Mn0#)
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.
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 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/cpc6128-parados-and-internal-3-5'-floppy-drive-mod/), 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...
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 | (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C64-Style-SD2IEC-Commodore-1541-Disk-Drive-Emulation-SD-Card-Reader-Vic20-C128-/330897769058?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item4d0b0b4262)
@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 (http://www.norecess.net/hxc-floppy-emulator-manager.html) . (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 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/HxC_Standalone_Floppy_Emulator)
HxC SDCard Internal - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/HxC_SDCard_Internal)
and also for general info: Guide for HxC SD Version - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Guide_for_HxC_SD_Version)
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.
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???
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
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!
Will wait for pay day then get one of these and a power adapter can you recommend one?
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: 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 (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.
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.
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.
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.
Well, true, though this is not HxC-specific.
Speaking of cables, here's what one will need:
hxc amstrad | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0&_nkw=hxc+amstrad&_sacat=0&_from=R40)
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 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMSTRAD-SPECTRUM-3-KIT-RIBBON-CABLE-AND-PSU-FOR-3-5-FLOPPY-DRIVE-OR-HxC-EMU-/121075507189?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item1c30a99ff5)
His cable has a couple of extras thrown in, too :)
Indeed, it's a very good cable, as I recommended earlier from personal experience. ikonsgr's tech support over email was very helpful, too.
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 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMSTRAD-SPECTRUM-3-KIT-RIBBON-CABLE-AND-PSU-FOR-3-5-FLOPPY-DRIVE-OR-HxC-EMU-/111044811066?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item19dac9593a)
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?
It'll be nice if you do a guide, indeed :)
As for your other question, not sure what you want to accomplish; do you want to transfer commercial releases? All of them have already been dumped, so no need to dump them yourself; just get hold of the dsk, convert it to hfe with HxC's software and Bob's your uncle[nb]who's Bob anyway?[/nb].
If you want to transfer your own disks, the easiest way would be to insert your disk into the drive, mount an empty dsk file (easily found - can upload one for you if needed) to the HxC and copy the files there. Presto, you got an HFE disk image (and, using the HxC software you can also convert it back to dsk for use with an emulator on your PC).
Here's an idea - why not support HFE files in windows emulators?
Guess I am nostalgic for using Bonzo Super Meddler it was such a good programme did exactly what it said on the tin, and I found it better than the Mutliface 2 I had
I have a lot of old casettes the issue for me is a lot of the games I would like are all French only it would be great to find the English versions
Quote from: Gryzor on 18:31, 02 April 13
[nb]who's Bob anyway?[/nb].
He's your uncle! :P
Quote from: radu14m on 14:17, 01 April 13
here are the rebooting stepts clearly visible:
The fact that you can do it does not mean that you have to do it.
Quote from: Gryzor on 18:31, 02 April 13
Here's an idea - why not support HFE files in windows emulators?
Excellent idea! (Hello Markus!). But ... where is a document describing the HFE format?
Quote from: TFM/FS on 21:39, 02 April 13
Excellent idea! (Hello Markus!). But ... where is a document describing the HFE format?
Of course :
http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_drive_emulator/SDCard_HxC_Floppy_Emulator_HFE_file_format.pdf (http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_drive_emulator/SDCard_HxC_Floppy_Emulator_HFE_file_format.pdf)
But there is a better way :
Use the libhxcfe !
Quote from: radu14m on 12:41, 31 March 13
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 (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.
On the hxc there is an lcd + some buttons so choose any image present on the sdcard.
What do you see on this video is the old file selector software. But you don't need to use it.
So :
-> No need to restart the computer each time
And
-> The file selector is optional ! This is only an add-on :)
Looking forward to this now, sd card on its way, floppy emulator and power cable here in a weeks time
Do plan some time off, you'll need it :)
Once I have figured out how to convert the dsk images, I understand there is software for this, I will write an A B C for that too
thanks Jeff for the explanations ! those are great news !
@dcdrac:whitch variant did you choose ?
i plan to buy also one, but i am not sure witch one is better for the CPC :)
Take a look at this: Emulators - CPCWiki (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Emulators#Emulation_Tools)
Got this version
SD Floppy Emulator Rev C BLUE EDITION | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181096279071?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)
Seems it will work with the BBC B I just got too, that's if the definition of working on the Ebay ad for it actually means working.....
and the HXC support forum
http://www.torlus.com/floppy/forum/index.php?sid=90922280f4f291014d5635661f51d1e4 (http://www.torlus.com/floppy/forum/index.php?sid=90922280f4f291014d5635661f51d1e4)
Quote from: radu14m on 19:07, 03 April 13
i plan to buy also one, but i am not sure witch one is better for the CPC :)
The one with the display is preferable at the moment. Mind you, it is also harder to build into the CPC's case since it is a bit too big.
I'm thinking about one of the ones in the black or grey case but the 2 week+ wait puts me off a little (I'm an impatient so and so :laugh: ) I'm only thinking this since it might be better for if I get other old computers as well. I already have a BBC Master but that's kitted out with an internal Retro Clinic "Datacentre": http://retroclinic.com/acorn/datacentre/datacentre.htm (http://retroclinic.com/acorn/datacentre/datacentre.htm)
I'd also really like one of the red or green displays (undecided) but I don't know if you can have one of those with the plastic casing. I don't see why not given the cases say they're made to order. I'd have to ask.
At the moment I have too many things competing for my money so I have to wait a little while yet anyway.
