Author Topic: DskTest v0.1.47b (release?) (Read 21213 times)

pacomix · « **on:** 20:44, 15 June 13 »

Hi!
After having faced for the first time the uPD765a I think I have now a nice little tool for using with your 3" or 3.5" drives.
The tool lets you turn the motor on and off, seek a specific track, try to find a specific SectorID, calibrate and measure (I think quite reliably) the rotational speed of the motor.
I didn't know it wasn't so hard programming for the FDC controller. Total time for the tool has been around 8 hours. Almost more time setting up the text in the correct places in the screen and testing than any other thing x'D

Regarding the reliability of the measured RPMs in Winape it always gives me 300 RPMs. I tried with some drives here and it works like a charm. Of course there could be a little deviation but I think this is really useful at least diagnosing non-working drives as it happened to me with the latest two ones I bought. One of them is already repaired.

The final solution I used for measuring the RPMs was to look for an invalid SectorID or a track without address marks. Both performs fine.

I also want to warns to anybody that would like to use it. If it breaks your drive I am not responsible. So you have been warned. For me it has been really helpful.

Any suggestion in order improving it would be more than welcome!

Regards!
Paco

[EDIT] I forgot to tell that the tool always uses the A: drive but you can load it from the B: drive.
[EDIT#2] I have update the version also in this post and deleted the other one so you can always download the latest version in the first post.

[EDIT#3] New version available with support for A & B drives.

TFM · « **Reply #1 on:** 21:07, 15 June 13 »

So how quick did your drive finally run?

Devilmarkus · « **Reply #2 on:** 00:21, 16 June 13 »

Nice tool.
Would be interesting to know how much is the average RPM speed for real CPC floppies...?

JavaCPC returns 720RPM

TotO · « **Reply #3 on:** 09:53, 16 June 13 »

Nice work!

Remember that you may damage your real drive if this program goes wrong.
Writing it and putting it as download to everybody on Internet w/o test on some reals CPC is dangerous.

I suggest to websites to wait for a no beta release before adding it as download.

breiztiger · « **Reply #4 on:** 14:21, 16 June 13 »

hi

On my real cpc it test my floppy at 300rpm ...

but i have adjust it at 297 to 303 with samdisk and always 300tr !!!

but like has said toto, another tool is coming and presenting on reset #10 in France

breiztiger

pacomix · « **Reply #5 on:** 01:15, 17 June 13 »

Hi!

Quote from: TFM/FS on 21:07, 15 June 13

So how quick did your drive finally run?

Sorry for the late reply. With the first version it reported me it was running at 348RPM but I was not using floats (hahaha nooooob!) so the rpms were really innacurate (+- 12rpms). I think that was close to 360rpms.
Unfortunately I do not have now connected the drive and is too late. Tomorrow I will connect them again.
With my current 6128 it is reporting me 302.61 rpms but I do not have the possiblity (right at the moment) to check it against Samdisk. The 3.5" unit reports it is running at 300.77 rpms. So I guess I suppose this time it is quite right.

Quote from: TotO on 09:53, 16 June 13

Nice work!

Remember that you may damage your real drive if this program goes wrong.
Writing it and putting it as download to everybody on Internet w/o test on some reals CPC is dangerous.

I suggest to websites to wait for a no beta release before adding it as download.

I do not see anything bad that could happen with the tool and the drives... It is not doing dark fdc's tricks or so. Simply turning the motor on, recalibration, seeking, and... measuring the RPMs! Much less than any other advanced tools do. Like Discology in example... it is really evil that you can force a 80 track copying even using a normal 3" drives...
But I have added now a warning in the program so the people will never forget about it

Quote from: breiztiger on 14:21, 16 June 13

hi

On my real cpc it test my floppy at 300rpm ...

but i have adjust it at 297 to 303 with samdisk and always 300tr !!!

but like has said toto, another tool is coming and presenting on reset #10 in France

breiztiger

Hi! Thank you very much for taking the time to give it a try. Yep... that is my fault! hahaha I didn't use fixed point arithmetic so I was always rounding too much (+-12 rpms phew!!). Now it should be fixed.
3.5" units are reporting me aroun 300.67, 300.77 rpms and the cpc I have right now connected is reporting 302.61, 302.22, 303.01 depending on the disk I use.
I would love to see the new disk tool when it gets released and see what the really experienced programmers can do. I created this little thingy only 'cos it was useful for my purposes and there was nothing available and I also thought it could be of interest for the community.

