VOGONS


Reply 20 of 48, by ragefury32

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I have a pair of SFRxxx-DU26 (a 720 and a 1M44 model) used for laptops with 26 Pin FFC cables...which for some reason was listed by KeirF as a model to avoid (considering how easy it was to get it working, I am not sure why either).

As long as you solder in an OLED display they seem to work just fine.

Reply 21 of 48, by Jo22

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Hi, not sure if this helpful, but here's my Gotek story.
Re: Gotek fails floppy drive test

I used a USB-TTL adapter cable and that old flashing software of the maker of the FPGA(?) that the Goteks use.

Of course, many new Flash Floppy versions were released in the meantime.
The problems I mentioned should nolonger occur.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

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Reply 22 of 48, by ragefury32

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Jo22 wrote on 2021-02-15, 20:01:
Hi, not sure if this helpful, but here's my Gotek story. Re: Gotek fails floppy drive test […]
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Hi, not sure if this helpful, but here's my Gotek story.
Re: Gotek fails floppy drive test

I used a USB-TTL adapter cable and that old flashing software of the maker of the FPGA(?) that the Goteks use.

Of course, many new Flash Floppy versions were released in the meantime.
The problems I mentioned should nolonger occur.

Microcontroller. The Goteks are specifically based on a STMicro STM32F105. Flashfloppy development moves pretty fast - the last version as of Feb 2021 should be v3.22.

Last edited by ragefury32 on 2021-02-17, 05:17. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 23 of 48, by marxveix

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ajacocks wrote on 2021-02-15, 02:35:

Yep, it appears to, as of version 0.9.23a:

https://github.com/keirf/FlashFloppy/blob/mas … r/RELEASE_NOTES

- Alex

Thank you, one day i try to flash my Gotek with FlashFloppy then.

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Reply 24 of 48, by monsterbash

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I read that, once you flash your gotek (no matter if with FlashFloppy, HxC, etc), you won't be able to return to original gotek firmware....
Isn't it possible to read the gotek firmware before flashing it ???
I use Linux and, both software used to flash gotek have option to read from flash.... anyone ever tried that as a method to "backing up" the original gotek firmware ???
By the way, the aplications are:

"dfu-util" and "stm32flash".

I'm willing to try those "read options" when my gotek arrives......

Reply 25 of 48, by ragefury32

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monsterbash wrote on 2021-02-16, 19:20:
I read that, once you flash your gotek (no matter if with FlashFloppy, HxC, etc), you won't be able to return to original gotek […]
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I read that, once you flash your gotek (no matter if with FlashFloppy, HxC, etc), you won't be able to return to original gotek firmware....
Isn't it possible to read the gotek firmware before flashing it ???
I use Linux and, both software used to flash gotek have option to read from flash.... anyone ever tried that as a method to "backing up" the original gotek firmware ???
By the way, the aplications are:

"dfu-util" and "stm32flash".

I'm willing to try those "read options" when my gotek arrives......

No, the STMicro STM32F10x series of devices zeros out the storage when you unlock/unprotect the flash for access - it's a built-in design feature, and that's true regardless of using the STM32 flashing suite in Windows or dfu-util in Linux/MacOS. That's why no one is able to go back to the original Gotek firmware - No one was able to save a copy in the first place.

Last edited by ragefury32 on 2021-02-20, 05:21. Edited 2 times in total.

Reply 26 of 48, by Sphere478

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ragefury32 wrote on 2021-02-17, 02:29:
monsterbash wrote on 2021-02-16, 19:20:
I read that, once you flash your gotek (no matter if with FlashFloppy, HxC, etc), you won't be able to return to original gotek […]
Show full quote

I read that, once you flash your gotek (no matter if with FlashFloppy, HxC, etc), you won't be able to return to original gotek firmware....
Isn't it possible to read the gotek firmware before flashing it ???
I use Linux and, both software used to flash gotek have option to read from flash.... anyone ever tried that as a method to "backing up" the original gotek firmware ???
By the way, the aplications are:

"dfu-util" and "stm32flash".

I'm willing to try those "read options" when my gotek arrives......

