Floppy Drive Emulation (Multi-Platform)

Claw22000 · 09 March 2009, 07:30

I don't know if it has been posted on this forum before but in case someone's floppy is dead and they need a new one check this out instead. Might just be the last floppy you ever buy.

http://torlus.com/floppy/

I found this today and as soon as I figure out how will be ordering one just in case my floppy dies.

s2325 · 09 March 2009, 09:16

http://torlus.com/floppy/images/standalone.jpg pretty

alexh · 09 March 2009, 10:59

It's been in the works for a long time. The guy is very good. Unfortunately the board design is a bit clunky.

gklinger · 09 March 2009, 14:02

What is interesting to me is that I've been following this project for a couple of years now and in the last week or two it has been mentioned (seemingly out of the blue) on a few different forums and mailing lists. I can't figure it out.

alexh · 09 March 2009, 14:51

I think it's a bit like the guy who when dating a supermodel finds out that both her and her identical twin sister want to try a threesome?

"Why are you telling us?

Telling you? I'm telling everyone!"

killergorilla · 09 March 2009, 14:53

I'd rather get the threesome than a floppy drive emulator.

gklinger · 09 March 2009, 21:47

Has there been a major breakthrough or development? Something must be behind the spurt of attention.

Claw22000 · 09 March 2009, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by killergorilla

I'd rather get the threesome than a floppy drive emulator.

There not all there cracked up to be. A lot of work very messy unless you end up in the lake (which then its not so messy) but still 2 times the work. But the foreplay is AWESOME! awe back when I was young and stupid.

Now I'm not young any more

.

Amiga1992 · 09 March 2009, 23:43

It says units were delivered in 2008.
Does this really exist? It sounds really good.

alexh · 10 March 2009, 12:46

It really exists and more units have been produced in 2009.

They require the PC as a host to stream the data to the Amiga though.

gklinger · 10 March 2009, 14:41

s2325 linked to a picture of a unit with a memory card socket (of a sort) so this thing might end up being more useful to me than I first thought. My feeling is that solutions that require a second PC aren't ideal. What would rock the Casbah is if it were both standalone and designed to the same form-factor as a 3.5" disk drive so it could be mounted in place of one. I'm not sure how you'd go about choosing disk images but it sure would be neat and tidy.

Amiga1992 · 10 March 2009, 14:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

They require the PC as a host to stream the data to the Amiga though.

I see, that'd be pretty damn useless.
Here's hoping for a 1541U like upgrade!

gklinger · 11 March 2009, 00:12

I know it's in poor taste to follow up one's own post but I'm going to flaunt convention because I've been thinking about something day and I can't come up with a simple solution...

If a memory card equipped floppy drive simulator were made to fit in place of a floppy disk drive (screw holes lining up and all that sort of thing) so that you could easily swap it in, how would you go about selecting disk images?

Amiga1992 · 11 March 2009, 01:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by gklinger

how would you go about selecting disk images?

most of these have in built interfaces for that, for example, a bunch of buttons and an lcd display.

gklinger · 11 March 2009, 02:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

most of these have in built interfaces for that, for example, a bunch of buttons and an lcd display.

Right, except buttons wouldn't be accessible and an LCD wouldn't be visible were the unit internal.

Supamax · 11 March 2009, 03:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by gklinger

Right, except buttons wouldn't be accessible and an LCD wouldn't be visible were the unit internal.

Ok, but the unit will hopefully have a 3.5" form factor, and the buttons & display could be put on the visible side (the side where you inserted the real floppy, on the real 3,5" drive).

andreas · 11 March 2009, 04:03

It looks to me some haven't even REALIZED what a breakthrough this is!

You can now play SPS images on your REAL Amiga!!
I thought this would never have been possible, especially not for heavily-protected ones.

BUT ...

My pet hate is this freakish way of data cables hanging out of hardware slots at greater length. Eeek!

This could be done a bit better:

By having a receptacle mounted on the home computer's case to be able to connect/disconnect the Floppy Emulation hardware cable from the computer.
This will also make transport easier and safer, e. g. in a car.
So the sensitive data cable (1 wire broken might mean that you can throw it away) could be stored at a safer place, e. g. the glove compartment.

Amiga1992 · 11 March 2009, 18:40

Once they do this without the need for a host PC I'm sold.
The disk selection could be implemented in a myriad of ways. Nobody said this should go exactly where a diskdrive is. It's not a diskdrive after all! I'd happily have an LCD display and buttons built into my Amiga's case, like atop, where the vents are. It would be very convenient.

