CPCDiskXP and USB floppy drives

[Nordeide]

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!

[arnoldemu]

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.

[norecess]

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.

[arnoldemu]

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.

[Nordeide]

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?

[TFM]

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.

[Nordeide]

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... 

[TomEtJerry]

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

[TFM]

Or a CPC Booster+, but this needs an RS232 interface on PC side - as scarce as an non-usb floppy 

[robcfg]

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.