[Coco] SuperIDE backup/restore

Mon Jul 29 13:12:50 EDT 2013

On Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:48:16 -0400
"Luis Antoniosi (CoCoDemus)" <retrocanada76 at gmail.com> wrote:

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

	You mean the CF cards that he sent to Mark and they worked
properly for him???

> 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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> > > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > > http://five.pairlist.net/**mailman/listinfo/coco<
> > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco>
> > >
> >
> > --
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> >
> > --
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> >
> 
> 
> 

Christopher R. Hawks
HAWKSoft
-- 
"Something is about to happen.  Something peculiar is about to happen
any moment."
		-- "James and the Giant Peach"