Disk Format questions

[Everett1954]

Hi,

 

So I understand that there are different Disk formats Like PC99 (made for emulator) and v9T9. Are there more?

 

Will these all work with the NanoPEB without any kind of conversion? If I need to convert, which program can I use?

 

Are there any other restrictions on a .DSK file before copy it to a NanoPEB volume?

 

Thanks,

[+arcadeshopper]

Tidir

 

Sent from my LG-H830 using Tapatalk

[Tursi]

PC99 is a track level emulation and tends to be larger. V9T9 images contain the sector data only. Most emulators only care about the sector data.

 

NanoPeb images are sector level.

[+RXB]

Track method tends to be much more Hard Drive friendly as it allows for better format and bit maps.

 

Thus Track is more TI like and backwards compatible.

[mizapf]

MAME can use sector dumps, track dumps, and cell dumps (HFE) for floppies, and CHD format for hard disk images. My TIImageTool can read and write all of them, too, but not convert them (instead, you just copy the contents to a new image file of the desired format.)

[Tursi]

Classic99 can use sector dumps and track dumps for images, but of course it's native format remains the native underlying file system.

[Everett1954]

Ok, I ran across some files that end in .TIDSK instead of .DSK. Can these be run on NanoPEB?

[+Lee Stewart]

Ok, I ran across some files that end in .TIDSK instead of .DSK. Can these be run on NanoPEB?

 

Those are for the Win994a emulator/simulator. I believe they are V9T9 format and can be renamed with a DSK extension to work on a nanoPEB.

 

...lee

[+InsaneMultitasker]

Track method tends to be much more Hard Drive friendly as it allows for better format and bit maps.

 

Thus Track is more TI like and backwards compatible.

 

The tracks don't have much to do with the bit maps or a better format. Are you maybe thinking of the sector size? There isn't much value in saving the track data, outside of a handful of programs that use it. Peripherals like the RAMdisks don't even use track data and they are perfectly compatible.

[apersson850]

Yes, the compatibility issue isn't due to lacking the concept of tracks. Tracks are only meaningful if you want to store unformatted data. The only use of that I've seen on the TI is for copy protection.

[mizapf]

Although MAME supports track dumps, I would not recommend them either, and advise to stay with sector dumps. I don't know of any occasion where you actually need a track dump. The support was added (by Raphael and then updated by me) for compatibility with PC99.

 

Apart from that, using HFE images in MAME could be useful when swapping media with the Lotharek.

[+Schmitzi]

Hi,

 

this is a list I made some time ago. I am not sure if this is 100% corrrect.....

Maybe some newer OS´ have to be added... so, for your eyes only, as is, ...

Any change welcome

 

xXx

 

 

[...]

 

 

 

[Everett1954]

Thanks Lee, but some are have the name of PC99 but they cannot be converted with TIdir. The menu is greyed out. I just renamed the extension and will try.

[mizapf]

@schmitzi: You can add to the column TIImageTool:

 

- Mac (via Java)

- CF single volume image

- CF card image (complete)

[+Schmitzi]

...follows

 

[see post below]

 

 

[+Schmitzi]

updated

 

[+arcadeshopper]

i get tidir working fine in linux/mac using wine

[aftyde]

I would love to see hard disk support in TIimageTool (or dm2k) for win994a hard disk images. I have attached one here...

 

 

Although MAME supports track dumps, I would not recommend them either, and advise to stay with sector dumps. I don't know of any occasion where you actually need a track dump. The support was added (by Raphael and then updated by me) for compatibility with PC99.

 

Apart from that, using HFE images in MAME could be useful when swapping media with the Lotharek.

 

HardDisk1.bin

Edited July 27, 2017 by aftyde

[mizapf]

How was that image created? TIMT can read sector dumps of MFM or SCSI hard disks, but I'm getting an error here...

 

And which system signs the Volume Information Block with "HDK"? Never saw that before.

 

 

0000000: 4841 5244 4449 534b 5f31 207f 2448 444b  HARDDISK_1 .$HDK
0000010: 2071 0804 0000 ffff ffff ffff 0000 0000   q..............
0000020: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................

Edited July 27, 2017 by mizapf

[mizapf]

I did not know that win994a has a hard disk emulation. I wonder, however, why it introduces an own format that is obviously not compatible with HFDC or SCSI. If there is a specification document for this format, there is surely a way to create an import/export filter for TIMT.

[+Schmitzi]

Strange. But this harddisk is empty, isn´t it ?

[+Schmitzi]

updated update

 

TI-99_KB-EMULATORS-&-TOOLS-v2.05d.pdf

[aftyde]

Strange. But this harddisk is empty, isn´t it ?

 

Yes it is - I am going to experiment with it today. See if it supports files and subdirectories. I'll upload another copy with some stuff on it which should reveal more about it's directory structure.

[aftyde]

Interesting, seems that the DSR is at 1000. I tried Fred's DM2K and DU2K on Win994a and they didn't like HDK1. DU2K crashed the emulator, and DM2K just didn't work. Odd. So I was not able to test the ability to make subdirectories. I also tried MDM and it just froze. Are there any other file managers that support hard disks on the TI that I could try? I love DM2K and when I found it - I just stopped looking for something else.

 

TI-BASE on the other hand seemed to work... I could catalog the device, and manipulate very large database files on it just as I do with my 2880 sector Myarc and Lotharek. When I would CATALOG HDK1. on TI-Base it would show the files, and the little RW box in the corner flickered a lot - as if it was reading a really massive diskette. Had that vibe anyway.

 

So far Win994a is the only emulator that I am able to run TI-BASE on effectively. It's also the only emulator that supports a hard disk. This is a problem for me, as my main database machine is an old TI-99/4A with a WHT SCSI card and Syquest drive. I used it every day - however, the database files are now larger than a 2880 sector diskette. So my emulator options are getting even smaller.

 

PM me for the hard disk file if you want to take a look - it's got some of my data on it - so please don't upload to WHT... LOL (unless the world wants an inventory of my junk drawers)

[+InsaneMultitasker]

 

So far Win994a is the only emulator that I am able to run TI-BASE on effectively. It's also the only emulator that supports a hard disk. This is a problem for me, as my main database machine is an old TI-99/4A with a WHT SCSI card and Syquest drive. I used it every day - however, the database files are now larger than a 2880 sector diskette. So my emulator options are getting even smaller.

 

Mame/mess emulate the HFDC hard disk quite nicely. You may want to consider trying it out, not to mention Michael provides periodic updates...