HxC Floppy Drive Emulator

Guys,
I have an HxC USB RevC (received it around March/April and no firmware update if one is even available), and I have used it to run games for Amstrad, Atari ST and also Spectrum +3. I have not played too much with Amstrad (but it was working!), and have had near 100% success rate with the Atari ST (I think any problems are caused by my system being an STE more than anything the HxC is doing!)

I have found when using the Spectrum, however, that I have a few issues.

First, I have had to remove the power to the internal drive for it to recognise the HxC as Drive 0, this is correct, right?

Would the HxC work on a +2a (tape) system? The mainboard on a +2a is the same as a +3, and I assume it has a drive connector on the back (I don't have one to hand, so just curious!)

The main reason for my question is compatability with Spectrum games, however - I have compiled a bit of a list.

Work Fine:
Action Force
Alien Storm
Arkanoid 2
Batman the Movie
Bonanza Bros
Castle Master
Chartbusters (Both disks, Sides 1 & 2)
Chase HQ
Chase HQ 2 SCI
Cybernoid
Cybernoid 2
Dan Dare 2
Dan Dare 3
Escape Planet Robot Monsters
Forgotten Worlds
Ghouls'n Ghosts (crack)
Giants (Disk 2, Sides 1 & 2)
Gryzor
Hard Drivin'
Klax
Pacmania
Pang (crack)

Green Bars (on HxC software goes track 0/1/0)
Afterburner (Activision)
Beyond the Ice Palace (Elite)
Buggy Boy (Elite)
Giants (Disk 1) (Ocean)
Robocop (Ocean)
* A couple of Elite games in there (Beyond and Buggy), the rest random.

'Drive not ready, press a key'
Black Lamp (Firebird)
Bubble Bobble (Firebird)
*Both Firebird games.

HxC Software shows track 87/45(?) or back to +3 Loader
Rainbow Islands (Ocean)

Crashes to +3 Loader
E-Motion (Erbe)

Crashes to '1982 Amstrad'
Ivan Ironman Off-Road (Virgin)

Now I am really impressed that it runs the majority I tested so far, but why do these particular ones crash?
Is it down to protection schemes used on the disk (I get the same result when I try image from World of Spectrum, and a FULL SET torrent I have).

Anyone have any ideas, or managed to get a working image?
Thanks,
Paul

mhh yes but it is a bad practice (may have some strange effects...) . Disconnect the floppy cable too.


Probably yes (in fact i don't myself).



Can you pack these games and send me them ?

The +2A (in fact all the +2 models) has no floppy disk controller, therefor you can't connect an HxC directly to it. I'm not sure if there ever was a commercial floppy disc controller interface for the +2A.
For the older +2 model there is the PlusD interface.

http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum/spectrum_storage.html#plusd

Just read up on this (should have Googled it first!) and indeed the +2a does not have a floppy port on the back...

Apparently the motherboard on the first rev +2a is different, with no floppy parts at all. There was a later rev.of the +2a (or b) that has the floppy drive port, but is missing the logic chips on the motherboard to make it work (this also might only be on a Spanish system).

So nothing to see here, then!

Jeff - Images just send to your hxc2001 email address.

I see you have some STE details on your page - can I ask, it looks like my floppy cable is hardwired onto my STE motherboard! Is this likely, or have you come across this before? I have not pulled the system apart completely, so have not fullt investigated, but it did not want to move when I pulled it and I was scared to pull too hard as it looks like it is soldered on there!

Thanks,
Paul

yes, the cable on STe is often soldered in. You can eitler carefully desolder it (dangerous) or, make a cable with a male connecot on it to plug it on the existing one.

Or use the external drive connector if you can find a 14pin DIN plug...

Email sent !

About the ST have a look to this (In french.) :
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=147

Hello guys and sorry for resurrecting a relatively old thread, I just wanted to share some info with you. Besides, it's still in the first page.

So, about that Atari ST floppy ribbon being soldered onto the board... I just took a look in that french page and started laughing. I mean, seriously...! That's ridiculous!
In any case, there are some things that you/we can do to remedy the situation. There are a few options, too!

