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General Category => Amstrad CPC hardware => Topic started by: talrek on 16:54, 13 September 15

Title: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 16:54, 13 September 15
Hi,
i'm going to make a new batch of MF2 clones. This version is a bit different (the color change is obvious, i like blue  [emoji23] )

Now, there is a 128K Eprom on it, and a switch has bee integrated to choose which version you want : normal or plus.

(http://i.imgur.com/cBL7Mb6m.jpg)(http://i.imgur.com/PyKmTCam.jpg) (http://imgur.com/PyKmTCa)

I'm ordering the parts, so if you are interesting please let me know.

:D

Prices
MF2 clone (without cable) = 33€
Shipping to France +2,50€, UE +5,50€, other country +6,50€


2/10 interfaces still available.
- ||C|-|E||
- Poliander
- CraigsBar
- pelrun
- Kris
- skywalky
- Singaja
- Yannis_uno
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: CPC_Fan on 18:34, 13 September 15
I have one of these thanks to talrek and can vouch for it's quality. It's now proudly sitting in my mother x4 board, along with my X-Mem.

Just a quick question while I'm here though @talrek (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1195) - which position does the switch need to be in for a normal 6128? Also did you get my pm by the way?
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 18:37, 13 September 15
Hi I got your pm and answered it
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: CPC_Fan on 18:42, 13 September 15
Hmm nothing has come through at my end. Don't know why. Could you try sending it again please talrek?
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: ||C|-|E|| on 19:23, 13 September 15
I would really like one of these  :)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: Poliander on 19:39, 13 September 15
Count me in for one, please!
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: CraigsBar on 20:11, 13 September 15
I'll take one please :)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: pelrun on 11:50, 14 September 15
I'll take one too, please!
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 12:43, 14 September 15
Ok,
so i count 4 more.
list on first message updated  ;)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: Kris on 13:24, 14 September 15
Hi Talrek,
I will take one as well ;)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 16:46, 14 September 15
No problem Kris !!

BTW if someone wants to buy a kit instead of the assembled interface, no problem for me.
i will send everything including programmed Eprom and GAL16V8.

Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: skywalky on 23:08, 14 September 15
I'll buy a kit  ;)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 07:27, 15 September 15
Quote from: skywalky on 23:08, 14 September 15
I'll buy a kit  ;)

Ok no problem  :)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: Singaja on 10:23, 15 September 15
I'm interested in one , sending you a pm
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 11:59, 15 September 15
Quote from: Singaja on 10:23, 15 September 15
I'm interested in one , sending you a pm

i just sent you a PM, and added the price of everything in the main message.
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 12:57, 08 October 15
Hi,
the interfaces are built (except for one asked for a kit)
I'm going to send you PM's for payment ;-)

Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: Kris on 13:50, 08 October 15
Great news :)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: ||C|-|E|| on 14:38, 08 October 15
Great! I already paid mine!  :D
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: ||C|-|E|| on 14:11, 19 October 15
Received mine today!! But I will have to wait to test it because I still do not have the MX4 board  :laugh:
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: chinnyhill10 on 20:36, 28 October 15
Having seen people yet again selling Multifaces for stupid prices as well as people on here asking about buying them, I've decided to get on my hobby horse and try and spread the word about Talrek's superb clone.





Fair enough, pay 70 quid if you want the original unit but for the rest of us who just want a Multiface, Talrek's unit is a god send!
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: Bryce on 20:45, 28 October 15
Some people just prefer to own the originals, despite great and considerably cheaper clones being available.

Bryce.
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: chinnyhill10 on 21:00, 28 October 15
Quote from: Bryce on 20:45, 28 October 15
Some people just prefer to own the originals, despite great and considerably cheaper clones being available.

Bryce.


True but I've come across many people who simply aren't aware it exists. They buy a CPC, then go on Ebay. They aren't aware and don't know where to look for these things.


I was speaking to an Atari collector the other week who had no idea about the MyIDE2 Compact Flash cart. He owns 8 Atari machines. 8! And he had no idea such a useful thing existed.


So getting the word out is essential. Fair enough if you want an original. But I suspect most people, me included, just want the functionality rather than a nice box with Romantic Robot written on it!
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: chinnyhill10 on 21:00, 28 October 15
Of course if anyone wants to 3D print me a box for my MF2 clone with Romantic Robot written on it....  :D
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: dodogildo on 21:32, 28 October 15
Most of us are collecting and playing with those retro hardware as a tribute to our childhood or teenage years. So there's nothing wrong chasing after them instead of buying more affordable DIY clones.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: chinnyhill10 on 21:49, 28 October 15
Quote from: dodogildo on 21:32, 28 October 15
Most of us are collecting and playing with those retro hardware as a tribute to our childhood or teenage years.


