Perfect FDS 2C33 audio when not using actual FDS disks?

[DrDementia]

finally success, reading and writing with the gui.
tomy was right try different PCs.

It seemed to work perfectly with one pc I have. It is a AMD winxp 32 bit laptop.

non working PC(s). I tried different ports in all these.
notebook win7 32bit intel (read always resulted in 0x00 filled file)
desktop winxp 32bit intel (read got part of disk header then 0x00)
desktop winxp 32bit (same)
no usb3.0 ports in any of those.

Thanks for the help and the great product.
and I hope this helps someone else in the future.

[evilsim]

hello all I am so glad to have found other people with the same struggles as me (well, not so many now ; see EDIT)

I have a 3206 drive with tototek write chip installed, v5 power board modded
I am using a cable I made using 2 x N64 scart cables

-previously I was able to dump 1 disk when my cable was setup to 'read only'. (with power board mod only, no tototek chip at this time)
-after modifying my cable (link black wires + move pin 8 to pin 5)(I am using a switch to link the black, so I can switch it off to just read disks ; not sure if this is correct), I now cannot read or write any of my disks and it appears I have somehow wiped all my disks (only 3)...

I have just updated firmware using the new GUI (very cool thx) and will try to use the 10k resistor on pin 9. Can anyone inform me of something wrong I did to wipe my disks and stop my setup from being able to read or write ? I have bought some new disks but am a little scared to read them, incase I somehow wipe them too!

* I have 4 FDS drives here, only one has been powerboard + tototek chip modded so can try lots of stuff *
thanks guys I would really like to get disk writing going - i love my fds stick but nothing beats the read/write mechanism of the old 2.8" drives!!

EDIT: OK i realized my newest FDS unit actually has a 7201 ( ) so I have been able to re-write all of my previously blanked disks. I do still have the same problem with the tototek chip modded 3206 drive, it will play disks which I have written on the 7201 drive, but it cannot dump or write using the fds stick... When I try to dump, I get an empty .fds file (correct size in KB, but a completely empty file, same for writing, fdsstick.exe software says its writing, the drive mechanism moves correctly, but I end up with a totally blank disk)... Can anyone help me to fix this ?
p.s. the cable I made using the two N64 scart leads works, reads and writes with the black cable moved to pin 8.
p.p.s i did all my reading/writing in Windows 8.1 Pro x64 on my Lenovo W530 laptop using a USB2.0 port

[Tomy]

Hi evilsim,

I'm sorry. And I tested it like you say.
And it is same as you. So, I confirm 3206 modchip is not compatible with fdsstick read/write.
When it is develop, fdsstick haven't appear. So, I can't know that.
It is working good except fdsstick. Like Copy Master 1.1, Disk Hacker else.
Also, it can work with any fds game with save function like Zelda.

I'm finding a way to make it compatible with fdsstick. But need some times.
I will check what different with Copy Master and fdsstick read/write.
Hope will fix soon. Thanks.

[evilsim]

Hi evilsim,

Thanks for the reply Tomy, I understand that fdsstick and this chip don't work yet. I am happy to wait and see if a new firmware on the fdsstick will resolve this problem. Like I said I have 4 FDS drives, one of them is in a TwinFC and 3 loose FDS units, one being a 7201. If there is any further testing I can do to help, or if you need someone to test some new firmware I am happy to help.

[loopy]

I don't have a 3206 drive to test with. Would the modchip have the same effect with a 7201?

[evilsim]

I don't have a 3206 drive to test with. Would the modchip have the same effect with a 7201?

cut the traces to the write gates on a 7201 !? blasphemy

i'll send u a 3206 if you send me a 7201

---

I tested out using diskhacker and such apps with my chipped 3206, it appears to write to the disks, but due to it not writing the correct header (or something) the disk gives me an error 20 when I try and load it on my TwinFC or regular FDS

---

Correction from above : Disk Keeper (I was able to write the diskkeeper disk using the fdsstick + 7201 drive) actually lets me write disks using my 3206 with tototek mod chip. hooray two of my drives can write full disks now.

[loopy]

New software update is available (Windows GUI). Supports larger flash, and boots to a menu (credit to deadbody for inspiration ). I'll throw the source up on github, it may take a few days to get it organized.

Also, I got proper injection-molded cases done, so no more 3D printing. (They've been shipping for a while, I just haven't announced it til now).

[spacemonkey]

New software update is available (Windows GUI). Supports larger flash, and boots to a menu (credit to deadbody for inspiration ). I'll throw the source up on github, it may take a few days to get it organized.

Also, I got proper injection-molded cases done, so no more 3D printing. (They've been shipping for a while, I just haven't announced it til now).

Just tried the update- I really like the menu! Thanks.

[evilsim]

New software update is available (Windows GUI). Supports larger flash, and boots to a menu (credit to deadbody for inspiration ). I'll throw the source up on github, it may take a few days to get it organized.

Awesome job the menu is really handy. I noticed the following ;
-menu lists games you have loaded in upside down order eg game in slot1 is at bottom of list
-after loading new firmware, using older fds.exe to load games does not work properly (no menu and cannot open any games with button)
-i was being stupid and not pressing the "write" button after loading a few games, via fdsstick.exe. until now i had been using fds.exe hehe

love your work Loopy - and loving my new rgbnes mod too - Tim Worthington has tons of stock, i was at his house y/day and he had just received a shipment of boards rgbnes mod makes the fds games even better!!

[Great Hierophant]

I had to try the new firmware with the loading menu and I love it! No more need to memorize the list of games on the FDSStick, which will undoubtedly be appreciated by other people who have a device that can hold more than eight disk sides.

I found that when I added disk images to fdsstick.exe, it put them in alphabetical order and the FDSStick menu also showed them in alphabetical order. I also note you can now remove an image without having to rewrite the whole flash using fdsstick.exe. I really do not know how FDSStick can be improved at this point for playing FDS images.

[loopy]

Yeah, you shouldn't use the older fds.exe right now, it isn't compatible with the updated firmware. I'm working on a few more things in the GUI (should be ready in a day or two) then I will roll all the recent changes back into the console app.

[Great Hierophant]

I would hope that an FDSStick 2.0 design might use a microSD card that would allow dragging and dropping of files from any computer and be entirely FDS menu driven (for reading and writing real disks). One concern I have is that FDSStick.exe is a Windows application which may one day become obsolete (whenever Microsoft wants to find a new way to disable unusual devices in the name of security.) Getting the EMS 64M GB Smart Card to work in Windows 7 or 8.1 is always something of a trial because it connects directly via a USB cable and Microsoft's OSes refuse to load unsigned drivers without doing things like entering test mode. Getting the EverDrive GB to work in anything is a pure pleasure by comparison. I note that FDSStick does not have a driver file to load, but there is always the concern.

[loopy]

As you noted, it doesn't require drivers so your point is somewhat lost on me. It identifies itself as a HID device, I did this specifically to avoid dealing with drivers.

[Great Hierophant]

As you noted, it doesn't require drivers so your point is somewhat lost on me. It identifies itself as a HID device, I did this specifically to avoid dealing with drivers.

Thank you for that explanation and for choosing the HID device instead of relying on device drivers. I don't think support for the HID specification is likely to disappear anytime soon.

Still loving the built-in menu by the way. I'm amazed it could be done with the original hardware.

[loopy]

Another update. Some minor bugfixes, and more flash types supported. Standard flash size has been changed to 128Mbit.