Ultimate FDC? (Was: IBM 6360 - Filesystem(ish) info?

[Fred Cisin]

On Tue, 19 Feb 2019, Ali wrote:
> Are we being a little sarcastic or serious? :)

A lot of BOTH

I would like to see software for flux transition hardware that would 
extract sectors.
THEN, I would like to see that software as a 
subroutine, with an interface similar to INT13h.
THEN, I would like to see that ROMable, either on a physical ROM, or 
loaded into RAM, with the INT13h vestor repointed to it.

> Honestly, a sw implementation would be interesting but would it work on 
> vintage hw? Or are you suggesting for use only with a modern 
> system?

My preference would be REAL MODE (DOS).
But, for marketability, it would have to be WIN11


> For example here is my dilemma: my stinkers, whom you have met, 
> are getting old enough to want to mess with my stuff. *shudder* i mean 
> cool! but I really don't want them ruining my one actual original disk 
> for any programs I own. So what I do is make backup copies just like in 
> the old days. And before someone suggests emulators, it is just not the 
> same. I mean if we wanted to emulate everything why bother even 
> preserving hardware?Problem is when we have copy protection, as many 
> games or old SW do, then you need a Copy II PC board. I have one and 
> they are fairly common but ridiculously expensive now a days. So it 
> would be nice if the functions could be duplicated in an easy to use 
> manner. Kyro Flux is powerful but not for everyone. I want an FDC that 
> would cover 90% of the vintage hobby (i.e. Apple II, Mac, and IBM). An 
> FDC that combines a CompatiCard IV with a copy ii pc deluxe and a Match 
> Point card would cover all of the above plus then some.Just a 
> thought.... ;D

Match Point could be implemented in software on the Central Point board.
I discussed Mac disks with Brown of Central Point, and told him that I 
didn't think that the regular option board could handle an adequate range 
of data transfer rates.  Hence, he came out with the Deluxe, including 
some Macintosh disk software.

CompatiCard was just an ordinary FDC, without the crippling corners cut.
There were a few others that could do comparable things.

SO, you are asking for FDC plus flux transition, but better integrated, 
rather than flux transition hardware interrupting the drive cable.


A lot of copy protected software can be duplicated using flux transition. 
That was Centraal Point's target market for the Option Board.
There are a few exceptions, such as Pro-lock.
But, in quite a few cases, people have disassembled (now illegal under 
DMCA!), found the vulnerabilities and simply disabled the copy protection. 
Often, it is as simple as replacing a conditional JMP with an 
unconditional JMP or a NOP.  The trick is knowing WHERE :-)
Such "unlocked" programs are what you ideally want.