avatar_GUNHED

Extended clone of the great Vortex F1-D/M1-D Floppy Disc Controller!

Started by GUNHED, 18:09, 08 August 21

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Would you be interested in an additional FDC for your CPC/Plus supporting 4 drives (DOS exists)?

Yes, that would be awesome!
Maybe, let's see...
No, but I'm reading this thread nevertheless, because it's cold out there

TotO

Quote from: eto on 08:59, 18 May 22once you have your 8 drives, how will you use them?
It is just for doing that I think... ;D

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GUNHED

Quote from: eto on 08:59, 18 May 22once you have your 8 drives, how will you use them?
On the beloved CPC I hope to have six drives, and that would be:
- 2x 3"
- 2x 3,5"
- 2x 5,25"
This will enable a quick copy of a whole disc from every physical format to the same or another.

A patch inside the CPC will also enable four drives, this could indeed lead to a set of eight drives all together:
- 2x 3"
- 2x 3,5"
- 2x 5,25"
- 2x HxC Floppy emulator (or Gotek?)

Eventually this would enable us to really work with data, without saving something somewhere in between (cause of problems and possible errors).
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Bryce

And how often do you find yourself needing to do this? Do you really work that much on your CPC and with so many different formats?

Bryce.

GUNHED

Quote from: Bryce on 12:42, 19 May 22And how often do you find yourself needing to do this? Do you really work that much on your CPC and with so many different formats?

Bryce.
Yes, I do. Just 1,5 weeks ago Tolkin visited me here in Munich and we took a look at his new game and my M4 shell. Thanks a lot for great hints and ideas to make the surface better btw.
And yes, also we talked a lot about Vortex controllers, our Vortex hardware, problems with the push buttons of BASF drives, the FILECOPY thing, mulit-formats and much more like this. Lot's of fun actually.
And - yes - we did that all in front of real CPCs. That's because we like them!  :) :) :)

But why do you ask? Want to help to construct the F1-D clone eventually?
10 units would be desired at the minimum, see poll. But a DIY kit would be cool too!
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

eto

Have you spoken to Wolfgang Harvardt if his controller might be the answer to your request? (https://eb-harwardt.jimdofree.com/8-bit-technik/cpc-kcc-floppy-controler/)

If it's just about a different IO address that needs to be used, this should be possible be rewiring a pin.

GUNHED

Yes, see German forum, there's our talk. His health is not good and he seems to be busy. From his homepage I can't make a controller for myself, others can for sure. I'm better at software.
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

eto

Quick question: you mentioned that the Vortex controller is just a DDI clone which listens to a different port. Is that correct?

If yes, then you should be able to use the PCB of Wolfgang. He mentions he has some left. The rest would be a bit (a lot) of soldering and a tiny fix, where you cut one lane on the backside of the PCB and instead add a short wire to the right address line.

I might be missing something though. But to me it looks right now as your wish could become true if you get the PCB from Wolfgang, some parts and reserve an evening to solder everything.

GUNHED

Well, I'm looking at the FDC controllers from a programmers perspective. The Vortex is of course a little different compared to the Amstrad controller, but not much. 

The ROM is differently connected, but we don't need the ROM part at all.

We need only the FDC part (with Vortex I/O addresses), the SED digital data separator and a 2 to 4 decoder for four drives. This was better explained at the beginning of the thread. 

I thought that is this forum of more than 1000 CPC users maybe somebody can do such a PCB. But up to now... I hope that somebody will be able and willing to do that. It would be awesome for all of us. 
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

eto

Quote from: GUNHED on 15:57, 22 November 21That's actually very easy (for a hardware person - not for me). You can take the schematics from the Amstrad DDI-1 controller. Now delete the complete ROM part of it. The leftover is the FDC part and that's all we need.  :) :) :)

The card of course needs a change of the FDC base addresses, but that's only bits.
That is exactly what Wolfgang already did. Except for the address change from A7 to A3, but that doesn't even require a new PCB but a little fix as already provided (please double check if it's done right, as I am just relying on previous statements in this thread, and I am known to count wrong on PCBs).

Unless Wolfgang is no longer able to send you a PCB or can't provide the gerber files, you are just one night of soldering away from your dream. 

GUNHED

Well, it would be awesome to have some PCBs actually. To solder that on a "Rasterplatine" is too hard for me at least.

Who could do such a PCB? I could do all testing and updates and so on.
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

Poliander

Quote from: Bryce on 09:49, 03 September 21It's a scam! A scam I tell you! The biggest scam since the battery hack! There's a DDI-1 inside.  :D

The assembly of the DDI-1 in the box was even part of the commissioning process to be carried out by the user, as described in the manual:



Schneider CPC 664 • X-MEM • Vortex F1-X Drive • CTM 644 • DMP 2160
Schneider CPC 6128 • Z-MEM • M4 Board • MultiPlay + Amiga Mouse • OSSC

Bryce

Interesting. So was the internal DDI-1 not part of the delivery? Did you have to supply your own?

Bryce.

Poliander

Quote from: Bryce on 11:39, 22 May 22Interesting. So was the internal DDI-1 not part of the delivery? Did you have to supply your own?
Exactly, these bulky types were only meant for CPC 464 setups to combine a DDI-1 interface and a X(RS) module in one housing. The X-Drives for the 664/6128 were plugged in directly to the CPC and the X-Module providing VDOS 2.0-X was plugged in separately to the expansion port.

I updated the Wiki section, I hope I got all facts correct... proof reading is very welcome @GUNHED 
Schneider CPC 664 • X-MEM • Vortex F1-X Drive • CTM 644 • DMP 2160
Schneider CPC 6128 • Z-MEM • M4 Board • MultiPlay + Amiga Mouse • OSSC

Poliander

Quote from: Bryce on 19:41, 09 September 21
Quote from: GUNHED on 17:57, 09 September 21Of course the controller is different. That makes the F1-D a drive with 0,7 MB format, two drives, access to the internal 3" drive (so three drives) and few things more.

It wouldn't allow three drives, because it's a 464 only expansion.

Bryce.

That's where this adapter comes in!
Schneider CPC 664 • X-MEM • Vortex F1-X Drive • CTM 644 • DMP 2160
Schneider CPC 6128 • Z-MEM • M4 Board • MultiPlay + Amiga Mouse • OSSC

GUNHED

The F1-X (Amstrad compatible controller) is another thing than the F1-D / M1-D (own controller).
Only the F1-D adds four drives (without soldering inside the CPC).

The poll now states that we have 10 users being interested in a F1-D clone - just to mention it.  :)
http://futureos.de --> Get the revolutionary FutureOS (Update: 2023.11.30)
http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

Poliander

I noticed that the housing of @GUNHED 's F1-D controller and the XRS-Modul board @Bryce found would be almost a perfect match :-)

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Schneider CPC 664 • X-MEM • Vortex F1-X Drive • CTM 644 • DMP 2160
Schneider CPC 6128 • Z-MEM • M4 Board • MultiPlay + Amiga Mouse • OSSC

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