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General Category => Emulators => Topic started by: Nordeide on 13:40, 29 June 11

Title: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: Nordeide on 13:40, 29 June 11
Hi!

I am about to get a new PC that does not have a floppy drive.
Will I be able to use CPCDiskXP with a USB floppy drive?

Thanks!
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: arnoldemu on 14:29, 29 June 11
Quote from: Nordeide on 13:40, 29 June 11
Hi!

I am about to get a new PC that does not have a floppy drive.
Will I be able to use CPCDiskXP with a USB floppy drive?

Thanks!
I am guessing, but I think not.

AFAIK, CPCDiskXP accesses the internal disc controller. USB Floppy drive has it's own controller.

Your only choice at this time is to format a disc to 720K in the USB floppy drive, copy the files, and use DOSCopy.
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: norecess on 16:10, 29 June 11
I bought one of those USB floppy drive : forget them. They only support regular 1.44Mb-formatted discs..


Reusing an older PC with a real floppy drive is your best bet.
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: arnoldemu on 17:37, 29 June 11
Quote from: norecess on 16:10, 29 June 11
I bought one of those USB floppy drive : forget them. They only support regular 1.44Mb-formatted discs..


Reusing an older PC with a real floppy drive is your best bet.
they don't support 720K?

if so, it would be possible to write a special file to the disc which you could read on the cpc with a tool and re-create a dsk.
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: Nordeide on 20:41, 29 June 11
Quote from: norecess on 16:10, 29 June 11
I bought one of those USB floppy drive : forget them. They only support regular 1.44Mb-formatted discs..

Reusing an older PC with a real floppy drive is your best bet.

So taping the "HD" hole and formatting the disk with the /F:720 swich won't work?
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: TFM on 20:48, 29 June 11
No, because a floppy disc and an USB floppy are totally different. The usb uses very different drivers, and the hardware limits it to hd dos format.
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: Nordeide on 22:25, 29 June 11
Quote from: TFM/FS on 20:48, 29 June 11
No, because a floppy disc and an USB floppy are totally different. The usb uses very different drivers, and the hardware limits it to hd dos format.

Oh well. I'd better postpone the burial of my old PC then...  ;D
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: TomEtJerry on 07:11, 30 June 11
Hi,

About the 720k format, I am not so sure, as I have managed to copy demos from PC to MSX with this kind of USB device. Maybe some USB drives are better than others (mine is a Connectland).

Anyway, the best way to transfer disk images to CPC is an old PC.

T&J/GPA
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: TFM on 21:15, 30 June 11
Or a CPC Booster+, but this needs an RS232 interface on PC side - as scarce as an non-usb floppy  ::)
Title: Re: CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives
Post by: robcfg on 00:08, 01 July 11
Quote from: TomEtJerry on 07:11, 30 June 11
Hi,

About the 720k format, I am not so sure, as I have managed to copy demos from PC to MSX with this kind of USB device. Maybe some USB drives are better than others (mine is a Connectland).

Anyway, the best way to transfer disk images to CPC is an old PC.

T&J/GPA


The MSX 720kb disk format is so close to the PC 720kb format that in case your usb floppy supports 720kb disks, most probably will work as it will probably use standard functions instead of accessing the floppy controller directly.
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