Gotek and HxC working together

[MrX_Cuci]

Thanks! Works all the time now, but there is something weird with the slot function. It seems to pick things I have not selected. Going back to autoboot it seems I mounted the disc to the wrong slot, but that's definitely not the case. If you want some screenshots let me know.

[ferix]

@Jeff_HxC2001

Let me ask... Is there any chance of getting something like a "poor man's alphanumeric display" on the 7 segments display?...

I mean, using the 7 segment display to represent alphanumeric characters (or some sort of) and scrolling the text on it?

Something like this: [ Show youtube player ]

I think It's pretty easy to implement... (just an small translation table for printable characters only).

PS: Here is an example of the characters on 7seg. display

[Vot]

Originally Posted by ferix

@Jeff_HxC2001



Let me ask... Is there any chance of getting something like a "poor man alphanumeric display" on the 7 segments display?...



I mean, usign the 7 segment display to represent alphanumeric characters (or some sort of) and srolling the text on it?



Something like this: [ Show youtube player ]



I think It's pretty easy to implement... (just an small translation table for printable characters only).



PS: Here is an example of the characters on 7seg. display

You would be much better off if the cpu has enough spare cycles to do i2c to a lcd

[ferix]

Originally Posted by Vot

You would be much better off if the cpu has enough spare cycles to do i2c to a lcd

I know i2c lcd is better, but what if I don't want to spend my money on 10 lcd displays??? :P
For some uses lcd display it's not needed at all, but a little more info in the 7 segments display would be great.

Of course it should be user configurable... say shortcutting JA permanently, as example.

It's just an idea... don't blame me for it

[Vot]

Originally Posted by ferix

I know i2c lcd is better, but what if I don't want to spend my money on 10 lcd displays??? :P
For some uses lcd display it's not needed at all, but a little more info in the 7 segments display would be great.

Of course it should be user configurable... say shortcutting JA permanently, as example.

It's just an idea... don't blame me for it

Some of the lcd's are $3.58 AUD with postage so less in USD/GBP/EURO. Nobody could be that much of a tightarse not to want to spend that much.

Hi.

New here, so please be gentle!

I've read through this thread, but am a little lost with all of what I've read, so apologies if this has already been answered an I've just misunderstood.

I've recently picked up an A500 and a 520STFM. Am I right in thinking I could move one Gotek drive between the two and just flash the firmware each time I move it to the new system by way of a USB stick?

Sorry, completely lost!

Thanks,

Steve

[Amon_RA]

@Jeff_HxC2001

Any news on a new HxC drive based on the STM32 (with an SD and USB slot)? I'm holding off buying a modded Gotek and waiting for the real thing.

[Total Eclipse]

Originally Posted by ultrasteve

Hi.

New here, so please be gentle!

I've read through this thread, but am a little lost with all of what I've read, so apologies if this has already been answered an I've just misunderstood.

I've recently picked up an A500 and a 520STFM. Am I right in thinking I could move one Gotek drive between the two and just flash the firmware each time I move it to the new system by way of a USB stick?

Sorry, completely lost!

Thanks,

Steve

That's my understanding, though you will need to get the Gotek flashed with the HxC firmware in the first place, and that will require a different method (using a serial cable). Once the HxC firmware is installed you can flash further updates via USB.

Anyone is free to amend this if it's incorrect.

[PortuguesePilot]

First, a little disclaimer: I haven't been following this thread before and 11 pages of text are too much to pan through, so pardon me for posing a question that might have been asked already:

Is it possible to flash the latest HxC firmware on a Gotek that has the Cortex v1.05a firmware on it? If yes, how can one do it? Is it possible to do it via the Cortex itself (I dunno, by having the firmware added to a program ADF replacing Cortex's Selector.adf file or something? It would be much less hassle that way instead of using a serial cable).

Thanks in advance.

[rfancella]

This might help clear it up a bit.
To flash the Gotek to HxC, you have to have use the program that comes with your purchase of the HxC software. The bootloader is flashed using a USB to Serial adaptor. Here is a quick and easy description: https://www.ikod.se/hxc-gotek/
Once it's flashed to the HxC bootloader, all firmware is loaded through the USB drive itself. You can then load HxC or Cortex firmware just by putting the .upd file on the USB drive, holding down both buttons and booting it up. It will then flash the firmware into the Gotek. Easy Peasy.
Updates are the same. A new firmware comes out, put the file on the USB and boot it with both buttons.
As to the selector.adf, it is only used for the Cortex firmware. If you use the Cortex firmware, even with the HxC bootloader, you still use the selector.adf file as you did with the full Cortex software.
The HxC has it's own loader. It has a total of three modes: Autoboot, Indexed and Normal. These are controlled by a CFG file you put on the USB drive.
Autoboot - Uses a file Autoboot.hfe that is similar to the selector.adf.
Indexed - You must convert the disk images to hfe files and they must be named DSKA0000.HFE, DSKA0001.HFE, et al. Then you select the correct disk image with the buttons. No additional software is required.
Normal - Requires the addition of another button and an I2C LCD screen. This allows you to browse the USB drive, mount and unmount disk images on the fly. This mod should cost less than $8.00 to add and a little soldering.

