bfollowell

Well, for stx files, neither FlashFloppy nor HcX are compatible with stx files directly, unless something has changed recently. There are details somewhere on the HcX website with details on how to convert a disk image to an hcx file or hfe or whatever the native HcX format is. You can convert an stx file to this and it may work. I've done this successfully with some stx files. Your best bet is to find a non-stx version of whatever software you're trying to run and use that. I'm not aware of any way to run individual files directly from a Gotek. Also, you seem to be mixing some terminology. You mention HcX firmware and then a FlashFloppy drive. There is no such thing as a FlashFloppy. There are Gotek and Goex drives and there is HcX and FlashFloppy firmware available for both. Your drive will have one or the other installed, but not both. I have the registered version of HcX firmware on my Gotek, so that's what I've used. I don't have much experience with FlashFloppy. I also have zero Mac experience, so I can't help you there either, sorry. What files/games/software are you attempting to get to run and not having any luck?

It depends on what 520ST you're talking about. If it's just an original, standard 520ST, I'm fairly certain there isn't a composite line. That whole part of the circuit doesn't exist. If it's a 520STM, a 520STFM, or a 520STE, then it would have the appropriate composite circuitry.

You keep your wife happy. Most of those making fun are either in the same boat and trying to pretend they're not, not married, or not happily married. Most wives are extremely wonderful, as long as they're in full control of our balls. My wife gives mine back to me whenever she determines I need them. That arrangement has worked out really well for us for over 15 years and she takes much better care of them than I ever did!

Isn't there a dll that needs to be dropped into the installation directory to be able to access stx files?

Yes.

You can buy 4 1MB SIMMS for $20 or less, so just the memory shouldn't impact pricing all that much one way or the other. Now, if it's missing HD and/or controller, that's a different story.

That's cool that you have some awesome 8-bit products and you're so close. I guess Peoria and Evansville aren't really all that close, but since my wife grew up in the area and still has family there that we visit occasionally, it feels like it's right next door.

I've always made my own using Canakit 2.5A Raspberry Pi power adapters.

No idea. The machine is too new. Try it and see what happens. If they're actually 5200 titles, there won't be an atr version, or any other version other than some type of rom/bin/car image. What titles are you talking about?

Yes, this makes it sound like The 400 doesn't support car images or their headers, so, he's going to need to convert his car images to bin or rom without a header and try again. If they still won't work, he'll need to rename using this criteria depending on what cartridge type the image is from.

Yes and no. They are binaries, but they are not straight dumps. A basic 16KB cart dump would be 16,384 bytes. A 16KB car image; a true car image, not one just renamed to car, would be 16,400 bytes. That 16B header tells the emulator/software/hardware that is using the image what type/brand of cartridge the original cartridge was so that it knows what to do with the cartridge. Not all carts were the same and some had banking schemes and they worked completely different. With a basic bin or rom, you lose this data and many cart images won't run properly. As far as removing the header, I'm not certain myself. I'm sure you could use a hex editor to take off the 16B header and then save the image back out to bin or rom. I think that you might be able to open a car image in Altirra and then save it back out as a bin or rom without the header, but I'm not 100% certain.

I would think that, if it is a cartridge image, that none of those would work. A true CAR image has a 16B header that tells the software/device what type of cartridge it is and how to use it. A bin or rom image don't have that. Renaming a car to bin or rom leaves a strange file with this extra weird 16B header that it shouldn't have, so I'm assuming the emulator thinks it's part of the code, so then the image fails. That's just my opinion of what is happening though, and I could be wrong. If I were you, I'd strip the 16B header from your car images then rename them to rom or bin and try them again.

Hey, thanks! I'll look through these when I get the chance. Much appreciated.

I did years ago. I'll have to look into them again and see what I can put together.

Yes and no. Many of the Antic & Analog disks weren't properly archived as many were double-sided, but only one side is available. If the second sides have been archived since the last time I checked, I'm not aware of it. Still, it would be great to see everything he has properly archived.