Hard sector format

HxC Floppy emulator support for all others computers...
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djones60
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:59 pm

Re: Hard sector format

Post by djones60 »

I hate to ask but I'm stumped. I have a Gotek with Hxc firmware that I have been using on my NS Advantage. It works there and have been able to make various real disks with it. So now I am trying to do the same thing on a Heathkit H89, with the same Gotek, and not having any luck. I've used the HFE v3 as the save file format. Gotek activity light comes on, but it doesn't change the sector or track counters. I am thinking I just have a jumper set wrong. I've also tried several floppy cables to make sure that isn't the problem. I also tried disconnecting the internal floppy drive and connected the Gotek directly to the controller card. I was hoping someone that has a Gotek working with a H89/90 could clue me in on what I am doing wrong or missing.

Thanks
David

Jeff
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by Jeff »

djones60 wrote:
Tue Nov 03, 2020 11:44 pm
I hate to ask but I'm stumped. I have a Gotek with Hxc firmware that I have been using on my NS Advantage. It works there and have been able to make various real disks with it. So now I am trying to do the same thing on a Heathkit H89, with the same Gotek, and not having any luck. I've used the HFE v3 as the save file format. Gotek activity light comes on, but it doesn't change the sector or track counters. I am thinking I just have a jumper set wrong. I've also tried several floppy cables to make sure that isn't the problem. I also tried disconnecting the internal floppy drive and connected the Gotek directly to the controller card. I was hoping someone that has a Gotek working with a H89/90 could clue me in on what I am doing wrong or missing.

Thanks
David
Have you tried this image ? :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/heath_kf.hfe

djones60
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:59 pm

Re: Hard sector format

Post by djones60 »

Jeff wrote:
Wed Nov 04, 2020 11:25 am
Have you tried this image ? :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/heath_kf.hfe
Thanks. I'll give that image a try today and see what happens.

djones60
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2018 2:59 pm

Re: Hard sector format

Post by djones60 »

I tried that at lunch and no luck. So not sure if it's the Gotek jumpers or possibly something wrong with the controller card. This seems to have ruled out a problem with the hfe file.

Jeff
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by Jeff »

If someone with an Heathkit machine still reading this thread :

I have released some months ago a firmware with the "HFE blind write mode support" :
You can enable this option on the custom firmware page : https://hxc2001.com/custom_fw/

Would be interesting to test the write support with an hard sectored Heathkit machine with this option enabled.
(I don't expect that this will work with a Northstar machine right now.)

(BTW I have some new ideas to improve the current hard sector support on Gotek, especially on the Northstar computers. Let me know if you are interested and also interested to make some tests)

geneb
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Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:54 pm

Re: Hard sector format

Post by geneb »

I've got a pair of Horizons in the restoration queue that I'd like to use Goteks with. I have no ETA on the one that I ordered though. :(

g.

Jeff
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by Jeff »

An Heathkit + HxC Gotek user reported me an issue (converted images didn't work on the machine) with the recent hxc software release and the latest beta versions.

The regression is now fixed in the new beta version :

https://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_dri ... t_beta.zip

etbusch
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:33 pm

Re: Hard sector format

Post by etbusch »

Hi,

I've got a Heathkit H89 with a hard sector floppy controller I'd like to use with a Gotek with the HxC firmware. It is currently installed onto the H17 card by itself with a short cable.

I have v3.5.2.5a installed on the Gotek, and am converting some of the *.h8d images to HFEv3 from the SEBHC site using the latest software. I can sometimes get a CP/M image to boot, but it is not reliable. I cannot get any HDOS images to boot.

Either I get a "Boot Error" or get dumped back to the H: prompt. The screen indicates that the disk seeks up to track 10, then back down to 0 and then hangs.

From an HxC perspective, do I have all of the correct firmware and software? Should I start hunting down hardware issues?

Thanks!

Jeff
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by Jeff »

etbusch wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:22 am
Hi,

I've got a Heathkit H89 with a hard sector floppy controller I'd like to use with a Gotek with the HxC firmware. It is currently installed onto the H17 card by itself with a short cable.

I have v3.5.2.5a installed on the Gotek, and am converting some of the *.h8d images to HFEv3 from the SEBHC site using the latest software. I can sometimes get a CP/M image to boot, but it is not reliable. I cannot get any HDOS images to boot.

Either I get a "Boot Error" or get dumped back to the H: prompt. The screen indicates that the disk seeks up to track 10, then back down to 0 and then hangs.

From an HxC perspective, do I have all of the correct firmware and software? Should I start hunting down hardware issues?

Thanks!
Is this image working better ? :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/heath_kf.hfe

etbusch
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:33 pm

Re: Hard sector format

Post by etbusch »

Jeff wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 4:21 pm
etbusch wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:22 am
Hi...
Is this image working better ? :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/heath_kf.hfe
I get a "?Boot Error" with that image. Is this a known good one? If so, I'll start hunting down problems elsewhere.

Jeff
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by Jeff »

etbusch wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:21 pm
Jeff wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 4:21 pm
etbusch wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:22 am
Hi...
Is this image working better ? :
https://hxc2001.com/vrac/HS/heath_kf.hfe
I get a "?Boot Error" with that image. Is this a known good one? If so, I'll start hunting down problems elsewhere.
In fact this is a good question... The status is that Heathkit H8D HFEv3 converted images was working 3 years ago :

viewtopic.php?p=18213#p18213

To be honest i am not sure that this is still true with the current firmware & software versions because i have almost no feedback regarding the hard sectored machines.

What you should try :

-> "update" the gotek to an older firmware version : The v3.1.23.1a and the v3.1.25.1a should be tested.

https://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_dri ... rmware.zip

-> Reconvert H8D files with an older hxc floppy emulator software version :

https://sourceforge.net/projects/hxcflo ... p/download

-> Report the result ! ;)

(Also : please share your converted hfe file, there is maybe also an "user error" :) )

etbusch
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by etbusch »

No discernible differences in behavior with the older firmware versions and the old converter. That's perhaps bad news for the machine itself. I will spend some time verifying the hardware is OK and try again.

Jeff
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by Jeff »

etbusch wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 7:25 pm
No discernible differences in behavior with the older firmware versions and the old converter. That's perhaps bad news for the machine itself. I will spend some time verifying the hardware is OK and try again.
Please share your hfe file.

@snhirsch or others Heathkit users with the HxC Gotek : please tell us if you are using the HxC Gotek firmware with your Heathkit. If so tell us with which firmware version and share some working hfe files ! :D

Jeff
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Re: Hard sector format

Post by Jeff »

Someone has made a documentation about the HxC Gotek and the hard-sectored heath machines :

https://groups.google.com/group/sebhc/a ... x?part=0.1

So at least we are now sure that this was working ! :lol:

snhirsch
Posts: 170
Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2015 1:42 am

Re: Hard sector format

Post by snhirsch »

Jeff wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 7:37 pm
@snhirsch or others Heathkit users with the HxC Gotek : please tell us if you are using the HxC Gotek firmware with your Heathkit. If so tell us with which firmware version and share some working hfe files ! :D
Hi, Jeff. I haven't used the Gotek with hard-sector H89 controller in several years. The lack of write support was a deal-breaker in my use case. Shouldn't be too tough to set it up again and re-test, but I need to finish a couple of projects that are occupying bench space. Horizontal surface theory: Nature abhors a clear bench top :-).

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