[FOUND] Trojan Lightpen Drivers?

[roy bates]

does anyone have the driver disk for this light pen,it was called lightbench.




i have the lightpen and the disk but the disk is damaged and unreadable(its scratched on the disk surface)

yes i know it only works in a low res screenmode,but it might be nice to use it with some old software it supports.

[jimbob]

I'm pretty sure this will work-
http://aminet.net/package/util/sys/Lightpen

I have trojan light pen without disk also. It kinda works with this software but the mouse pointer goes haywire because i don't have a 15Khz CRT of any kind anymore and have to use IndiECS. There is source code so maybe it could be adapted to work with scandoubler. Unsurprisingly does not work at all with LCDs.

The ebay seller airey36 has one for auction just now. I wonder if he would image the disk if someone asked him nicely?

EDIT:sorry that one is sold a while ago, did you buy it?

[roy bates]

nah ive had mine over 12 months in a box,plus the driver on aminet is for a generic lightpen and dont work ive tried it.


but thanks anyway

[jimbob]

What are the symptoms of it not working? On mine the pointer responds to the light pen but as I said goes a bit haywire. I assumed this was because of the scandoubler. Are you using a 15KHz CRT?

[roy bates]

yep 15khz,the pen just doesent move ,well it jitters so no it dont work.


if your wondering its a 1084S and the mahines are,A500,A600.


the drivers are specific to the pen i think.

Hi there, an eab member messaged me on ebay after I bought this lightpen + disk, asking if I wouldn't mind imaging the disk. No bother, although I just checked my miggy and I don't have anything on it which writes adfs. Any recommendations for what I should use?

Btw, whoever asked me, you know who you are but I don't want to go throwing monikers around so speak up if you like

Edit:

Quick update, I tried using Adfblitzer to make an image of the disk but although it went through the motions and created an 880k file, the file doesn't check out in WinUAE, and reads as an NDOS.

I'll see if I can find something else to create the file, although I also suspect the scratchy sounds eminating from the disk drive so I might try an external drive before I go elsewhere.

[jimbob]

That was me, thanks for responding.

I normally use YADI for adf stuff -

http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/YADI

It is CLI only but easy enough to use. There are a bunch of different ones. TSgui maybe.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by mike_cc

I tried using Adfblitzer to make an image of the disk but although it went through the motions and created an 880k file, the file doesn't check out in WinUAE, and reads as an NDOS.

I'll see if I can find something else to create the file, although I also suspect the scratchy sounds eminating from the disk drive so I might try an external drive before I go elsewhere.

Hi mike_cc,

Thanks for joining up to make this contribution to the Amiga community.

If ADFBlitzer has failed to make a useable image of the disk, then your internal floppy drive is having problems reading it and no other disk utility is likely to be successful either.

If the sound coming from your floppy drive is really scratchy, then it might well be damaging the disk into the bargain.

However, if the drive is making a squealing noise, then the disk may be stricken with mould growth caused by it having been stored in damp conditions, and this will have to be removed after prising open the case and sliding out the disc.

Have a look at the surface of the disc by sliding the shutter to one side while turning the hub to rotate it. If it looks scratched, then stop using that floppy drive now and clean/inspect the drive heads.

If the disk looks good, then please try it in an extrernal drive instead.

If you're not sure what to do, you are welcome to send the disk to me and I will do what's necessary and get an image made of it before returning it to you.

In the meantime, if you have a partial image of it - even if it shows up as a non-DOS disk, then please upload it, as it may still be possible to extract the files from such an image.

Edit: Please upload any images you do make to The Zone here.
How do I get access to the zone?

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi mike_cc,

Thanks for joining up to make this contribution to the Amiga community.

If ADFBlitzer has failed to make a useable image of the disk, then your internal floppy drive is having problems reading it and no other disk utility is likely to be successful either.

If the sound coming from your floppy drive is really scratchy, then it might well be damaging the disk into the bargain.

However, if the drive is making a squealing noise, then the disk may be stricken with mould growth caused by it having been stored in damp conditions, and this will have to be removed after prising open the case and sliding out the disc.

Have a look at the surface of the disc by sliding the shutter to one side while turning the hub to rotate it. If it looks scratched, then stop using that floppy drive now and clean/inspect the drive heads.

If the disk looks good, then please try it in an extrernal drive instead.

If you're not sure what to do, you are welcome to send the disk to me and I will do what's necessary and get an image made of it before returning it to you.

In the meantime, if you have a partial image of it - even if it shows up as a non-DOS disk, then please upload it, as it may still be possible to extract the files from such an image.

Edit: Please upload any images you do make to The Zone here.
How do I get access to the zone?

Thanks for the advice and the welcome. I've uploaded my second attempt to the zone and it includes two files. The first is a pdf I've made of the manual, not great quality but it's legible. The second 'TrojanLP' is a disk image that I was able to open in WinUAE but which has checksum errors on the disk. I think these may have been present on the original although they might be down to the use in the dodgy drive or as a result of the external drive doing a bad job. Either way, the disk looks fine physically and it reads in both drives. i have a second external drive knocking around somewhere and my A600 has a better quality drive which I may be able to bring into play if I can get the adf making software onto it. Anyway, I'll keep plugging away and hopefully will be able to get a successful image. I'll keep checking back to see if you've been able to repair the one that's currently posted.

