New Firmware version for the SD HxC Floppy Emulator (B/C/F)

Jeff · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 3:12 pm

New Firmware version for the SD HxC Floppy Emulator (Rev B/C/F) :

http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_driv ... rmware.zip
http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_driv ... _notes.txt

Code:

08 July 2012: Firmware SD HxCFloppyEmulator v1.7.1.1

    - New embedded setting menu : To access this menu remove the SDCard and press the select button
                                  By this menu you can  : 
                                     ->Change the floppy Interface mode
                                     ->Change the bitrate
                                     ->Change the track step mode
                                     ->Enable/disable the drive B
                                     ->Enable/disable the step sound
                                     ->Set the user interface sound volume
                                     ->Set the backlight timing
                                     ->Set the standby timing
                                     ->Check the software and bootloader version (integrity test included).
                                     ->Clear/reset the settings and reset the Emulator
                                     ->Exit this menu...

    - SD Card :            Issue with some sd card corrected : Incompatibility with some SD chipset corrected.

    - Write support :      Timing for MFM / FM 250/300/500KBits/s write support readjusted.
                           DataMark supported : 0xFB,0xF8 (deleted data mark), 0xFA,0xF9.
                           HFE file format enhanced : Track 0 Side 0 & Track 0 Side 1 track write mode can be different from the others tracks.
                            
    - New track seek algorithm : Faster track seek/settle time -> Faster Loading time !

    - Flip disk function : the disk image can now be flipped (reverse side 0<->side 1).

    - Bad track number at power up corrected (E-mu Emulator I/II, SP1200, Linn/Forat 9000...)

    - Experimental "Rev2" HFE support : Correct some issue with some Amiga games/demos.

    - Lots of internals code optimization...

megar · **Joined:** Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:22 am **Posts:** 20

Quote:

- New track seek algorithm : Faster track seek/settle time -> Faster Loading time !

Can you explain that please ?
Thank you.

Jeff · **Posted:** Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:42 am

megar wrote:

Quote:

- New track seek algorithm : Faster track seek/settle time -> Faster Loading time !

Can you explain that please ?
Thank you.

A LUT is now used to seek a track in the HFE file. This LUT is generated at the loading of the HFE file, and contain the list of contiguous clusters list of the HFE file. By this way it isn't necessary anymore to scan the FAT table at each track change.
Now the "settle" time is very low (<5ms) and constant for each track.

telengard · **Joined:** Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:30 pm **Posts:** 27

I updated the firmware but for some reason can no longer use the device on my ST. Is there more that needs to be done, i.e. did the hfe format change, the config file format change, etc?

telengard · **Joined:** Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:30 pm **Posts:** 27

I've narrowed down what is going on, but I'm pretty surprised by it and it has nothing to do with the firmware upgrade (just a coincidence).

To work with my Coco3 I use an external power source since I cannot get the voltage/power necessary from it. That works fine.

On my ST I was using the same power source and it wouldn't work at all. I plugged the ST floppy power into the HxC and it worked fine.

Why would this happen?

~telengard

Jeff · **Posted:** Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:49 pm

telengard wrote:

I've narrowed down what is going on, but I'm pretty surprised by it and it has nothing to do with the firmware upgrade (just a coincidence).

To work with my Coco3 I use an external power source since I cannot get the voltage/power necessary from it. That works fine.

On my ST I was using the same power source and it wouldn't work at all. I plugged the ST floppy power into the HxC and it worked fine.

Why would this happen?

~telengard

Answers : The ST +5V voltage and the external PSU voltage is too much different.
Check both voltage with a voltmeter.

telengard · **Joined:** Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:30 pm **Posts:** 27

Jeff wrote:

telengard wrote:

I've narrowed down what is going on, but I'm pretty surprised by it and it has nothing to do with the firmware upgrade (just a coincidence).

To work with my Coco3 I use an external power source since I cannot get the voltage/power necessary from it. That works fine.

On my ST I was using the same power source and it wouldn't work at all. I plugged the ST floppy power into the HxC and it worked fine.

