Reading PCW disks with a CPC

[Gryzor]

Ok, here's one for our PCW-minded fellows:


Say you got a PC, an FD1 and some PCW9512-created CF2-D or CF2-DD disks. Can you read their contents somehow if you connect te FD1 to the PC?


Failing that, can a CPC read them and retrieve the files somehow?


Thanks!

[JonB]

PCW can read 6128 disks formatted in DISCKIT3 under CP/M.

The 6128 can't read PCW formatted disks, sadly.

The way I copy from a PC to the PCW is via a 3.5" floppy disk connected to the 6128's external drive port via a custom cable from a bloke in eBay. It's a bit convoluted.

   
• Download required file from website.
• Use CPCDiskXP to copy the file to a 3.5" floppy that is formatted on the 6128 as a CPM disk.
• Inset 3.5 inch disk and a CPM formatted 3" disk into the 6128.
• Copy the file from the 3" disk to the 6128's 3" drive.
• Insert 3" disk into PCW.
• Copy file from 3" 6128 formatted disk to PCW formatted 3" disk.

So the answer is - to transfer from PCW to CPC you need to use a CPM formatted 6128 disk as a transfer medium. PCW and 6128 can both read and write it. If you are copying a double sided disk (PCW512 drive B: only) to a CPC, you need to again use only the CPC formatted single sided disk to transfer.

[Gryzor]

Oh wow, that's convoluted alright... probably out of the scope since a CPC is not available in my scenario, only a FD1 connected to the PC. Bryce suggested trying maybe Omniflop, has anyone tried this?


Thanks for your reply, much obliged

[fgbrain]

I think that a PD program exists call READPCW that does the job...

[Gryzor]

Unfortunately ReadPCW appears to have been a CPC program... remember, no CPC is available here

[MaV]

If CPCDiskXP can read CPC disks from a FD-1 connected to the PC, then there's no reason that it cannot read PCW disks. The only difference between the CPC and PCW standard disk format is the sector IDs.

CF2-DD disks cannot be read on a FD-1, you need a double density drive and my guess is CPCDiskXP has no support for DD drives.

(Nothing is tested, because I dont't use CPCDiskXP and have no FD-1 connected to my PCs which BTW don't have proper floppy controllers anymore).

[Gryzor]

Yeah I was thinking about CPCDiskXP but haven't used it in years and really don't know anything when it comes to the PCW...


Good point about the DD ones, I have pointed it already out to the interested party, hopefully some of the disks are not DD!

[TFM]

FGBrain and MaV: Nothing left to say 

[Prodatron]

Failing that, can a CPC read them and retrieve the files somehow?

Now after undusting my PCW again I found this old topic: As SymbOS supports the PCW CP/M format, you can use this on your CPC to transfer files between PCW and CPC discs. The PCW uses another variant of the CP/M format (sector ID #0x), because its discs only have 9 reserved sectors compared to the CPCs system format (sector ID #4x), which has 18 (to store the complete CP/M 2.2 there). The PCW still uses a boot sector, so that's a reason why not taking the data format (sector ID #Cx), which has no reserved sectors.

[Gryzor]

Thanks Prodatron, that's very interesting. Is support native or would one need a program to do it?

[Prodatron]

The support is native (like FAT12 disc support as well). Just insert a CPC, PCW or MS(X)-DOS floppy in your CPCs disc drive in SymbOS and you can work with it (e.g. by using SymCommander) 

[TFM]

MSX-DOS too? That's great! So their format is not toooo different ;-)

[Prodatron]

There is no difference FAT12 is the standard disc format of MSX-DOS, as it's more or less a 1:1 port of MS-DOS for the Z80. With a patch it also supports FAT16.

[Gryzor]

Thanks Prodatron, that's a great feature