Thanks for the work guys, it's been fun!

[prowler]

Originally Posted by mike_cc

I've uploaded my second attempt to the zone and it includes two files. The first is a pdf I've made of the manual, not great quality but it's legible. The second 'TrojanLP' is a disk image that I was able to open in WinUAE but which has checksum errors on the disk. I think these may have been present on the original although they might be down to the use in the dodgy drive or as a result of the external drive doing a bad job. Either way, the disk looks fine physically and it reads in both drives. i have a second external drive knocking around somewhere and my A600 has a better quality drive which I may be able to bring into play if I can get the adf making software onto it. Anyway, I'll keep plugging away and hopefully will be able to get a successful image. I'll keep checking back to see if you've been able to repair the one that's currently posted.

Thanks for the uploads, Mike!

As the disk looks okay and you have a choice of drives to try it in, then I'm sure we'll get a result on this eventually.

I've already downloaded the files and I'll have a look at them tomorrow.

Please upload any futher images you make from that disk, even if they don't seem to be getting any better. You'd be surprised at what can be conjured up from them.

Originally Posted by prowler

Thanks for the uploads, Mike!

Please upload any futher images you make from that disk, even if they don't seem to be getting any better. You'd be surprised at what can be conjured up from them.

I've created a new image using the A600 drive and I've done some testing as well. Every other disk image made with both the external drive (attached to A1200) and the internal A600 drive, has been error free.

Meanwhile, the Lightbench image (image no.2) has the same errors that were on the TrojanLP image (image no.1) - block for block.

I'll upload it all the same and perhaps something can be made of them. It'd be a shame to lose the files and now that I know the disk isn't 100%, I'll be wanting those working files myself to use my new lightpen!

Let me know if you think it's worth trying disksalv as well.

Thanks for making me feel like part of the team - good luck!

[prowler]

Originally Posted by mike_cc

the Lightbench image (image no.2) has the same errors that were on the TrojanLP image (image no.1) - block for block.

I'll upload it all the same and perhaps something can be made of them. It'd be a shame to lose the files and now that I know the disk isn't 100%, I'll be wanting those working files myself to use my new lightpen!

Thanks again, Mike! The CRC32 checksums are different, so they're not exactly the same.

Originally Posted by mike_cc

Let me know if you think it's worth trying disksalv as well.

The problem with most Amiga disk imagers is that they use the trackdisk.device to access the floppy disk drive. One of the limitations is that if there's a bad sector on a track, none of the sectors on that track make it into the disk image.

I won't know whether that's the case with either of your images until I have a good look at them tomorrow.

DiskSalv can be a very useful utility for salvaging files, volume information and boot sectors from a disk, provided that the files are salvaged to another disk. If you have no hard drives in your Amigas, you might be able to salvage the files to another floppy instead. The time and date stamps on the files won't be exactly correct, but if the files span no bad sectors, then they will be salvaged intact.

If you decide to experiment with this, make sure the original floppy disk is write-protected.

Originally Posted by mike_cc

Thanks for making me feel like part of the team - good luck!

You're welcome, and you deserve it too!

Originally Posted by prowler

The problem with most Amiga disk imagers is that they use the trackdisk.device to access the floppy disk drive. One of the limitations is that if there's a bad sector on a track, none of the sectors on that track make it into the disk image.

Perhaps it won't hurt to try some different imaging programs then? If so I'll try some more tomorrow.

Originally Posted by prowler

DiskSalv can be a very useful utility for salvaging files, volume information and boot sectors from a disk, provided that the files are salvaged to another disk. If you have no hard drives in your Amigas, you might be able to salvage the files to another floppy instead.

No worries there, I can save to the hard drive in either machine

Originally Posted by prowler

If you decide to experiment with this, make sure the original floppy disk is write-protected.

Will do, I'll be very careful with the original


'til tomorrow then (well, today!).

[roy bates]

wow,am glad i opened this tread now well done both.
like i say the disk i have is unreadable due to the disk surface being scratched but workbench does eventualy let me see the disk if i keep tapping cancel.(it was like this when i got it)i suspect it got damaged by the drive it was used in a common thing to happen to 500's back then,they die and chew up the last disk that was in it.lol
although thats not much use to anyone at all.

it would be nice to have an image of this disk as there are still a few of these knocking about with no driver disk.

[jimbob]

good stuff prowler and mike.

Mike, could you try your lightpen out with the generic lightpen driver on aminet linked above. As Roy and I have different non-working symptoms with it, (albeit with different monitor set ups, I expect mine will never work properly). Just in case it is Roys actual pen that is faulty.

Roy, just a thought, did you try fiddling the brightness control.

