Gotek and HxC working together

[dirkies]

Originally Posted by Jeff_HxC2001

What do you mean by "the original firmware " ?

the one Hervé wrote

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Originally Posted by dirkies

the one Hervé wrote

The ADF HxC firmware should replace completly this one in term of functionnality and i really hope to have a better reliability too. So you shouldn't have the need to do this.

[UberFreak]

Why not support all image formats in one firmware?

[Vot]

Originally Posted by UberFreak

Why not support all image formats in one firmware?

I was wondering the same thing.

Maybe formats are quite different and wouldn't share a lot of the codebase probably resulting in a a firmware that is too big. Or maybe its just more difficult to integrate both and its quicker to get both out the door as separate firmwares.. (If the latter is the reason lets hope in the future he combines them)


But this is great news.... Cheap hardware that can run copy protected images.... awesome...cant wait to buy it...

[Vot]

Originally Posted by Jeff_HxC2001

Some additional informations :

- The firmware come with a USB bootloader : The serial link mess isn't needed anymore for the firmware update/change.
- Once the bootloader in place, you can flash the firmware you want to use with an USB key: HFE,ADF,ST,DSK...
- So far no issue with the USB Sticks tested .
- The server is online since a week now (50 units already transformed ). If you want to update your Gotek drive, just contact me by email (10 Euros per unit).
- You can already get a drive with the HxC bootloader at www.amigastore.eu (probably available into other places soon).
- The ADF firmware should be available next week.

Have you tested with usb3 sticks? Not that their performance is required... But most don't seem to be supported with herve's firmware.

[dirkies]

Originally Posted by UberFreak

Why not support all image formats in one firmware?

other than perhaps HFE and ADF together in the same FW, I do not see the point supporting other formats (ST etc) for a Gotek connected with an Amiga.

[Vot]

Originally Posted by dirkies

other than perhaps HFE and ADF together in the same FW, I do not see the point supporting other formats (ST etc) for a Gotek connected with an Amiga.

I think thats probably what he meant

[UberFreak]

The reason is very simple: sharing a single unit between a few different computers.

Since I dont want to modify computer cases in any way, I connect the floppy-emulator externally.

[seuden]

Oi Jeff!!!! Just wanted to say "Nice work!!!"

[dirkies]

I showed my appreciation for Jeff's Hard work by PayPal'ing him 10 euro. I suggest others do the same

[Retroplay]

Email just sent.

Will this work with all gotek, or do you need cortexamiga flashed gotek?

[Jeff_HxC2001]

All gotek.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------H----H--X----X-----CCCCC----22222----0000-----0000------11----------
----------H----H----X-X-----C--------------2---0----0---0----0--1--1-----------
---------HHHHHH-----X------C----------22222---0----0---0----0-----1------------
--------H----H----X--X----C----------2-------0----0---0----0-----1-------------
-------H----H---X-----X---CCCCC-----222222----0000-----0000----1111------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------- http://hxc2001.com --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HxC Floppy Emulator project
(c) 2006-2015 Jean-François DEL NERO / (c) HxC2001
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STM32 Based hardware bootloader Downloader and Flasher.

This software allows you to download and program the STM32 HxC bootloader into
a STM32 based floppy emulator hardware. (For example these "Gotek" or the next STM32 HxC Floppy emulator units).

Note : This Flash procedure should be needed only once per device since the STM32 HxC bootloader
       will allows you to update the device with a simple USB stick.



To use it you need :
--------------------

-> A STM32 based floppy emulator hardware to flash.

-> A PC under Windows connected to Internet.

-> Any 3.3V serial connection to connect the Floppy Emulator hardware to the PC.

-> Your account information. Contact me to hxc2001()hxc2001.com to get your account.



To Flash the device :
---------------------

-> Set the BOOT0 signal to the VCC3V3 on the device. (Add a connection between "J3" and the VCC3V3 pin. See below).

-> Connect your serial adapter to the device and to the PC. (GND,RX,TX,+5V)
   Note 1: To power the device, you can use a external +5V source or the +5V coming from your USB adapter.
   Note 2: Cross connect your serial adapter to the device : TX wire to the RX pin, RX wire to the TX pin.

