FlashFloppy - new firmware for Gotek drives, open source

[Keir]

Originally Posted by SunSpire

But .. one remaining issue I noticed with the A1200 is, that the internal CF hard disk drive initializes faster than the Gotek disk drive, so it boots the installed Workbench before the Floppy image could launch. I don't know if the HDD boot could be delayed or something, but doing a soft-reset will launch the floppy on the second attempt.

Most of the boot time is USB setup, fairly unavoidable. I could simulate having a disk inserted at power on, that would make the Amiga try to load the disk and perhaps give a second or two for FlashFloppy to get it together and mount an image.

For now you can hold both mouse buttons to access the startup menu. That will give time for FlashFloppy to mount the USB stick and then you can directly exit the menu and voila. Also gives time to select the image you want!

Just updated, works a charm! Love the simple update proces. So yeah, combined with Akira's excellent disk-collection thing, I'm officially in love with Flashfloppy

(although I still have to find out how to make it boot consistently with the ACA500+ sidecar)

[BarryB]

What is the USB Speed on these Goteks, is it USB 1.0?

I've also set my LCD Backlight to 255s (permanently on) via the HxC Drive Settings option in the File Selector so now I can watch the filename scrolling by and the Tracks/Sides ticking along without a blackout now

[Amiga1992]

I love this, HxC firmware is also pushing along as is on FlashFloppy.
Keep up the great work guys, this is what we needed!

[Keir]

Originally Posted by Akira

I love this, HxC firmware is also pushing along as is on FlashFloppy.
Keep up the great work guys, this is what we needed!

I think we're keeping each other busy Of course I'm a fair bit behind but will be ticking off the features and improving stability very regularly.

[Keir]

Originally Posted by TimberWolf

Just updated, works a charm! Love the simple update proces. So yeah, combined with Akira's excellent disk-collection thing, I'm officially in love with Flashfloppy

(although I still have to find out how to make it boot consistently with the ACA500+ sidecar)

It's quite possibly an I/O latency issue. I found WB-1.3 locked solid(!) during boot on ACA500+, though other disks booted okay. I also need to test an A1200 (and perhaps dig out my ACA1233).

Ultimately there is some more I can do on improving response to the SELECT signal (which I think is the primary issue) reducing the critical path in the select-line interrupt handler with some optimisations and perhaps a few sleazier hacks if need be. It's all about reducing the number of instructions (and memory accesses) up to the GPIO write which enables/disables active output lines on select/deselect.

I may also need to be smarter on handling the STEP signal too. Currently I sample the DIR and SELECT signals late (step in direction DIR iff SELECT) after STEP rising edge. It might be smarter to sample them on the falling edge, or at least trigger interrupt on falling edge and then 'hang around' sampling DIR/SELECT until the rising edge.

[Keir]

Originally Posted by BarryB

What is the USB Speed on these Goteks, is it USB 1.0?

Yes USB Full Speed, 12Mbit/s. Not very fast really, but probably not the bottleneck on small I/Os.

[Mikerochip]

Originally Posted by kaffer

It's quite possibly an I/O latency issue. I found WB-1.3 locked solid(!) during boot on ACA500+, though other disks booted okay. I also need to test an A1200 (and perhaps dig out my ACA1233).

Ultimately there is some more I can do on improving response to the SELECT signal (which I think is the primary issue) reducing the critical path in the select-line interrupt handler with some optimisations and perhaps a few sleazier hacks if need be. It's all about reducing the number of instructions (and memory accesses) up to the GPIO write which enables/disables active output lines on select/deselect.

I may also need to be smarter on handling the STEP signal too. Currently I sample the DIR and SELECT signals late (step in direction DIR iff SELECT) after STEP rising edge. It might be smarter to sample them on the falling edge, or at least trigger interrupt on falling edge and then 'hang around' sampling DIR/SELECT until the rising edge.

It's very inconsistent with my own A600 and VampireII.
Quite often, if I boot normally, it just gives me a NDOS disk, and refuses to boot. It works better in auto mode, but usually, I need to disconnect the HDD to boot off the floppy, otherwise it goes straight to workbench.

But, my A600 is wrecked since it came back from recapping, so, it might have other issues.

Are you thinking of making the other boot disks (Atari, etc) available with the releases? I have a few Atari ST's that I wouldn't mind testing with!