If I'm not mistaken you can actually just remove the screen...
Hey, anyone knows a source for different screen colours? Might be interesting to switch mine...
I got my HxC today and it's superb.
I went for the USB version because I have a slave PC for my Plus next to it anyway.
It seems a lot simpler to me than the SD Card version and not inferior at all as everyone describes it.
(http://i.imgur.com/sje26ni.jpg)
Requiring a PC attached to the CPC is objectively inferior. The fact that you already have such a setup doesn't mean it's possible or, more importantly, preferable for other users.
That's not to mention the fact that the USB version cannot be written to. Do you still think it's just as good?
I don't want to invalidate the fact that you're glad or that this might work fine for you. But there are solid, factual reasons why it would be inferior to many users.
Well, it is vastly inferior because the actual hardware is:
-CPC
-HxC
-PC!
The fact that you already have one set up next to your computer is not the norm. The *device* may be simpler, but the whole process as a solution is much more complicated.
Not to mention the fact that I can carry my entire CPC collection wherever a CPC is to be found, in my pocket :)
But, each to their own. If you prefer it that way then it's good enough, but there are reasons why "everyone" describes the USB version as inferior.
agreed.
it is more confortable to have the sd reader separate into the cpc 8)
Quote from: Gryzor on 19:11, 05 April 13
Not to mention the fact that I can carry my entire CPC collection wherever a CPC is to be found, in my pocket :)
I prefer to keep mine in me sporran next to everything else that's important to me, d'ye ken? ???
AMSTRAD CPC 464 Professional Scart TV Connection Kit | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260835815640?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649)
Getting one of these too
Quote from: db6128 on 17:58, 05 April 13
Requiring a PC attached to the CPC is objectively inferior. The fact that you already have such a setup doesn't mean it's possible or, more importantly, preferable for other users.
Quote from: Gryzor on 19:11, 05 April 13
Well, it is vastly inferior because the actual hardware is: -CPC -HxC -PC!
The fact that you already have one set up next to your computer is not the norm. The *device* may be simpler, but the whole process as a solution is much more complicated.
I thought about this quite a lot before I bought a HxC.
I use the PC to develop software for the CPC, because I'm, not uber enough to just code on the CPC. The PC sits next to the CPC.
When I've developed some software for the CPC on the PC, I want to see if it runs on a real CPC. If I have the USB HxC, I select the DSK file I've just created on the PC, type ¦B on the CPC and RUN"DISC and it's there. No converting DSK to HFE, no copying files to the SD Card, no swapping the SD Card, no selecting the image on the HxC device, no software on the CPC. This is a much simpler solution for me than the SD Card version.
Quote from: db6128 on 17:58, 05 April 13
I don't want to invalidate the fact that you're glad or that this might work fine for you. But there are solid, factual reasons why it would be inferior to many users.
Quote from: Gryzor on 19:11, 05 April 13
But, each to their own. If you prefer it that way then it's good enough, but there are reasons why "everyone" describes the USB version as inferior.
If you want to play games and watch demos on your CPC, then the SD Card version would be a better solution. If you want to do any development, the USB version appears to be a better choice.
So I guess most people are players and not developers, then.
It depends completely upon the individual user's style of development or other uses. Whilst I can see the appeal from the perspective you just described—rather like my fondness for developing on WinAPE—, what if you wanted to do things on the CPC and save them to your HxC? You couldn't do that with the USB-based version as it doesn't support writing at all. Neither could you save games, process files/disks using CP/M, write stuff in a word-processor... you name it. Many people will see that as a major drawback.
Still, I like that you pointed out a benefit of the USB version. For that specific use-case of rapid-fire updating of code and files to be read by the CPC only, it does do well.
But people comparing the USB and SD versions need to be fully aware of major caveats that they both have, and I wager that most users will not have your exact environment and thus would prefer the SD-based HxC on balance.
Quote from: db6128 on 21:48, 05 April 13
Neither could you save games, process files/disks using CP/M, write stuff in a word-processor... you name it. Many people will see that as a major drawback.
But how often do you actually do this? I reckon not often at all, if ever. So not really a 'major drawback'.
And on the rare occasion I want to 'save a game', I'll copy the image from the HxC B drive onto a real disc in my 3" A drive.
But yeah, horses for courses I guess. :D For me, the USB version seemed a better choice. And I won't cry when my SD card fails[nb]Like it did on my Pi when I hadn't backed it up![/nb].
Indeed, cross-dev is a good use for the USB version; didn't think of that. Although, I'd guess that in 99% of the cases WinAPE would be enough?
I'll admit that aside from money, the fact that my development now appears to be entirely on the PC is actually the main reason I'm not just laying the money down and getting an HxC straight away. In fact, I'm finding it a little frustrating I bought the CPC at all as for the most part it's learn / write / build / test on the PC and the CPC is sat on the dining room table not even switched on.
If I was actually doing the development on the CPC then I don't think I'd have questioned the £150 for a MegaFlash and HxC anything like as much and would probably have both there right now already. Problem is that having a dual screen monitor with the internet, code windows, emulator and build scripts that fire stuff all up automatically is just too convenient to ignore. I don't LIKE it, I'd much prefer to do this all on the CPC direct and maybe I will look at that at some point but for now it's the PC for me.
Anyway, so as not to drift too OT, I'm looking beyond just the CPC to other uses for the HxC where I don't know yet what I may want one for in the future so it's an SD card one for me (when I get to it)