Can someone provide me with some information as to how to put CPM disk images for the Applicard on the FloppyEMU? I was hoping that it was similar to the ReActiveMicro Drive/Turbo that I have which allows large ProDOS hard disk images. But I've learned that the FloppyEMU requires a Liron controller (which I don't have), and the Yellowstone controller is not available as of yet.
I also have a Microsoft Softcard that I would like to disk images for on the FloppyEMU as well.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
I don't have a Floppy EMU myself, so I can't advise on that end. However, on the archiving side... The only place I've found the disks you're looking for is on the Apple II Disk Server (http://asciiexpress.net/diskserver/). Both the Appli and Microsoft compatible disks are archived there. Unfortunately, these have been archived as .wav files that load via Instadisk. So you will need an Apple II with cassette input/output capability to use them. And even then, they only write to physical floppies. The good news is that writing these images only takes a few minutes.
That said, assuming you have a 5 1/4in drive, an Apple II with either a cassette or serial input/output capability, as well as the disks themselves, then you can use ADTPro to archive the physical disks as .dsk images that can be used by most floppy emulators.
You should be able to find the disk images you need here on the Asimov Apple Archive:
https://www.apple.asimov.net/images/cpm/os/
I'm sorry, I should have been clearer that I already have the disk images. I'm looking for procedures to follow to get CPM to boot from the Floppy EMU. This includes step 1 and beyond. I already have a ReActiveMicro Drive/Turbo that uses large compact flash (like the CFFA does) that emulates a hard disk volume and runs CPM just fine. Now I'm trying to create a similar solution for the Floppy EMU using 5.25" disk images since I don't have a Liron disk controller (which appears to be a requirement for the Apple IIe) to emulate a hard disk.
A while back, someone in this forum commented that they run CPM on their Floppy EMU for their Applicard and their Softcard. But I can't find that post so that I could message that person directly.
Thank you
Is this the old thread you are talking about?
A Liron card would only be for running the floppy emu in smartport mode. Assuming these cpm images are standard floppies, it should work without a liron. But I know nothing about cpm, other than the fact you need a z80 card for it to run.
I haven't tried it with an Applicard (although I have one now), but I was able to boot CP/M with my ALS Z80 card from a .dsk image on a FloppyEmu using a regular Disk ][ Controller card. It's a 140k floppy image so SmartPort is not needed at all.
I'm the person in the "old thread" that said that I was running CP/M for both AppliCard and Softcard from the FloppyEmu.
The FloppyEmu works fine as a 5.25" drive attached to a Disk ][ controller. Standard CP/M 5.25" .dsk images work fine with the FloppyEmu.
Your original question on the other thread didn't specify that you wanted to use a hard disk image with CP/M. If you want to use the FloppyEmu for large disk images, then yes, you need a different controller. I used ReactiveMicro's 3.5" Disk Controller card to achieve this, and it worked fine with the AppliCard. You cannot use the FloppyEmu to emulate a hard disk with the Disk ][ controller.
The instructions to create a hard disk image for the AppliCard is at https://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Z80%20Cards/PCPI%20Appli-Card/Disk%20Images/PCPI%20ProDOS.txt
Edit: it's the same process that @amauget recommended to you in this thread in 2020.
Good luck.
Actually there is a way to emulate a SmartPort with a Disk ][ Controller Card...
http://www.mfa2lab.com/opcart/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=56
However, using SoftSP with a FloppyEmu you should note this:
https://www.bigmessowires.com/2019/10/20/floppy-emu-softsp-warning/
Yeah, I'm aware of SoftSP. I was intentionally not mentioning it to keep things simple (and avoid confusing OP); I don't know if it works with any flavor of CP/M.
Besides, it's a nasty unsafe hack that could very easily zap the FloppyEmu. Steve has warned that the FloppyEmu might not be around much longer due to component unavailability, so it's not a good idea to risk damaging or destroying them.
By ALS Z80 card, do you mean Applied Engineering's Z-80 and Z-RAM cards?
Have you been able to get the Floppy EMU to work with your Z-80 as a SmartPort, so that you can have access to the whole software CPM library at one time?
I have both the AE Z-80 and Z-RAM cards in two separate Apple //c's and a library of different AE floppies for them as well as CPM applications and data floppies.
I bought a couple extra FloppyEmus just in case.
The SoftSP may be safer to use with the wDrive since the same people make it.
Fair enough. The SoftSP hack is sort of moot anyway, as it (and the wDrive) have been out of stock every time I have checked.
Thank you to all of you that replied. I greatly appreciate it. At this point, it sounds like the best thing for me to do is to wait for the Yellowstone disk controller that is slated to be released this month. When I acquire one, I will definately try to create a FloppyEMU hard disk image for CPM using the Applicard and the Softcard. I already have CPM on a hard disk image for the Applicard working on my ReAciveMicro card, thanks to Eric Neilson.
Thanks again!
Yeah, KBooHK is pretty much a lost cause. He's a hobbyist and has probably moved on to other things. He's officially closed the kboohk.com online store and has moved over to a facebook page.
I know that ReActive Micro tried to license the product but he wouldn't go for it. Good luck to him.
What was SoftSP?
A small plug in card with ROM code on it that allows a Disk ][ Controller card (and close clones) to be used as a SmartPort.
Hello,
The YellowStone card will soon be available from bigmessowires.com Store :-)
An interesting alternative for disk management using the SMARTPORT Protocol
Best regards from France.
Phil
https://www.bigmessowires.com/yellowstone/
https://www.bigmessowires.com/2022/01/13/yellowstone-manufacturing-is-go/
We've been waiting ... =:-D
Not sure it's in your plan but it would be really nice if the card's PCB is made in green instead of blue.
Who are you directing this too? Steve (BMOW) isn't posting in this thread (or at all on this forum) as far as I can tell. Maybe he lurks here though.