Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

HxC Floppy Emulator on Amstrad CPC support
Jeff
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by Jeff »

AndyGarton wrote:Because he's spent a lot of time helping me already and as all indications point to an issue with the HxC itself I was hoping to get some help here now.
If he have some pictures, this may help me too to understand the source of the issue. Does he have some kind of documentation ?


This seems to be similar to this :
http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1248
Finally this was the floppy cable.

AndyGarton
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by AndyGarton »

I've tried both an internal and external cable:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 1013782512

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amstrad-Schne ... 35c97e93f2

... both were tested specifically (I mean, my particular cable, after I sent it back because I hit this problem) by the seller, so unless both broke on the way (back) to me, the cables aren't the issue.

Jeff
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by Jeff »

Can you make again some pictures of the internal CPC connection & HxC connection + jumper settings + what says the LCD.
Actually i am blind ;)

Send me the HFE that your trying & please make a factory reset of the emulator (inside the embedded menu "clear eeprom").

Also if possible try the emulator on another machine (PC...).
All needed files are at the download section.

AndyGarton
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by AndyGarton »

The HFE is the one you provide in the download section (together with the blank disk image and batman demo), although I've tried numerous versions of my own file with different settings also.

I just tried an EEPROM reset and it made no difference unfortunately.

AndyGarton
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by AndyGarton »

One interesting thing possibly - the batman forever disc (which shows on the HxC display as 80 tracks rather than 40), doesn't return read fail from the cat command - instead it shows an empty directory listing (so can't be loaded or run of course).

Does that help narrow it down at all?

AndyGarton
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by AndyGarton »

Just to say also that I've now tried four different SD cards, ranging from 2 to 16 gb, different manufacturers (including buying two different new ones specifically for this problem). I've formatted both quick and full, always fat32, both with standard Windows format and also the HP tool I've seen recommended elsewhere. Nothing has helped this problem unfortunately.

Jeff
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by Jeff »

AndyGarton wrote:One interesting thing possibly - the batman forever disc (which shows on the HxC display as 80 tracks rather than 40), doesn't return read fail from the cat command - instead it shows an empty directory listing (so can't be loaded or run of course).

Does that help narrow it down at all?
No this is worst : quite unlogical. Can you make a picture of your cpc internal connection & hxc connection + switch ?


Also if possible try the emulator on another machine (PC...).
All needed files are at the download section.

Sdw
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by Sdw »

I had the very same problem, and in case anyone else (like me) finds this thread while searching, here is how I solved it:

The cable between the CPC and the HxC I bought had a switch that was said to switch between "side 1" and "side 2". For some reason I had to have it in the "side 2" mode for disks to load properly.

Maybe this is helpful for someone, so we don't get a situation like this: https://xkcd.com/979/ :)

Jeff
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by Jeff »

Sdw wrote:I had the very same problem, and in case anyone else (like me) finds this thread while searching, here is how I solved it:

The cable between the CPC and the HxC I bought had a switch that was said to switch between "side 1" and "side 2". For some reason I had to have it in the "side 2" mode for disks to load properly.

Maybe this is helpful for someone, so we don't get a situation like this: https://xkcd.com/979/ :)
Thanks !
Most people doesn't put any solution on forums :?...

AndyGarton
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by AndyGarton »

I did try this btw and it didn't work for me unfortunately - I never got the HxC working, strongly suspect it's faulty.

Jeff
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by Jeff »

What is faulty ? The Cpc, the floppy cable ?

Please respond to this :
Jeff wrote:
AndyGarton wrote:One interesting thing possibly - the batman forever disc (which shows on the HxC display as 80 tracks rather than 40), doesn't return read fail from the cat command - instead it shows an empty directory listing (so can't be loaded or run of course).

Does that help narrow it down at all?
No this is worst : quite unlogical. Can you make a picture of your cpc internal connection & hxc connection + switch ?


Also if possible try the emulator on another machine (PC...).
All needed files are at the download section.
Have you tried what i suggest you 6 months ago ? And where is the picture ?
I still waiting for some feedback...
My bet is that the hxc is working perfectly... As many time before ;)

Seriously : Please use a normal PC floppy cable with edge connector and follows my connection picture.
Stop using these third party CPC cable if the seller is not able to provide you a documentation or something clear enough to make the proper connection.
One thing is sure : Each HxC Floppy Emulator is tested by Lotharek. I am not sure about these cables...

Also think to clean-up the contacts of the 30 years old CPC edge connector with alcohol and disconnect the internal drive (both power & floppy cables !).

AndyGarton
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by AndyGarton »

Yes I tried all those things, spent many many hours trying to get this working and no longer have any motivation to pursue it. I'm well aware you're convinced it's not your problem!

Jeff
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by Jeff »

AndyGarton wrote:Yes I tried all those things, ...
So you have tried the hxc on another machine ? Which one ? (Amiga?,PC?) What is the result ?

If you are sure that this is an hxc problem, why you didn't contact Lotharek for an exchange ?
Have you got the board from Lotharek or someone else ?
AndyGarton wrote:... I'm well aware you're convinced it's not your problem!
Try it on another machine, and we will see ;).

ayasystems
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Re: Read Fail Problem with SD HxC - Please Help!

Post by ayasystems »

Try to make a ready signal (This is done by connecting pin 33 and 34)

I have the same problem and it were fix making the connection

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