Disks from images.

[billknopp]

Hi,

I got my SuperCard this week, and I have been playing with it a bit tonight.  Thanks for the quick shipping!  It works great for making backups of my working disks, and using them in an emulator, but I also need to go the other way.  Thing is, I purchased a couple of KayPro systems, CBM 8032 systems, and (TRS-80 Model 1 and 3), and they all came with system disks, but....These systems were LITERALLY barn finds.  They had been sitting out in unheated sheds in rural Alberta, where temperatures in the winter get to -40C on occasion.  The disks also are very dirty, and warped. So I have systems, that I think will work (I have cleaned them up and tested as best I can with no disks), and original disks, that do no have a chance of working.  I would like to make new disks form images that I can download, but I can't seem to get that to work.  When I use HxC software to convert the files to SCP files, and load them, it always defaults to Atari ST disks.  These systems use DD disks, not HD disks, so I think I need to use the C64 setting to get double step to work.  Not sure where to go from here??  Is there any way for me to do what I seek?

Thanks for a great product, I am looking forward to learning more about what I can do with it!

[admin]

That must be a bug in the HxC software. Are you using a 48TPI or 96TPI drive? I would assume you are using a 96TPI drive because you mention double-stepping. You could use the C64 setting to force double-stepping, or experiment with the pull-down selection of 48TPI/96TPI to force double-stepping that way. I am not sure if HxC is generating a double-step image. It may be generating only a single step image, which would require a 48 TPI drive to make a disk.

[billknopp]

Thanks for the quick response!

I started out using a 96TPI drive, and have been able to make D64 images direct from the SCP software, and also make SCP files of TRS-80 disks and convert them using HxC to use in a Tandy emulator.  Both those worked OK, with a bit of trial-and-error.  However whenever I load an image that has been converted using HxC it defaults to Atari in SCP, and if I change anything (like changing to C64) I loose the image data - it forces me to reload the image - at which time it goes back to Atari.  I have now pulled one of the single sided drives out of one of my Kaypro's and am playing with it, but still no go on getting the disks to read in the original system.  Is there some way to change the disk type without the software forcing a reload of the image? I have now been able to CREATE a working G64 image from a known good disk using the Kaypro drive, so I know for sure that the drive will read. I will now try creating an SCP file and writing to another disk, then using that disk to create a G64 file. That way I will know that both read and write are working on the Kaypro drive. Will update post when that is complete.

[billknopp]

OK, so, I have validated my SSDD drive (from the Kaypro) using the following method:

1) Copy a known good C64 disk (had to be c64 as that is the only KNOWN good disk I have - see first post in this thread) to an SCP file
2) Use SCP software to convert the SCP Flux file to a G64 file
3) Load the G64 file into an emulator to make sure all is well with the read - Worked 
4) Write the SCP Flux file to a 5.25" disk - first clean the heads, then wipe the disk with a strong magnet, then write the file to this disk (it was an old 360K floppy from an IBM Clone I had)
5) Read a G64 file from the newly created floppy and test in the emulator - it worked!

So now I know I have a SS 48TPI drive that works with the SCP card, I just need to know how to get downloaded images to the SCP format, and read them into C64 format on the software so that they only try to write single sided.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[admin]

There is no way currently to convert .g64 files to .scp format.  You can convert disks or .scp image files to .g64 images, but not the other direction.  When you make an image with the disk type set to C64, it copies just one side and will double step automatically if the drive type is set to 96TPI.

[billknopp]

Thanks again.

I actually knew that I could not do G64 images to SCP format. I am actually trying to get CP/M disks (Kaypro) and TRS-80 Disks to work from images.  The G64 stuff was just to verify that my drive (the 48tpi one from the Kaypro) will read and write correctly - it does.  I have now actually been able to create an SCP file from a working TRS-80 disk, convert it to an emulator disk type and run it.  I can also copy that SCP file back to a floppy and do the whole process again, no problem so all of the SCP bits are working great.  I just can not take a downloaded image and convert it to SCP and write that to a disk and have it work.  In short, your card is doing everything that is is supposed to do, it is the conversion from downloaded images to SCP wherein the problem lies.  Not really your problem, just hoping that someone has done this and can help guide me.

Thanks again,
Bill

[billknopp]

Just a thought...is it possible to use the HxC floppy emulator hardware as a drive on the SCP - to copy from it as the source to an actual floppy drive? That would eliminate the need to convert images in software. Probably will not work, but I thought I would ask, as I am thinking of getting one for use on my old systems anyway.

[toml_12953]

Thanks again.

