[Coco] Just another peek...

[S Klammer]

I would agree with you Mark.  It is my understanding that most flash memory
has a finite number of writes... wouldn't this low level partioning/sector
be detrimental and bypass and internal safeguards of the memory device?

If I was doing this, and I'm not technically able to, I'd look at using
something which would emulate FD/HDD access to a file (DSK, VHD) on the
memory device... aka the CocoSDC.  This would permit ease of backup,
maintenance of those (multiple) images on a non-Coco device, without the
need for 'extra' drivers.  Darren's additions to DEB allow DEB to
view/change which image is applied to which floppy drive being emulated...
nothing else is changed from the Coco's viewpoint.

(I'm not saying to stop what work is being done with the CocoFPGA, just
that I might consider a different course)

Shain
On Oct 9, 2015 8:39 PM, "Mark McDougall" <msmcdoug at iinet.net.au> wrote:

> On 10/10/2015 7:32 AM, Dave Philipsen wrote:
>
> My guess is that we'll have the DE1 booting from the SD card in fairly
>> short order but it could be some months as I have not found any other
>> volunteers as of yet to help on the coding and my time is a little
>> stretched right now.
>>
>
> My $0.02 worth...
>
> You're really going about this ass-backwards and creating more mess and
> confusion along the way. We don't NEED more media support in software, it's
> only going to muddy the already muddy waters.
>
> You should be looking at making the FPGA do the heavy lifting via hardware
> emulation. My Coco 1/2 implements the 'standard' Cloud9 IDE interface via
> the opencores OCIDE controller core. That interfaces directly to a CF card,
> for example. I've got read support working on the SD card - not via any
> convoluted driver quasi hardware setup - but via a back-end interface that
> make the SD card look/act like disk media on the back end of an IDE
> controller. Not 1 byte of additional software/ROM required.
>
> The coco is already confusing with FD-50X, Super/GlensideIDE, Drivewire
> and CocoSDC hardware. Add DECB, (Nitr)OS9, HDBOS and Drivewire software,
> and it's becoming unmanageable. Now you want to add SD card support in
> software as well, across DECB and NitrOS9? That's just nuts!
>
> Regards,
>
> --
> |              Mark McDougall              | "Electrical Engineers do it
> |  <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug> |   with less resistance!"
>
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