Fairlight IIx

[j1mpst3r]

Hi Jeff & Fairlight users,

I had an original SD card version of HxC in a Fairlight which unfortunately stopped working. Today I was attempting to use Gotek flashed with HxC as a replacement. Where I'm having trouble relates to the files on the SD card - I was hoping to just copy them over to a USB stick but the file structure appears to be incompatible with the USB HxC, there are no HFE files, just a CFG and some folders.

Any help you or other users can offer would be much appreciated. I believe for the Fairlight it is necessary to have it emulate 2 disk drives? If it is not possible to use the same OS files as I have been using with the SD HxC then I would be looking at perhaps converting the original OS disks IMD to HFE with the HxC software ( if I can find an image online or better yet, if anybody here can share theirs )

Thanks in advance

J

[Jeff]

Hi Jeff & Fairlight users,

I had an original SD card version of HxC in a Fairlight which unfortunately stopped working. Today I was attempting to use Gotek flashed with HxC as a replacement.

First, what is the problem with the original HxC ?

Where I'm having trouble relates to the files on the SD card - I was hoping to just copy them over to a USB stick but the file structure appears to be incompatible with the USB HxC, there are no HFE files, just a CFG and some folders.

I don't understand this point : both units need to have file images to work. You should have some file images in the sdcard isn't it ?

[j1mpst3r]

Thanks for your usual prompt response Jeff, fantastic support. The Lotharek HxC screen lights up but has no text. The 3 LEDs are also constantly on. I'm not sure if you endorse this exact model, so I'm not expecting you to offer any advice. If you do that's great but if not I will continue to use a USB emulator instead.

http://mustudio.fr/?cat=27

PLEASE DELETE IF INAPPROPRIATE LINK

So the SD card has only one file with an extension, that is the configuration file (cfg). Then I have 3 folders: System, Sounds, QDOS. Obviously the System folder contains the OS files, QDOS is QDOS & Sounds have the audio samples/patches.

[Jeff]

Thanks for your usual prompt response Jeff, fantastic support. The Lotharek HxC screen lights up but has no text. The 3 LEDs are also constantly on. I'm not sure if you endorse this exact model, so I'm not expecting you to offer any advice. If you do that's great but if not I will continue to use a USB emulator instead.

http://mustudio.fr/?cat=27

PLEASE DELETE IF INAPPROPRIATE LINK

So the SD card has only one file with an extension, that is the configuration file (cfg). Then I have 3 folders: System, Sounds, QDOS. Obviously the System folder contains the OS files, QDOS is QDOS & Sounds have the audio samples/patches.

What is the emulator behaviour if you press left & right buttons at power up ?

Can you check the 5V power supply voltage ? Or connect the emulator on another machine / power supply ?
The SD HxC have the brown-out reset enabled and if the power supply stay under 4.5/4.6V it stay in reset. I can change this with an firmware update, but you need to connect it on a proper power supply to make the firmware update .

For the sdcard, i suppose that the folder have some files ? This is probably the hfe files.

[j1mpst3r]

I'll try pressing the buttons you mentioned. I checked the voltage earlier today on the PSU and if I remember correctly it may have been only 4.3v. I'll check again.

None of the files on the SD card have an HFE extension.

[Jeff]

I'll try pressing the buttons you mentioned. I checked the voltage earlier today on the PSU and if I remember correctly it may have been only 4.3v. I'll check again.

If confirmed this is definitively the issue : you need to service urgently your fairlight PSU !
The SD HxC is probably working.

None of the files on the SD card have an HFE extension.

HFE extension can be removed so i think that this is the right images.

[j1mpst3r]

Yes, it's in constant service

Really glad you mentioned the low voltage, I'll look into recapping. In the meantime here is a screen grab of the files on SD card that won't boot on USB.

http://j1mpst3r.uk/HxC/Fairlightfiles

Also if it isn't too much trouble to compile an update that won't sleep at around 4.3v that would be great

[Jeff]

Yes, it's in constant service

Really glad you mentioned the low voltage, I'll look into recapping. In the meantime here is a screen grab of the files on SD card that won't boot on USB.

http://j1mpst3r.uk/HxC/Fairlightfiles

Also if it isn't too much trouble to compile an update that won't sleep at around 4.3v that would be great

Have you an LCD/OLED screen on this Gotek? Are you sure that this is an HxC Gotek?
Btw 4.3V is maybe too low for the usb stick too...

[j1mpst3r]

It has been Flashed with HxC (I was using it in a Roland MC300) and at the moment it has the standard Gotek 7 segment display. (I changed the cfg file for this index mode). I do have some OLED screens too but didn't try them in the Fairlight yet.

I agree that the voltage is the issue here and should be the priority.

In theory, of course with a stable 5v, is it correct to assume that the files I have on the SD card if renamed appropriately for indexed mode i.e DSKA0000.HFE, DSKA0001.HFE etc should work ok?

[Jeff]

It has been Flashed with HxC (I was using it in a Roland MC300) and at the moment it has the standard Gotek 7 segment display. (I changed the cfg file for this index mode). I do have some OLED screens too but didn't try them in the Fairlight yet.

I agree that the voltage is the issue here and should be the priority.

In theory, of course with a stable 5v, is it correct to assume that the files I have on the SD card if renamed appropriately for indexed mode i.e DSKA0000.HFE, DSKA0001.HFE etc should work ok?

Yes If you rename your files and copy them to the root and use the indexed cfg file this should be ok.
the usb stick must be formatted in FAT (12/16 or 32...)

[j1mpst3r]

Fantastic, thanks again for your invaluable help

[j1mpst3r]

Fixed 5v rail and all is good