[Coco] SuperIDE backup/restore

Mon Jul 29 10:48:16 EDT 2013

it's not the sIDE. It's something about the CF cards.

On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 10:04 AM, Mark Marlette
<mmarlette at frontiernet.net>wrote:

> sIDE user's,
>
> I really don't know what to say here. Since 2004 when the device was
> released, I have found only one generic CF card, no name brand, that
> wouldn't work properly on the sIDE. This had to do with some internal
> caching of the data WRITTEN   to the CF. The cache had to be flushed
>
>  before powering down. READS were fine of course, so it was noted and not
> used.
>
> I did look at Ed's cards, he sent four in, one didn't have enough clusters
> so, the image wouldn't fit on it. All devices are not created equal. When I
> picked the top sector count, I analyzed all the 256MB CFs and picked a
> number down from the last sector so that I would run into this problem.
> This one of Ed's is really short clusters. So I didn't image that one.
>
> The rest I imaged and functioned no problem.
>
> Gustavo's example was flawed in his copying of the CF at the time. As
> IIRC, he just picked a sector to stop copying at. You have to do the math.
> He stopped copying too early. Not sure where his games where or if this was
> related or not. NOS starts at secotr 0 and works up. HDB-DOS starts at a
> sector I picked at the top and works it's way down. There is a partition in
> the middle that is unused.
>
>
> Since I was able to make image Ed's CF here and he can't. I would normally
> say then the sIDE is defective(only two ever and those where
> bumped/pulled/inserted with power applied, blew CPLD), BUT the image that I
> made works on his device. ????
>
>
> So that leads me then to the process/tool. Ed is using Winhex, just as I
> am. This is a power tool and has all kinds of options. Not sure if that is
> an issue as well.
>
> Don't have any free time to work on this to figure the cause...already
> taking vacation from dayjob to work on orders.
>
> I have no more CFs but the last 100 or so I bought from Ebay from a guy in
> Chicago. SanDisk. He sold single pieces as well. As my $16 charge is higher
> it does pay for imagining the CF and some limited support.
>
> Since NOS, SuperDriver and HDB-DOS are now free and were Boisy's products.
> I did the hardware design and production builds, it is REALLY hard to
> devote much time to this to figure this issue out.
>
> If you think your hardware is defective, please contact me via our support
> web page contact information and I'll setup a RMA and we can take a look at
> it. No charge but you will have to pay for the round trip
> postage....Gustavo's case....OUCH! :(
>
>
> Open to ideas, but I am out ATM.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>  From: Gustavo Ranaur Schoenaker <ranaur at ranaur.net>
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 10:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [Coco] SuperIDE backup/restore
>
>
> Ed,
>
> I'm having a very similar problem with my SuperIDE. I have the 256GB
> original Cloud 9 card, and I would like to backup it an work from a copy.
>
> Initially I used one of 4GB Transcend Card. I DD the content from the
> original Cloud-9 to it. I could boot it, but when I run som problems, the
> computer hangs.
>
> I tried both on a CoCo 2 and a CoCo 3 with the very same results. Original
> OK, copy bad.
>
> For example, everytime I ran Calixto Island, I got some vertical black bars
> on the credit screen (I sent the pictures from the list two weeks ago), and
> the games went crazy when I start.
>
> Then I bought a 512MB and a 256MB card. They're not easy to find theese
> days ...
>
> When I copied to the 512MB I got the very same vertical bars and those
> strange behaviour. With the 256MB card everything went fine. I`m using it!
>
> I tried everything (with some help from Retrocanada) to use the 4GB and the
> 512MB card with no luck. I also have a Powerpak, a 8 bit Nintendo cartridge
> that reads the ROM from a CF card. The 512MB card is not recognized on
> powerpak either.
>
> BTW, the card works perfectly on a Linux, a Mac or a windows machine.
>
> There is something very, very strange in the way CF cards works. Who is the
> culprit? The CF card's IDE emulation? Maybe ... but why does it works on