I actually knew that I could not do G64 images to SCP format. I am actually trying to get CP/M disks (Kaypro) and TRS-80 Disks to work from images.  The G64 stuff was just to verify that my drive (the 48tpi one from the Kaypro) will read and write correctly - it does.  I have now actually been able to create an SCP file from a working TRS-80 disk, convert it to an emulator disk type and run it.  I can also copy that SCP file back to a floppy and do the whole process again, no problem so all of the SCP bits are working great.  I just can not take a downloaded image and convert it to SCP and write that to a disk and have it work.  In short, your card is doing everything that is is supposed to do, it is the conversion from downloaded images to SCP wherein the problem lies.  Not really your problem, just hoping that someone has done this and can help guide me.

Thanks again,
Bill

I make Superbrain QD and TRS-80 Model I single and double density disks with no problem from .imd, .dsk or .dmk files. I convert the image to an scp file with HxC then load that into SCP. Ignore the Disk Type. As long as the Copy Mode is Index, it will work. You may have to check the box marked Override File to set the Copy Mode to Index. Once the image is loaded and Copy Mode set to Index, just click on Make Disk and the disk will be created. All the disks I've made: Superbrain, TRSDOS 2.3 (SD), TRSDOS 2.8D (DD)  LDOS (both SD and DD) have worked flawlessly.

Tom L

[billknopp]

Thanks again.

I actually knew that I could not do G64 images to SCP format. I am actually trying to get CP/M disks (Kaypro) and TRS-80 Disks to work from images.  The G64 stuff was just to verify that my drive (the 48tpi one from the Kaypro) will read and write correctly - it does.  I have now actually been able to create an SCP file from a working TRS-80 disk, convert it to an emulator disk type and run it.  I can also copy that SCP file back to a floppy and do the whole process again, no problem so all of the SCP bits are working great.  I just can not take a downloaded image and convert it to SCP and write that to a disk and have it work.  In short, your card is doing everything that is is supposed to do, it is the conversion from downloaded images to SCP wherein the problem lies.  Not really your problem, just hoping that someone has done this and can help guide me.

Thanks again,
Bill

I make Superbrain QD and TRS-80 Model I single and double density disks with no problem from .imd, .dsk or .dmk files. I convert the image to an scp file with HxC then load that into SCP. Ignore the Disk Type. As long as the Copy Mode is Index, it will work. You may have to check the box marked Override File to set the Copy Mode to Index. Once the image is loaded and Copy Mode set to Index, just click on Make Disk and the disk will be created. All the disks I've made: Superbrain, TRSDOS 2.3 (SD), TRSDOS 2.8D (DD)  LDOS (both SD and DD) have worked flawlessly.

Tom L

Hi Tom, thanks for the response.  Out of curiosity, what type of drive are you using? Also, what settings in HxC?

[toml_12953]

Thanks again.

I actually knew that I could not do G64 images to SCP format. I am actually trying to get CP/M disks (Kaypro) and TRS-80 Disks to work from images.  The G64 stuff was just to verify that my drive (the 48tpi one from the Kaypro) will read and write correctly - it does.  I have now actually been able to create an SCP file from a working TRS-80 disk, convert it to an emulator disk type and run it.  I can also copy that SCP file back to a floppy and do the whole process again, no problem so all of the SCP bits are working great.  I just can not take a downloaded image and convert it to SCP and write that to a disk and have it work.  In short, your card is doing everything that is is supposed to do, it is the conversion from downloaded images to SCP wherein the problem lies.  Not really your problem, just hoping that someone has done this and can help guide me.

Thanks again,
Bill

I make Superbrain QD and TRS-80 Model I single and double density disks with no problem from .imd, .dsk or .dmk files. I convert the image to an scp file with HxC then load that into SCP. Ignore the Disk Type. As long as the Copy Mode is Index, it will work. You may have to check the box marked Override File to set the Copy Mode to Index. Once the image is loaded and Copy Mode set to Index, just click on Make Disk and the disk will be created. All the disks I've made: Superbrain, TRSDOS 2.3 (SD), TRSDOS 2.8D (DD)  LDOS (both SD and DD) have worked flawlessly.

Tom L

Hi Tom, thanks for the response.  Out of curiosity, what type of drive are you using?  Also, what settings in HxC?

I use a TEAC 360K HH DSDD floppy drive. I haven't found a High Density (1.2Mb) drive that can reliably write 40 track DSDD floppies even if I bulk erase the diskettes first.
As for HxC, I haven't changed any of the settings so I'm using the defaults. Good luck and have fun!

Tom L