Help with Memotech MTX disc format

HxC Floppy emulator support for all others computers...
Jeff
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by Jeff »

anvil1man wrote:ok, here it is.
ok. Now test ALL these files one by one.
One of them should works...
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Newword2.zip
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anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

will do, brb

anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

gr8 news. the Suhgart doublestep 250k one worked. That said it will only load files from the cp/m type 03 rom. I have tried to load newword and it works plus loaded in a document file and that worked as well. When trying to boot from the type 7 prom it will boot the disc, dir it fine but when trying to load the file it hangs, oddly it does the same with the 5.25" drive so am guessing it is needing 80 tracks to work properly as type 7 is DSDD 80 track from what I rmember. So far though i'm well impressed, thanks you very much for the help to date. Jim

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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by Jeff »

anvil1man wrote:gr8 news. the Suhgart doublestep 250k one worked. That said it will only load files from the cp/m type 03 rom. I have tried to load newword and it works plus loaded in a document file and that worked as well. When trying to boot from the type 7 prom it will boot the disc, dir it fine but when trying to load the file it hangs, oddly it does the same with the 5.25" drive so am guessing it is needing 80 tracks to work properly as type 7 is DSDD 80 track from what I rmember. So far though i'm well impressed, thanks you very much for the help to date. Jim
Et bah voila ;-)

So since your floppy disk drive that you are using to dump your disks seems to rotate at 360RPM, the bitrate are set to 300kbits/s. So you have to hack the HFE file to change the bitrate to 250Kbits/s.

anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

how do I do that? Still getting used to playing with things. What do you think about the other problem though regarding the type 7 fd system used in the later MTX's where I can read the disc but not load anything from it?

I may have a go at trying to capture from a 3.5" PC using the 3.5" MTX discs I have to see how it goes.

Jim

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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by Jeff »

anvil1man wrote: how do I do that? Still getting used to playing with things.
The bitrate is set into the HFE file :
Offset 0x0C-0x0D : 0x2C 0x01 = 300K 0xFA 0x00 = 250K.

You can also export to raw file (img) and reload it with the load raw file function (with the right parameters...).

anvil1man wrote: What do you think about the other problem though regarding the type 7 fd system used in the later MTX's where I can read the disc but not load anything from it?
The mode 7 seems to be a 80 tracks floppy in single step. So just disable the double step and read the disk with 80 track.

anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

Morning Jeff,

I am not sure how to go about altering the speed as you suggested, what program do I need to be able to edit the hfe file?

Attached is an image from the type 7 3.5" boot disc, this does not boot on the MTX sadly and I am wondering if it is something similar to the speed issue but with the PC's 3.5" drive. On capture it states 250kbs as the speed.
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SDXbootdisc.rar
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Jeff
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

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anvil1man wrote:Morning Jeff,

I am not sure how to go about altering the speed as you suggested, what program do I need to be able to edit the hfe file?
http://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/
anvil1man wrote: Attached is an image from the type 7 3.5" boot disc, this does not boot on the MTX sadly and I am wondering if it is something similar to the speed issue but with the PC's 3.5" drive. On capture it states 250kbs as the speed.
This should works out the box...
Don't forget to disable the double step into the setting window before exporting to HFE.

Please put the HFE file here.

anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

Hi Jeff, the hfe file is over 256kb so will not upload. that is why I used the img file instead. Any suggestions?

anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

Got the editor, attached a screen shot as I cannot see how your refs above tie in with what I am looking at on the screen. Not used anything like this before, sorry.
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hfe-editor.gif
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by Jeff »

anvil1man wrote:Got the editor, attached a screen shot as I cannot see how your refs above tie in with what I am looking at on the screen. Not used anything like this before, sorry.
You must change 0x2C 0x01 to 0xFA 0x00 in the first line...

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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

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anvil1man wrote:Hi Jeff, the hfe file is over 256kb so will not upload. that is why I used the img file instead. Any suggestions?
by email.

anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

Update: Not been able to get the type 7 3.5" images tyo work at all so far. Can I have your email address pls to send you the hfe file.

I have managed to modify a couple of images now, and it is getting close to being able to access them through the non cp/m MTX disc system for the type 3 drives. Will come back with more info when I have done some more testing.

Jim

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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by Jeff »

anvil1man wrote:Update: Not been able to get the type 7 3.5" images tyo work at all so far. Can I have your email address pls to send you the hfe file.
Have a look to the project web page, or in the about dialog box...

anvil1man
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Re: Help with Memotech MTX disc format

Post by anvil1man »

email sent, bit of wrong info on it though about the 3.5" disc. I have just used another drive in my PC and this time it worked 1st time on the MTX.

I now have to work out type 2 discs which I think are SSDD so FM not MFM and single sided, double step on the settings?

Jim

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