Please improve HxC emulator software about D88 image.

[kitahei88]

hello,dear
I love HxC Floppy Drive Emulator !
It's very nice for working with old PCs.

but i want you to improve HxC emulator software .

i use Japanese old PCs with this emultor.
and some PC-88 series have 2D/2HD FDDs .
HxC works very good as 2D disk drive with 2D D88 images in those PC-88s.
but it cannot work as 2HD disk drive with 2HD D88 images .

HxC software emulator cannot convert 2HD D88 image to hfe image.
D88 images format include with 2D 2DD 2HD

2D means 300RPM, 250Kb/s, 16 (256Bytes) sectors, 2 sides, 40 tracks floppy format .
2DD means 300RPM, 250Kb/s, 16 (256Bytes) sectors, 2 sides, 80 tracks floppy format .
and 2HD means 360RPM, 500Kb/s, 8 (1024Bytes) sectors, 2 sides, 77 tracks floppy format ( this is same as X68000 hfe images , and i can work with X68000 and HxC)

but it is basic format and much more different disk format was found for games.
HxC emulator software can convert any 2D D88 images to HFE images perfectly but cannot conver 2DD/2HD D88 images.

so please improve the software to convert 2DD/2HD D88 images to HFE images.
if you do not have 2DD or 2HD D88 images ,i will send or upload some where some images.

sorry my bad english .
thank you.

[Jeff]

hello,dear
I love HxC Floppy Drive Emulator !
It's very nice for working with old PCs.

but i want you to improve HxC emulator software .

i use Japanese old PCs with this emultor.
and some PC-88 series have 2D/2HD FDDs .
HxC works very good as 2D disk drive with 2D D88 images in those PC-88s.
but it cannot work as 2HD disk drive with 2HD D88 images .

HxC software emulator cannot convert 2HD D88 image to hfe image.
D88 images format include with 2D 2DD 2HD

2D means 300RPM, 250Kb/s, 16 (256Bytes) sectors, 2 sides, 40 tracks floppy format .
2DD means 300RPM, 250Kb/s, 16 (256Bytes) sectors, 2 sides, 80 tracks floppy format .
and 2HD means 360RPM, 500Kb/s, 8 (1024Bytes) sectors, 2 sides, 77 tracks floppy format ( this is same as X68000 hfe images , and i can work with X68000 and HxC)

but it is basic format and much more different disk format was found for games.
HxC emulator software can convert any 2D D88 images to HFE images perfectly but cannot conver 2DD/2HD D88 images.

so please improve the software to convert 2DD/2HD D88 images to HFE images.
if you do not have 2DD or 2HD D88 images ,i will send or upload some where some images.

sorry my bad english .
thank you.

Ok, post here or send me some 2HD D88 images.

Jeff

[kitahei88]

Thank you for your reply, Jeff.

i upload some D88 images (that include D88 image for PC-98 and PC-88 2HD or 2DD files)

here ,
http://rapidshare.com/files/431186446/D88images.zip

if you cannot download it , i will send you via e-mail.
(your address is lotharek@lotharek.pl , isnt it?)

thank you,
kitahei88

[Jeff]

Thank you for your reply, Jeff.

i upload some D88 images (that include D88 image for PC-98 and PC-88 2HD or 2DD files)

here ,
http://rapidshare.com/files/431186446/D88images.zip

if you cannot download it , i will send you via e-mail.
(your address is lotharek@lotharek.pl , isnt it?)

thank you,
kitahei88

Hi,

D88 support corrected :

https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip

i am waiting for the feedbacks.

[kitahei88]

thank you for hard working, jeff.

i try New HxC software you uploaded.
and convert some D88 images to hfe .
but cant work it.

i'm sorry , i just know PC-88 2HD disk format.
i wrote
'and 2HD means 360RPM, 500Kb/s, 8 (1024Bytes) sectors, 2 sides, 77 tracks floppy format'

but just only surface 0, track 0 ( first track) is FM format 26 (128byte) sectors.

and D88 image has density data in it.



this is the dump data i uploaded as 'JapaneseDiskBASIC(PC-88_2HD).d88'
Each sector tables has Density data .
$0002B6 , $000346, $0003D6 ....
40h is single , 00$ is double.

i dont know hfe image format.
if you change the software already so, i check if there are no other problems.

this is only PC-88 2HD disks .
and i didnt try and PC-98 images yet, sorry.

kitahei88

[kitahei88]

Jeff

i try PC-98 D88 images and it work !
Both 2HD and 2DD images are OK!
(but 2DD image was read very slow )

but except for 'KingSalmon(PC-98_2HD disk basic game).d88'

and i think this image has same problem as PC-88 D88 images.
first track is single(FM) density 26 (128byte) sectors format.

