OK that allows me to copy the raw image to a hfe file - however, it is extremely slow on the QL when trying to read the disk image (almost one track per second) and it fails to load some of the files. There must be something amiss?
try to set the interleave to 2 or more.
No - the interleave did not have any real effect - except that on the odd occasion the disk would load.
Having checked my disk interface manual, I tried something else, which did resolve the problem - there is a command FLP_STEP 6 to slow down the step rate from 3ms to 6ms (which is the default for a 40 track drive).
rwap wrote:
OK that allows me to copy the raw image to a hfe file - however, it is extremely slow on the QL when trying to read the disk image (almost one track per second) and it fails to load some of the files. There must be something amiss?
try to set the interleave to 2 or more.
No - the interleave did not have any real effect - except that on the odd occasion the disk would load.
Having checked my disk interface manual, I tried something else, which did resolve the problem - there is a command FLP_STEP 6 to slow down the step rate from 3ms to 6ms (which is the default for a 40 track drive).
So this is a skew problem. I will introduce this new setting on the next version.
OK that is great - can you also have a look at the software remembering the location of the directory for raw images and the exported .hfe files - not sure what others think on this score, but I should imagine they tend to be different locations
Does this mean you can now add Sinclair QL DD Disk and Sinclair QL HD Disk to the drive types to save on remembering to change all of the settings?
rwap wrote:OK that is great - can you also have a look at the software remembering the location of the directory for raw images and the exported .hfe files - not sure what others think on this score, but I should imagine they tend to be different locations
Does this mean you can now add Sinclair QL DD Disk and Sinclair QL HD Disk to the drive types to save on remembering to change all of the settings?
I have finally managed to create what I think is a valid 3.2MB ED Disk Image from a Sinclair QL ED disk drive.
It is an MFM type disk (double sided), with 80 tracks, and 10 sectors per track and 2048 bytes per sector (giving a total of 3200K).
Presumably the bit rate will also need to be set to 500000 (I found that for QL formatted HD disks to work, this had to be set to 500000 rather than 250000 for DD disks).
Hopefully all of the other standard settings should be OK.
pulkomandy wrote:The bitrate for ED disks should be 1 000 000, not 500 000.
or maybe that the drive rotate at 150 RPM.
Anyway this is a very strange format.
Are you sure about this specifications ?
NOTE: To be able to create this disk at 500kbits/s change the RPM to 150.
NOTE 2: If you need 1Mb/s this will not work with the SD HxC Floppy Emulator. In this case you need the USB HxC Floppy Emulator.
NOTE 3: No Write support for 2048 bytes sectors !
No luck as yet in testing the image - I am told the interleave should be 2, so I need to rewrite my routine for making the original disk image for testing.
The parameters are correct with
an MFM type disk (double sided), with 80 tracks, and 10 sectors per track and 2048 bytes per sector (giving a total of 3200K).
(normal PC standard was presumably 9 sectors per track giving 2880K)
Unfortunately, it appears that with the bit rate needing 1 000 000 and 2048 byte sectors, the HxC cannot currently support this - could this be done with a firmware update, or is the hardware itself not capable?
I shall try re-writing the disk image and hope it works with the bit rate 500 000 as the USB HxC emulator is not really feasible for my setup!
rwap wrote:
(normal PC standard was presumably 9 sectors per track giving 2880K)
No wrong : ED PC format is 36*2*512*80=2.88MB
rwap wrote:
The parameters are correct with
an MFM type disk (double sided), with 80 tracks, and 10 sectors per track and 2048 bytes per sector (giving a total of 3200K).
Are you sure about the sector size?
rwap wrote:
Unfortunately, it appears that with the bit rate needing 1 000 000 and 2048 byte sectors, the HxC cannot currently support this - could this be done with a firmware update, or is the hardware itself not capable?
hardware limitation. for the 1Mb/S support have a look to the USB version.
rwap wrote:
I shall try re-writing the disk image and hope it works with the bit rate 500 000 as the USB HxC emulator is not really feasible for my setup!
OK at the moment, I only have Rev B. - but I cannot get an image to be readable.
Having checked with the details for the QL, the disk map is as follows:
/*----------------------------------------------*
* DS/ED MAP *
* *
* The map for a DS/ED disc takes up 3 sectors *
* of 2048 bytes each. This is because there *
* are 1600 allocation blocks on an ED disc. *
*----------------------------------------------*/
The interleave factor is 2 which means read sector 1, then 3, 5, 7 & 9 on side 0, then switch sides to side 1 and read 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 there then come back to side 0 and read 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 etc.
I have the settings as:
MFM Track type
80 tracks
10 sectors per track
Sector ID start 1
RPM 150
Sector Size 2048
Bitrate 500000
(which should be equivalent to 300 RPM, 1000000 Bitrate?)
Interleave 2.
Skew 0
Is there anything else I should try? I have changed the disk image since the one uploaded to my site, if this is any help at all I can re-upload the latest image which more closely reflects the above scheme.
By the way, when trying to access the disk, the track counter remains steadfast at 000/080 and the middle light stays on constantly, until the QL gives up trying to read the disk.