Why would this happen?

~telengard

Answers : The ST +5V voltage and the external PSU voltage is too much different.
Check both voltage with a voltmeter.

Ok, I can do that. I guess I don't understand how it would make a difference. The external power supply is powering up the HxC. This works fine w/ the Coco which is in essence doing the same thing.

Unless, the 5V from the power supply is somehow used in the communications over the floppy connector and for some reason those need to match up with what's actually IN the ST.

I'm no electronics expert so this is very interesting to me.

~telengard

Jeff · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:35 pm

telengard wrote:

Ok, I can do that. I guess I don't understand how it would make a difference. The external power supply is powering up the HxC. This works fine w/ the Coco which is in essence doing the same thing.

Yes but the Coco and the ST voltage is maybe not the same : your ST power supply is maybe bad (overvoltage).

telengard wrote:

Unless, the 5V from the power supply is somehow used in the communications over the floppy connector and for some reason those need to match up with what's actually IN the ST.

This is exactly the case ...

5c4r7 · **Joined:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 52

Hi Jeff,

I'm trying to upgrade my Rev F on my Emulator II as you suggested but, when I attempt to do the firmware update on a freshly formatted SD card, I press the left and right buttons, power on the unit, and then the LED on the left flashes for a few seconds and then both LED's stay solid and then nothing happens. I have left it for up to 30 minutes. Am I doing something wrong? If you can help me figure it out I will gladly make a video for you to use for this section to illustrate the correct method for updating the firmware.

Thanks,

Jeff · **Posted:** Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:32 am

5c4r7 wrote:

Hi Jeff,

I'm trying to upgrade my Rev F on my Emulator II as you suggested but, when I attempt to do the firmware update on a freshly formatted SD card, I press the left and right buttons, power on the unit, and then the LED on the left flashes for a few seconds and then both LED's stay solid and then nothing happens. I have left it for up to 30 minutes. Am I doing something wrong? If you can help me figure it out I will gladly make a video for you to use for this section to illustrate the correct method for updating the firmware.

Thanks,

Have you tried another SD Card ?

lotharek · **Posted:** Fri Aug 17, 2012 5:37 pm

hello, if all fails - send back unit to me - if sth is wrong i will refund postage.

meanwhile, do not trust windows formatter and use fresh SD CARD (all units are flashed for a first time from sd )

5c4r7 · **Joined:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 52

OK, I will try a different card. I used the same brand as the one I am using to read files from so I assumed it would be fine but, it could be a flakey card (it is brand new however). So far, the HXC is still reading files ok however, it occasionally has some power flickering and has froze up a few times. I'm not certain if that is from the EII's power supply or the unit itself. The floppy drive always seemed fine. I am in the support business myself so, rest assure I will try whatever I can before we have to ship it back. I will also try the Rev. F unit installed in my Ensoniq Mirage to see if it will do the firmware upgrade (so far this unit is running totally solid). I have ordered 2 more units from you as well. I'll update you once I have completed my tests.

Thanks,

Jeff · **Posted:** Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:13 pm

Please send me a good quality picture of the PCB near the SDCard connector, i want to see something around D3 R32

5c4r7 · **Joined:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 52

HXC1.jpg

5c4r7 · **Joined:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:07 am **Posts:** 52

UPDATE!

Hi Jeff, You were correct regarding Windows formatting. I actually used a new smaller capacity SD card, and then zero'd out data on the card using my mac and then re-formatted for FAT32 in Windows. Once I did this, it seemed to install the firmware fine. I also reseated my EII's floppy ribbon cable. Hopefully this will remedy the freezing issue. I tested with another unit that I purchased for a friend's Emax and it did the same thing so, I think it's unlikely that I got 2 faulty units and more probable that it's an issue in my EII somewhere. I will keep you posted.

Thanks for your help.

HxC Floppy Drive Emulator

New Firmware version for the SD HxC Floppy Emulator (B/C/F)

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