so you hack the software , PC-88 and this PC-98 images work perfectly , i think.

do you need any info about D88 images ?

kitahei88

[Jeff]

Jeff

i try PC-98 D88 images and it work !
Both 2HD and 2DD images are OK!
(but 2DD image was read very slow )

but except for 'KingSalmon(PC-98_2HD disk basic game).d88'

and i think this image has same problem as PC-88 D88 images.
first track is single(FM) density 26 (128byte) sectors format.

so you hack the software , PC-88 and this PC-98 images work perfectly , i think.

do you need any info about D88 images ?

kitahei88

ok try this :

https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip

[kitahei88]

Jeff

Thank you for hacking the software.
it works perfectly !

i think almost all D88 images for PC-88 and PC-98 works fine !
i will try some images using this software .
if i have some problem , i will tell you and upload the images somewhere.

btw, can you emulate data separater circuit with this HxC SD Emulator or USB Emulator ?
some PC-98 series needs data separator circuit in FDD.
HxC odds pinout is all ground ? or control In/Out data ?

Kitahei88

[kitahei88]

Jeff

i have problem about D88 image with unformatted tracks.

i upload the image,here.
http://rapidshare.com/files/431971287/yurysy2DD.zip

this is 2DD image, early PC-98 game.

HxC says 21 tracks 2side ,


but image dump is here,


track tables show track 41 ( track 21 surface 1) is started at $ 0002BBB0
and Track 42 is $00000000 , tarck 43 is $0002CCB0 and track 44 is $00000000.

it means Track 42 (track 22 surface 0) and track 44 (track 23 surface 0) is unformatted track.


dumped image at $2000CCB0 C 15h R1h track tables
skipped C15 R0 tracks.

Unformatted track is copy protection in early PC-98 games.
can you fix this problem?

kitahei88

[Jeff]

Jeff

i have problem about D88 image with unformatted tracks.
...

New version :
https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip

Jeff


btw, can you emulate data separater circuit with this HxC SD Emulator or USB Emulator ?
some PC-98 series needs data separator circuit in FDD.
HxC odds pinout is all ground ? or control In/Out data ?

Kitahei88

With an additionnal circuit this is probably possible by using the USART clock form the pic.

[kitahei88]

i'm sorry for late reply.

i check new beta one , and working good !

thank you , jeff.

and i try making deta separater circuit and using with some PC-98 series .

kitahei88

[kitahei88]

Hello,Jeff.

i have some strange things about New HxC software you uploaded.

New Hxc software says any D88 images have 82 Tracks 2 surface.

i think all $00000000 in track tables are converted to unformatted tracks.
so any 2D 2DD 2HD disk images counted up to 82 tracks.

probably that images work correct , i think.(not checked yet,sorry)
but 2D images (931kbytes) incresed up to over 2000kbytes.

in this point , old one(type c beta) is better.
D88 images has DiskType entry at $0001B
00h is 2D,10h is 2DD,20h is 2HD.

do you change the software to check this entry and limit the track count ?
(for a bit over tracks , 2D is 2 sides, 42 tracks , 2DD is 2 sides, 82 tracks and 2HD is 2 sides, 82 tracks floppy format .)

thank you for hard working

kitahei88

[Jeff]

Hello,Jeff.

i have some strange things about New HxC software you uploaded.

New Hxc software says any D88 images have 82 Tracks 2 surface.

i think all $00000000 in track tables are converted to unformatted tracks.
so any 2D 2DD 2HD disk images counted up to 82 tracks.

probably that images work correct , i think.(not checked yet,sorry)
but 2D images (931kbytes) incresed up to over 2000kbytes.

in this point , old one(type c beta) is better.
D88 images has DiskType entry at $0001B
00h is 2D,10h is 2DD,20h is 2HD.

do you change the software to check this entry and limit the track count ?
(for a bit over tracks , 2D is 2 sides, 42 tracks , 2DD is 2 sides, 82 tracks and 2HD is 2 sides, 82 tracks floppy format .)

thank you for hard working

kitahei88

ok rev e beta version :

https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulat ... t_beta.zip

[kitahei88]

hello, jeff

i try new beta one(rev.e) about all i uploaded images and worked properly,
no over counted tracks .
i think this new beta is Ok for any D88 images (PC-88 or PC-98, 2D,2DD,2HD)
this is good news for japanese old PC users !

thank you .

kitahei88

[Jeff]

hello, jeff

i try new beta one(rev.e) about all i uploaded images and worked properly,
no over counted tracks .
i think this new beta is Ok for any D88 images (PC-88 or PC-98, 2D,2DD,2HD)
this is good news for japanese old PC users !

thank you .

kitahei88

Thanks for your tests and feedbacks, i will release this version.

To make thing even better do you have some informations about the "status" field in the sector structure ?