Another thread about dumping diskette problems - SOLVED

[COREi64]

Hello.

I wouldn't create a thread if I weren't completely stumped...

I recently purchased the Supercard Pro from you, as well as a 5.25" floppy drive (Panasonic JU-475-4) from another source.

Managed to get the software up and running after a few hick-ups (threads on this forum helped me work out my DLL/admin problems).

Got the drive connected (being careful to make sure the ribbon cable was oriented correctly of course).  Made sure all the jumpers were set correctly on my drive as per (again) documentation found in this forum.

Started of course with the disk I wanted to copy the most (my original SuperKit).  But wasn't successful.  So, I decided to step back a bit and try copying an unprotected disk (first one that I created myself on my 64), then a disk that I had from another owner (unprotected) but reads fine on my drive.

The resultant duplicates I've made don't quite load.  The drive struggles with the copy then quits.  I can get a directory off the duplicated diskette.

Here are the settings that I used... as well as the SCP and G64 images that I created for each of the two tests.  

Wondering if someone (admin maybe?) could have a look at it, and see what I'm doing wrong...

Also, the drive is dust and debris free, and the heads are clean.

Thanks so much.

Thomas

Code:

The files created can be downloaded from here: http://www.isepix.com/00.scp-files/

Test #1 - Diskette formatted on my 64, with Jumpman files copied to it
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I tested this source diskette on my 64, and the files loaded fine from the disk.
The copy does not function.  Directory can be loaded from the copy, but partway into loading
the game, it quits on a disk error.

Drive type - (5.25" - 96tpi)
Weakbits - (Fixed)
Density (Read - Low), (Write - Low)
Index Sensor - (Read - required), (Write - Required)
Backside Control - (None)

Source - (SuperCard Pro (Drive 0)
Target - Flux image / g64 (did both options in my tests)

Checked options (Preservation)

Start Track 1
End Track 38

Disk Types (C64/128)

Copy Mode - (Index)

Filename : test01.scp, test01.g64

Test #2 - Diskette formatted on my 64, with Jumpman files copied to it
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Same settings as test01, except using another diskette that I did not create, but loads
normally on my 64.
The copy does not function. Directory can be loaded from the copy, but partway into loading
the game, it quits on a disk error.  The first program on this disk can be loaded.

Filename : test02.scp, test02.g64

[admin]

Unless the disk was commercially duplicated, you will need to use the SPLICE mode to duplicate the disk. Commercially duplicated disks can be created using the INDEX mode.

[COREi64]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

On your recommendation, I tried splice mode with the following settings:

Drive type - (5.25" - 96tpi)
Weakbits - (Fixed)
Density (Read - Low), (Write - Low)
Index Sensor - (Read - required), (Write - Required)
Backside Control - (None)
Source - (SuperCard Pro (Drive 0)
Target - Flux image
Checked options (Preservation)
Start Track 1
End Track 38
Disk Types (C64/128)
Copy Mode - (Splice)

I'm now able to successfully copy anything I've thrown at it (including my Superkit disk ... YEAH!)... BUT... and yes there's a BUT... I can only copy the front side of any of my disks.

All of my attempts to copy the back side have failed completely.

When I put the disk in to make a flux copy, it complains about the index sensor. If I go into the settings to make it "not required" for reading, it creates the flux image. However, when I write it to a blank disk, I cannot read the disk on my Commodore.

Wondering what I'm doing wrong now...

Any thoughts?

Thanks for your time.
Thomas

[COREi64]

Ok, done a little more work on my end, and am seeing something REALLY weird.

As mentioned, copying the front side is proving to be successful so that's not an issue anymore.

The back side is strange. On ANY back side C64 floppy that I create a flux image of, the resultant scp file, and the disks I create from them all seem blank (even though I've confirmed that there is actually software on that side that loads fine on my 64). The back sides that I've been trying to copy, I've confirmed with my 64 that they do have software on them. It's like the SCP drive doesn't see anything on any disk that I put in to read the flipside.

So, to re-cap... I put the disk in the normal orientation, and the SCP reads it fine, makes a good flux copy that I can write to a different disk resulting in a perfect copy.

I then flip the disk over, do the same thing (with the index sensor turned off for reading), and the test08.scp image is what I get.

Here is an example of a disk that I just made a flux image of the back side. http://www.isepix.com/00.scp-files/test08.scp

Hopefully you have some insight as to what's happening there.

Thanks for your time.
Thomas

[COREi64]

Hmmm, just found an Atari thread here and a guy with what appears to be the same problem with the same kinda drive. Could it be that I need to jumper the EX jumper on my drive for it to work?

Back to searching the forum... =)

Thomas

[COREi64]

Well how about that... problem solved. Seems that only hours ago, someone over in the Atari camp was having the same kind of problem. (I had never bothered looking over there).

Anyways, the solution to reading the flip side turned out to be a jumper placement.

I moved the GX jumper to the EX position (that's the jumper position right beside it towards the front of the drive. Otherwise, I left all the other jumpers in their original place as per the drive jumper document found on this site.

I turned off the "Index Sensor" for both READ and WRITE, and for creating the SCP flux file, I used the copy mode of "SPLICE", and for the "Number of Revolutions" I set it to "5". I set it to "5" based on a post elsewhere on this forum where the admin recommended that setting to result in a good quality copy.

Using those settings, I was able to copy a random selection of diskettes (front and back), as well as my Superkit Disk (front and back). I tested all of the options in that Superkit software, and everything worked perfectly.

So happy with the results. I had no doubt that the SCP and software was functioning perfectly. My concern was that the pile of cash I layed out for my 5.25" floppy could have been a loss. Happy to report that in the end it was a combination of not understanding the software, and an incorrect jumper setting on the drive that caused me all this grief.

Now that I've got this figured out, I'm going to put some effort into designing a 3D printed case for the SCP, my 5.25" drive, and a 3.5" drive.

BTW (off-topic but...), I plugged in a spare 3.5" Panasonic drive that I happened to have kicking around, and tried to copy some original Amiga v2.05 workbench disks... Used the SCP to create ADF files, that I in turn put on my SD card and loaded my Amiga Core on my Chameleon 64. As I don't have an Amiga, thought I'd give it a try... and low and behold that worked too! GEEZ, I'm on a roll...

Thanks for putting together such a cool piece of hardware (I love your humor written on the face of the SCP), and all your helpful posts in this forum!

Thomas

[admin]

Only 2 revolutions are used, no matter how many are captured, so you are just wasting disk space.

[COREi64]

Only 2 revolutions are used, no matter how many are captured, so you are just wasting disk space.

Sounds good, thanks for the feedback!  2 it is!

Thomas

[admin]

No problem! I may make the option in the future of using other revolutions, so if you don't mind the extra space taken up you can dump everything as 4 revolutions so that you have better preservation images.

[SomeGuy]

It is good to hear that works. Not all 1.2mb drives have those jumper options, so at least you got the right drive for this job.