Gotek floppy emulator vs. HxC SD floppy emulator

[spannernick]

Originally Posted by demolition

Funny enough, I had the complete opposite experience. I tried to flash the Cortex firmware using two computers and two different UART adapters with no positive result. It was mainly to test whether the connection was working before I went along and bought an HxC license which was my plan from the start. I ended up just buying an HxC license anyway and to my surprise, the HxC tool had no problems flashing my Gotek although ST's own tool could not access it.

I used Win10, but I think using a Windows XP machine is the more compatible option if there are any problems.


Even if your Gotek is running the Cortex firmware, you can reflash HxC on it instead if you prefer that.
HxC can run in three different modes. Two of them requires to connect an LCD display plus an additional button and it will allow you to browse the files, see the filenames and select the images to mount. The third is designed to run on a plain Gotek without the display and works similar to the Cortex using pre-allocated slots for numbers 0-999.

Can you flash it with the use stick or do you have to flash with a usb cable..? I guess no one is allowed to flash it for you,you have to DIY..?

[demolition]

Originally Posted by spannernick

Can you flash it with the use stick or do you have to flash with a usb cable..? I guess no one is allowed to flash it for you,you have to DIY..?

The initial flash (of the HxC bootloader) needs to be done with a cable. After this is done, all subsequent updates of the HxC core can be performed with a USB stick.

Anyone can flash it for you and I presume someone sells them preflashed so you don't have to bother with it. They have to pay the €10 for each one just like you have to and they might charge something extra for the job as well.

[glenn]

Yes, it works like this, you send 10 euros per unit/license to Jeff via paypal, then you recive a login to his server, and can download his flasher-software.

Then you start the software, enter your login/PW and it validates against his server and tell you how many licenses you have, then you connect to the gotek via a serial adapter, and when ypou have link to the gotek AND to the server you can flash it.

..Or should I say, you are supposed to, it never worked for me, either it went up to 49/100 and stopped with error message, or went up to 1/100, or didnt start at all.

Anyway, after this is finished you have a bootloader on the gotek, and can update it with firmware via USB stick.

So I guess Jeff dont care at all if you give away your login/pw to the server, because you can only flash hxc into the number of units you paied for anyway.

[spannernick]

Originally Posted by glenn

Yes, it works like this, you send 10 euros per unit/license to Jeff via paypal, then you recive a login to his server, and can download his flasher-software.

Then you start the software, enter your login/PW and it validates against his server and tell you how many licenses you have, then you connect to the gotek via a serial adapter, and when ypou have link to the gotek AND to the server you can flash it.

..Or should I say, you are supposed to, it never worked for me, either it went up to 49/100 and stopped with error message, or went up to 1/100, or didnt start at all.

Anyway, after this is finished you have a bootloader on the gotek, and can update it with firmware via USB stick.

So I guess Jeff dont care at all if you give away your login/pw to the server, because you can only flash hxc into the number of units you paied for anyway.

So it never worked for you,so that was a wast of 10 euros then,do you get your money back if it don't work with your Gotek..?

How many Gotek units can you flash..? so you are paying for the Bootloader not the firmware..??

[spannernick]

Just brought the USB cable.. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gotek-Driv...8AAOSwR0JURkVz

[glenn]

Originally Posted by spannernick

So it never worked for you,so that was a wast of 10 euros then,do you get your money back if it don't work with your Gotek..?

I still have hope to get it to work, I ordered a different kind of serial adapter, after suggestion from jeff.

How many Gotek units can you flash..? so you are paying for the Bootloader not the firmware..??

You can flash as many as you pay for, when you login with the flashsoftware it says "licenses xx" or something, 1 in my case.

You cannot use the firmware without the bootloader so I think its more a license to use you pay for, this way you can upgrade the software easy and as often as you like.

[glenn]

smannernick: That is the same type as I have (but I payed a dollar for it.. minus the reset button..).

I got it to work with cortex but not hxc, others have got ti to work with both.

