HxC on a chemistry analyser

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ggroke
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Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 2:17 pm

HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by ggroke »

Hello,

I am trying to install a floppy emulator on a chemistry analyzer (Hitachi 911) that uses two Panasonic JU-255 floppy drives. The jumpers on the drives are MO and RY, one is DS0 and the other is DS1.

My questions are:

- How can I configure the HxC's to match this jumper setting?
- How can I create an empty image on the SD? The machine has an utility to format and copy from one drive to another, but I don't know how to set up an initial image...

The equipment uses HD (1.44 MB) disks, but non-standard formatting. I tried to dump the disks with the PC software, but without success. But as I told, that's not a problem since the equipment is able to replicate the disks from one drive to another.

So my plan is install one HxC along with one actual floppy drive, and then copy from the actual disks to the emulator, and then replace the other floppy drive with the second HxC.

Jeff
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Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by Jeff »

ggroke wrote: The equipment uses HD (1.44 MB) disks, but non-standard formatting.
Are you sure ? This is strange because i know that the Hitachi 902 use standard DOS floppy.

Have you tried the HxC Floppy Emulator software to dump your disks ?

The right jumper setting should ID0-A or ID1-A (DS0/DS1) and the interface mode is "Shugart".

You will probably need the new firmware version. I will send it to you.

ggroke
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 2:17 pm

Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by ggroke »

Jeff wrote:
ggroke wrote: The equipment uses HD (1.44 MB) disks, but non-standard formatting.
Are you sure ? This is strange because i know that the Hitachi 902 use standard DOS floppy.

Have you tried the HxC Floppy Emulator software to dump your disks ?
I don't know about the 902, but the 911 uses non-DOS formatting, that's for sure. If I put the disks on the PC, it tells me that the disk isn't formatted.

I tried to dump the disks with HxC Floppy Emulator along with some others, but none of them worked. The HxC takes a long time, but the dump file contains only FFs and 00s.

Send me the new firmware so I can try installing the emulator.

Jeff
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Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by Jeff »

ggroke wrote:
Jeff wrote:
ggroke wrote: The equipment uses HD (1.44 MB) disks, but non-standard formatting.
Are you sure ? This is strange because i know that the Hitachi 902 use standard DOS floppy.

Have you tried the HxC Floppy Emulator software to dump your disks ?
I don't know about the 902, but the 911 uses non-DOS formatting, that's for sure. If I put the disks on the PC, it tells me that the disk isn't formatted.
mmhhh. maybe that the machine use 3 mode disk drive, rotating at 360RPM. "Normal" PC drive rotate at 300RPM. So a "3 mode" floppy disk cannot be read in a standard pc floppy drive : (300/360) * 500000 = 416666 Kbits/s -> Incompatible bitrate for the PC FDC. We already got this kind of thing with some Casio keyboard.

Anyway please find in your mail box : The new firmware and 2 blanks disk images ready to be formatted :
DSKA0000.HFE : 300RPM HD disk.
DSKA0001.HFE : 360RPM HD disk.
Just unpack the zip to the root a FAT32 formated SDCard

ggroke
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 2:17 pm

Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by ggroke »

I tried, but no success. I've updated the emulator with the firmware you sent me.

Then I removed the 2nd disk drive (the equipment's "B" drive) and placed the emulator in its place, with the jumper set to DS1.

Whenever I try to do anything (using the command to format or copy the disk), the machine gives me a "FD Error" message.

Is there anything else I can try?

Jeff
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Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by Jeff »

ggroke wrote:I tried, but no success. I've updated the emulator with the firmware you sent me.

Then I removed the 2nd disk drive (the equipment's "B" drive) and placed the emulator in its place, with the jumper set to DS1.

Whenever I try to do anything (using the command to format or copy the disk), the machine gives me a "FD Error" message.

Is there anything else I can try?
Update the firmware with the one present in your email box

Set the jumper to ID1-A.

Use the image in your email box.

try to format/copy a disk to this image.

how react the machine & the emulator?

send me back the image after the format attempt.

(if you always see "RA .............. S:1" at the second line, please reconnect the floppy cable to the other way.)

ggroke
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Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 2:17 pm

Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by ggroke »

I've updated the firmware successfully, but I couldn't select the image you sent me (or any other image at all).

The emulator allows me to navigate through the .HFE files, but it doesn't allow me to select any of them, it keep showing "Choose a file". Therefore, the equipment showed the message "reinsert floppy disk".

I formatted the SD card again, and tried all over, but it didn't make any difference.

Jeff
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Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by Jeff »

ggroke wrote:I've updated the firmware successfully, but I couldn't select the image you sent me (or any other image at all).

The emulator allows me to navigate through the .HFE files, but it doesn't allow me to select any of them, it keep showing "Choose a file". Therefore, the equipment showed the message "reinsert floppy disk".

I formatted the SD card again, and tried all over, but it didn't make any difference.
Is the middle button working ?
Try to enter to the menu setting :
Remove the SDCard and press select (middle button).
You should be able to enter it if the button is ok.

EDIT : Is it better with the new firmware ?

ggroke
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Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 2:17 pm

Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by ggroke »

I've updated again, same error.

The middle button is working, I can enter the menus, select the options etc. But when I press it to select the image, the emulator beeps, shows the name of the file on the first line and T:000/084 S:0 on the second line briefly, and then pops "Choose a file" again.

Looks like the file is not accepted for some reason.

Jeff
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Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by Jeff »

ggroke wrote:I've updated again, same error.

The middle button is working, I can enter the menus, select the options etc. But when I press it to select the image, the emulator beeps, shows the name of the file on the first line and T:000/084 S:0 on the second line briefly, and then pops "Choose a file" again.

Looks like the file is not accepted for some reason.
Which sdcard are you using ?
Is it formatted in FAT32 ?

Can you try another model of sd card ?

ggroke
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 2:17 pm

Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by ggroke »

I'm using an 8 GB Sandisk. It's freshly formatted in FAT32.

I have some other cards in my home (some really small, 128 MB and 512 MB), I'll get them by tonight, and I can use them tomorrow.

Is there any brand/model you recomend?

truongminhvl
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Joined: Sun Jun 16, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by truongminhvl »

Hi ggroke
You made HxC okey on H911?

Jeff
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Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by Jeff »

truongminhvl wrote:Hi ggroke
You made HxC okey on H911?
We are actually working on this.
But the HxC is actually working on the H911 at another company in germany :wink: .
This is just a setting problem to solve here.

Do you have the HxC and some H911 machine ?

truongminhvl
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Joined: Sun Jun 16, 2013 5:03 pm

Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by truongminhvl »

Hi Jeff
There are lot of H911 and H717 in our company but have not HxC yet. I have just order 1 HxC for experiment but i have a little hesitate that how is format a SD card and set up it using for H911? :D I very glad if you share some your experience for resolve this problem.

Jeff
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Re: HxC on a chemistry analyser

Post by Jeff »

truongminhvl wrote:Hi Jeff
There are lot of H911 and H717 in our company but have not HxC yet. I have just order 1 HxC for experiment but i have a little hesitate that how is format a SD card and set up it using for H911? :D I very glad if you share some your experience for resolve this problem.
The common way is to use a PC and the HxC Floppy Emulator software to make the images.
The main problem here is that the H911 drive rotate @ 360RPM. A normal PC drive rotate at 300RPM. So in this particular case you need to replace the PC drive by a drive rotating at 360RPM to be able to read the H911 disks.

Others solutions :

-> Use The HxC to be make a copy from the drive 1 in the H911.

-> Use specialized solution like the KryoFlux (http://www.kryoflux.com/).

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