Here is an example of one I added:


Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Ron

[PortuguesePilot]

OK, thanks. Too much hassle to bother, I guess. Will keep the Cortex firmware in it, then, since it's not that bad anyway.

Thank you very much for your kind answer and explanation, though. I appreciate it very much.

[dJOS]

Originally Posted by PortuguesePilot

Is it possible to flash the latest HxC firmware on a Gotek that has the Cortex v1.05a firmware on it?

yes.

Originally Posted by PortuguesePilot

If yes, how can one do it? Is it possible to do it via the Cortex itself (I dunno, by having the firmware added to a program ADF replacing Cortex's Selector.adf file or something? It would be much less hassle that way instead of using a serial cable).

Thanks in advance.

As already described you need a USB-TTL Serial adaptor and HxC provide some very easy to use software to program the boot loader onto it. Then you just put the firmware onto a USB device and that finishes it off.

[PortuguesePilot]

Hi.

I've been to the HxC site but it's quite confusing, with lots of download links and I can't seem to be sure of what is what. I recently bought a Gotek with HxC firmware and I want to install the latest firmware/loader version. Where can I get it from and how do I install it?

Thanks.

[Jope]

Get it from the HxC site's download section and put the upd file in the root of your usb key.

What you have is the USB Stick STM32 HxC Floppy Emulator (beta) and the files are under that section.

At the time of writing: USB STM32 HxCFloppyEmulator firmware upgrade v3.0.6.6a (HFE + ADF + ST + IMG file format support) (please have a look to the Release Notes for the latest changes)

[PortuguesePilot]

Thanks.

[dirkies]

I agree the website is a mess, me too gets confused each time I have to go there

btw, last version is since today v3.0.6.7a

[Jeff_HxC2001]

Originally Posted by dirkies

I agree the website is a mess, me too gets confused each time I have to go there

I agree that the page should be changed but the Google search engine like the website as it is and this is what matters today . I will not take the risk to make google angry by changing this

To be serious there is a "new" website and all you need for the Gotek is there :

http://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_d....html#stm32hxc

For the detailed instructions :
http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewt...hp?f=33&t=1683

Nothing more is needed.

And yes, there was a new firmware update yesterday.

[newflesh1]

Is there one for the cd32?

[utri007]

Web site is total mess, it made me so desparate enough that I bought my Gotek with hxc firmware from amigastore.eu.

Now I'm trying to found what I need to do next?

Need to format usb stick to fat32, copy from autoboot_mode folder file HXCSDFE.CFG to root of usb stick?

Get autoboot.hfe from achive from SDCard_HxC_Floppy_Emulator_Manager.zip

Choose corret version of it for Computer amiga/atari/Amstrad folders?

It supports this file types :

- *.ADF (Read / Write)
- *.ST (Read)
- *.IMG (Read)
- *.HFE (Read / Write)

Amiga's adf files are supported directly, but I need to convert Amstrad dsk files to hfe files?

[turrican9]

So with the HXC firmware on the Gotek can you still load ADFs in all 999 tracks, make a list and just choose ADFs with the buttons and looking at the 3 digit display? Or do you have to go into the HXC menu to select games every time?

Edit: Saw some info on an ebay sellers page who sells Gotek with HXC firmware. He wrote that the 15 first slots could be assigned. If this is the case, then it would not be very practical for me as right now I have slot 21 to 512 assigned on my Cortex Goteks. It will allow 1 to 999 for assigning. Having to enter the menu to assign ADFs all the time is not very practical. Neither can I see why a LCD display showing the name of the ADFs would be so practical because you have to cycle through alot of ADFs anyway. By using the Cortex firmware to assign up to 999 slots and making a list in somewhat alphabetical order it's very fast and practical to just jump to any of the assigned ADFs. By holding the forward or backwards buttons it will cycle extremely fast. I like to look at this solution as my virtual floppy boxes. Only this solution is much faster than it would be to cycle through 500 or 999 real floppies.

Of course the HXC firmware has it's benefits. Like supporting other formats than the standard 880KB ADF and of course other systems than Amiga (but this is Amiga forum and I only care about Amigas). But with the Cortex firmware I only encountered a few problems thus far. A few games will not detect disk swapping. However I got them working by using two Goteks (DF0 and DF1). Keep in mind, this is only 3 games I found with this problem. I only found one game that needs extended ADF to make savegame, and that is Cannon Fodder (If needed, can use a real floppy drive as DF1 to save of course). Cannon Fodder 2 does not have this problem. Also made savegames in all other games I've tried. As for people needing to reflash Cortex due to it corrupting I have not had any of those problems on my 3 Cortex Goteks. I bought them pre-flashed from Amigastore.eu. So it could be people got unlucky with batches of Gotek drives or something happened with the flashing.

The way I see it is that the HXC firmware needs to be able to assign 1 to 999 slots and emulate drive A and B on the Gotek for me to spend money on the firmware. For now I will stick to Cortex.

Edit2: Found some info that the original HXC floppy (not Gotek with HXC firmware) emulators could assign upto 250 slots on the Amiga. This is still far from the 999 on the Gotek Cortex but much better than only 15 slots for the HXC Gotek. But even 250 slots is not enough for me at least.