-> Start the SecSerialBridge software and select the COM port of your serial adapter. Click on the button "Open"

-> Enter the server and your contacts data. Click on the button "Connect".
   If the connection to the server succeed you will get the "Link is UP !" status.

-> Some seconds later you should get the "Device detected." status.
   Note : If you don't get it, try to reset the STM32 by making a short connection of the reset signal (RST) to GND.

-> Once the device is detected, you can press the "Program" button.
   The download and programming process finish with a "Done !" Status. The whole process take some minutes.

Once done, remove all the connections previously done on the programming pins.

The device should now display "Ldr" at power up and wait for a USB flash drive with a UPD file to use.
You can download these files on the HxC website.


-------------------------------------
|       Programming connector       |
-------------------------------------

The Programming connector is near the power input connector. (SFRC922,SFRC526,...)

 ----------------------------
 |
-+--- NC
-+--- GND      O J3 (BOOT0)
-+--- GND      O VCC3V3
-+--- +5V     OO TX
 |        +5V OO RX
 |        GND OO RST
 |--
 |  |
 |  |




04/28/2015

(c) 2006-2015 Jean-François DEL NERO / (c) HxC2001

[lurch]

So why do I need this when I can already play any ADF?

[ransom1122]

Originally Posted by lurch

So why do I need this when I can already play any ADF?

Vot Answers your question. Ill stick with my gotek & ADF's

[Vot]

Originally Posted by ransom1122

Vot Answers your question. Ill stick with my gotek & ADF's

He will have adf support soon...but id rather use the hfe format if it supports writing.., then it will work with games that save using a custom format disk.

I don't see what the big deal is with using the hfe format...

You run all your adf,s through his converter which can do all at once...It only takes a few minutes to convert them.. I just keep a folder of the original adf,s and the converted hfe,s.. Easy...

[lurch]

Originally Posted by Vot

I don't see what the big deal is with using the hfe format...

You run all your adf,s through his converter which can do all at once...It only takes a few minutes to convert them.. I just keep a folder of the original adf,s and the converted hfe,s.. Easy...

Will stick with Gotek+ADFs. Download ADF copy to SDCard, done :-) No need for third party software.

Might sell my HxC.

@ransom1122 :-)

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Originally Posted by lurch

So why do I need this when I can already play any ADF?

Some ideas :

To have the possibility to connect an LCD to the Gotek.
To have more tools to Amiga to manage it (the tools are open sources : http://sourceforge.net/p/hxcfloppyem...loppyEmulator/)
To have a better USB stack dealing with more USB sticks.
To have the possibility to use protected software.
To have something that you can really update without the need to dismount your Amiga to connect the drive to a PC.
To have something that still supported by its developer

[Jope]

Originally Posted by alexh

I posted that is what Jeff has planned.

The STM32 is powerful enough to convert from ADF to flux as that is what Herves (cortexamiga) custom fimware does.

That's how I read it too in the beginning, but then reread and realised that dirkies referred to having the HxC HW read ADF directly. So not gotek HW related.

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Originally Posted by Jope

That's how I read it too in the beginning, but then reread and realised that dirkies referred to having the HxC HW read ADF directly. So not gotek HW related.

http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_....html#download

USB Stick STM32 HxC Floppy Emulator (beta):

The following elements allow you to program the low cost Gotek USB Floppy Emulator with the HxC bootloader & Firmwares.
Contact me by email to get an account on the update server.

Software :

> USB STM32 HxCFloppyEmulator firmware upgrade v3.0.0.0a (HFE file format support) (please have a look to the Release Notes for the latest changes)
> USB STM32 HxCFloppyEmulator firmware upgrade v3.0.0.0a (ADF file format support) (SOON)
> USB STM32 HxCFloppyEmulator firmware upgrade v3.0.0.0a (ST file format support) (SOON)
> USB STM32 HxCFloppyEmulator firmware upgrade v3.0.0.0a (DSK file format support) (SOON)