Hard sector format
Re: Hard sector format
Not surprised about the error since i convert it from a singled sided kryoflux dump
Let me convert the others images .
Let me convert the others images .
Re: Hard sector format
Heh. That would explain it! Actually my fault - when I imaged the diskette I didn't realize it was double-sided. So, some of the files had sectors on the (non-existent) second side .
That being the case, I think things are working correctly! This is very, very good news.
Re: Hard sector format
That's somewhat better, but I'm still getting random "NO INDEX PULSE" errors on file read or sequential surface scan. Sometimes a retry will succeed, so whatever it is is right on the edge of the acceptable timing windows.
Re: Hard sector format
"NO INDEX PULSE" mean no rotational index or no sector index or both ?snhirsch wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 5:42 pmThat's somewhat better, but I'm still getting random "NO INDEX PULSE" errors on file read or sequential surface scan. Sometimes a retry will succeed, so whatever it is is right on the edge of the acceptable timing windows.
Re: Hard sector format
Here's the explanation in the manual:Jeff wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 6:44 pm"NO INDEX PULSE" mean no rotational index or no sector index or both ?
Code: Select all
4 NO INDEX PULSE
Indicates that the wrong type of diskette or a badly seated diskette was present.
It's worth recalling Mark Garlanger's experience with Heath diskettes. Data always started a bit earlier than the specs suggested. Perhaps the N* preamble of zeroes is starting too late? 96usec. is nominal, not min.
Re: Hard sector format
Ok, preamble extended :
Let me know if this help or not :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/ns_ds_new.hfe
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/ns_ds_kf.hfe
Let me know if this help or not :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/ns_ds_new.hfe
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/ns_ds_kf.hfe
Re: Hard sector format
I think you misunderstood me. My point was that the preamble (33 zero bytes) may have to start sooner after index. The latest images do not read at all. Immediate error on access to anything.Jeff wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 12:21 amOk, preamble extended :
Let me know if this help or not :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/ns_ds_new.hfe
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/ns_ds_kf.hfe
Re: Hard sector format
Now I have hardware problems here. The activity LED on the Gotek no longer lights up and none of the images work. I'll try reflashing the firmware tonight. If that doesn't work, I think I have another Gotek with your bootloader to try.
Re: Hard sector format
The green led/activity led is directly connected to the DS0/DS1 Floppy bus (no firmware/software drive this led). So if this led doesn't work, the problem is probably more in the machine itself... , unless the the gotek 3.3V is gone... but this doesn't seem to be the case here since you can select the images.
Re: Hard sector format
Yes, it is possible I have cabling issues. Ran out of time before my "real" work (the kind that pays) started . Will straighten it out tonight.Jeff wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 4:22 pmThe green led/activity led is directly connected to the DS0/DS1 Floppy bus (no firmware/software drive this led). So if this led doesn't work, the problem is probably more in the machine itself... , unless the the gotek 3.3V is gone... but this doesn't seem to be the case here since you can select the images.
Re: Hard sector format
It was a bad 34-pin cable. With a new cable, those latest images read almost perfectly. On the double-sided image, I consistently get read errors on sector 342 and 600. Error is "NO INDEX PULSE". Do you see anything odd with the data or timing on those sectors? The original diskette reads fine.
The single-sided diskette also has a consistent read error on sector 342 (same error message).
I saw a couple of other random errors when doing a wildcard copy of data from the Gotek, but I do not see these on the surface scan (linear read). Wondering if there's a problem with read after seek?
I'm able to boot from the emulated drive as well.
I don't know when this cable started acting up, but it's possible that the images you sent last evening were ok. Looks like you're continually overwriting the ones on your server, so I cannot go back to check.
Again, let me thank you for your efforts. This is definitely good progress and I'm sure you'll figure out the remaining issues.
The single-sided diskette also has a consistent read error on sector 342 (same error message).
I saw a couple of other random errors when doing a wildcard copy of data from the Gotek, but I do not see these on the surface scan (linear read). Wondering if there's a problem with read after seek?
I'm able to boot from the emulated drive as well.
I don't know when this cable started acting up, but it's possible that the images you sent last evening were ok. Looks like you're continually overwriting the ones on your server, so I cannot go back to check.
Again, let me thank you for your efforts. This is definitely good progress and I'm sure you'll figure out the remaining issues.
Re: Hard sector format
Ok here all the tests images :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/tests/
Let me know what work and what doesn't.
About the sectors 342 & 600 i am not sure where they are located on the disk (at which track/side ?). It look like these sectors are "empty", but i am not sure which track/side to look.
Btw is there a some raw sectors images available ? I have created some ".NST" raw file from the kryoflux dump, but i want to make the hxc software input/output compatible with existing raw file for Northstar... (If this format is already existing...)
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/tests/
Let me know what work and what doesn't.
About the sectors 342 & 600 i am not sure where they are located on the disk (at which track/side ?). It look like these sectors are "empty", but i am not sure which track/side to look.
Btw is there a some raw sectors images available ? I have created some ".NST" raw file from the kryoflux dump, but i want to make the hxc software input/output compatible with existing raw file for Northstar... (If this format is already existing...)
Re: Hard sector format
The disks are written with 10 sectors per track, 35 tracks per side. Sides are handled in a serpentine manner, tracks 0-34 on side 0, then 34-0 on side 1. Many older formats use this arrangement, since it saves a full disk seek on files that straddle sides. Sector numbering starts at 0. So, sector 342 is "track 34, sector 2 (side 0)". The first sector on side 1 is 350 (track 34, sector 0, side 1). So, sector 600 lies 250 sectors - or 25 tracks - out towards the edge of the diskette. 34 - 25 = 9, so it looks like sector 600 is physically "track 9, sector 0" on side 1. Hopefully this makes the layout clear.Jeff wrote: ↑Wed May 23, 2018 8:49 amOk here all the tests images :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/tests/
Let me know what work and what doesn't.
About the sectors 342 & 600 i am not sure where they are located on the disk (at which track/side ?). It look like these sectors are "empty", but i am not sure which track/side to look.
Btw is there a some raw sectors images available ? I have created some ".NST" raw file from the kryoflux dump, but i want to make the hxc software input/output compatible with existing raw file for Northstar... (If this format is already existing...)
There should be no "empty" sectors. Low level format writes every sector on the diskette. The surface scan tool (built into the Northstart 'copy' program) reads every sector sequentially. The original diskette reports NO bad sectors so they must all be readable by the diskette controller.
I will send some "official" NSI images to the ftp upload directory. As I mentioned in a note last week, these are simply sector data in a linear arrangement. You will need to keep the serpentine ordering (as describe above) in mind when organizing the double-sided NSI into HFE images.