[EDIT] Deleted the attachment of the latest version from this post. Now you should go always to the first post in order downloading the latest version.

mahlemiut · « **Reply #6 on:** 01:36, 17 June 13 »

MESS reports 300RPM in both versions. Guess some part of MESS' new upd765 core is actually accurate.

Gryzor · « **Reply #7 on:** 10:30, 17 June 13 »

So I take it the spec calls for 300rpm?

TotO · « **Reply #8 on:** 10:41, 17 June 13 »

Quote from: mahlemiut on 01:36, 17 June 13

MESS reports 300RPM in both versions. Guess some part of MESS' new upd765 core is actually accurate.

Yes, some parts are one the good way!
But, it's not because an emulator return 300RPM that is FDC emulation is accurate.
It may be considered accurate when it will be able to run originals protected CPC floppy disc images.
(like Discology 5.1, hercule II, le nécromancien, basun, ...)

Quote from: pacomix on 01:15, 17 June 13

I do not see anything bad that could happen with the tool and the drives [...] But I have added now a warning in the program so the people will never forget about it

Thank you.

Kris · « **Reply #9 on:** 22:11, 17 June 13 »

Last version really accurate, great job.
You just need to improve the GUI now

pacomix · « **Reply #10 on:** 23:18, 17 June 13 »

Quote from: Kris on 22:11, 17 June 13

Last version really accurate, great job.
You just need to improve the GUI now

Hi!
I have just finished testing it with all my drives and adjusting all of them! I have here a 664 and two 6128 apart of some spare drives. All of them presented deviations. I have to say that one of them that was running at 320rpms was able to read normal disk but failed reading some protected disks.
Now After adjusting them at 300.xx RPMs all of them can read all of my protected games!!! Woho!
I still have to test the tool with my DDI-1s. A .cdt is comming out soon. Regarding the GUI. Sorry very much! I just took the "codebase" I have to make everything works quickly without the need of having the firmware, so I took the CPC Bros routines for printing text and so...

Quote from: TFM/FS on 21:07, 15 June 13

So how quick did your drive finally run?

Finally after measuring it... it was crazy... it was spinning at 390 rpms constantly!!!!! After lowering the speed it was running in between 336 rpms and 378 rpms but it is still too fast. It might be possible that the problem comes from the spring that makes pressure on the disk surface like you said... This drive is at the moment non-recoverable.
One thing I have noticed using the DskTest for measuring the RPMs is that it gives a deviation of around 2 rpms when it is reading in the track number 41 and the track 0. I think that the spring that makes pressure on the disk surface has a lot of influence. That might be the problem.

Another thing I have noticed is that there is a deviation of around 4 RPMs depending on the disk you use. Really interesting...

It would be nice having feedback from all of you!

Bryce · « **Reply #11 on:** 23:31, 17 June 13 »

How are you adjusting the speed to calibrate them? You could add a small inline resistor to slightly slow the drive a bit more.

Bryce.

pacomix · « **Reply #12 on:** 23:44, 17 June 13 »

Quote from: Bryce on 23:31, 17 June 13

How are you adjusting the speed to calibrate them? You could add a small inline resistor to slightly slow the drive a bit more.

Bryce.

No! It is way easier than that! Even after googling it a lot (I couldn't find any info) I discovered that one of my drives had a "hole" just over the cover of the motor covered with a gum. This one didn't have it and I could see a little screw. It controls the rotational speed of the motor. So just insert a little a litle screwdriver (not the one with a cross) and rotate it. I have revived 2 drives that couldn't read protected games. If you still do not know what I am describing let me know and I will post a couple of pictures.

