Pros & Cons HxC SD-Interface

[norecess]

Can't wait to receive mine (my second HxC ) 

[Gryzor]

Can't wait to receive mine (my second HxC ) 

No treat for you, then

I'd be buying a second unit myself if I could afford it...

[TFM]

Rev C SD HxC Floppy Emulator preorders are now open on ebay ! :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180575793600

Thanks again, my two units have arrived in Munich. I had a look at them via Webcam: They are really very proffessionaly produced. I'm looking forward to use your excellent product quite soon.

btw.: Is there a possibility to jumper them as drives C and D on the CPC? Anybody ever tried?

[xesrjb]

Now, I checked how it runs! Great .

xesrjb

[CPCIak]

Do you know Total Commander for DOS/Windows?
Well, you do... Surfing the web I found out that some spanish guys are working on a Total Commander for VDrive.
This would be a great tool for hxc floppy, too 

http://picasaweb.google.com/dadcezgs/AmstradCPC#

[Gryzor]

Ooooh sweet.... and I can wholeheartedly agree with the HxC comment!!!!!

But what is the VDrive?

[CPCIak]

VDrive is a home brewn project similar to the HxC one (as far as I know...)
http://www.octoate.de/wp/2009/03/27/vinculum-vdrive-connected-to-the-cpc/

[norecess]

Surfing the web I found out that some spanish guys are working on a Total Commander for VDrive.
I ** LOVE ** this UI. Makes me think about HxC software..

[Gryzor]

And they're actually porting TC to that? Awesome...

[CPCIak]

HxC Manager is good - Total Commando would be great
So - where're the good cpc coders?

[TFM]

HxC Manager is good - Total Commando would be great
So - where're the good cpc coders?

It's all open source, you can contribute in which way ever you like. Look at the HxC homepage.

[Jeff_HxC2001]

It's all open source, you can contribute in which way ever you like. Look at the HxC homepage.

mhh you want Total Commander on cpc to do what? and what is the point with the hxc ?
If you want copy 2MB files through the floppy interface this sound to me a bad idea ;-)

[CPCIak]

It would make copying/uploading files much easier - just drag & drop
No need for tools like Discology or XEXOR

[Jeff_HxC2001]

important firmware update ! :

http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/SDCard_HxCFloppyEmulator_firmware.zip

http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/sd_hxc_floppy_emulator_firmware_release_notes.txt

http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/index.html#download

25/01/2011: Firmware SD HxCFloppyEmulator v1.5.0.0
    - SDcard : Init frequency corrected

    - SDcard : Multi sector read & Write access added.
    -> SDCard access time improved (Slow sdcard issues corrected)

    - Some important parts of the floppy write support fully rewritten : Important codes improvement (speed & size)
    -> MFM ISO Sector write support speed & code size improvement.
    -> Amiga write support speed & code size improvement .
    General result: Faster write data throughput.

    - New MFM/DD  write support bitrate added.
    -> 300kbits/s (256/512/1024 bytes sectors).

    - FM write support added.
    -> 128bytes sector SD/FM write support added.
    -> 256bytes sector SD/FM write support added.
    -> 512bytes sector SD/FM write support added.     
    -> 1024bytes sector SD/FM write support added.
    -> SD/FM write support bitrate : 250kbits/s, 300kbits/s & 500kbits/s

    - E-mu write support added (E-mu emulator, E-mu emulator II,...)
    Note : Need the Rev C SD HxC Floppy Emulator hardware!
    -> 3584bytes sector FM E-emu write support added.
    -> E-mu write support bitrate : 312kbits/s

    A big Thanks to Kris VC / esynthesist (http://www.emxp.net/) for all tests done on this firwmare
        with the E-mu Emulator & E-mu Emulator II.
    Without this great help, releasing this new feature wouldn't be possible.

    - Two floppy drive emulation improvement/bug corrected
    -> The two virtual floppy disk drive can have different bitrate now.
    (example : an 1.44MB floppy disk in the first disk drive and a 720KB in the second disk drive.)

    - SDCard HxC Floppy emulator settings (sound/blacklight...) are now stored into the eeprom
      and used at power up. At power up the last known settings are used.

[Gryzor]

Ahhhh about time we had something to fiddle with!! Will try it next week, even though it won't do much difference for me

[TFM]

Thanks for the update Jeff!!!


Edit:

In the Handbook you write:
"Note 3: If you are using the external floppy port of an Amstrad CPC6128 computer, you
must connect the floppy cable on the opposite side to the emulator (red wire to the left).
... . "

It this true for the CPC Plus only or for the CPC6128 I think it's true only for the Plus, but I may be wrong (can't acces my docs from this laptop, but I have something like this in my memories).

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Thanks for the update Jeff!!!


Edit:

In the Handbook you write:
"Note 3: If you are using the external floppy port of an Amstrad CPC6128 computer, you
must connect the floppy cable on the opposite side to the emulator (red wire to the left).
... . "

It this true for the CPC Plus only or for the CPC6128 I think it's true only for the Plus, but I may be wrong (can't acces my docs from this laptop, but I have something like this in my memories).

I have only a CPC6128 here. for the + this is another connector (centronic)?

[TFM]

I have only a CPC6128 here. for the + this is another connector (centronic)?

Well, let me speak for the German CPCs first. Both the 6128 and CPC Plus have a centronics connector. But the Plus has another pin-out. This means in a flat cable the wires are shiftet by 1 (sorry can't explain it better in English).

The GB 6128 has (like I know) a panel-connector, I don't know the pin out there now.

However:
- CPC6128 and CPC Plus have a different pin-out.

- And like I thought, the CPC6128 is shuggart compatible.


Well, I have to get my docs an look at it... if somebody else has a comment, feel cordially invited to post 

[Bryce]

The red wire on the CPC is always on the same side (righthand side looking at the rear of the CPC). The difference between the standard CPC and the plus is that the flat cable is shifted one place to the right on the plus (ie: Red isn't connected at all, wire two goes to the right most terminal) and on the standard CPC the cable is shifted two places to the left (ie: The red wire is connected to terminal 3).
I've made a connection cable with two centronics plugs, one for standard one for plus for my HxC, works fine, I'll post a picture of it if anyone is interested.

Bryce.

[xesrjb]

The red wire on the CPC is always on the same side (righthand side looking at the rear of the CPC). The difference between the standard CPC and the plus is that the flat cable is shifted one place to the right on the plus (ie: Red isn't connected at all, wire two goes to the right most terminal) and on the standard CPC the cable is shifted two places to the left (ie: The red wire is connected to terminal 3).
I've made a connection cable with two centronics plugs, one for standard one for plus for my HxC, works fine, I'll post a picture of it if anyone is interested.

Bryce.

Perhaps it's better to have only 1 centronics plug on your cable and an additional cable only for your CPC plus. So, you can't plug in the wrong centronics plug in your CPC plus (it's deadly for the internal 3" drive)!!!


xesrjb

[Bryce]

I took the easier option and just wrote "Plus" on one of them That saved me buying an extra Centronics connector

Bryce.

[CPCIak]

First I'd like to thank Jeff for this major update.

Since I've got my HxC Floppy I've asked lotharek several times if there'll ever be a case available. Unfortunately he never answered.

Well, so I've made my own case. Cool, isn't it

[Gryzor]

Cute and simple... What did you use?

[CPCIak]

manufacturer: Strapubox 124x72x30mm
Conrad Electronics order number: 528373-62
price: 2,35€

[TFM]

Great work, but maybe you should use an own PSU for it. (Depends on "how much" you've connected to the Expansion port).