Author Topic: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD? (Read 5150 times)

Coolhand · « **on:** April 18, 2013, 03:39:17 PM »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/720Kb-DD-Double-Density-Floppy-Disk-Drive-to-USB-Converter-Emulator-/181120966004?pt=UK_BOI_Industrial_Automation_Control_ET

I think the price is a bit of a rip, and there are specific custom devices that do this but does anyone own one of these? They seem to be quite cheap from Kong Hong.

It's clearly not designed for it, but is there any way this might work in Amiga?

****

heres one in slightly bromine-y off white... and cheaper than a replacement floppy even. I guess its bound to not work or everyone would be doing it, but at the very least you'd have to remove the front or something to make it fit wedge cases.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5-720K-USB-SSD-FLOPPY-DRIVE-EMULATOR-E100S-720k-Milky-Yellow-Color-Version-/230919705269?pt=UK_Computing_FloppyDiskDrives_SM

oleimann · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2013, 05:26:07 PM »

If you've seen the 1541 Ultimate project that uses an SD card to imitate a floppy disk
from an image on the card with hardware that pretends to be a 1541 floppy drive for the C64,

I'm sure something like that should be possible for the AMIGA as well:
A real piece of hardware that replaces the floppy drive on new tech.

Unfortunately I'm not that far into hardware and stick to software myself.

nicholas · « **Reply #2 on:** April 18, 2013, 05:35:01 PM »

These things are Amiga compatible.

http://www.lotharek.pl/category.php?kid=7

oleimann · « **Reply #3 on:** April 18, 2013, 05:44:57 PM »

HxC Floppy emulator works for the AMIGA and does a similar thing:
http://lotharek.pl/category.php?kid=7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1zP6p9SBLw

oleimann · « **Reply #4 on:** April 18, 2013, 05:55:20 PM »

You beat me to it

Coolhand · « **Reply #5 on:** April 18, 2013, 09:59:35 PM »

I know about those, and while i'm not putting that down, it always seemed a lot for the job they do - they're 4 times the cost of the device I linked to and tbh, I don't really *need* one;). I haven't seen anyone trying them out so I guess there's a good reason why the more massively produced alternative isn't used.

I also wonder though (and i'm sure there's a good answer along the lines of 'no'), is it possible to do more with such a device, by putting *something* between the floppy connector and a large storage device and doing more general types of file access via the floppy connector?

GadgetUK · « **Reply #6 on:** April 19, 2013, 12:29:03 AM »

Quote from: Coolhand;732303

I know about those, and while i'm not putting that down, it always seemed a lot for the job they do - they're 4 times the cost of the device I linked to and tbh, I don't really *need* one;). I haven't seen anyone trying them out so I guess there's a good reason why the more massively produced alternative isn't used.

I also wonder though (and i'm sure there's a good answer along the lines of 'no'), is it possible to do more with such a device, by putting *something* between the floppy connector and a large storage device and doing more general types of file access via the floppy connector?

4 times the price, but 10 times the quality and features!

Coolhand · « **Reply #7 on:** April 19, 2013, 07:28:55 AM »

....Though you perhaps don't need many of those features for just accessing a few amiga disks.

I cant comment on the quality of either, I've had some cheap crap off ebay thats been great, and some that is just crap... do you own either one of them?

Anyway they're well covered already, I'm not putting anyones product down or judging it based on a price but obviously the cheaper device is more accessible to more people...

nicholas · « **Reply #8 on:** April 19, 2013, 08:35:38 AM »

Quote from: Coolhand;732338

....Though you perhaps don't need many of those features for just accessing a few amiga disks.

I cant comment on the quality of either, I've had some cheap crap off ebay thats been great, and some that is just crap... do you own either one of them?

Anyway they're well covered already, I'm not putting anyones product down or judging it based on a price but obviously the cheaper device is more accessible to more people...

Well the eBay listing you gave is 50 quid and the HxC floppy emulator is 69 Euros which is roughly 50 quid too.

http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=13

Coolhand · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2013, 09:38:50 AM »

...

Quote from: Coolhand;732275

heres one in slightly bromine-y off white... and cheaper than a replacement floppy even. I guess its bound to not work or everyone would be doing it, but at the very least you'd have to remove the front or something to make it fit wedge cases.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5-720K-USB-SSD-FLOPPY-DRIVE-EMULATOR-E100S-720k-Milky-Yellow-Color-Version-/230919705269?pt=UK_Computing_FloppyDiskDrives_SM

Coolhand · « **Reply #10 on:** April 19, 2013, 09:51:22 AM »

Quote from: nicholas;732345

Well the eBay listing you gave is 50 quid and the HxC floppy emulator is 69 Euros which is roughly 50 quid too.

http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=13

69 eur is nearly 60 quid today, and more like 65-70 delivered... (to the UK, presumably) the one from hong kong is just shy of 20 delivered to the UK.

tbh i'm more interested in whether it works at all or learning why it wouldn't.

Jeff_HxC · « **Reply #11 on:** April 19, 2013, 10:42:36 AM »

Quote from: Coolhand;732353

69 eur is nearly 60 quid today, and more like 65-70 delivered... (to the UK, presumably) the one from hong kong is just shy of 20 delivered to the UK.

tbh i'm more interested in whether it works at all or learning why it wouldn't.

Because these emulators are just USB key sectors to Floppy sectors bridge and there are only support IBM type sectors (and only in 9*80*2*512 or 18*80*2*512 format). Additionnaly the amiga read & write need a full track access. A last note : No image support.

But you should buy it to try it, this is only 20

Coolhand · « **Reply #12 on:** April 19, 2013, 11:33:18 AM »

joke if you will but even £20 is still a lot of money to some people...! I have spent enough on amiga stuff this month anyway;) Thankyou for that info, so its not simply a matter of a modification or a converter or something - it would be asking more than the el cheapo floppy emulator is capable of... in that case would it even work with a dos emulator or crossdos to read pc disk?

djos · « **Reply #13 on:** April 19, 2013, 12:41:47 PM »

Quote from: GadgetUK;732312

4 times the price, but 10 times the quality and features!

Indeed, worth every cent, I have one in my a500. :cool:

danbeaver · « **Reply #14 on:** April 19, 2013, 10:57:40 PM »

Quote from: djos;732362

Indeed, worth every cent, I have one in my a500. :cool:

The HxC or the Chinese USB device for industrial machines (looms and tool & die)?

Author Topic: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD? (Read 5150 times)

Coolhand

Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

oleimann

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

nicholas

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

oleimann

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

oleimann

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

Coolhand

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

GadgetUK

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

Coolhand

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

nicholas

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

Coolhand

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

Coolhand

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

Jeff_HxC

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

Coolhand

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

djos

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?

danbeaver

Re: Floppy replacement - USB to FDD?