Regards!

Bryce · « **Reply #13 on:** 00:02, 18 June 13 »

No need for a photo, I know exactly what you mean. I didn't realise that CPC drives have that, I've only ever tweaked 3.5in drives that way. All my 3in drives have always worked fine.

Bryce.

TFM · « **Reply #14 on:** 00:52, 18 June 13 »

So... altering the speed is the ultimate data protection ;-)

pacomix · « **Reply #15 on:** 01:01, 18 June 13 »

Quote from: TFM/FS on 00:52, 18 June 13

So... altering the speed is the ultimate data protection ;-)

hahaha... I wouldn't say it is the ultimate data protection but the only one.

Gryzor · « **Reply #16 on:** 22:12, 20 June 13 »

Please, do add a photo. This is a very valuable piece of information...

Also, how much do you turn the screw?

pacomix · « **Reply #17 on:** 20:31, 22 June 13 »

Quote from: Gryzor on 22:12, 20 June 13

Please, do add a photo. This is a very valuable piece of information...

Also, how much do you turn the screw?

The screw should be slightly turned if you only need an adjustment of a couple of RPMs. The black thingy you see there is a gum cover. Just insert your screw there and make a slight pressure. You shouldn't break anything!
There you have the picture!

[attachimg=1]

pacomix · « **Reply #18 on:** 21:06, 22 June 13 »

Hi!

I have just updated this little tool with support for A & B drives. Feedback is welcome!

Cheers!

Paco

CanonMan · « **Reply #19 on:** 01:36, 24 June 13 »

Why call it stupid? It's actually a very useful program, even if the user interface isn't all that good, IMHO!

I've managed to get one of my faulty spare drives working using it, turns out it was spinning at nearly 320 rpm

pacomix · « **Reply #20 on:** 02:26, 24 June 13 »

Quote from: CanonMan on 01:36, 24 June 13

Why call it stupid? It's actually a very useful program, even if the user interface isn't all that good, IMHO!

I've managed to get one of my faulty spare drives working using it, turns out it was spinning at nearly 320 rpm

Haha! I meant "little" tool. Fixed! Internally I refer to them like that since it has not many functionality. Regarding the UI... Yep... I know that since the beginning but 'cos I needed a fast way of having text output without having the firmware active I just reused code of CPC Bros for saving time. That is also in the task list.

Regards!

Gryzor · « **Reply #21 on:** 19:51, 30 June 13 »

Thanks for the photo... never knew it was there. Cool!

Executioner · « **Reply #22 on:** 05:41, 18 October 13 »

Thought I'd at least try WinAPE and got 300.00RPM. Looks like JavaCPC needs some work there though.

TotO · « **Reply #23 on:** 10:12, 18 October 13 »

Quote from: Executioner on 05:41, 18 October 13

Thought I'd at least try WinAPE and got 300.00RPM. Looks like JavaCPC needs some work there though.

As this program is nice to calibrate a real floppy disc drive, but useless on an emulator (except to said, OK I return a good value) ...
Is better to get a wrong RPM on an emulator but with an accurate FDC emulation, like cpcplusplus does.
Or the best, returning a good value and offering an accurate FDC emulation, like M.E.S.S. does.

Around 6 months ago, I have made a little program that can detect all the CPC emulators and display their names. (see the screenshot)
That mean you have all some works to do to emulate (and not simulate) a real FDC...
Starting from M.E.S.S. will be great.

remax · « **Reply #24 on:** 12:43, 21 October 13 »

Quote from: TotO on 10:12, 18 October 13

Starting from M.E.S.S. will be great.

I find it a bit sad that the CPC emulator from MESS doesn't get more love. It benefits from general device rewrites of course, and sometimes it gets some little updates but it has potential to be a really really accurate emulator.

News:

Author Topic: DskTest v0.1.47b (release?) (Read 21213 times)