Simple Flux Archive of all my Disks

[Relayer]

There really is no "MODE".  The "DiskType" just presets the number of tracks and that's it.  The data is imaged the exact same way for every type of disk, 3", 3.5", 5.25, or 8".  As long as you are using SPLICE mode with 2 or more revs, and you are always cleaning the drive heads (I typically do it just about every new disk read, especially for 5.25" disks), then you are pretty much guaranteed that you are going to have the flux data that you need to re-create a working disk.

The HxC floppy drive emulator handles just about every disk format known for conversions for emulators.

Then I will just do all 80 tracks, regardless of disk type and let other software work out the "format."

That means my only other consideration is knowing if an unmarked 5.25" disk is double-sided, or a flippy. For the most part, the presence of a notch would suggest a flippy disk. I figure I would do double sided imaging on all single notched disks and single sided on each side of a double notched disk, flipping it accordingly and using the SPLICE setting.

[admin]

SCP *always* images/copies both sides of the disk, so you have the data. It might be backwards for the bottom side if imaging a disk where you flip it over.

[GeoKM]

Hi Jim,

Been a while since I was here 8-/

Just wondering.

Did you ever get any further with building that scp to d64 converter you were looking into a few years ago for converting all our archived SPLICE images?

I looked at the latest HxC and it doesn't seem to have it that I can see.

Could be I am blind too hehehehe


Thanks mate 8-)

[admin]

I have it sort of working, but I have not done much with it. HxC doesn't support C64 formats at all.

I am working on WiCopy for the C64 and my WiModem that is a disk imager for the C64 that will create .d64 images on the C64, so I will look into the SCP version again.

[GeoKM]

I have it sort of working, but I have not done much with it.  HxC doesn't support C64 formats at all.

I am working on WiCopy for the C64 and my WiModem that is a disk imager for the C64 that will create .d64 images on the C64, so I will look into the SCP version again.

Hi Jim,

Great news. 8-)

I just ordered a WiModem too 8-)

Look fwd to that arriving soon 8-)

BTW if you need a beta tester for help with the d64 imager part let me know, happy to help out 8-)

8-))


Regards.......GeoKM
oooOOOooo

[GeoKM]

I have it sort of working, but I have not done much with it.  HxC doesn't support C64 formats at all.

I am working on WiCopy for the C64 and my WiModem that is a disk imager for the C64 that will create .d64 images on the C64, so I will look into the SCP version again.

Hiya Jim,

Well I've finished all my Amiga Disks 8-) Only took a year to "do it right" but thanks to SCP I am confident I have good Flux images of all of them with > 90% success rate.

Now I am back to looking at the C64 and C128 collection.

Have you managed to find the time to to look back at introducing better functionality for converting .scp images of 1541 and 1571 SPLICE mode flux archives down to .g64 or .d64/d71 files yet?

I did that for all my Amiga disks as I went. Created a .scp then converted to .adf and tested the result to confirm a good/useful file.

I would love to have a simple workflow to do the same with all the 1541 single sided and 1571 double sided disks too. 8-)

I remember you were planning to add something like that in when you found the time 8-)

Which I know none of us have these days hehehehe

Thanks.

8-)

[admin]

I don't have a .d64 creator. I have been converting .g64 to .d64 using nibtools.

[GeoKM]

I don't have a .d64 creator.  I have been converting .g64 to .d64 using nibtools.

Hi Jim,

From my attempts so far it seems the using SPLICE mode to create g64's or even converting flux images to g64 of a 1571 disk just creates a garbage .g64. Or at least that is what nibscan tells me when I pass a .g64 through it created with SCP from a 1571 disk. Which I think is what you have intimated would happen in other posts. 8-)

So does that mean you are now looking not to provide any path from .scp flux copy of a c64 or C128 1571 disk created using SPLICE mode (ie. non commercial disk) using the SCP for the purposes of archiving, to a format usable by an emulator, such as g64 or d64 etc etc?

Would be a real pity if thats the case. There is no-one else left who understands this stuff better than you 8-(

I know SCP can make great copies of INDEX originals to g64. But of course we all have many more data disks than originals to archive and we need to use SPLICE mode for those.

Is nib tools open source? Could you add a new tool card nibscp that just does a command line conversion of a .scp to an appropriate g64/d64/d71 or whatever? Rather than shoehorning it into SCP?

Just a thought 8-)

[admin]

I will have to create something that will create .d64 images. I don't typically archive any data disks, just commercial disks which all use the index pulse as the start/stop reference point.

[GeoKM]

I will have to create something that will create .d64 images.  I don't typically archive any data disks, just commercial disks which all use the index pulse as the start/stop reference point.

Hi Jim,

Would be great if you could come up with something. Being as you are one of a handful of people left that would understand GCR disks and how to encode them I recon 8-)

I was never a big Game person, so only about 1/4 of my disks are Original Games and Apps. The rest are data disks created by the Apps. Things like historical Stock control data, and word processor documents from my Uni days. 8-) I am sure many other SCP owners are in the same boat. 8-)

As the years pass we are not only loosing the disks to age, but now the CBM drives are becoming unserviceable so the only way we are going to be able to play with our historical disks, including our data, is via Gotek drives in the case of Amiga and things like Gideon's Ultimate 1541 II+ for C64 and 128 etc.

Hence we do need a sure fire way to firstly, accurately archive at a flux level all disks not just commercial ones ( to .scp) and then to convert them to the appropriate .adf, .d64 or .d71 file for use in WinUAE and VICE etc or, on a real HW via USB/SD HW.

Fortunately you have already covered the .adf case in the SCP SW. 8-)

So we just need to get the 8 bit's sorted.

It would sure help with the workflow of archiving, as I am sure you would agree that If we can take a SPLICE created .scp and make a .d64 or .d71 as appropriate the test that for errors (like I did in my Amiga workflow) then we know we have a great Archive.

I am happy to help you in any way I can with testing, documenting etc. Unfortunately, I am no longer a programmer, (for many years) just a lowly sysadmin 8-) so I can't really help with the writing of the SW. 8-/

I'm hoping you will have time and the enthusiasm to consider adding this to your list of todo's soon