SPS use is probably welcome to some, and a great breakthrough, but I grew to the point where I cannot care about floppy disks anymore at all, and preffer a WHDLoad install to anything. In any case you always end up needing a floppy so this will be a great tool once it's rid of its PC slave.

andreas · 11 March 2009, 20:07

Claw22000 · 11 March 2009, 20:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

Once they do this without the need for a host PC I'm sold.

The do have one. Theres an SD Card reading one that has the option to select which image you want from the SD card.

Also they have one thats being sold by email VIA
peter (dot) sieg1 (at) gmx.de

His version fits into the Amiga FFD slot

09 March 2009, 07:30	#1
Claw22000 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: St. Paul, MN/USA Age: 46 Posts: 222	Floppy Drive Emulation (Multi-Platform) I don't know if it has been posted on this forum before but in case someone's floppy is dead and they need a new one check this out instead. Might just be the last floppy you ever buy. http://torlus.com/floppy/ I found this today and as soon as I figure out how will be ordering one just in case my floppy dies.

11 March 2009, 04:03	#17
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857	It looks to me some haven't even REALIZED what a breakthrough this is! You can now play SPS images on your REAL Amiga!! I thought this would never have been possible, especially not for heavily-protected ones. BUT ... My pet hate is this freakish way of data cables hanging out of hardware slots at greater length. Eeek! This could be done a bit better: By having a receptacle mounted on the home computer's case to be able to connect/disconnect the Floppy Emulation hardware cable from the computer. This will also make transport easier and safer, e. g. in a car. So the sensitive data cable (1 wire broken might mean that you can throw it away) could be stored at a safer place, e. g. the glove compartment. Last edited by andreas; 11 March 2009 at 20:08.

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09 March 2009, 09:16	#2
s2325 Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Gargore Age: 43 Posts: 17,789	http://torlus.com/floppy/images/standalone.jpg pretty

09 March 2009, 10:59	#3
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	It's been in the works for a long time. The guy is very good. Unfortunately the board design is a bit clunky.

09 March 2009, 14:02	#4
gklinger Vegetable Lasagna Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto, CANADA Age: 54 Posts: 711	What is interesting to me is that I've been following this project for a couple of years now and in the last week or two it has been mentioned (seemingly out of the blue) on a few different forums and mailing lists. I can't figure it out.

09 March 2009, 14:51	#5
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	I think it's a bit like the guy who when dating a supermodel finds out that both her and her identical twin sister want to try a threesome? "Why are you telling us? Telling you? I'm telling everyone!"

09 March 2009, 14:53	#6
killergorilla Lesser Talent Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK Age: 42 Posts: 7,957	I'd rather get the threesome than a floppy drive emulator.

09 March 2009, 21:47	#7
gklinger Vegetable Lasagna Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto, CANADA Age: 54 Posts: 711	Has there been a major breakthrough or development? Something must be behind the spurt of attention.

09 March 2009, 23:43	#9
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	It says units were delivered in 2008. Does this really exist? It sounds really good.

10 March 2009, 12:46	#10
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	It really exists and more units have been produced in 2009. They require the PC as a host to stream the data to the Amiga though.

10 March 2009, 14:41	#11
gklinger Vegetable Lasagna Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto, CANADA Age: 54 Posts: 711	s2325 linked to a picture of a unit with a memory card socket (of a sort) so this thing might end up being more useful to me than I first thought. My feeling is that solutions that require a second PC aren't ideal. What would rock the Casbah is if it were both standalone and designed to the same form-factor as a 3.5" disk drive so it could be mounted in place of one. I'm not sure how you'd go about choosing disk images but it sure would be neat and tidy.

11 March 2009, 00:12	#13
gklinger Vegetable Lasagna Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto, CANADA Age: 54 Posts: 711	I know it's in poor taste to follow up one's own post but I'm going to flaunt convention because I've been thinking about something day and I can't come up with a simple solution... If a memory card equipped floppy drive simulator were made to fit in place of a floppy disk drive (screw holes lining up and all that sort of thing) so that you could easily swap it in, how would you go about selecting disk images?

11 March 2009, 18:40	#18
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Once they do this without the need for a host PC I'm sold. The disk selection could be implemented in a myriad of ways. Nobody said this should go exactly where a diskdrive is. It's not a diskdrive after all! I'd happily have an LCD display and buttons built into my Amiga's case, like atop, where the vents are. It would be very convenient. SPS use is probably welcome to some, and a great breakthrough, but I grew to the point where I cannot care about floppy disks anymore at all, and preffer a WHDLoad install to anything. In any case you always end up needing a floppy so this will be a great tool once it's rid of its PC slave.

11 March 2009, 20:07	#19
andreas Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Germany Age: 50 Posts: 5,857

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