[Keir]

Originally Posted by Mikerochip

It's very inconsistent with my own A600 and VampireII.
Quite often, if I boot normally, it just gives me a NDOS disk, and refuses to boot. It works better in auto mode, but usually, I need to disconnect the HDD to boot off the floppy, otherwise it goes straight to workbench.

But, my A600 is wrecked since it came back from recapping, so, it might have other issues.

Oh actually I do have a Vampire 2. Another one for me to test against

Are you thinking of making the other boot disks (Atari, etc) available with the releases? I have a few Atari ST's that I wouldn't mind testing with!

Use the upstream HxC project's AUTOBOOT.HFE for ST and CPC.

When I remove the ACA1221ec from the equation (mounted on the back of the ACA500+, Icomp.de now owns most of my money), the problem seems less prominent so it might well be a timing issue.

Still, nothing a (few) reboot(s) doesn't fix.

Have I thanked Akira for his excellent collection with Flashfloppy installer yet? Thanks Akira!

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by TimberWolf

Have I thanked Akira for his excellent collection with Flashfloppy installer yet? Thanks Akira!

No problem, I did nothing. It's all kaffer and Jeff_HxC's work here.
I'm glad it works!

[Keir]

Originally Posted by TimberWolf

Just updated, works a charm! Love the simple update proces. So yeah, combined with Akira's excellent disk-collection thing, I'm officially in love with Flashfloppy

(although I still have to find out how to make it boot consistently with the ACA500+ sidecar)

Just had a try out myself. It seems to boot reliably for me, even with an ACA1233 plugged in (although I have problems with the ACA500+ itself being a bit temperamental in this case, booting into KS 3.1, works fine with KS 1.3 though, most odd).

[supaduper]

fantastic work Kaffer ,only just got round to flashing a gotek using the USB to USB method just generated a .dfu of the .Hex file and all installed and running under 5 mins, now to find to time to play with it LoL , just to note this gotek is on a pimped out CDTV

[Keir]

Originally Posted by supaduper

fantastic work Kaffer ,only just got round to flashing a gotek using the USB to USB method just generated a .dfu of the .Hex file and all installed and running under 5 mins, now to find to time to play with it LoL , just to note this gotek is on a pimped out CDTV

Good to hear success stories

[kgc210]

Just wanted to say thank you for making this firmware.
I can finally use my Gotek on the A4000.
I don't know why but the cortex firmware made my A4000 behave oddly.

[Keir]

New release v0.4.1a supports 128x32 I2C OLED module directly. Simply wire it up as you would a 1602 LCD module (including the 4.7k pullups to VCC on the SDA/SCL lines).

Please report any issues. I had to pull v0.4.0a as it was unreliable. I have implemented error handling and things seem much better but greater testing on 1602 LCD modules and OLED modules is needed!

[amigoun]

If you have ACA500+, can you test, if you can correctly write files when using the Action Replay III?

[Keir]

Originally Posted by amigoun

If you have ACA500+, can you test, if you can correctly write files when using the Action Replay III?

I don't think I've managed to successfully start AR3 on the ACA500+ yet actually. However I have a few(!) real AR3s so I will try one of them

[spudje]

Originally Posted by BarryB

Flashed the Bootloader and firmware via USB without any issue.

OK, so this works with the new firmware via this method? That would require a USB-A - USB-A cable (which I have) and shorting some pins/holes? How does a n00b like me do that? Are there some "jumpers with pins" available for that?

So if this turns out to be easy I may get a Gotek after all and use it with an A500+ACA500plus as external drive and use the ACA500plus as bootselector to have the Gotek runs as df0. That can be any cheap Gotek offered in China, correct, as long as I flash the right firmware on it. Would that be possible?

[demolition]

Originally Posted by kaffer

New release v0.4.1a supports 128x32 I2C OLED module directly. Simply wire it up as you would a 1602 LCD module (including the 4.7k pullups to VCC on the SDA/SCL lines).

That's a very useful feature as those 1602 LCDs are massive.
I have the HxC bootloader in my Goteks - can I test this release without removing that?

Originally Posted by spudje

So if this turns out to be easy I may get a Gotek after all and use it with an A500+ACA500plus as external drive and use the ACA500plus as bootselector to have the Gotek runs as df0. That can be any cheap Gotek offered in China, correct, as long as I flash the right firmware on it. Would that be possible?

Yes, I use the combination A500+ACA500plus+external drive chassis with Gotek and it works like a charm. You just need to find some faulty external drive and replace the mechanism with the Gotek (and possibly change the drive ID jumper).