"Most". Citation needed!


Some of us never stopped using our CPC's!
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: TFM on 22:08, 28 October 15
Quote from: chinnyhill10 on 21:49, 28 October 15
Some of us never stopped using our CPC's!


Yes, me for example. It's my computer of choice and I can do everything with it I want. Crap as the PC still can't!  :laugh: :P 8) ;) :)

Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 17:31, 29 October 15
After watching Chinny's video, I'd just like to ask a quick question. The saying went back in the day that simply having a Multiface installed wasn't enough to run software you'd copied to disk from tape using an MF, you had to have the specific MF used in order to do it. Is this actually true, or would one of these cloned Multifaces let me run software I copied to disk years ago?


The reason I ask is that my original Multiface 2 has sadly done a Houdini on me during one of my house moves back at university, and I've been without it ever since but I still have disks full of software I copied from tape from back in the day, and it would be nice to be able to use them again.
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: fgbrain on 18:06, 29 October 15
This is really tempting!!

I have a 6128 plus as well.. Count me in Talrek!!

Although I swear I didnt use the previous model yet because my old gen 6128 is packed.

Looks as a great work as always..
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: TFM on 18:25, 29 October 15
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 17:31, 29 October 15
After watching Chinny's video, I'd just like to ask a quick question. The saying went back in the day that simply having a Multiface installed wasn't enough to run software you'd copied to disk from tape using an MF, you had to have the specific MF used in order to do it. Is this actually true, or would one of these cloned Multifaces let me run software I copied to disk years ago?

The reason I ask is that my original Multiface 2 has sadly done a Houdini on me during one of my house moves back at university, and I've been without it ever since but I still have disks full of software I copied from tape from back in the day, and it would be nice to be able to use them again.


IIRC the MF2 does not contain any kind of serial number or similar. So it doesn't matter which one you're using. However today you get lots of software from f.e. CPC Power or FTP. Using an MF2 today is more like having fun with hacking / cracking. But that's only my Drei Pfennige.  :)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: chinnyhill10 on 18:30, 29 October 15
Quote from: TFM on 18:25, 29 October 15

IIRC the MF2 does not contain any kind of serial number or similar. So it doesn't matter which one you're using. However today you get lots of software from f.e. CPC Power or FTP. Using an MF2 today is more like having fun with hacking / cracking. But that's only my Drei Pfennige.  :)


I always thought the serial number thing was something they said just to throw the anti piracy people off the scent. Never saw any evidence they had serialised the ROMS. Indeed one suspects that would have been expensive to do.


Yes games are available ready cracked these days but the Multifaces big advantage is being able to freeze and save games on a real machine. You can create a save state and go back to a game later. The only other way to do that is to use an emulator (yuck!).
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: TFM on 18:35, 29 October 15
You're right about that. Now let me ask you a question: Is there an emulator which can use MF2 'snapshots' or an emulator producing 'snapshots' being usable for a real MF2? I honestly don't know. But if not @Devilmarkus (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=93) can you put it in JavaCPC (or is it there alrady?  :-X ).  :)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: arnoldemu on 18:38, 29 October 15
I didn't see any evidence of checking serial numbers in the loader that the multiface writes to the disc.

You do need a multiface to run it because it activates the multiface rom and calls into it. The only thing I can think of is that because the loader calls into the multiface rom, then if the multiface rom has changed and code has been moved about then the loader wouldn't work with a different rom.

So maybe this is where the rumour came from? I am aware of more than 1 rom revision, I don't know what difference that actually makes to the loader program.

Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: TFM on 19:16, 29 October 15
Ah, so that may indicate in incompatibility program between CPC and Plus.
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 20:16, 29 October 15
Quote from: TFM on 19:16, 29 October 15
Ah, so that may indicate in incompatibility program between CPC and Plus.
Very interesting indeed. Tomorrow i will make a snapshot on a CPC and then try to load it from a CPC+ with the same MF2 but with of course a different rom version.  ;D

Quote from: chinnyhill10 on 21:00, 28 October 15
Of course if anyone wants to 3D print me a box for my MF2 clone with Romantic Robot written on it....  :D
Do you mean it would be interesting to have a real clone ? i mean with a pass through, and the same components ?

Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 17:31, 29 October 15
After watching Chinny's video, I'd just like to ask a quick question. The saying went back in the day that simply having a Multiface installed wasn't enough to run software you'd copied to disk from tape using an MF, you had to have the specific MF used in order to do it. Is this actually true, or would one of these cloned Multifaces let me run software I copied to disk years ago?


The reason I ask is that my original Multiface 2 has sadly done a Houdini on me during one of my house moves back at university, and I've been without it ever since but I still have disks full of software I copied from tape from back in the day, and it would be nice to be able to use them again.
if you send me the files, i can try to load it with the MF2 clone, just to confirm it work
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: chinnyhill10 on 20:48, 29 October 15
Quote from: talrek on 20:16, 29 October 15
Do you mean it would be interesting to have a real clone ? i mean with a pass through, and the same components ?



No, just a box to put the unit in so it is not open to dust etc.
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: dodogildo on 21:19, 29 October 15
Quote from: chinnyhill10 on 20:48, 29 October 15

No, just a box to put the unit in so it is not open to dust etc.
I would also suggest the same [emoji106]

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: TFM on 21:23, 29 October 15
Well, that's the hardest part about electronics... to find the right box. They are expensive btw!
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: chinnyhill10 on 22:03, 29 October 15
Quote from: TFM on 21:23, 29 October 15
Well, that's the hardest part about electronics... to find the right box. They are expensive btw!


A Raspberry Pi box is the right size. It even has holes to access the buttons just not in the right place.


Wonder if anyone sells Pi cases with no holes in?
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: pelrun on 04:09, 30 October 15
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 17:31, 29 October 15
After watching Chinny's video, I'd just like to ask a quick question. The saying went back in the day that simply having a Multiface installed wasn't enough to run software you'd copied to disk from tape using an MF, you had to have the specific MF used in order to do it. Is this actually true, or would one of these cloned Multifaces let me run software I copied to disk years ago?


The reason I ask is that my original Multiface 2 has sadly done a Houdini on me during one of my house moves back at university, and I've been without it ever since but I still have disks full of software I copied from tape from back in the day, and it would be nice to be able to use them again.


That was a white lie Amstrad Action told to avoid being seen as promoting a piracy tool. An image made on a 6128 will run on any 6128 with a multiface connected, likewise with the other CPC models.


Edit: you won't have any luck trying to use images on a different model, because the image also contains the contents of the firmware jump block, which is rom-specific. Replacing a 464's firmware jump block with one from a 6128 would only cause crashes. Also, the multiface doesn't capture or understand the Plus ASIC registers, so it's not possible to save/restore anything that modifies those.
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 08:51, 30 October 15
Quote from: pelrun on 04:09, 30 October 15

Edit: you won't have any luck trying to use images on a different model, because the image also contains the contents of the firmware jump block, which is rom-specific. Replacing a 464's firmware jump block with one from a 6128 would only cause crashes. Also, the multiface doesn't capture or understand the Plus ASIC registers, so it's not possible to save/restore anything that modifies those.

Thank you  :) you saved my day  :D
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 12:30, 30 October 15
Quote from: pelrun on 04:09, 30 October 15
Edit: you won't have any luck trying to use images on a different model, because the image also contains the contents of the firmware jump block, which is rom-specific. Replacing a 464's firmware jump block with one from a 6128 would only cause crashes. Also, the multiface doesn't capture or understand the Plus ASIC registers, so it's not possible to save/restore anything that modifies those.


Aha! Thank you. It sounds like if I picked up one of these new MFs, everything will work just fine. Sweet. :)
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 13:29, 30 October 15
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 12:30, 30 October 15

Aha! Thank you. It sounds like if I picked up one of these new MFs, everything will work just fine. Sweet. :)

Just sent you a PM
Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 20:16, 29 November 15
Hi,
just to let you know i made a new batch and a few pieces are still available (4 pieces)
They are not Blue, but Green ones, but always the same : Both CPC and CPC+ version with a switch.


Title: Re: MF2 Clone new color !!! (not kidding, but new order)
Post by: talrek on 17:01, 14 April 16
Hi Everyone,
just a little word to say i made a new batch and i have two interface left, people didn't took them.
If someone is interested, it is the usual price 33€

:D
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