Thoughts on the HxC Floppy Emulator.

ElectroBlaster · 26 January 2011, 20:59

Im seriousley thinking about buying an HxC Floppy Emulator but I would like owners thoughts on it, any niggles and more importantly does it fit correctly in an a1200! Also can I access other disk formats on an amiga or am I missing the point? I would love to crack the atari st disk image problem, my catweasal mk4 just wont entertain st stuff

Also I dont like the fact all adf's need converting into another format which enlarges the images but its something I can live with.

Any feedback would be great

trebormills · 26 January 2011, 23:26

id like to hear more re this as looks interesting

I heard an upgrade made it work with adf files
http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_...Floppyemulator

Retrofan · 27 January 2011, 02:19

I'm sorry I can't help... I bought it, waited a month to receive it, mounted the case:

I tried it, was ok, but... I haven't installed the on-screen software even...

Loedown · 27 January 2011, 09:57

For me it was an ideal solution, being able to test any Amiga that I want without having to faff about with floppy disks is great. The software isn't hard to set up on PC for transfer and works easily and well.

I am certain many will add their own ideas, but these are mine from about a half day of playing.

ElectroBlaster · 29 January 2011, 00:55

Thanx guys

@Retrofan
That external job looks really nice! I assume the case was a one off and you gutted an amitek for the lead and controller board? You know I liked it so much I might do the same thing. I will only get stuck on the actual case...

@Loedown
How did you mount yours? I want one to fit an a1200 and without jumping in blind I wanted to know if the mounting holes are standard.

@trebormills
I cant find much about direct adf's working. Only the usb version does that afaik... Im really tempted to buy both versions and use one on the amiga and the other on an atari ste.

Loedown · 29 January 2011, 11:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElectroBlaster

@Loedown
How did you mount yours? I want one to fit an a1200 and without jumping in blind I wanted to know if the mounting holes are standard.

Standard to what? The user manual has all the details you want including board size and mounting holes. Mine just is acting as stand alone and isn't mounted in a box yet.

ElectroBlaster · 31 January 2011, 21:51

What I mean is can I just take the board and fit it in place of the internal drive without having to mess around hacking things up?

Loedown · 31 January 2011, 23:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElectroBlaster

What I mean is can I just take the board and fit it in place of the internal drive without having to mess around hacking things up?

I think you're forgetting that the HxC isn't designed exclusively for the Amiga, every designer of any equipment had their own ideas on how to mount floppy drives, so without even mentioning which Amiga model you planned to fit this to, why would you think it would 'magically' fit? some threads exist detailing what other people have done to mount their HxC controllers but if you wanted a fresh out of the box solution then this isn't it.

mfilos · 31 January 2011, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElectroBlaster

What I mean is can I just take the board and fit it in place of the internal drive without having to mess around hacking things up?

Mounting is kinda tricky but if done right it's really cool.

HxC is indeed a nice piece of gear. Revision C or modded B can write hfe files as well \o/
Moving the LCD screen is really easy with a bit of soldering knowledge (along with the buttons).

Jeff updated firmware and also fixed some speed issues on the On-Screen Menu program which you can use without an LCD scree

Some pics of mounting it internally:

It's a really nice piece of kit that does the job and it's really slick. Jeff's support is also awesome.

ElectroBlaster · 01 February 2011, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

I think you're forgetting that the HxC isn't designed exclusively for the Amiga, every designer of any equipment had their own ideas on how to mount floppy drives, so without even mentioning which Amiga model you planned to fit this to, why would you think it would 'magically' fit? some threads exist detailing what other people have done to mount their HxC controllers but if you wanted a fresh out of the box solution then this isn't it.

Im aware this isnt an out of the box solution for the amiga m8, I plan to buy one for an atari ste aswell, might even get another for an old zx speccy +3.
I was just hoping somebody here had took the plunge and mounted it in either the 600 or 1200 and took some piccys so I can basically suss out what to do with mine. I might just go the external route so I dont have to mess about with the miggies case.

ElectroBlaster · 01 February 2011, 13:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfilos

Mounting is kinda tricky but if done right it's really cool.

HxC is indeed a nice piece of gear. Revision C or modded B can write hfe files as well \o/
Moving the LCD screen is really easy with a bit of soldering knowledge (along with the buttons).

Jeff updated firmware and also fixed some speed issues on the On-Screen Menu program which you can use without an LCD scree

Some pics of mounting it internally:

It's a really nice piece of kit that does the job and it's really slick. Jeff's support is also awesome.

