6 May
2009
6 May
'09
1:04 p.m.
Hi,
I came across this product on the web:
http://www.datexdsm.com/emulator/docs/DTX200en.html
with a review here:
http://www.storagenewsletter.com/news/disk/datastorage-floppy-disk-drive-em…
This is exactly the device which has been often talked about on this forum - namely a
solid state drop-in replacement for a floppy disk drive. I have no idea how well it works
(and at only 450 euro each if you buy 2 or more am not likely to find out in a hurry).
Some random questions:
- anyone here involved with developing this product?
- can it emulate a hard sector floppy?
- how does it compare with SVD (semi virtual diskette)?
Apologies if this has been discussed at length already, any pointers to the cctalk archive
appreciated.
Regards,
John
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6 May
6 May
5:45 p.m.
On Wed, 6 May 2009, John S wrote:
I came across this product on the web:
http://www.datexdsm.com/emulator/docs/DTX200en.html
with a review here:
http://www.storagenewsletter.com/news/disk/datastorage-floppy-disk-drive-em…
That is a press release, NOT a review.
'course a review by most of the popular press would be even less useful.
Unfortunately,
It will be mechanically adapted for your larger ones.
The DTX200 is
pre-programmed to have the same features with the floppy drive to
replace. Each floppy disk drive using a specific connection technology,
an adapter card will be developed for each of your floppy drives.
implies that it
is NOT a drop-in replacement "for ANY drive", but that
they think that they can build one for any specific drive that you want.
But, that seems to eliminate the possibility of switching it from one
machine to another, or carrying one in your toolbox and plugging it into
whatever you encounter.
It does, however, seem from their description that it is not limited to
DOS device drivers, etc., and should work with most soft-sectored, IBM/WD
style Shugart interface machines.
It seems VERY unlikely that it will work for anything "non-standard", such
as the Sony 600RPM 3.5", etc.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com
6:54 p.m.
John S wrote:
http://www.datexdsm.com/emulator/docs/DTX200en.html
with a review here:
http://www.storagenewsletter.com/news/disk/datastorage-floppy-disk-drive-em…
<SNIP>
and at only 450 euro each if you buy 2 or more am not
likely to find out in a hurry).
Eeesh.
Price of the DTX200 is ?800 for the fist connection to a PC, and then ?450.
The following options are sold between ?100 and ?350:
* multi-frequency
* multi-capacity
* up to 10 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
* up to 64 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
Does anyone else think this is highway robbery?
Jeez.
Keith
7:01 p.m.
New subject: Datex floppy drive emulator - flash based replacement for magnetic media
On May 6, 2009, at 6:54 PM, Keith wrote:
It sounds to me like the suits are trying to recoup their entire
development cost in the first few sales.
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
http://www.datexdsm.com/emulator/docs/DTX200en.html
with a review here:
http://www.storagenewsletter.com/news/disk/datastorage-floppy-disk-
drive-emulator-datex
<SNIP>
and at only 450 euro each if you buy 2 or more am
not likely to
find out in a hurry).
Eeesh.
Price of the DTX200 is ?800 for the fist connection to a PC, and
then ?450.
The following options are sold between ?100 and ?350:
* multi-frequency
* multi-capacity
* up to 10 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
* up to 64 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
Does anyone else think this is highway robbery?
Jeez. 
7:18 p.m.
Dave McGuire wrote:
On May 6, 2009, at 6:54 PM, Keith wrote:
It sounds to me like the suits are trying to recoup their entire
development cost in the first few sales.
And how much did your Z80 thermal bug sell for?
For whatever it's worth, NO, I DON'T think that's robbery, if it does
what they claim. A very low-volume item - which this is - has to have a
very high mark-up, and I don't see "North Pole" anywhere in these guys'
address.
Doc
http://www.datexdsm.com/emulator/docs/DTX200en.html
with a review here:
http://www.storagenewsletter.com/news/disk/datastorage-floppy-disk-drive-em…
<SNIP>
and at only 450 euro each if you buy 2 or more am
not likely to find
out in a hurry).
Eeesh.
Price of the DTX200 is ?800 for the fist connection to a PC, and then
?450.
The following options are sold between ?100 and ?350:
* multi-frequency
* multi-capacity
* up to 10 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
* up to 64 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
Does anyone else think this is highway robbery?
Jeez.
7 May
7 May
1:02 p.m.
New subject: Datex floppy drive emulator - flash based replacement for magnetic media
On May 6, 2009, at 7:18 PM, Doc wrote:
And how much did your Z80 thermal bug sell for?
eZ80F91, big difference. ;)
But, $149/ea, which was about $20.00 profit in the quantities I
was building.
(probably not quite the answer you were expecting)
-Dave
--
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL
Does anyone else think this is highway robbery?
Jeez.
It sounds to me like the suits are trying to recoup their entire
development cost in the first few sales. 
6 May
6 May
7:28 p.m.
New subject: Datex floppy drive emulator - flash based replacement for magnetic media
On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 7:01 PM, Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> wrote:
On May 6, 2009, at 6:54 PM, Keith wrote:
With prices like that, there may only be a first few sales. Of
course, it's also possible that even if the price were half, there
wouldn't be enough sales to pay for development. I've run into that
working for small companies - you do the research, design, develop,
and test the product, then only ever sell 10. When it happens more
than once, usually the doors close soon after.
-ethan
Price of the DTX200 is ?800 for the fist
connection to a PC, and then
?450.
The following options are sold between ?100 and ?350:
? ?* multi-frequency
? ?* multi-capacity
? ?* up to 10 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
? ?* up to 64 diskettes on the same CF card with addressing
Does anyone else think this is highway robbery?
Jeez.
?It sounds to me like the suits are trying to recoup their entire
development cost in the first few sales. 
8:07 p.m.
New subject: Datex floppy drive emulator - flash based replacement for magnetic media
That's a pretty densely packed board for something that's "just"
supposed to emulate floppies! Lots of power control going on there in
addition to the honking great ALTERA FPGA and CPLD pair dominating
things. I'd love to take one apart and see how they designed it.
If I were them, I'd pay Woz to redesign it using two 74LS04s, a
74LS138, and an EPROM ;-)
-Seth
8:16 p.m.
New subject: Datex floppy drive emulator - flash based replacement for magnetic media
On Wed, 6 May 2009, Seth Morabito wrote:
That's a pretty densely packed board for something
that's "just"
supposed to emulate floppies! Lots of power control going on there in
addition to the honking great ALTERA FPGA and CPLD pair dominating
things. I'd love to take one apart and see how they designed it.
perhaps that was necessary in order to keep the MTBE from being different
from the drive spec
5556
days inactive
5557
days old
8 comments
7 participants
participants (7)
-
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
doc＠vaxen.net -
ethan.dicks＠gmail.com -
john_a_s2004＠hotmail.com -
keithvz＠verizon.net -
mcguire＠neurotica.com -
sethm＠loomcom.com