Are we adopting a new standard in the TI community?

[Omega-TI]

I've noticed quite a few people seem to be getting Lotharek HxC's lately. Some members have had one for a while now and others plan to get one. There may also be people not planning to get one as well.

 

This poll is meant to ascertain if the TI community is on the verge of adopting a new standard, or if we are still a ways off.

 

Due to the device in question, this poll is designed only for users that have equipment capable of using a physical disk drive.

 

Thanks for taking part.

 

[wyerd]

Not sure I understand the last 2 questions. I bought mine last December, 3 months ago, so that's a no for Q2. I don't plan on buying another, so that's another no for Q3. Is that what you're after?

[Omega-TI]

Not sure I understand the last 2 questions. I bought mine last December, 3 months ago, so that's a no for Q2. I don't plan on buying another, so that's another no for Q3. Is that what you're after?

 

Actually I'm tring to determine how many people own one, and of those who don't, the number who plan on purchasing one. The 'N/A' is just so a person can complete the poll, because AA requires an answer to every question.

 

BTW - It was you than did the photo layout of the HxC installation right? I was trying to find that so I could link to it from my blog.

[wyerd]

BTW - It was you than did the photo layout of the HxC installation right? I was trying to find that so I could link to it from my blog.

 

I did the 2 half height drives installation, which included the HxC http://atariage.com/forums/topic/233092-how-to-mount-2-half-height-drives-in-a-peb-without-drilling/?hl=%2Bwyerd&do=findComment&comment=3150366

[+Lee Stewart]

...

This poll is meant to ascertain if the TI community is on the verge of adopting a new standard, or if we are still a ways off.

...

 

 

Methinks thou dost speak in riddles.

 

...lee

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

I think this is simply a case of reaching to make any topic about the TI-99/4A. Nothing wrong with that, just an observation.

[+Schmitzi]

puh that just remembers me to all the nights, over weeks, I have tried to copy disks

from/to the TI via RS232. last year. Doesn´t work up to today. Not one connecction at least.

(And I have really tried a lot, with patience, have many PEBs, many different RS232´s,

some nanoPEBs, many PCs/COMx, bought and also soldered, about 25 cables. no gain)

 

THEN I bought the HxC from Lotharek, 1 hour "work" on it, and: ready -> steady -> GO (!)

it is very comfortable, fast doing, and it works reliable.

The windows-software coming with the HxC-drive is very good, does a lot more

then you can imagine, und runs without the drive, (of course, it´s mounted in the PEB)

And bought once, you can use it on so much hardware, computers, musical instruments,

production machines..... just needs a 34pin-floppy-connector (Shugart & more).

 

For me, this part is absolutely recommended, in particular, for "beginners" like me.

 

Last, but not least, another (cheaper) way is the OmniFlop-software

Edited March 4, 2015 by schmitzi

[Iwantgames:)]

I got my HxC right after getting my TI as its so much easier to get stuff off the internet and onto the TI I actually don't remember if it's been more than 6 months yet or not so I voted no.

[Omega-TI]

 

I did the 2 half height drives installation...

 

Thanks, I try to keep things updated, and thought it was you, but could not find thread. It's a great post that I wanted to link to, because while it appears only 1/3 of us are currently using one, I fully expect that number to explode after the Myarc DSDD 80 track clone is released. People will want good instructions for updating, and your post hits that mark.

 

 

Methinks thou dost speak in riddles.

 

Damn, and I was trying to be clear.

 

 

THEN I bought the HxC from Lotharek, 1 hour "work" on it, and: ready -> steady -> GO (!)

it is very comfortable, fast doing, and it works reliable...

 

... For me, this part is absolutely recommended, in particular, for "beginners" like me.

 

 

 

I agree the ease of use and it's utility make it number one in my book too. There are other benefits like the ability to act as two drives simultaneously and the ability to emulate the larger 720K drives. For many of us, the expense of rare SCSI boards, IDE converters on top of hard drives just gets a little too expensive for what we would gain, but with the HxC we maintain 100% compatibility with all existing software and will be able to use any FDC available to us... and even grow as we upgrade controller boards.

[+Schmitzi]

yes. and one thing should be mentioned in addition:

 

Though, if my diskcontroller could handle a (virtual HxC-) FloppyDrive with 100GB per disk,

I on my own, first I will keep running virtual Disks mostly at 90/180 or 360K, for compatibility reasons.

So I can pass my .HFEs or .DSKs to other users, who have "normal" controllers only,

and I am also able to create real TI-Disks with OmniFlop or inside the PEB with real drives.

 

Yes, of course I will also create my own special, bigger virtuaDisks,

i.e. like PagePro99 with all fonts on one (big) disk,or special tool-/boot-Disks on one (big) disk,

this also will come up. An own market for HxC-users with more modern controllers....

 

This "new market" also could establish a desire for other users to update to newer controllers and the HxC-EMU-Drive , but that will take some time. And I don´t want to annoy other users with offering big DSKs/HFEs only

[+Ksarul]

Don't forget one other thing with TI disks--once you have 127 files, you hit the maximum size of the file table unless that disk is capable of using subdirectories. Myarc's MDM V will put up to three subdirectories on a floppy disk (and many more on a hard disk), but it is good to remember that directory size limit when you're combining disks with lots of small files.

[+Schmitzi]

so, I´ve learned somehting new ) Thanks

[Omega-TI]

Myarc's MDM V will put up to three subdirectories on a floppy disk (and many more on a hard disk),

 

Huh? Are you saying what I think you are saying, or is this just wishful thinking on my part? Are you saying this new FDC clone that you are making will have a limited sub directory capability? If so, this is more than I ever hoped for!

