Floppy Disk Hardware Emulation: Your EII floppies on a memory stick?

[wintermute]

The German supplier was already signaling that we can discuss the price. But the 80$ will not be possible for sure. Lets check the features of the devices. Since the device features Disc Ready signals...I am optimistic that it could really work. Need to check if DS0 and DS1 is possible as well.

While researching on the topic today I found another device using USB sticks as well. I am really curious if one of them works. Need to try them both

[HideawayStudio]

The German supplier was already signaling that we can discuss the price. But the 80$ will not be possible for sure. Lets check the features of the devices. Since the device features Disc Ready signals...I am optimistic that it could really work. Need to check if DS0 and DS1 is possible as well.

While researching on the topic today I found another device using USB sticks as well. I am really curious if one of them works. Need to try them both

Hi - yes - according the the manual for the Chinese product the drive supports the full 4 drive IDs and the change line config.

Dan.

[Elmbeatz]

OMFG!

Imagine an EII with an OLED display device in the lower drivebay!!! 
Two digit LED though would maybe even be cooler!

Hah, this all sounds brilliant! cannot wait for the results of your 'testdrive'...

Are we only talking about memory sticks? or is this floppy emulator also available as a flash card reader?

[wintermute]

From what I understand is that Dan's emulator is USB-Stick based. One emulator I found is also USB-Stick based the other uses CF-memory cards.

[Elmbeatz]

As one stick can hold 99 banks, I guess it would be most practical to have a usb-flash-card adapter-stick which can be loaded with several flash cards (each with 50 MB capacity).

[wintermute]

I just got the info that you can jumper the floppy emulator to work as DS0 or DS1. That means you can replace the first and the second floppy drive of the EII. Seems like that thing could actually work in the EII.

...keep you updated.

[Elmbeatz]

nice!!!

[HideawayStudio]

I've just had a quote for one sample of each variant.   I will place the order asap.

I've been reading up on the 8" drives used in the Fairlight today - it is possible to convert between the 34 pin and 50 pin Shugart interfaces so it's just possible Fairlight owners might be able to benefit from this one too.

 

[wintermute]

Hi Dan,

sounds cool!
I also phoned to the distributor today and I will be able to test the floppy emulator for the next 2 weeks.
I also got another quote for the USB Stick device and the price it unbelieveable.
I suspect these devices to be the same as the chinese provider offers. If so the price is a little impolite.

If I am lucky I will be able to dump the EII OS this week end or beginning of next week. 

[roginator]

woooow so many good news

I like this all the way

[HideawayStudio]

If I am lucky I will be able to dump the EII OS this week end or beginning of next week. 

I'm not sure just how feasible this is without a translator program as it's unlikely the data will be stored in a completely raw and contiguous form on the USB stick - in other words the data off the memory stick is unlikely to directly usable as a dump of EOS.  Please also bare in mind that it's only a binary anyway so you'd have completely dissassemble it to make any use of it other than simply copying it to another disk.

I wonder if the boot code used to boot via floppy on the Emulators is exactly the same as the binary on the hard disks?

[wintermute]

The floppy emulator I will be testing is the CF-Card version. The device includes a Windows tool to dump the data of the CF-card. So if I can write an image to the card I will be able to transfer the image to my PC. Of cause you only get binary data but thats a first step.

[esynthesist]

... complete silence from floppy emulator world  ?? 
... any success or progress yet guys ??

[Elmbeatz]

... complete silence from floppy emulator world  ?? 
... any success or progress yet guys ??

+1     

[wintermute]

Hi,

I had no chance to try the emulator yet.
I have been at a customer the whole week so if I am lucky and the post office kept the parcel I can try the floppy emulator this week-end.

Dont worry...I will try it for sure!
I Swear