The HRM bit about lightpens suggests to me that a generic driver should work. Inside the pen looks like just a photodiode to trigger a pulse when the video beam hits it. Everything else is done in amiga hardware.

http://amigadev.elowar.com/read/ADCD.../node0189.html


It also makes some sense of what I see when using a scandoubler, ie. the video beam just ain't where the amiga thinks it is when the pulse is triggered.

[roy bates]

ive tried everything on the monitor side with no luck.even using it at different distants from the monitor.


yes i agree that it should work with a generic driver apart from this,the lightpen is wired like a mouse on the button side and has two buttons.

I've uploaded a new zip file called TrojanLightbench to the zone. it contains the recovered files, using disksalv. I found that I was able to open Kwikdraw once the filed had been saved to the hd. This may bode well for any kind of proper recovery operation as these files could hold the data which is missing from the first two adfs. Anyway, I've analysed the data and found there might be a weakness. A small thermal exhaust port, approximately two metres wide...

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by mike_cc

. Anyway, I've analysed the data and found there might be a weakness. A small thermal exhaust port, approximately two metres wide...

So, basically, we're boned.

Roy, do the buttons on yours work, the two buttons on mine work perfectly as L&R mouse buttons with aminet lightpen driver, only the pointer position is wonky. If your buttons are also not working I reckon your pen is faulty, inside is just 3 transitors and a handful of caps/resistors, should be easy to repair.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by mike_cc

I've uploaded a new zip file called TrojanLightbench to the zone. it contains the recovered files, using disksalv. I found that I was able to open Kwikdraw once the filed had been saved to the hd. This may bode well for any kind of proper recovery operation as these files could hold the data which is missing from the first two adfs. Anyway, I've analysed the data and found there might be a weakness. A small thermal exhaust port, approximately two metres wide...

Hi Mike,

I've discovered a great deal about this disk, just my mounting the two ADF images you uploaded yesterday in WinUAE and having a look at the filesystem.

They both mount as AmigaDOS OFS disks. The first disk image (TrojanLP.adf) shows 168 files in 22 directories (1487 blocks used) and the second (Lightbench.adf) only 107 files in 14 directories (841 blocks used).

Comparing the two files with a binary file comparator, there are a great many discrepancies between them which are causing this. It's either a very flaky disk or there's a significant difference between the head alignment or other characteristics of the two disk drives you used to make those images.

The first disk image is filled with rubbish from about Track 62. On Disk Block 1368 there appears to be a missing file header. Blocks 1369-1374 are data blocks which reference block 1368 as the file header, but the file is not complete either.

The following files are broken on the first disk:
startup-sequence (checksum error on disk block 1501)
mathieeeboubtrans.library (checksum error on disk block 1749)
diskfont.library (checksum error on disk block 1750)
mathieeedoubbas.library (checksum error on disk block 1738)
info.library (checksum error on disk block 1747)
icon.library (checksum error on disk block 1715)
Cmd.info (checksum error on disk block 1703)
CMD (checksum error on disk block 1704)
InstallPrinter (checksum error on disk block 1681)
GraphicDump (checksum error on disk block 1677)
More (checksum error on disk block 1667)
lpen.iff (checksum error on disk block 1634)
KwikDraw (checksum error on disk block 1629)

Note that the file read fails on the first corrupt data block in the chain; this is not the same as the lowest numbered disk block containing the file's data.

The second disk image has a valid startup-sequence file, and More fails with a checksum error on disk block 1639, so has another 20 valid data blocks in this image. All other files fail at the same point.

Tomorrow I will construct a LightBench.adf disk image based on the original TrojanLP.adf file with some of the corrupted blocks replaced by valid disk blocks from the Lightbench.adf file.

If I have time, I'll compare the files copied out of this new disk image with those you have uploaded tonight. If your files are better, I will use them to build replacement disk blocks for even more of the corrupted ones.

If you have a PC with two floppy disk drives, I would like you to try making another disk image with Disk2FDI Trial Version. This program is capable of capturing every valid disk block on a disk whether there are bad blocks on the same track or not.

AS a last resort, if the disk image cannot be reconstructed entirely from the disk images and files you can upload, I would like to try the disk in my Catweasel and KryoFlux setups. These are ideal for salvaging flaky disks, a they can be configured to concentrate on difficult tracks and sectors. I would, of course, return the disk to you afterwards.

[roy bates]

Originally Posted by jimbob

So, basically, we're boned.

Roy, do the buttons on yours work, the two buttons on mine work perfectly as L&R mouse buttons with aminet lightpen driver, only the pointer position is wonky. If your buttons are also not working I reckon your pen is faulty, inside is just 3 transitors and a handful of caps/resistors, should be easy to repair.

yep the buttons work as far as i know the pointer doesent move at all(when i move the pen it just judders) on screen i can activate menus with the buttons but cant move it.

to be honest its been awhile since ive used the pen,and its been in a box for over 12 months now doing nothing and im doing this from what i remember so lets see if someone can come up with the disk for it.
if prowler's on the case we could get the origanal disk back.im willing to wait and see.if anyone can do it prowler can.



looking at a previus post it seems i have the same problem with the disk i have,it throws up checksum errors on reading it.