[spannernick]

Just found this.. http://www.nightfallcrew.com/14/07/2...w-track-audio/

Jean-François DEL NERO (who’s behind the HxC SD Floppy Emulator) recently has released a version of the HxC emulator firmware that is compatible with the STM32 chip used in the Gotek floppy emulators.

This means that the great functionality of the HxC SD emulator is now available on cheaper and more widely available hardware.

The bootloader to convert the Gotek floppy drive in HxC compatible must be purchased on the website HXC 2001 by sending an email to Jean-François DEL NERO. The price of the bootloader is one-off 10 Euro per Gotek that you want to update. Future updates of the software are free and can be made from a USB stick

The HXC Usb (Gotek) firmware supports:

[glenn]

Uhm, that is what this thread is about already ?

His username is "Jeff" btw.

[spannernick]

Sorry to ask this but ,Do you have to pay for the bootloader cos of eBay and all the Gotek's been sold on there,do the people who have a HxC device have to pay for it too..?

[demolition]

You cannot flash the HxC bootloader without paying the €10 per device. So if you buy a Gotek with HxC bootloader installed, it must already have been paid for. But the ones I have seen on ebay all have the Cortex firmware.

And yes even if you own a HxC device already, you need to pay €10 per Gotek you want to convert.

[spannernick]

Do I connect the USB cable the same way as if I was flashing the cortex firmware..?

[demolition]

Originally Posted by spannernick

Do I connect the USB cable the same way as if I was flashing the cortex firmware..?

Connections are the same yes. The instructions are found in this file:
http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_d...rialBridge.zip

[spannernick]

I have found the FT232RL FTDI USB to TTL 3.3V 5.5V Mini USB Adapter Module This is the one you use to copy the bootloader..

Its here on ebay..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...odule&_sacat=0


Sorry for the picture been big,will resize it soon.

Here is a video of the bootloader been flashed with a FT232RL..

[ Show youtube player ]

Thanks demolition for the link to the file,going to add it here only the info from the txt file,so others have reference to it..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------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

[demolition]

Notice that these cheap 'FTDI' adapters are fake and might get bricked by the FTDI driver when you connect them to a Windows machine:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/ftdi-ad...silent-update/

I had better success with a CP2102 device. It worked out of the box on my Win 10 machine when I flashed my Gotek.

[spannernick]

Originally Posted by demolition

Notice that these cheap 'FTDI' adapters are fake and might get bricked by the FTDI driver when you connect them to a Windows machine:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/ftdi-ad...silent-update/

I had better success with a CP2102 device. It worked out of the box on my Win 10 machine when I flashed my Gotek.

Did you flash HxC with it..?

Thanks for letting us know,how do you know you have bought the real one..?
(Its is kind of stupid doing what they have done,cos if they are all the same you will not know which one is real or fake.)

[demolition]

I would expect a genuine one to cost at least €10, maybe €15. Lots of stuff on ebay are fakes (same goes for flash memory cards) so don't trust anything you buy from there unless you know the dealer.

FTDI lists their official dealers here:
http://www.ftdichip.com/SalesNetwork/WesternEurope.htm

[desiv]

Originally Posted by demolition

Notice that these cheap 'FTDI' adapters are fake and might get bricked by the FTDI driver when you connect them to a Windows machine:

Shouldn't happen anymore, as the driver has been fixed, but just in case:
http://hackaday.com/2015/02/08/unbri...eit-ftdi-chip/

desiv

[spannernick]

Just wondered dose the Easy Flash 3 use a FTDI driver(yes I know it from the C64)...?

[demolition]

Originally Posted by spannernick

Did you flash HxC with it..?

Yes, I flashed the HxC firmware to the Gotek using one of those cheap ebay CP2102 devices. Prolific also blocks the fake copies in their recent driver so it shows up with a yellow question mark in device manager, just like FTDI. Can be fixed using an old driver, but can be fiddly. The CP2102 model seems to work perfectly even with the latest Win10 driver.