what exactly is this board?

On Sun, 28 Oct 2012, Adrian Stoness wrote: A "flux transition" board. It connects between the FDC, which still handles setting step to track signals, etc., and it looks ate the signal from the drive before the FDC gets hold of it for processing. It is functionally similar to the CatWeasel, DiscFerret, and Kryoflux. It was marketed base on its ability to make unauthorized copies of copy-protected disks. But, for OUR purposes, it provides a way to look at, or maybe even read, disk with physical formats that our FDCs can't handle. It can be used to edit data and clock bits, to fix certain kinds of flaws on disks. The "Deluxe" version can handle a number of things that the original board could not, such as Mac diskettes. But, the "deluxe" is VLSI, whereas some of the earliest ones were discrete chips. The Option Board came with a program called TC.EXE for copying disks, and a program called TE.EXE, which permitted editing the data and clock bits. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com

________________________________ From: "barythrin at gmail.com" <barythrin at gmail.com> I'm guessing you're asking about the "option board" so since I didn't see it get mentioned the full name is central point (deluxe) option board. Central point was the manufacturer if you want to google around for more info. Others already mentioned the useful details though. Was for backing up floppies regardless of format. (Not necessarily dos/fat-12 disks). Also could copy some copy protected disks. Sorta useful these days when the software is no longer in production or any other format. C: I'm not so much interested in backing up copy protected disks (I have a few I guess) as in gaining access to otherwise hidden information. ???? Incidentally if you wanted to gain access to transitions in flux (density?), wouldn't it make the most sense to tap in near the read/write head? Just aft of the flux capacitior. Which is just forward of the flux thyristor. Just a hop, skip, and jump from the flux transducer...and so on.

On Oct 31, 2012, at 4:16 PM, Chris Tofu wrote: And once that baby hits 88 bits per second, you're gonna see some serious shit. - Dave

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012, Tony Duell wrote: That answers BOTH what the inadequately labelled/documented switch was for, AND whether it could be installed to the middle of an unbroken floppy cable (NO.)

________________________________ From: Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> [Signal direction link/switch] It didn't take me long to figure it out... Yes, the links on PC parts are often ridiculously poorly dcoumented. At about the same time I installed Microsoft bus mouse card for another chap. The docuemtneation that came with that told me to fti a particualr link if I was installign it in slot 8 of an XT. I now know what it does (connexts the siangle to 'that pin' (B8?) to eneable the dsata buffers on a read). but back then I;'d not read an XT Techref. And of coruse I was instialling it in an XT _clone_.... -tony C: Just getting back online. Been viewing posts on my idiot phone (which no longer registers a signal, or rarely), but it generally isn't worth it to reply. ?Anyway, my op didn't reflect the benefit of looking at the board. Since then I've seen that there is a card edge and a header connector. So I figure I'd be good to go w/2 standard floppy cables of any variety (I have loads). Question is what will I plug it into. Threw out a rusty AT last week, scrounged a PC and a PC/XT from the same dumpster (after throwing them out). Too much stuff still. ?What benefit this board represents is too early to tell. I have stacks of 8" and 5 1/4" disks that seemingly no computer likes thus far. It would be nice to "keep the pieces" as one old cctalker put in his sig. About the time I joined up (better part of 9 years ago). This stuff does intrigue me though. I must say.