> Intel Systems? SuperIDE? Maybe but why it hasn't worked on Powerpak either?
> HDB-DOS way of accessing the information? Maybe ... but this doesn't makes
> sense, since it only uses sector count. Everything together? Maybe ...
> Ghosts from 80`s haunting your old CoCo? Maybe ...
>
> I just bought two more 256 CF cards. I'll post as soon as I have more
> information.
>
> Up to now the best way to backup your data is saving your data on a
> Drivewire disks using wired. But it takes time *and* patience.
>
> Keep us informed. I`ll keep you informed as soon as I have more info.
>
> Good luck!
>
> On Sun, Jul 28, 2013 at 6:04 PM, Ed Orbea <ed.orbea at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > List Members
> >
> > My goal is to be able to backup and restore my SuperIDE CF Card.I could
> > copy each HDB-DOS virtual drive to physical floppies (and then copy them
> to
> > DSK image files).
> >
> > I could use dsave and make copies of the contents of the various NitrOS-9
> > directories and sub directories to physical floppies (and then copy them
> to
> > DSK image files).
> >
> > But why do I need to do that?
> >
> > I "should" be able to use (via WinXP) the 'dd' utility from Cygwin or the
> > Win32DI application or WinHex (from X-Ways software) or Disk Imager (by
> > Roadkil.net) to extract an image of the entire CF drive and then restore
> it.
> >
> > In order to try to do this, I purchased several 256mg CF cards (which I
> > have referenced in previous posts).
> >
> > I successfully used the above listed utilities to extract an image from
> my
> > Cloud9 distribution card.
> >
> > I generated as MD5 hash for each image (after it was extracted from the
> CF
> > card) and all hash codes were identical.
> >
> > I tried several different CF card (that Mark was kind enough to test for
> > me, as I have been struggling with this for several weeks).
> >
> > The 'target' CF cards are all identical to the Cloud9 distribution CF
> card
> > according to that is shown via the IDEPROBE utility contained on the
> > Clloud9 distribution disk
> >
> >    Logical cylinders: 980
> >
> >    Logical heads: 16
> >
> >    Logical sectors: 32
> >
> >    Total sectors: 501760
> >
> >    LBA: Is Supported
> >
> >    PIO Timing: 2
> >
> > The only differences are the Serial Number (obviously this should be
> > different) and the # sectors per R/W multiple(Cloud9 distribution disk =
> 1,
> > the other CF cards = 4).
> >
> > So, I should be able to "extract" the image from the Cloud9 distribution
> > CF card and "restore" it to any of the 'matching' CF cards.
> >
> > The problem is that I can't. And let me explain further.
> >
> >    I can extract the image (without any failures or errors)
> >
> >    I can generate a MD5 has of the actual CF card and the extracted
> >    image, and they match. That tells me that I do not have to do a
> >    byte-by-byre comparison, as the image is an exact copy of the card.
> >
> >    I can then restore the image to one of the other CF cards without
> >    encountering an error or failure
> >
> >    I can then generate a MD5 hash of the new CF cards and that hash
> >    matches what has previously generated.
> >
> >    But when I put the new CF card into the SuperIDE device and power on
> >    the system (CoCo3), I see the Disk Basic banner, the HBD-DOS LBA
> >    banner, and then the system either: starts showing 'sparklies';
> >    starts showing random colors and letters; or just hangs.
> >
> >    The LED on the SuperIDE remains a solid color (no blinking).
> >
> > I have tried using only the SuperIDE cartridge (no MPI)
> >
> > I have tried various MPI configurations/combinations.
> >
> > Everything works correctly, when I am using the Cloud9 distribution card
> > and doesn't work when using the new CF card
> >
> > My CoCo system (as mentioned in previous posts) is:
> >
> >    CoCo3 (6809)
> >
> >    Cloud9 Triad memory upgrade
> >
> >    Roy's VGA converted
> >
> >    MPI with slot 4 (either Disto SCII FDCC with DW3 in Eprom OR TRS-80
> >    26-3129 'long' FDCC); Slot 3 Orch-90; Slot 2 Modified SSC; Slot 1
> >    SuperIDE.
> >
> > Your help is appreciated
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
>
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