Finally...almost there

[nama]

After literally 4 years working on getting my 4P disk system running, I believe I'm almost there.

Today I was able to compare track 1 of a downloaded disk image (OS65D32.img) from the net, with the contents dumped from track 1 of my corrupt OS65D disk (track 0 is corrupted on this floppy unfortunately). Please see image. The left side shows the dump from the 4P and MPI drive, and the right shows the downloaded disk image. Perfect match.

Now I can be fairly confident that my MPI drive and data splitter are working. This is a huge step forward for me considering how many parts (mechanical and electronic) I've had to repair and replace on this drive.

So, now all I need is a working OS65D 5.25" boot floppy for a C2 or C4 system. Is there anyone on this planet who has a working system that could make me a floppy or two?

Phil

[Steve Gray]

Congrats on the work so far. I haven't had the time to diagnose my own floppy system, which was working in 2006. Hopefully my boot disks are still ok 8 years later...

Is there any way to manually load the boot sector from the disk image file then write it back to floppy? It's been so long I don't remember what gets loaded where in memory when the disk boots.

When I get my disk system working I'll definitely make copies for anyone who needs them (assuming they work).

Actually, I wonder if there is some way we could use those "floppy emulators" that are on ebay for $20-something? They use a USB key to simulate the floppy disk.

Steve

[nama]

Hi Steve,
Much thanks for the reply.

Recently I've been helping MK14HAK, who has been doing some amazing stuff. Not to steal his thunder as I'm sure he'll outline everything in detail.

He has been working on:

- Bootstrapping HexDOS method
- A new version of DISKREAD that lets you select individual tracks, and also view the buffer.
- a program that allows writing directly to track 0 on a floppy with no DOS installed.

it's this last program that I have been using over the last few days to try to fix the corrupt track 0 on my OS65D floppies. In the process I found some issues with my D&N board (Dead IC, replace a resistor, and tune the timing variable resistors). Unfortunately I have not yet been able to get a 100% good write yet. I'm close, but some bytes gets corrupted, so there still maybe an issue with my D&N board.

Anyway, thanks to Mike, it looks like we may have some very useful backup and bootstrap tools on the way. Finally!!!!

Phil

[nama]

I gave up on the D&N board in my C2 for the time being. It definitely has some WRITE issues. Instead I moved over to my C4 and now, with Mikes help, I was finally able to patch in a new track 0 on my corrupt OS65D floppy...the results:

photo 5.JPG (103.35 KiB) Viewed 3787 times

It's only taken 4+ years to get to this stage...If I knew it was going to be so difficult, I probably wouldn't have even started.

Much thanks to all those who have helped and added support over this time, especially to Dave and Mike.

Next...that D&N board again.

Phil

[MK14HAK]

Phil, looks like you were tearing your hair out over this one! Enjoyed sorting this with you and thanks for enduring the ugly bugs along the way. Quite a buzz sharing your success in the end.
" Well, I'm actually so stoked that I'm not sure what to do now!!!!! " - that's just the beginning mate , your now my official bug tester !!

[MK14HAK]

PS

Like your profile addition. Very useful for members who keep forgetting who's got what system working or not. Hint hint !

[Steve Gray]

Nice! Congrats!

Steve

[Jeff]

THAT is a VERY HAPPY screen shot!

/Jeff

[nama]

Ha, yes...It's been quite a long but enjoyable process, However on numerous occasions I've wanted the throw the machine out the window.
It's been a labor of love. But really I couldn't have done it without Dave and Mikes help. Dave was instrumental in helping get the hardware working, and Mike with the software solutions.

Haven't had a chance to look at the D&N board in the C2, but I know know that it reads ok as I was able to boot OS65D (although it inverts the BEXEC screen!!!! Maybe a CEGMON thing). Writing seems to be the issue.
Basically I've been playing with OS65D on the C4 and emulator. I've never used it before so It's a learning experience. Some of it's conventions or quite strange.

I'm going to make some boot floppies for Jeff, and hopefully he can get his machine running too. then hopefully the disks will continue to, and solutions will arise that allow for backing up disks and software and restoring them to real media, and finally what was once on the verge of being lost forever is back in the hands of those who care.

Phil