No, the STMicro STM10x series of devices zeros out the storage when you unlock/unprotect the flash for access - it's a built-in design feature, and that's true regardless of using the STM32 flashing suite in Windows or dfu-util in Linux/MacOS. That's why no one is able to go back to the original Gotek firmware.

no way to use a chip programmer to read it?

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Reply 28 of 48, by ragefury32

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Sphere478 wrote on 2021-02-17, 04:30:
ragefury32 wrote on 2021-02-17, 02:29:
monsterbash wrote on 2021-02-16, 19:20:
I read that, once you flash your gotek (no matter if with FlashFloppy, HxC, etc), you won't be able to return to original gotek […]
Show full quote

I read that, once you flash your gotek (no matter if with FlashFloppy, HxC, etc), you won't be able to return to original gotek firmware....
Isn't it possible to read the gotek firmware before flashing it ???
I use Linux and, both software used to flash gotek have option to read from flash.... anyone ever tried that as a method to "backing up" the original gotek firmware ???
By the way, the aplications are:

"dfu-util" and "stm32flash".

I'm willing to try those "read options" when my gotek arrives......

No, the STMicro STM32F10x series of devices zeros out the storage when you unlock/unprotect the flash for access - it's a built-in design feature, and that's true regardless of using the STM32 flashing suite in Windows or dfu-util in Linux/MacOS. That's why no one is able to go back to the original Gotek firmware.

no way to use a chip programmer to read it?

No - the read protection is built into the microcontroller itself - putting it into a chip programmer will do nothing that you otherwise could already do by hooking various leads and test points on the board.

Reply 29 of 48, by ragefury32

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PTherapist wrote on 2021-02-17, 05:11:

Not sure why anybody would deliberately want to either backup or restore the original firmware, as it really is garbage.

It is - the ridiculous (and kinda laughable) requirement to divvy your flash drive to hundreds of 1.44MB partitions makes it downright comical to use.

That being said, I killed my UFA1M44-100 (the USB version of the Gotek) by triggering the unlock, and KeirF (the author of flashfloppy)didn’t even want to touch it (that is a dual controller board - one for handling floppy emulation and the other used for handling USB mass storage, communicating to each other via I2C or SPI). I also can’t find original Gotek firmware so I can at least unbrick it. He has a point though not supporting it with flashfloppy....no idea how a 1.72MB XDF formatted USB floppy setup might fare on, say, an oldschool Toshiba laptop with USB floppy drive support.

Reply 30 of 48, by monsterbash

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ragefury32 wrote on 2021-02-17, 05:27:

That being said, I killed my UFA1M44-100 (the USB version of the Gotek) by triggering the unlock, and KeirF (the author of flashfloppy)didn’t even want to touch it (that is a dual controller board - one for handling floppy emulation and the other used for handling USB mass storage, communicating to each other via I2C or SPI). I also can’t find original Gotek firmware so I can at least unbrick it. He has a point though not supporting it with flashfloppy....no idea how a 1.72MB XDF formatted USB floppy setup might fare on, say, an oldschool Toshiba laptop with USB floppy drive support.

What's the difference between UFA1M44-100 and SFR1M44-U100K ?? By the pics on AliExpress I saw no difference !!!

Cheers !!!

Reply 31 of 48, by ragefury32

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monsterbash wrote on 2021-02-25, 14:14:
ragefury32 wrote on 2021-02-17, 05:27:

That being said, I killed my UFA1M44-100 (the USB version of the Gotek) by triggering the unlock, and KeirF (the author of flashfloppy)didn’t even want to touch it (that is a dual controller board - one for handling floppy emulation and the other used for handling USB mass storage, communicating to each other via I2C or SPI). I also can’t find original Gotek firmware so I can at least unbrick it. He has a point though not supporting it with flashfloppy....no idea how a 1.72MB XDF formatted USB floppy setup might fare on, say, an oldschool Toshiba laptop with USB floppy drive support.

What's the difference between UFA1M44-100 and SFR1M44-U100K ?? By the pics on AliExpress I saw no difference !!!

Cheers !!!

