Hi all,
while busy doing nothing last night, I came up with an idea for a rather neat HxC SD Card Mod. The idea is to assemble the SD Card contacts directly into the existing Floppy Drive and have an "SD Floppy" which you insert into the standard drive. It has the dis-advantage that you can't do a direct HxC to Floppy copy (or vice versa), but if this isn't an issue, it would be a very neat way of having both options within the CPC. The HxC hardware would need to be very close (underneath the floppy drive if it fits) because of SPI limitations, but the LCD and buttons could be placed somewhere else. Check out the scribble below...
Yes, I know an SD Card has more than 4 contacts etc, it's only meant to be symbolic diagram!
So who wants to try this out?
Bryce.
I see what you are trying to do I think, which is a compact and integrated way of installing the lovely HxC SD interface inside the CPC, without butchering the CPC or having to use external cables and power supplies etc. The hardware buttons should not be an issue now that the software driven menu is finally available in the firmware.
Seems like a good idea unless I have missed something important, i.e. a potential spanner in the works?
Actually the MAJOR disadvantage for me is that I bought the HxC SD interface for use with more than just one type of computer, i.e. for my Atari STE, Falcon 030, Sinclair Spectrum +3 128K and yes my CPC6128!
Quote from: Shredder11 on 11:01, 22 July 10
Actually the MAJOR disadvantage for me is that I bought the HxC SD interface for use with more than just one type of computer, i.e. for my Atari STE, Falcon 030, Sinclair Spectrum +3 128K and yes my CPC6128!
You're right. It's actually a problem that most systems use internal drives because you are not buying n HxC emulators (If I were a rich man.... sing along ;D ) .
I think one interesting mod would be to put the HxC emulator in an external case with easy access to the data ribbon so you can use it like the external 3.5" drives for the CPC but allowing to use it on other systems.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that the mod is only for rich people :D
But no, seriously... Obviously it would be a permanent installation, so only for people who only intend to install the HxC in just one machine, or who intend buying a second one for other machines.
Building an external one, that connects to the floppy interface and the power supply should be really easy though, it's just a matter of finding a suitable housing.
Bryce.
Quote from: Shredder11 on 10:59, 22 July 10The hardware buttons should not be an issue
...anyway, since you could easily fit them into the vertical edge of that (3", i.e. not-so-)floppy disk, which might even have a display dangling from it while inserted.
The only tricky part is finding a reliable connector for all required pins that allows stable mounting in the spaces of the open-frame 3" floppy drives.
Then again, maybe Jeff could reduce the pin count to the buttons and optional display?
I think it's quite hard to implement and, of course, it's only for rich people (lucky me, I don't give a rat's ass about you poor sods), but the idea is fantastically neat...
Hanging the Display from the Floppy wouldn't work because the display would need to be re-initialised every time you remove the disk.
@Gryzor
Good to hear your finances are healthy, let's talk about them again after you've been married for a few months :D Remember: What's hers is hers and what's yours is also hers.
Bryce.
Don't I know it man... don't I know it... oh, also: what is mine and retro it's not mine OR hers - it MUST be someone else's. So today I'm giving away a bagful of educational programs for the ZX/CPC/c64 to make some room...
Still, I got my arcade cabinet, so I don't complain.
...but wheres that 6128 of mine? :(
Quote from: Gryzor on 08:34, 23 July 10
...but wheres that 6128 of mine? :(
Connected to that PS/2 mouse adapter you've never tried perhaps :D
Bryce.
Goddammit. The adapter is still next to my PC mouse, however no CPC in site. Tomorrow I'm going hunting in my parents' house!