Help! Roland S-50

HxC Floppy Emulator Roland Samplers/Keyboards support
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_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

EDIT: S-50 is working fine with SD HxC Emulator - I keep this message here to allow others to see how it was made to work.

Hello,

I recently got my SD card floppy emulator and would like to use it with my Roland S-50, I do however have problems doing so.
I am not sure where the problem is, I see two possibilities:
1) the images copied to the disk

How do I make the hfe files from real images? What settings are required in the HXCFloppyEmulator software?
I have some images converted to hfe files, but they are not really recognized.

2) the jumper settings

I have the jumper where it was when delivered, it is here:
....
....
I...
- and it seems like it is the only position where the S-50 boots and has its display lit, so this might be ok, I did however test all other positions, too ....

So if anybody has his/her S-50 working with the SD floppy emulator, PLEASE tell me how you achieved this.

Currently I have the power led light and the SDCard access led and after switching on the display makes a very fast countdown, but the sampler does not seem to receive any data.

Thanks,

best wishes
Claudio
Last edited by _cc_ on Thu May 05, 2011 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Jeff
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Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by Jeff »

Hi,

Since the head is moving, the jumper setting should be ok.
This is maybe a HFE floppy interface setting problem. Can you send me your HFE by email ?

To dump the disk you should use the integrated tool the "Floppy disk dump" button.

_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

Thanks,
I'll send the hfe file , but before that I have to tell you about some more or less progress:

With jumper setting this way:

Code: Select all

....
....
...I
I finally managed to load the disc, but not easily or the way it is supposed to be - I had to press several buttons on the SD floppy emulator, so that the "disc" was "changed", then the first 7 sectors have been read, then there was a pause, then it loaded. But this worked only 4 times, after that no disc was loaded after re-switching on the keyboard.
I was then even able to write to that file and read it again, but after switching off the keyboard a few more times the keyboard does not read it or any other images any more.

HELP!

:-)

Thanks,
best wishes
Claudio

PS: Now it worked again, but I had to move the jumper while the sampler was on, and had to switch between drive a and b (even though there should only be A) and it's all quite strange....

PPS: I changed the config file to
"X disable disk drive selector" and now I have to change the disk image up/down to be able to load, but it does not work all the time.

PPPS: I now have a way to make it work: I have to boot, then change the image up and down, after 7 sectors it stops, I have to change the image up and down again, then the image loads. Not really what I expected, hopefully I find a better way to have it working.

_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

shugart converted file provided by jeff works now, even boots fine, now I have to find the settings to build those files by myself. More toworrow :-)

best regards
claudio

Jeff
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Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by Jeff »

A carbon copy of emails exchange for all other S-50 users:

----- Original Message -----
From: Claudio Ehringer
To: Jeff
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 9:37 PM
Subject: hfe file

Hi Jeff,

please have a look at that file - the S-50 has even written to it, and was later able to read it but now it refuses to load it.

Thanks and best regards

Claudio

----- Original Message -----
On 23 March 2011 21:47, Jeff wrote:

The file seems good (no bad sector).
Can you try this one ?
I have just changed the floppy disk interface mode.


----- Original Message -----
From: Claudio Ehringer
To: Jeff
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 10:24 PM
Subject: Re: hfe file

thanks,

shugart file works out of the box, even loads after reboot of the s-50.
What exactly are the settings? Is it generic shugart or Emu shugart?
Where do I set it, so all images are built that way?

thanks for answering my dumb questions,

best regards
claudio

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff
To: Claudio Ehringer
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 10:41 PM
Subject: Re: hfe file

In fact before exporting to the HFE file you just need to change the Floppy interface mode.
To do this :
-> Menu Settings -> SDCard HxC Floppy Emulator settings
Into the "HFE file interface mode" section uncheck "Auto" and choose "Generic Shugart".
Press OK.
After you can export/convert to HFE.

Note: If you need only to change the floppy interface of an already existing HFE file, just load it and reexport it with this new setting.

Best Regards,
Jean-François DEL NERO

_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

Thanks!

works perfectly now.

Best regards
claudio

_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

Jean-François, merci.

I now have it installed and it works as it should. I'd like to know a bit more about the hfe image file format - I realized that when making speed higher the file size becomes bigger as well, and the file loads faster in my sampling keyboard, there are however limitations: Highest possible speed up until now I achieved for read/write support was a Bitrate of 265000.

Why are "faster" hfe's bigger than slower ones?

Thanks again

best wishes
Claudio
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Jeff
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Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by Jeff »

_cc_ wrote:Jean-François, merci.

I now have it installed and it works as it should. I'd like to know a bit more about the hfe image file format - I realized that when making speed higher the file size becomes bigger as well, and the file loads faster in my sampling keyboard, there are however limitations: Highest possible speed up until now I achieved for read/write support was a Bitrate of 265000.

Why are "faster" hfe's bigger than slower ones?

Thanks again

best wishes
Claudio
>Why are "faster" hfe's bigger than slower ones?

The final size of a track is computed with the bitrate AND the RPM.This is done during the conversion :

250kbits/s @ 300RPM = (250000 * (1/(300/60)) / 8 ) =6250 bytes tracks (*2 in MFM)

265kbits/s @ 300RPM = (265000 * (1/(300/60)) / 8 ) =6625 bytes tracks (*2 in MFM)

So if you want the same track size you need to set the RPM to 318 ;-)

_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

- thanks, that looks quite logical.
I'll do some more tests with "custom" floppy image formats and have a look what is best in speed and reliability to be used with the sampler.

Best wishes
Claudio

Ricoche
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 1:48 pm

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by Ricoche »

Well done with getting this to work with the Roland S-50. I just got mine working with the Roland S-330.

mrsim822
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 8:32 pm

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by mrsim822 »

hello ! what was your old floppy drive ?

_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

If you're asking me, mine is a Toshiba drive,
FDD 4261A0K 02 A1
NO. DAXY675121
FUJI TOSHIBA CORPORATION LA56034
MADE IN JAPAN

Licensed under
U.S.Patent No. 4,151,573
That's all that can be found written on the drive.

Hope that helps :-)

Regards
Claudio

mrsim822
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 8:32 pm

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by mrsim822 »

thanks :) but i m asking about the floppy drive of s-50 is that what u r talking about !

_cc_
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:20 am

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by _cc_ »

Yes, the given data are from my S-50's drive I replaced with the HxC emulator.
Once again to make it clear:
In my Roland S-50 was a Toshiba drive:
FDD 4261A0K 02 A1
NO. DAXY675121
FUJI TOSHIBA CORPORATION LA56034
MADE IN JAPAN

Regards
Claudio

mrsim822
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 8:32 pm

Re: Help! Roland S-50

Post by mrsim822 »

oh ok ! did replace before a panasonic ju257a floppy drive ?

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