Now thats what im on about! I have enougth junk (as my missus calls it) that I can easily fab up some spacers to make it fit! Thanx for those internal shots they will help me alot

IFW · 01 February 2011, 20:38

Hmmm... calling valuable computing equipment junk and rubbish seems to be a women's thing

As for HxC, nice kit!

1time · 03 July 2011, 16:00

I bought a HxC.

The onscreen is almost a requirement if you are going to use hxc with many disks.

A word of warning for those who have an A1200 ESCOM, Disk Manager will not work properly on these computers.

This is disappointing because a lot of A1200 is built by ESCOM and to deal with 1000+ disks through the small LCD screen is hopeless.

The emulator is working good, but if i knew that it lacked support for Escom models, i would not have bought one.

Jope · 03 July 2011, 16:37

Why don't you just undo the escom modification?

http://www.softpres.org/article:hard..._fdd_connector

amiga1 · 03 July 2011, 16:47

Hi 1time. What makes the manager unusable? I want to start on an a1200 project (If I can find one first....) and want to use an HxC in it.

dk

1time · 03 July 2011, 17:55

According to the developer, Disk Manager does not use the_RDY signal. So I think there are other things that need to be changed. I am a layman when it comes to this, but I do not think the error is _RDY related in this case.

I have converted hxc manger for IBM PC 720kB "it will not start on a escom without conversion" so it can start on a ESCOM. The thing is that I get other error messages when the application is starting up.

If the HxC was waiting for the _RDY signal it would be a different story.

Im waiting for a answer from the developer.

Amiga1: As i wrote in my first post, the emulator is working, BUT the AUTOBOOT.hfe is not working because im using a A1200 Escom.

Jope · 03 July 2011, 21:32

Please keep us posted.. I'm interested in hearing what else is different.

1time · 03 July 2011, 21:41

I sure will. That was my plan with this post =)

e5frog · 04 July 2011, 00:17

I'd prefer hooking one to the external connector and then have a "boot from DF1 switch" - if the internal FDD is busted however I would consider replacing it with one of these. Even if it looks nice with the display in the shell I'm not too keen on drilling holes and stuff, I like it better when it's discrete and still looks original. Retrofan's box is something I'd love to have.

Retrofan · 04 July 2011, 00:29

Let's see... having Whdload, an external HxC isn't necessary in an A1200. In an A600 it can help you saving room there. Anyway, it's a beautiful piece of hardware just to see how it works in a clear case. In my case I only use it occassionally

26 January 2011, 20:59	#1
ElectroBlaster Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Exeter, Devon, UK Age: 38 Posts: 1,180	Thoughts on the HxC Floppy Emulator. Im seriousley thinking about buying an HxC Floppy Emulator but I would like owners thoughts on it, any niggles and more importantly does it fit correctly in an a1200! Also can I access other disk formats on an amiga or am I missing the point? I would love to crack the atari st disk image problem, my catweasal mk4 just wont entertain st stuff Also I dont like the fact all adf's need converting into another format which enlarges the images but its something I can live with. Any feedback would be great __________________ A1200 3.1roms WB3.1 CF IDE 200w psu Catweasel Mk4 Twin Sid Chips Registered WHDLoad

26 January 2011, 23:26	#2
trebormills Amiga Quackers Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: west wales Posts: 19	id like to hear more re this as looks interesting I heard an upgrade made it work with adf files http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_...Floppyemulator __________________ Current kit- A1200 and Amiga Forever add ons- aca+cf hdu Amiga knowledge= degraded Kit previously owned- a500, a500+, a1200, a590, a570, vidi rgb, midi and many other fine parts kit lust- a3000, a4000, cd32 fmv possibly gonna have to sell-cd32 with fdu+kb+mse

27 January 2011, 02:19	#3
Retrofan Ruler of the Universe Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lanzarote/Spain Posts: 2,740	I'm sorry I can't help... I bought it, waited a month to receive it, mounted the case: I tried it, was ok, but... I haven't installed the on-screen software even... __________________ AmiKit for Real Amigas Released, Click Here A1200 1D1, 8Gb SSD Hd, ACA 1231/42. A1200 2B, Lateral slot for Cf Hd's, Tray system Dvd. ACA1230/56, Fast Ata MKII, Indivision MkII with Hdmi. A1200 1D1, Lateral slot for Cf Hd's, Tray system Dvd, Clockport expander, Delfina, Subway, IDefix, BPPC, BVision, Acard with lateral slot for Scsi Cf HD... C=64 with ITX inside. Posting with it.

