>
>Subject: Re: ImageDisk and some 8" images posted
> From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 05:14:44 -0500
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>
>On 8/3/05, Tim Shoppa <shoppa_classiccmp at trailing-edge.com> wrote:
>> > Any chance you have some RX01 disks to try? They are SSSD [...]
>>
>> They're just perfectly standard IBM 3740-format SSSD floppies. If
>> the PC-clone used has a FDC that does single density, what could
>> possibly be a problem?
>
>Untested software is prone to odd breakage?
>
>I'm not saying "it will never work"... I was just curious if he had
>any RX01s to verify proper functionality. Unfortunately, he does not.
> I can't say when I'd have the chance to do my own tests, but 2007 is
>looking pretty good.
>
>-ethan
RX01s are so generic they are a standard for 3740. Seriously if it can't
read RX01 its more than broke. Now if it reads more unusual formats that
are not clearly 3740 then thats different.
FYI: I use 765A(base chip on S100), 9266(765A from SMC with internal data sep),
and 37C65 (WDpart) and 37c665(in a PC) to read and write RX01 and
SSSD CP/M interchange media no problem. In fact I get RX01 floppies by
formatting them using that hardware as RX01 can't format blank media.
Allison
>> IIRC, the Ensoniq Mirage had mixed sector sizes.
>
>Hey... I have one of those - it used to belong to my mother (she was a
>professional musician).
>
>I'd love to have a way to image disks for it. I think I remembered
>the disks were wierd, but not how they were wierd.
Unfortunately it's looking like mixed sector sizes within one track are
not within the capabilities of the 765 to write - although I could probably
READ them OK (and with a documented image file format, you would at least
have access to the data so you could try to find some other way to recreate
the disks if you had to).
See my next message.
Regards,
Dave
--
dave04a (at) Dave Dunfield
dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools: www.dunfield.com
com Collector of vintage computing equipment:
http://www.parse.com/~ddunfield/museum/index.html
Hi Jules,
>Do you rely on being able to get the raw data stream from the floppy
>controller and decode in software? Or are you letting the FDC handle
>that?
>
>Reason I ask is that I just had a look under Linux and it's possible (at
>least with 2.6 kernels - no idea about earlier) to setup the FDC from
>user-land via the fd floppy device. In other words, a Linux port might
>be possible (for someone to do! :) assuming you're not doing anything
>'odd' with the FDC...
The 765 does not provide the ability to perform raw track reads/writes
like the WD devices do ...
I interface with the FDC via direct hardware I/O to both the FDC itself
and the DMA system.
At some point I will tidy up the source code and make it available, however
it is written for my own Micro-C 16-bit DOS compiler, and makes use of my
own screen/windowing library - it would take a fair bit of work to port this
to another system, but someone with enough spare time could take advantage
of my "learning experience", and re-implement the algorithms under Linux or
some other system.
Regards,
Dave
--
dave04a (at) Dave Dunfield
dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools: www.dunfield.com
com Collector of vintage computing equipment:
http://www.parse.com/~ddunfield/museum/index.html
Hi Fred,
>Q: are you going to continue to expand the collection of images,
>and perhaps take over where Don Maslin left off?
>If so, read through to the end!
I am actively attempting to archive all of the system disks in my collection.
My primary purpose is to preserve them so that I will not lose the data should
the physical media go bad - however I see no reason not to make them available
should other people need these disks.
If others want to contribute images to the archive, I will certainly welcome
them - or if someone else wants to set up a repository of images, you are welcome
to take the ones that I have done.
>> One weakness - the program currently cannot handle disks which have different
>> sector sizes within the same track ... so far I have encountered only one disk
>> type which *MAY* do this, BMC if800 - TeleDisk reports that the sector size
>> changes within the track ... however I have never been able to get TeleDisk to
>> restore a workable disk, so I am not convinced that it handles it either - it
>> also reports sectors missing and "no data" in sectors, as well as really odd
>> sector numbers - I have a feeling that it is an incompatible format and it is
>> getting "garbage". Still, it's an option I could provide if there proves to be
>> a need.
>
>IIRC, the Ensoniq Mirage had mixed sector sizes.
>
>There is apparently at least one BMC if800 format that can be done with
>765.
I looked into this a bit more after posting last night, and it looks like
the 765 cannot do mixed sector sizes ... Although you do feed it the sector
size for each sector, it also requires the sector size as one of the initial
command parameters - I'm guessing the initial parm sets the actual sector
size formatted, and the DMA value simply controls what gets written to the
ID fields :-(
>I had some difficulties with "automatic format recognition", particularly
>from used reformatted disks. I wasted some time when somebody sent me
>single sided disks that had been formatted over PC 360K disks, which
>hadn't removed the old content on the second side, and with HP 3.5"
>diskettes that only rewrote the first 77 tracks, etc.
