HxC Floppy Drive Emulator

Hi,

First a big thank you for making such a great device, and also for adding the compatibility to Japanese PCs.
I'd like to share my experience and ask for some help.

I am trying to run games on the PC-88 (PC-8801FH and PC-8801MC).
As Japanese PCs mostly use two drives connected with two separate cables, I had no choice but buying two HxC (just received them today !!).

I first tried to emulate one drive (simple way).
Here is a few things I noticed (may be useful for people who try for the first time) :

1. The second drive has to be connected for the first one to act properly (even using a single floppy game). So if you have only one HxC board, do not disconnect the second floppy drive.
2. No problem with using the power cable from the PC-88 (but it is required to make or buy an adaptor as the power cable is originaly for 5" and HDD drives).
3. The floppy cable on the mother board is inverted but not on the HxC !
Meaning that when using a standard floppy cable, as it is inverted on just one side it is required to cut the little plastic thing (which is a pain).
4. "Amiga" jumper settings are required (and not "Conpatible PC" ones).

Doing this I was able to load my first game on the PC-8801

Now the difficult part : with the second drive (required for 80% of the games).

Same cable and same jumper settings.
Most games won't load 90% of the time.
Sometimes they randomly do.

On the screen I see that each floppy image has 40 tracks per side.
And than when it stops working, HxC tends to read "over" (for example track 72 out of 40).

I use the same two SD cards (HDSD Toshiba class 10).

Any suggestion for making two drives working ?

Hi,

First you should upgrade your firmware :
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emu ... rmware.zip

Done ! (did not see yesterday there was already an update)
And now it's flawless !!

wow !



I now plan to test games that need write access.

Writing (and formating) of PC-88 floppies is working without any particular problem

Jeff, may I ask you to add a feature to the HxCFloppyEmulator software ?

I would like to be able to create new formated disks for some Japanese PCs.
Here are the data for the PC-88 : (not sure which ones are needed so I give them all)

Machine : NEC PC-8801
Media : 5.25 inches
Type : 2D (double sided double density)
Coding : MFM
Drive speed : 300rpm
Unformated : 500KB
Formated : 320KB
Using : N88-BASIC
Sector size : 512b
# of sectors : 8
# of tracks : 40
# of heads : 2
Transfer speed : 250kbit/s

I'll post other formats when I am sure to have accurate information (MSX, PC-98, PC-66...)

Thanks.

you can do this with the "Load Raw image" button.
Set the setting above in this window and click on the button "Create Empty Floppy".
After this "format" this image with the PC-88.

hmm..i think there is chance to develop some more software tools for japanese pcs \

that would be in situation when order quantity reaches good number

_________________
..... Atari Roxxx !!!

I havw one vote for Japanese dos product.

How many pcs. you want for order?

30 are enough or more than.

I want you to make SD HXC for operate with japanese dos somuch.

many thank.

that is rather Jeff`s job - Jeff ???


i hope special soft for Japanesse may de done for next version of softare.

when You order 30

_________________
..... Atari Roxxx !!!

30 is first order if your hardware can operate on my machine.

We have more than 1000 machine waiting this ffd emu to work.

Our company are trading company in Thailand.

That work with industrial plant and industrial machine.

Thus the cost of your product can accpt from our customer.

Thank somuch for reading.

Jeff ??

_________________
..... Atari Roxxx !!!

If your machine uses VCO floppy pins this will not work as i said before.

Hi NAMIDA88

My machine operate with PC98.

But I make SD EMU prototype version .

It's cannot to read.

I want to be sure that's officer version can read or write

and work on PC98 series.

Are you really operate on pc98.

Thank you for reading.

Hi sixty_cel,

Could you tell which exact model is your PC-98 ?

Hi NAMIDA88

Thank you for your reply.

All MODEL that the floppy pin have 34 pin.

And can read and write on japanese dos.

Thank you for reading.

Sixty_cel