29 January 2011, 00:55	#5
ElectroBlaster Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Exeter, Devon, UK Age: 38 Posts: 1,180	Thanx guys @Retrofan That external job looks really nice! I assume the case was a one off and you gutted an amitek for the lead and controller board? You know I liked it so much I might do the same thing. I will only get stuck on the actual case... @Loedown How did you mount yours? I want one to fit an a1200 and without jumping in blind I wanted to know if the mounting holes are standard. @trebormills I cant find much about direct adf's working. Only the usb version does that afaik... Im really tempted to buy both versions and use one on the amiga and the other on an atari ste. __________________ A1200 3.1roms WB3.1 CF IDE 200w psu Catweasel Mk4 Twin Sid Chips Registered WHDLoad

31 January 2011, 21:51	#7
ElectroBlaster Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Exeter, Devon, UK Age: 38 Posts: 1,180	What I mean is can I just take the board and fit it in place of the internal drive without having to mess around hacking things up? __________________ A1200 3.1roms WB3.1 CF IDE 200w psu Catweasel Mk4 Twin Sid Chips Registered WHDLoad

27 January 2011, 09:57	#4
Loedown Precious & fragile things Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,612	For me it was an ideal solution, being able to test any Amiga that I want without having to faff about with floppy disks is great. The software isn't hard to set up on PC for transfer and works easily and well. I am certain many will add their own ideas, but these are mine from about a half day of playing.

01 February 2011, 20:38	#12
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 41 Posts: 1,680	Hmmm... calling valuable computing equipment junk and rubbish seems to be a women's thing As for HxC, nice kit!

03 July 2011, 16:00	#13
1time Amiga Lover Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Stockholm / Sweden Age: 35 Posts: 477	I bought a HxC. The onscreen is almost a requirement if you are going to use hxc with many disks. A word of warning for those who have an A1200 ESCOM, Disk Manager will not work properly on these computers. This is disappointing because a lot of A1200 is built by ESCOM and to deal with 1000+ disks through the small LCD screen is hopeless. The emulator is working good, but if i knew that it lacked support for Escom models, i would not have bought one.

03 July 2011, 16:37	#14
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 32 Posts: 4,067	Why don't you just undo the escom modification? http://www.softpres.org/article:hard..._fdd_connector __________________ The X-Copy shrine!

03 July 2011, 16:47	#15
amiga1 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: canada Posts: 43	Hi 1time. What makes the manager unusable? I want to start on an a1200 project (If I can find one first....) and want to use an HxC in it. dk

03 July 2011, 17:55	#16
1time Amiga Lover Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Stockholm / Sweden Age: 35 Posts: 477	According to the developer, Disk Manager does not use the_RDY signal. So I think there are other things that need to be changed. I am a layman when it comes to this, but I do not think the error is _RDY related in this case. I have converted hxc manger for IBM PC 720kB "it will not start on a escom without conversion" so it can start on a ESCOM. The thing is that I get other error messages when the application is starting up. If the HxC was waiting for the _RDY signal it would be a different story. Im waiting for a answer from the developer. Amiga1: As i wrote in my first post, the emulator is working, BUT the AUTOBOOT.hfe is not working because im using a A1200 Escom. Last edited by 1time; 03 July 2011 at 18:10.

03 July 2011, 21:32	#17
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 32 Posts: 4,067	Please keep us posted.. I'm interested in hearing what else is different. __________________ The X-Copy shrine!

03 July 2011, 21:41	#18
1time Amiga Lover Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Stockholm / Sweden Age: 35 Posts: 477	I sure will. That was my plan with this post =)

04 July 2011, 00:17	#19
e5frog Green Join Date: May 2010 Location: Älvängen / Sweden Age: 38 Posts: 205	I'd prefer hooking one to the external connector and then have a "boot from DF1 switch" - if the internal FDD is busted however I would consider replacing it with one of these. Even if it looks nice with the display in the shell I'm not too keen on drilling holes and stuff, I like it better when it's discrete and still looks original. Retrofan's box is something I'd love to have.

04 July 2011, 00:29	#20
Retrofan Ruler of the Universe Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lanzarote/Spain Posts: 2,740	Let's see... having Whdload, an external HxC isn't necessary in an A1200. In an A600 it can help you saving room there. Anyway, it's a beautiful piece of hardware just to see how it works in a clear case. In my case I only use it occassionally __________________ AmiKit for Real Amigas Released, Click Here A1200 1D1, 8Gb SSD Hd, ACA 1231/42. A1200 2B, Lateral slot for Cf Hd's, Tray system Dvd. ACA1230/56, Fast Ata MKII, Indivision MkII with Hdmi. A1200 1D1, Lateral slot for Cf Hd's, Tray system Dvd, Clockport expander, Delfina, Subway, IDefix, BPPC, BVision, Acard with lateral slot for Scsi Cf HD... C=64 with ITX inside. Posting with it.

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