GOTEK or HXC for my 6128

[hyperfan]

hi i currently have a hxc on my 6128, any advantages to the Gotek, other than being able to mount internally as a drive replacement?

[GUNHED]

Well, I do have 3 HxC's, but no Gotek. It's advantage seem to be that it can read .DSK's too.


It really would be great to be able to mount DSKs to the HxC too. 

[VintageAdvantage]

To clarify:

- GOTEK is the name of a piece of hardware. A drive emulator with 3 digit LED. One can get it for ~20 $ on Ebay. There are modded / extended version out there that have a LCD display, buzzer, rotary button. All these mods you can do yourself if your are good with the soldering iron.

- The default firmware on the Gotek is useless. Most people hence FLASH / "jailbreak" the firmware and either install

- FlashFloppy 
or
- HxC

When people refer or sell "the Gotek", they usually mean a Gotek on which FlashFloppy or HxC firmware has been installed. Installing this firmware is a non trivial process and requires soldering and a TTL/USB/Serial connection that downloads and flashes the "bootloader", which is then capable to read the real FlashFloppy or HxC firmware from the USB stick. Hence, these upgraded Goteks jump up in price (usually, ~ 50 to 80 $ depending on features), even though the base Gotek is 20 $ only.

FlashFloppy is free. For HxC, you get a one-time license for ~ 10 $; the installer then downloads the bootloader from the internet during the programming process.

HxC requires HFE files. And a special Windows program to convert standard DSK etc. images into HFE. The 3digit LED Gotek with HxC software works best in indexed mode: you will also need a config file generated by the HxC Windows program, and have to name the images using DISKAxxxx.HFE for indexed mode to work (allowing you to select images by number with the buttons, corresponding to the file names). More capable version of HxC drives (i.e., the non-Gotek ones that Lotharek is selling) can emulate two drives, which is handy. Also, it is good to get one with display - then you don't have to rename all your image files. The LED HxC version is not so easy to use because of this. But it is 20 $ only. PLus 15 $ for the loader and firmware and serial programmer. So, you are all set with 30 $ if you know how to jailbreak the firmware and can live with the 3digit LED display. 

FlashFloppy can process DSK files directly. However, FlashFloppy can only emulate one drive AFAIK currently. HxC with LCD display can emulate 2 drives. Very handy on computers such as the TRS80. Moreover, FlashFLoppy also has an HxC compatibility mode, and CAN read HFE files as well.

HxC is more capable and has more options. FlashFloppy is cheaper and easier to use. Both work well on the CPC. 

So, Gotek, FlashFloppy, and HxC. Just remember that Gotek is really the name of the hardware, and it comes with firmware which is useless. The Gotek firmware gets replaced with FlashFloppy or HxC.


Gotek is only ONE platform for HxC. The better HxC-based drives are not Gotek-based (i.e., the ones that Lotharek is selling).

[SOS]

HxC requires HFE files

The SD-Card-Version requires HFE-Files
The USB-Version accepts HFE- AND DSK-Files.

[SOS]

The SD-Card-Version requires HFE-Files
The USB-Version accepts HFE- AND DSK-Files.

The USB-Hardware from HFE2001 / lotharek (not Gotek) is different from the SD-Card-Version:
"USB Emulator needs PC with a free USB port to act as a file feeder. The device is READ ONLY."

See also Post 2 from Jeff:
https://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1360

And here Reply 5, with the "no space" Info for the SD-Card is interesting:
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/news-events/hxc-firmware-for-gotek-updated-cpc-dsk-files-support-and-many-more/