The Datex DTX200 looks like it might be a good option. i wonder if it supports the Shugart SA465 Protocol? Thanks for the info. john =============================================================== --- In emulatorII-list@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Zimnicki" <list@...> wrote: > > You may want to look here and see if these may be helpful: > > http://jeanfrancoisdelnero.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/index.html > > http://www.datexeurope.com/emulator/DTX200en.htm > > http://www.amiga.org/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=2354&cid=5 > > http://www.amiga.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php? viewmode=flat&topic_id=28022&forum=8 > > TZ > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: hoschi1103 > To: emulatorII-list@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 4:14 PM > Subject: [emulatorII-list] Re: Supporters for Reverse Engineering needed > > > I thought of a single module that fits in place of any disk drive. The > SD holds many single raw disk images, one file for each disk. Filename > is displayname. You just insert the SD card, press Load and scroll > through the list of disk images. Press Select and use the highlighted > disk image the same way as you would do with a real disk you insert in a > real drive. > > If such a device should exist already, tell me please. > Anybody with knowledge is welcome, too. > > It could look like this, size the same as a disk drive: > [frontbezel] > > Greetings, > Hoschi > > --- In emulatorII-list@yahoogroups.com, "magmusic75" <john-m- junk@> > wrote: > > > > > > [:)] Yes Floppy emulation does seem like a more practical solution. > > Like I said at a minimum it would be great just to be able to boot and > > load the OS from some kind of rom or ram instead of floppy disks. And > it > > would AWSOME if not only could you boot from rom or ram but if it were > > possible to save the banks to the SD card WOW! I suppose you would > have > > to make the EII think it's an EII-HD model so it thinks the memory > > card is a hard disk, then you would be able to scroll through the > banks > > on the card, select the one you want then load. Imagine how many banks > > you could store on a modern memory card! > > > > Thanks again. > > > > John > > > > ==================================================== > > > > > > --- In emulatorII-list@yahoogroups.com, "hoschi1103" totti@ wrote: > > > > > > It could be done by a flash or eprom, but that would need at least > > > some extra circuits for chip/address multiplexing and severe code > > > rewriting. Using a fpga pretending to be a disk drive and > interfacing > > > to a SD card is much easier, I think. > > > > > > For any serial control, it is in already, I only have to get the > right > > > command sequences. I did some logging on the serial port with a > > > converter to RS-232, and my God, it's full of numbers!T > > > > > > About paying, if this project should ever come to an alpha state and > I > > > put parts of it online, please feel free to donate any money to a > > > charity project you like to support. The most probable things to see > > > the light of the world are in fact some disk backup utility using > the > > > Catweasel MK4, something with serial communication and more stuff > that > > > can be done by reverse engineering. Any new or reused code altering > > > the function or behaviour of the EII depends on the permissions of > the > > > copyright owners if it should be for more than my private fun. > > > > > > Greetings, > > > Hoschi > > > > > > --- In emulatorII-list@yahoogroups.com, "magmusic75" john-m- junk@ > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Hello I fully support your effort. I think that somehow getting > the > > > > floppy OS (Disk Overlay) onto an EPROM and then having it > programmed > > > > so the EII looks for the OS on the EPROM or some kind of flash > > memory > > > > would be great. Then add one new feature to the (SPECIAL) command > > set > > > > called "Serial Control". Now in this feature you would hand over > > > > control of the EII to a PC or Mac Running some custom software > > > > control application. This app should have the standard EIl > features > > > > such as "Disk, Voice Definition Ect... but at a minimum it would > > just > > > > be great to be able to power up the EII right from rom. > > > > Anyway as I said I fully support this effort and would be glad to > > > > pay for these new features! As would many other I suspect. > > > > > > > > John > > > > > > > > > > ====================================================================== > > > > > > > > --- In emulatorII-list@yahoogroups.com, "hoschi1103" <totti@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > > > > > there were no news from me for a long time, as I'm always busy > > doing > > > > > other things. > > > > > > > > > > Disassembling of both ROM nearly finished. Main ROM does contain > > > > > memory and peripherial init, disk I/O, some serial port stuff > (see > > > > 1st > > > > > request below) and a really big (for ancient times) table of > > initial > > > > > data for all devices in the system. Scanner ROM holds all I/O > > stuff > > > > as > > > > > described in the service manual and some system init, too. > > > > > Interesting solution for system init: Main CPU and Scanner CPU > > start > > > > > async, Scanner CPU turns LEDs on and waits for Main CPU. Only if > > > > Main > > > > > CPU passes the peripherial init, it signals Scanner CPU. Scanner > > CPU > > > > > then turns off LEDs and just displays "Insert diskette". That's > > how > > > > > the system assumes everything is ok, a reason for defect memory > > not > > > > > detected, as the main CPU only fills memory with 00 without > really > > > > > checking. > > > > > > > > > > As the ROM holds only basic functions, everything else is done > via > > > > the > > > > > overlays from any diskette. That leaves some perspective to play > > > > > around :D. I finally received my Catweasel board, so next thing > > > > > is to write a char reader to dump the disks to PC and start > > > > analyzing > > > > > them. > > > > > > > > > > After that: Proof that external device or software in fact is > > taking > > > > > full control over EII and controls everything like EII itself > > would > > > > > do, by dumping communication on the serial port. If it does like > > > > this, > > > > > as I assume from the code I've seen so far, the EII can be > > > > controlled > > > > > by any device with a serial port interface :-) (Assuming you > have > > > > all > > > > > neccessary port interfaces and some code to come...). I always > > > > thought > > > > > that it must do so, because that's the only explanation why SDII > > and > > > > > the external CD-ROM (on the other port) did work at all. > > > > > > > > > > Now for my requests: > > > > > 1. Does anybody have ROM images earlier than the ones available > > > > here? > > > > > Please provide them, it could help a lot. The main ROM still > > > > contains > > > > > the remains of the serial monitor mentioned in the service > manual, > > > > > only some bytes at the beginning are NOPed out and it will RET > > > > > immediately. I suppose it was used by setting the NMI to it to > > debug > > > > > the system. > > > > > > > > > > 2. Can anybody make a portlist from the schematics? I tried > > myself, > > > > > but my knowledge (and my rooms walls) is not big enough to draw > it > > > > out. > > > > > > > > > > 3. Does anybody know a serial port monitor for PC (Linux or Win) > > > > that > > > > > only records signals coming in, without caring for any protocol? > I > > > > > used to do it with my old NEC serial linemodem analyzer, but it > > only > > > > > outputs to its CRT, which does not help much. > > > > > > > > > > That's all for now, > > > > > Hoschi > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
Message
Re: Supporters for Reverse Engineering needed
2008-08-16 by magmusic75