HxC Floppy Drive Emulator

Hi guys,

After some false starts, I feel I'm close to getting the emulator working with the MPC60/II.

Lessons learned:
• The floppy drive power connecter has a nub for slotting into the floppy drive's connector. This had to be dremeled off in order for the floppy power connector to fit properly.
• Likewise, the ribbon cable has a nub intended to show the proper way to insert the cable. This also needed to be removed in order for the emulator to work properly.
• <sheepishly> Always make sure you're not laying your pcbs down on a conductive surface.

I have attempted to create a blank disk image with the HXC software (running XP in VirtualBox on my Macbook). Using the s950 disk image suggestions as a guideline:

Track type: MFM
Number of tracks: 80
Sectors per track: 5
Two sides floppy
Sector ID start: 1
RPM: 300
Sector size: 1024
Bitrate: 250000
GAP3 length: 50
Interleave: 1
Skew: 0
Total Sector: 800
Total Size: 819200

I created 1 empty disk image using the above formula, one empty image created with the HXC software's 720kb DSDD FAT12 setting, and 2 different cfg files for testing: one IBM PC 720kb, and one generic shugart. Thus far, when I attempt to format a disk using any combination of the above I get the following error from the MPC:

"This disk is unusable since a defect was found in the area reserved for the file directory. Please insert another disk and try again. [Error code: ff04]

Can you try to dump a MPC60 floppy disk first ?

I don't have access to a pc with a floppy drive, so the only disk images I have acces to are the ones posted at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/MP ... ndLibrary/

Unfortunately, most of these files are not read by the HXC software. I did get Greytsounds_808Alt.img to convert to an HFE, but it is double the size I would expect it to be, and the MPC60 doesn't recognize it.

Can you send me one of these images please ?

Own react the floppy access LED of the floppy emulator when the MPC try to read the disk ?

You can D/L the one image file I was able to open with the HXC software at http://www.mediafire.com/?0m2cw8456ij9hyi

The floppy access light seemed to behave properly when accessing the SD card.

Thank you!

Ok this seems to be a classical 80*9*2*512 disk.
I have just send to your email a file to test.

I thought for sure this was going to do it, as I was able to browse the disk and select the files for loading. However, Attempt to load files are greeted with the error message: "This disk is either not formatted or is bad. Either format it or use a different disk." Attempts to format are greeting with the previous error: "This disk is unusable since a defect was found in the area reserved for the file directory. Please insert another disk and try again. [Error code: ff04]).

Success! I put a tiny album up at http://goo.gl/mX3Sj and (if you're ok with this Jeff) a link to the .hfe file at http://goo.gl/LZWRo. The config is the standard shugart emulator, and I have jumpers set for a single drive with a twisted ribbon cable. I will upload a video to YouTube as soon as I can get some samples into the machine. Thank you!

Some additionals notes :

The MPC60MKII use a 80*2*10*512 in MFM format.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To create an empty floppy :

>"Load Raw image"

Track Type : IBM MFM
Two sides Floppy
Auto GAP3
Number of Track : 80
Sector ID start : 1
Sector size: 512
Sector per track 10
RPM : 300
Bitrate 250000
Format value : 246
Interleave: 1 (another value may increase the speed : to be tested)
Skew: 0 (another value may increase the speed : to be tested)

After push "Create Empty Floppy"

If not already done :
> Menu Settings > SDCard HxC Floppy Emulator Settings > HFE file interface mode : Uncheck auto and select Generic Shugart > OK

Finally : Export

On the MPC you must initalize the file system with the format command.

That's all.

(You can also use the HxC Dump tool to generate images from your floppy disk)

Hi,

I have a fresh HXC floppy emulator working in my MPC 60 (with metal case, OS version 3.11). First I tried a standard IBM formatted 720K DD disk image. Now I tried it with the specs Jeff provided (10 Sectors/track, instead 9). I formatted the image with the MPC 60 and now I can use the full 793K as written in the MPC 60 manual.

There is just a small problem. Nearly every time I try to access the disk, the MPC says that there is no disk in the drive. I have to umount/mount the disk image and then the disk is recognized. This happens directly after booting and after a successful disk access.

Do you have the same problem jchiet? I use the same jumper settings.

Oh I forgot. The floppy access LED is constantly on when switching on the MPC. When unmounting/mounting the floppy Image the LED goes off.

Hi Jandoe,

I think I noticed the floppy light being continuously on before I filed down and reversed the floppy drive ribbon cable. Did you remove the little nub on the ribbon plug that forces it to install in one particular direction? I have no issues with the drive staying mounted currently.

Hope that helps.

Don't forget to force the shugart mode.

If already done try another floppy cable.