I've run into these issues as well - ImageDisk will analyze the disk for you
if you don't know the format, however it also allows you to manually set many
of the parameters. For example, when I know that a system is single-sided, I
usually tell ImageDisk to only do one side.
>Because I was only dealing with file transfer, I never bothered to even
>list which of the sample format diskettes that I have are system disks.
>http://www.xenosoft.com/fmts.html
>
>Would you like me to send you some sample diskettes to look through?
Thanks - I'll may ask for some, but at this point, I believe most of the
incompatibilities I am encountering are due to limitations of the 765. Once
we have a bit more experience and information with ImageDisk, I may take
you up on the offer for some specific formats.
Regards,
Dave
--
dave04a (at) Dave Dunfield
dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools: www.dunfield.com
com Collector of vintage computing equipment:
http://www.parse.com/~ddunfield/museum/index.html
Here's a new direction for that analog modem question... it's sort of getting
creative in some interesting directions, but not quite what
I have a system with 5 internal modems - I can't go with serial
ports/external modems for this system, they must stay internal. So, I need
to find a way so people can telnet to them. Essentially, I have a lan
connection and a bank of analog modems - Can anyone think of a solution, no
matter how crazy it is, to get me to be able to telnet from the internet and
connect to these 5 systems?
If I get 5 phone lines, that's not doing me any good, as I want to make it
accessible over the net. So, somehow I have to get a connection to go from
the net to trigger an analog modem source, which calls one of the 5 internal
modems, then feeds the data back over the line and to the telnet connection.
I've been researching some of the solutions people have proposed, but I'm not
real familiar with some of the capabilities of these systems. With the
reverse telnet concept, that would work if I could change my computer's modem
pool to external serial devices (get rid of the analog). I can't do that
yet..
Perhaps is there a device that acts as a remote access server, that once
connected, it dials out through another port to make a connection? Or, was
there a LAN device that would allow you to telnet to the device and initiate
a call over an analog phone line?
Pete
On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 17:23:33 -0500, Patrick Finnegan <pat at computer-
refuge.org> wrote:
[...]
>> Any help will be greatly appreciated.
>>
>
> Unfortunately, your system is completely useless.
>
> Please send to... ;)
>
> Pat
> --
> Purdue University ITAP/RCS --- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcs/
> The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
>
My friend says that you are welcome to the beast. However, you must
also take its power conditioner (see <http://www.liebert.com/assets/
products/english/products/pwrcond/datawave/60Hz/bro_4pg/acrobat/
sl_20199.pdf> it's the 20kW model) and insists on shipping FedEx
Custom Critical Freight.
Please send your bank account info ((:-P
CRC
I have one, and the screen gives me a headache.
It has the 9-pin video connector up front - is that just "regular"
RGB? Such that a straight 9-9-pin video cable and my trusty Commodore
1084 will give me external video?
Doc
I have been preparing my exhibit for this November's VFC 8.0 in California
since last November. It will probably cost me a thousand dollars to show my
Southwest Technical Products stuff. I won't notice a $10 fee.
The first SWTPC. 6800 computer was introduced 30 years ago in November 1975.
Today I got the loan of an Ultrasonic Sniffer, the first kit that Daniel
Meyer (founder of SWTPC) sold in 1963.
http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Mar1963/PE_Mar1963.htm
Michael Holley
www.swtpc.com/mholley
I have an NRI 832. I'll check the box and see if it contains any literature.
By the way, I am interested in learning how folks on this list store their
vintage documentation and display their collections. Do you keep the
documents with the machines, or in a separate more "climate controlled" area
or in a conservation storage box, etc. I currently have all my documentation
stored with my machines, but I am considering placing it into a more
"friendly" environment, such as acid free envelopes or conservation boxes.
Any thoughts?
Also, do you keep your machines on display or locked away in a closet? In
addition to early computers and antiques that calculate, I also collect
early video games and handhelds. I like to display those, but frequently
find my kids and their friends "exploring" the functionality of my display
equipment. Thanks <frequent listener, first-time poster)
*************************************************************
In response to:
From: William Maddox <wmaddox at pacbell.net>
Subject: NRI 832
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Message-ID: <20050802053153.96891.qmail at web81310.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Does anyone have a copy of the NRI 832 documentation?
It was sold as part of a correspondence course, and
was presumably quite well documented by the course
materials.
--Bill
>
> Worked pretty good for me too. I've got one in a IIgs. If you read the
> forums however, he does warn that some CF cards are not compatible w/
> the thing. I had good luck w/ some little 128Mb SanDisk CF cards.
I believe that's past history. The developer has since diagnosed and
corrected a timing issue (EPLD and wiring mods required) and it should
work with any CF card.
*************************************
