Hello,
I wondered if anyone knows if it is possible to use the floppy drive emulator with the Acorn/BBC A3000 Archimedes.
The A3000 does have a 34 pin floppy drive which I believe is pin compatible with PC floppies. Indeed there is at least one PC emulator that runs on the machine which boots DOS from a PC floppy.
Any help/advice would be very much appreciated.
Regards
MickH
Acorn A3000
Re: Acorn A3000
MickH wrote:Hello,
I wondered if anyone knows if it is possible to use the floppy drive emulator with the Acorn/BBC A3000 Archimedes.
The A3000 does have a 34 pin floppy drive which I believe is pin compatible with PC floppies. Indeed there is at least one PC emulator that runs on the machine which boots DOS from a PC floppy.
Any help/advice would be very much appreciated.
Regards
MickH
Yes this should problably works.
Can you try to dump a disk with the HxC Floppy emulator software?
Is there a particular file image format used with the Acorn / BBC A3000 ?
Re: Acorn A3000
Thank you for the reply - it is very much appreciated.
I have tried creating a custom image of 2 sides, 80 tracks, 5 (1024 byte) sectors which is the standard 800K Archimedes format.
I found a jumper setting that recognised the floppy drive and allowed me to format it.
However, when formatting is complete and verification starts, each sector is bad.
So I presume it is only the RPM, bitrate or GAP3 settings that need to be changed?
I only just got the device today so I probably need to experiment a bit. I intend to use it with my Amigas and STs too so even if it doesn't work I won't be too dissapointed. It's just that transferring stuff to/from Archimedes is not easy and this seems to be a really nice and easy way to do it.
The usual Archimedes image format used by emulators is ADF. I'm not sure if that is compatible with the Amiga ADF format however.
If/when I manage to solve the problem I will post the soluntion.
Thanks again and any further info will be gratefully received.
Regards
MickH
I have tried creating a custom image of 2 sides, 80 tracks, 5 (1024 byte) sectors which is the standard 800K Archimedes format.
I found a jumper setting that recognised the floppy drive and allowed me to format it.
However, when formatting is complete and verification starts, each sector is bad.
So I presume it is only the RPM, bitrate or GAP3 settings that need to be changed?
I only just got the device today so I probably need to experiment a bit. I intend to use it with my Amigas and STs too so even if it doesn't work I won't be too dissapointed. It's just that transferring stuff to/from Archimedes is not easy and this seems to be a really nice and easy way to do it.
The usual Archimedes image format used by emulators is ADF. I'm not sure if that is compatible with the Amiga ADF format however.
If/when I manage to solve the problem I will post the soluntion.
Thanks again and any further info will be gratefully received.
Regards
MickH
Re: Acorn A3000
Well it definitely DOES work. I am not sure how you get Archimedes images onto it - or even if you can without modified software (seems to think they are Amiga images which do not seem to be compatible) but I can get it working in the way I wanted - simply as a blank floppy image I can read/write to.
The jumper needs to be in the upper right corner connecting the centre right pin with the upper right pin (A3000 can only EVER have ONE floppy drive
)
Next I created a RAW image: Track type MFM, 80 tracks, 5 sectors per track, 1024 sector size, 0 sector ID start, 300 RPM, 250000 bitrate, 50 GAP3, 1 interleave, 0 skew.
When I booted, it accepted it but it didn't work (directory error). Maybe one or more of those settings could be better?
Anyway, when using the Archimedes to format that image, it works perfectly and verifies too. Now I can read/write files to it with no problem. So it does do everything I wanted it to.
I hope this is helpful for other Archimedes users (maybe even 8-bit BBC users too?)
I might look at getting the Archimedes ADF's to work and write any necessary software to do the conversion that will probably be necessary if/when I get the time.
Again, if I do I will post it here.
The jumper needs to be in the upper right corner connecting the centre right pin with the upper right pin (A3000 can only EVER have ONE floppy drive
)Next I created a RAW image: Track type MFM, 80 tracks, 5 sectors per track, 1024 sector size, 0 sector ID start, 300 RPM, 250000 bitrate, 50 GAP3, 1 interleave, 0 skew.
When I booted, it accepted it but it didn't work (directory error). Maybe one or more of those settings could be better?
Anyway, when using the Archimedes to format that image, it works perfectly and verifies too. Now I can read/write files to it with no problem. So it does do everything I wanted it to.
I hope this is helpful for other Archimedes users (maybe even 8-bit BBC users too?)
I might look at getting the Archimedes ADF's to work and write any necessary software to do the conversion that will probably be necessary if/when I get the time.
Again, if I do I will post it here.
Re: Acorn A3000
Ok so this is a good newsMickH wrote:Well it definitely DOES work. I am not sure how you get Archimedes images onto it - or even if you can without modified software (seems to think they are Amiga images which do not seem to be compatible) but I can get it working in the way I wanted - simply as a blank floppy image I can read/write to.
