How to simply transfer floppy content from cpc to a pc?

Started by Spaceeman, 12:24, 21 September 18

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Spaceeman

 How to simply transfer floppy content from cpc to a pc?
For example, I imagine some Basic little code to read floppy sector by sector and show QRcode on the screen, then with my phone I should retrieve raw data from QRCode on the screen... Any tutorial about that?
Thanks.

robcfg

Using Duke's M4 board to copy from a CPC disk to an SD card would be easier.


I like the concept of generating QR codes though.


Oh, and welcome to the CPCWiki!  ;)

Bryce

The biggest QR Code at the moment is 177x177. It can hold 23,648 raw bits (in ECC Level L) which is about 2.9K in Amstrads world. A 3in disk holds 178K of data. So you would need to create and photograph around 62 QR Codes to transfer one side of a disk... Good luck with that.

Try getting a HxC or similar SD Card Floppy Emulator, which you can use to transfer a lot faster in both directions.

Bryce.

LambdaMikel

#3
Quote from: Spaceeman on 12:24, 21 September 18
How to simply transfer floppy content from cpc to a pc?
For example, I imagine some Basic little code to read floppy sector by sector and show QRcode on the screen, then with my phone I should retrieve raw data from QRCode on the screen... Any tutorial about that?
Thanks.


Wouldn't it be easier to generate morse code with CPC audio speaker and have it record with the phone, or emit smoke signals and let the phone camera detect it? You could also flash an LED and record that with the phone. Or just use the parallel port cable like people did in the old days and write a simple BASIC program (ok, now you need a parallel port cable adapter for your phone... let's see if Apple can add that back after they banned everything else  :laugh:  )


Also, thumbs up for the "simple" part of your idea  ;) I always like people that have a practical mindset.

Gryzor

I happened to be looking into QR codes recently during a labeling process and indeed the 23.648 figure is correct with error correction embedded. Oh, and you'd need a good camera and super, super steady hands. I do seem to remember though that you can use that in colour which would probably and dramatically raise the amount of data stored (didn't look into it much though because the vendor couldn't do colour).


But it's a nice idea, and resembles the awesome Pico8 distribution format (i.e., png files that include the 'cover' of the game but also the game itself).

GUNHED

Well, what's your equipment on CPC and on PC side? (e.g. floppies, etc).
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Otto

So today, a year later, what would be the simplest and cheapest way to transfer files from a PC to an original CPC 6128, and the other way round?

Like, I download a ".dsk" image file on a PC and would like to get it on a CPC disk "somehow".

Some of you mentioned some board for the CPC which would allow to read/write from/to a SD-card. Do you have any links to it, please, or some experience?

Thanks!

P.S. I searched the CPCwiki main page, but maybe I've been searching for the wrong keywords.

SkulleateR

Quote from: Otto on 08:36, 02 October 19
Some of you mentioned some board for the CPC which would allow to read/write from/to a SD-card. Do you have any links to it, please, or some experience?


Probably this one -> [size=78%]http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/M4_Board[/size]


SOS

Quote from: Otto on 08:36, 02 October 19
simplest and cheapest way to transfer files from a PC to an original CPC 6128, and the other way round?

Like, I download a ".dsk" image file on a PC and would like to get it on a CPC disk "somehow".
Get an Gotek-Device from China, but you Need to Flash it with FlashFloppy ("medium" simple).
You Need also an Power-Source + Data-Cable for the Gotek (Maybe you will find an "complete kit" on eBay or so...)
CPC 3"->Gotek: Maybe with Discology as software
PC->Gotek: You can download Windows-Software from hxc2001.com

shifters74

You could also use IKONSGR serial interface with a USB to serial cable - costs about £15 in total.

See his indepth post in hardware http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/universal-serial-interface-for-amstrad-cpc/
The board is neat and well made - it had detailed instructions and can talk to many things via serial not just your PC.  His software does all the hardwork on the PC end.
cheers
Shifters

mr_lou

Quote from: Bryce on 12:35, 21 September 18
The biggest QR Code at the moment is 177x177. It can hold 23,648 raw bits (in ECC Level L) which is about 2.9K in Amstrads world. A 3in disk holds 178K of data. So you would need to create and photograph around 62 QR Codes to transfer one side of a disk... Good luck with that.

I find this idea really geeky. And everything geeky is good.

Write a CPC app that reads the whole disk, and outputs 62 QR codes as fast as possible.
Set a phone to videorecord the screen, and write a phone app to convert that video into a CPC dsk file.
Geeky!

Bryce

Quote from: mr_lou on 10:14, 04 October 19
I find this idea really geeky. And everything geeky is good.

Write a CPC app that reads the whole disk, and outputs 62 QR codes as fast as possible.
Set a phone to videorecord the screen, and write a phone app to convert that video into a CPC dsk file.
Geeky!

And how do you error check the data?

Bryce.

mr_lou

Quote from: Bryce on 11:32, 04 October 19
And how do you error check the data?

I imagine running the 62 QR codes 2-3 times maybe.

This isn't about speed. Just about geekiness.

And you should find your inner geek and stuff away that grumpy old dude.  ;)

Bryce

Quote from: mr_lou on 13:25, 04 October 19
I imagine running the 62 QR codes 2-3 times maybe.

This isn't about speed. Just about geekiness.

And you should find your inner geek and stuff away that grumpy old dude.  ;)

:D Nope. Geeky would be if it printed the QR codes to paper and the PC would scan them back in on a flatbed scanner :)Then you could release software via QR code in a magazine too.

Bryce.

mr_lou

Quote from: Bryce on 14:17, 04 October 19
:D Nope. Geeky would be if it printed the QR codes to paper and the PC would scan them back in on a flatbed scanner :)Then you could release software via QR code in a magazine too.

Just a teeny weeny little more time consuming, but yes, definitely also geeky.

mv

Quote from: mr_lou on 10:14, 04 October 19
I find this idea really geeky. And everything geeky is good.

Write a CPC app that reads the whole disk, and outputs 62 QR codes as fast as possible.
Set a phone to videorecord the screen, and write a phone app to convert that video into a CPC dsk file.
Geeky!
This reminds me of a German TV magazine from the 80s, in which data were sent in a small area on the TV screen
and called it VIDEODAT. Just found a link (German):youtu.be/HNUkYRt_oX4
Something like this on a CPC:

10 mode 2:defint a-z
20 byte=rnd*255
30 a=&c000:bit=1
40 for l=0 to 7
50 if byte and bit then scr=255 else scr=0
60 bit=bit*2
70 for c=0 to 5:poke a,scr:a=a+1:next c
80 a=a+&800-6:next l
90 call &bd19:goto 20

Bryce

Quote from: mv on 22:29, 06 October 19
This reminds me of a German TV magazine from the 80s, in which data were sent in a small area on the TV screen
and called it VIDEODAT. Just found a link (German):youtu.be/HNUkYRt_oX4
Something like this on a CPC:

10 mode 2:defint a-z
20 byte=rnd*255
30 a=&c000:bit=1
40 for l=0 to 7
50 if byte and bit then scr=255 else scr=0
60 bit=bit*2
70 for c=0 to 5:poke a,scr:a=a+1:next c
80 a=a+&800-6:next l
90 call &bd19:goto 20


That was done in the UK too for BBC computers, but the data was in the Teletext area and there was an interface available to extract it.

Bryce.

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