Floppy disk emulator, HXC, CF card adapter

[Gryzor]

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?

[dcdrac]

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

[steve]

[nb]who's Bob anyway?[/nb].

He's your uncle!

[TFM]

here are the rebooting stepts clearly visible:

The fact that you can do it does not mean that you have to do it.

[TFM]

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?

[Jeff_HxC2001]

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

But there is a better way :
Use the libhxcfe !

[Jeff_HxC2001]

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
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

[dcdrac]

Looking forward to this now, sd card on its way, floppy emulator and power cable here in a weeks time

[Gryzor]

Do plan some time off, you'll need it

[dcdrac]

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

[radu14m]

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

[Gryzor]

Take a look at this: Emulators - CPCWiki

[dcdrac]

Got this version
SD Floppy Emulator Rev C BLUE EDITION | eBay
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.....

[dcdrac]

and the HXC support forum

http://www.torlus.com/floppy/forum/index.php?sid=90922280f4f291014d5635661f51d1e4

[MaV]

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.

[MartinW]

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  ) 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

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.

[Gryzor]

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...

[redbox]

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.

[db6128]

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.

[Gryzor]

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.

[radu14m]

agreed.
it is more confortable to have the sd reader separate into the cpc 

[beaker]

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? 

[dcdrac]

AMSTRAD CPC 464 Professional Scart TV Connection Kit | eBay

Getting one of these too

[redbox]

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.

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.

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.

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.

[db6128]

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.