Option 1: You want to use a plain floppy ribbon with two female connectors at the ends.
This is what you need: IDC connector male
Now, all you have to do is to attach that onto the existing soldered ribbon of the ST, obviously before the connector at the end, paying a bit of attention to the orientation and polarity of the notch. Then, use a plain IDC crimp (please, for all things sacred, do NOT use a vice!) and squeeze the connector in place.
Now, you can use your plain ribbons to get the signals wherever.

Option 2: You don't want to touch the existing soldered ribbon.
This is what you need: IDC connector male
Yup, it's the same as before. The only difference is that you don't attach it to the ribbon of the ST but on the *other* ribbon that you have. Get it as close to one end as possible, again be careful with the orientation and polarity, squeeze and once it's in place, get one of those very sharp blades and cut the last bit of the ribbon which still has the old female plug. Cables after the connector have a bad habit of bouncing signals.

Option 3: You don't want to touch neither the existing soldered ribbon of the ST, nor the other ribbon you have; it's your last one and you love it!
This is what you need: IDC male to double pin header
This is a different thing, but it does the same job. You just attach this one to the end of the ST ribbon and then get one end of the loose ribbon you have and hook it onto the pin header. Done!

Option 4: You like option 3 but you don't like that wicked adapter thing.
This is what you need: Double row two layer pin header
Alternatively: Single row pin header connector or Single row pin header connector
That's essentially a stick of very long pins, held together with two pieces of plastic spacers instead of one. Usually these are used to connect PCBs together. The other option with the round ones is for IC sockets but it'll do the job as well. What you need to do is use these to connect the two female IDC connectors with each other. I don't think more explanations are needed.

Option 5: Haven't thought of one, you tell me if you do!

Now, isn't that much more pretty and pristine than some half-arsed pin headers soldered together? Besides, that french guy got that wrong too, since he could have soldered the pins back-to-back in a 1:1 fashion.

So... what would I prefer? Hm, I guess that depends on what I want to do. Generally speaking, I'd prefer the 2nd option and make a new ribbon that should look like this:


From then on, it's all simple. However, my personal preference would be to keep the internal floppy functional and connect the HxC (which I don't have) as an external unit. I've got Spectrums, Amstrads, Amigas, Atari STs, soon, if all goes well, even a SAM Coupe so I would have to keep the HxC mobile -- if I had one.

Cheers mates!

_________________
Live long and prosper...

- 1 : Wrong Thread
- 2 : The back to back soldered solution is far less expensive.


No. If you do this all signals will connected to the ground...

- 1 : If I'm in the wrong thread, then so were you, mate:



- 2 : ...and far less secure, far more prone to errors, far less sturdy and... far uglier. Especially when you have to wrap it up in tape or plastic or some other insulator, because having bare metal over the main computer board is a sure way to short-circuit and fry the whole lot.
Besides, having spent almost €100 on the HxC, it's rather cheap to try and save €10 on a connector that will make everything nice, simple and beautiful. And safe.



Since when does a 1:1 extension of a cable change anything and cause any problems? Whatever was 'signal' will remain 'signal' and whatever was 'ground' will remain 'ground'; everything will be in the same position as it was in the original cable.
Unless of course, the french guy didn't do an extension adapter, but an inverter. I don't know, I don't speak french. But the guy in the post above, asked about the ribbon being soldered down. So what he needs is a ribbon extension, without taking into account what he wants to do with the ribbon cable afterwards. What I proposed was simply how to make a ribbon cable extension. Anything he would have done with the original soldered ribbon to get things working, he'll have to do with the extension. That's how it works.
Simple.

_________________
Live long and prosper...

No : If you connect back to back 2 floppy cables, rows will be inverted. You can try it yourself.

But this still more expensive
And two simple low cost HE10 connectors can be found easily into a local electronic shop. That was the problem.

Anyway if you reread correctly the french thread, you will see that we are also using IDC connector male to do this modification.

So this as you want and as you can
(Note : This thread is VERY VERY old : The HxC wasn't sold at this date...)