The jumper needs to be in the upper right corner connecting the centre right pin with the upper right pin (A3000 can only EVER have ONE floppy drive
Next I created a RAW image: Track type MFM, 80 tracks, 5 sectors per track, 1024 sector size, 0 sector ID start, 300 RPM, 250000 bitrate, 50 GAP3, 1 interleave, 0 skew.
When I booted, it accepted it but it didn't work (directory error). Maybe one or more of those settings could be better?
Anyway, when using the Archimedes to format that image, it works perfectly and verifies too. Now I can read/write files to it with no problem. So it does do everything I wanted it to.
I hope this is helpful for other Archimedes users (maybe even 8-bit BBC users too?)
I might look at getting the Archimedes ADF's to work and write any necessary software to do the conversion that will probably be necessary if/when I get the time.
Again, if I do I will post it here.
.Actually when you load an .ADF file, software use the Amiga track encoder (totaly imcompatible with the standard track encoding).
So now i have to make a difference between Acorn ADF and Amiga ADF. The only way to do this is compare the file size.
Not a big deal
. I will realease a beta version with this soon.Question : all ADF file have the same size, or the size file can differs ?
Re: Acorn A3000
I got mail form customer that confirms HxC works with Archimedes
..... Atari Roxxx !!!
Re: Acorn A3000
Sadly, although most are 800K, it seems that they can be pretty much any size.Ok so this is a good news
Actually when you load an .ADF file, software use the Amiga track encoder (totaly imcompatible with the standard track encoding).
So now i have to make a difference between Acorn ADF and Amiga ADF. The only way to do this is compare the file size.
Not a big deal
Question : all ADF file have the same size, or the size file can differs ?
Thank you for your reply. If I could use the adf's it would be fantastic!
I'm extremely happy with the emulator already and I have not even connected it to any of my STs or Amigas yet.
Re: Acorn A3000
can you send me a " dir *.adf " listing ?. i want to check all possible file size.MickH wrote:Sadly, although most are 800K, it seems that they can be pretty much any size.Ok so this is a good news
Actually when you load an .ADF file, software use the Amiga track encoder (totaly imcompatible with the standard track encoding).
So now i have to make a difference between Acorn ADF and Amiga ADF. The only way to do this is compare the file size.
Not a big deal
Question : all ADF file have the same size, or the size file can differs ?
Thank you for your reply. If I could use the adf's it would be fantastic!
I'm extremely happy with the emulator already and I have not even connected it to any of my STs or Amigas yet.
Re: Acorn A3000
I have a text file with the adf directory info and tried to attach it but .txt file attachments are seemingly not allowed.[Jeff wrote]
can you send me a " dir *.adf " listing ?. i want to check all possible file size.
I've tried several different file extensions but none were allowed.
Please let me know how you would like me to get this file to you.
Thanks
Mick
Re: Acorn A3000
https://hxc2001.com/contactus/MickH wrote:I have a text file with the adf directory info and tried to attach it but .txt file attachments are seemingly not allowed.[Jeff wrote]
can you send me a " dir *.adf " listing ?. i want to check all possible file size.
I've tried several different file extensions but none were allowed.
Please let me know how you would like me to get this file to you.
Thanks
Mick
Re: Acorn A3000
Beta version with the Acorn ADF support:
https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip
to be tested!
https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip
to be tested!
Re: Acorn A3000
I have tested several Archimedes adf images without success.Beta version with the Acorn ADF support:
https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip
to be tested!
I emailed some information and would be happy to help further.
Re: Acorn A3000
Can you send me the working hfe image ?MickH wrote:I have tested several Archimedes adf images without success.Beta version with the Acorn ADF support:
https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip
to be tested!
I emailed some information and would be happy to help further.
Re: Acorn A3000
Yes no problem.Can you send me the working hfe image ?
Will send working image and also the RAW image that the working image was created from (although the raw image did not work, after formatting on the Archimedes, it worked without any problem as stated previously).
Re: Acorn A3000
Hi all. I have also been trying without success to get an image recognised on my Archimedes 3020. I use my HXC without any problems on my Amiga's, and Amstrad 6128 and was hopeful of using it with my Archie.
I have updated my Bootloader and Firmware to the most up to date versions, and have also used the most up to date software for converting the ADFs which advertises support for the Acorn format. The Jumper settings are on ID0, Drive A.
The Archie boots normally with the HXC connected and reacts as if it is a normal drive, however, after I load a converted ADF onto the HXC and then try and access it, I get a Drive empty error.
Are there still issues with converting the Acorn Archimedes ADF's? Or am I missing a step somewhere along the line?
I have updated my Bootloader and Firmware to the most up to date versions, and have also used the most up to date software for converting the ADFs which advertises support for the Acorn format. The Jumper settings are on ID0, Drive A.
The Archie boots normally with the HXC connected and reacts as if it is a normal drive, however, after I load a converted ADF onto the HXC and then try and access it, I get a Drive empty error.
Are there still issues with converting the Acorn Archimedes ADF's? Or am I missing a step somewhere along the line?