 

so, I´ve learned somehting new ) Thanks

 

Me too! I knew about the file limit, I had no clue this new controller he's working on might give us limited sub directories.

I'm getting excited now... I hope the bubble does not burst.

[+Ksarul]

Actually, if you take Gazoo's XB 2.7 cartridge and load the Myarc MDM V (which normally only works with the HFDC, but Gazoo hacked it to work with any controller), you should be able to create subdirectories on a disk now. . .assuming every function works in the hack. I may have to go and do a test of that now that I'm thinking of it. . .

 

This function should have little or nothing to do with the controller--and everything to do with the disk manager.

[Omega-TI]

I'd like confirmation for sure. I'd test it myself, but due to keyboard issues at the moment I'm unable to. I've scheduled all day the 14th to play, so I'll get it fixed then, but in the mean time I'd love confirmation and possibly a photo.

 

DM2K will work with sub directories, even though it will not make them on a disk, so I'm assuming all will be well.

 

It's strange, Fred seems to think of everything, I wonder why this function was not included in DM2K since it appears to be possible. Maybe he just ran out of room?

[wyerd]

Who is designing this Myarc FDD clone? Will it be offered populated, unpopulated, both or kit form? What's the current ETA?

[wyerd]

I see many more people looking at the HxC as a storage solution as the Vintage Computer interest contunues to grow. The cost of the unit is a major factor as it is really quite expensive, plus delivery from Poland, customs all takes time. Maybe Lotherak should be approached to see if a U.S. distributor could be setup? This could then reduce the overall cost of the unit.

[+Schmitzi]

hmmm, let me see my re-calculation of that:

 

I had round about 75 hours of testing my connections,

with Floppy-Drives, OmniFlop, hdx, RS232, Telco, Com-Ports, DosBox074 cabling and and and:

 

75hours x 95,00eu = 7.125,00 eu

10 cables x ~12eu = 120 eu

div. RS232-plugs

div. genderchangers = ~50 eu

RS232Adapters = ~30 eu

Telephoncalls = ~15 eu

1 smashed ashtray = ~15 eu

 

 

( + tax, +night surcharge) nothing works at all

 

how much was the HxC? think about 125,-- + shipping?

and works after 1h

 

If I only had known earlier

 

/EDIT/ PS: No, I am NOT the marketing-boss of lotharek.pl just a satisfied user

Edited March 5, 2015 by schmitzi

[+Ksarul]

I'm doing the layout for Richard Bell, the current owner of the Myarc IP. There is no ETA yet--and it will probably only be sold as a complete unit (or possibly as a kit), as the Disk Controller chips are difficult to find in single chip quantities. They are still available in larger batches though.

[+mizapf]

 

Huh? Are you saying what I think you are saying, or is this just wishful thinking on my part? Are you saying this new FDC clone that you are making will have a limited sub directory capability? If so, this is more than I ever hoped for!

 

The HFDC supported subdirectories on floppy disks ever since on the TI (but only one level, i.e. only on root dir level). MDOS / Geneve OS does so as well.

 

(This is also supported in TIImageTool: you can create subdirectories on the root level)

[Gazoo]

Actually, if you take Gazoo's XB 2.7 cartridge and load the Myarc MDM V (which normally only works with the HFDC, but Gazoo hacked it to work with any controller), you should be able to create subdirectories on a disk now. . .assuming every function works in the hack. I may have to go and do a test of that now that I'm thinking of it. . .

 

This function should have little or nothing to do with the controller--and everything to do with the disk manager.

 

Hmm.. I believe you may be correct. It wasn't a big hack, the program checked the card DSRs for 'WDS' and reset if it didn't find it. I made it check for 'DSK' instead.

 

Gazoo

[Gazoo]

 

Hmm.. I believe you may be correct. It wasn't a big hack, the program checked the card DSRs for 'WDS' and reset if it didn't find it. I made it check for 'DSK' instead.

 

Gazoo

 

As Arte Johnson has said, "Very interesting."

 

You can indeed create up to 3 subdirectories and copy files to and from them. BUT, unless you are using an HFDC for a disk controller, you cannot access the files in the subdirectories under normal circumstances. The subdirectory code apparently isn't present in the TI or Myarc FDC DSRs .

 

My tests involved putting an XB LOAD program in the DSK1.TEST. directory on a floppy. The directory was correctly created and the file placed there using MDM5 by both the TI and Myarc Floppy Controllers. Neither controller was able to access it by "OLD DSK1.TEST.LOAD" though. If an HFDC was used, the access was successful.

 

Nice experiment.

 

Gazoo

Edited March 6, 2015 by Gazoo

[Omega-TI]

POP!

What are the chances that partial HDFC code could be used?

It would surely increase it's attractiveness.

[Gazoo]

POP!

What are the chances that partial HDFC code could be used?

It would surely increase it's attractiveness.

 

The chances are extremely low.

If you've ever spent a month of Sundays like I have looking at the mess of source code that is the HFDC DSR, you'd know why.

 

Gazoo

[+InsaneMultitasker]

I used to run across subdirectories on disks that had been sent to me and later, disks I created with my Geneve. So I wrote this little program to swap a subdirectory with the root directory, gaining access to the files. I could then return the root directory to its normal place when done.

 

I happened to find the (22 year old!) code on the same disk as my original backupbit remover program and since it never saw the light of day outside of the Milwaukee User Group members, I attached the source and object code here.

 

 

As for leveraging the HFDC DSR code for use with the Myarc FDC, that would require quite the effort....

SWAPSUBDIR.dsk