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It does? How is that possible?! AliExpress vendor pics are infallible. INFALLIBLE. It’s not like their vendors have a known history of plagiarizing from each other and talking out of their asses...

Reply 32 of 48, by monsterbash

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My GOTEK just arrived !!!
Here what I've done so far:

1) solder pinheaders for the "programing section" and for the "select" button;
2) jump wire pins for programming the unit using USB-A to USB-A cable;
3) plug the unit on computer using USB-A cable and <lsusb> command to see how Linux detects the unit;
4) command line <dfu-util> to unprotect the STM32;;
5) command line <dfu-util> to flash the unit with FlashFloppy;
6) power up the unit to see if everything ok - seems to be OK !!!

Now, I'm trying to identify the pinnouts from a rotary encoder pulled out from an old kenwood car audio...... 5 pins, but do not seems to be standard pinnouts...

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Last edited by monsterbash on 2021-02-28, 20:13. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 34 of 48, by monsterbash

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Hi all !!!

Since i'll be using the gotek with a roland synth (XP-60), it seems that the best option is to use the "native mode" from falshfloppy, witch is basically using "floppy image files"
So, I'll have to deal with:

1) "reading" files from floppy TO the synth.
in this case, I'll have to "create floppy images" with the files I want to "send" to the synth.

2) "writing" files from the synth to the floppy
here, it seems that I just have to make an "empty" 1.44 floppy image and "open" it in the synth....

What would be the best option for dealing with floppy images (create blank images and create images with files) ???
I use Linux, by the way...
So far I'm using: dd / mkfs.msdos / mcopy / mdir

Thanks in advance !!!

Reply 35 of 48, by Surrat

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I recently purchased 3 of the new goteks, the ones with the larger screen, built in knob, and newer microcontroller.
The ebay seller sells them flashed to FlashFloppy 3.28 in beige, yellowed, and grey.
These are for use in my retro PC's.

When I hooked it up and turned it on, I pressed 2 buttons together, thinking it was to format the new 8GB usb stick.
What happened was the text flipped upside down, and now I get error 34.
I have been using pc's since the 80's, but this thing is frustrating due to my lack of knowledge.

Everywhere I look it says I need to use .img files, but nobody says how to create them.
I installed an old version of WinImage on a win2000 rig, and it creates .imz or .ima files.

The screen text is still upside down even after a power off, and I'm not sure what to do.
Some places say to use the 1.40 floppy manager, but when I used that to make 10 test floppies on the usb stick to try, it just says error 34.
Can somebody point me to a super dummy set of instructions to get this thing going?
Other than formatting the new 8gb usb to fat32, is there a step by step manual anywhere?
How do I create new .img files to put on the usb stick so they show up correctly.
And most of all, how the heck do I turn the screen text back to right side up?

Sorry for the rant, I really want this thing to work, and dont know how, its soo frustrating.

EDIT:

After finding this page:
https://github-wiki-see.page/m/keirf/FlashFlo … on-File#options

I added in the line:
display-type = oled-128x64-rotate

This flipped the screen!
I went back to WinImage, and noticed that the .imz I made was compressed, so I made an uncompressed .ima file, and it at least shows up on the screen now.
When I click the floppy drive in Win2k, it says to insert a disk, so still not working yet.

EDIT:
Fixed, the drive was defaulting to shugart, and not ibmpc.
The Gotek is working fully now.

Reply 36 of 48, by marxveix

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I flashed gotek finally with latest FlashFlpoppy, but it does not work with my Socket7 machine.F-F it says and i can select boot also from the buttons, but no boot from boot.img, i probably try it with other pc motherboard that has fdd connector.

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Reply 37 of 48, by Sphere478

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marxveix wrote on 2022-05-16, 17:42:

I flashed gotek finally with latest FlashFlpoppy, but it does not work with my Socket7 machine.F-F it says and i can select boot also from the buttons, but no boot from boot.img, i probably try it with other pc motherboard that has fdd connector.

you have to jump one of the jumpers. I forget which one. Drive ready or drive active or something rather.

Sphere's PCB projects.
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Sphere’s socket 5/7 cpu collection.
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SUCCESSFUL K6-2+ to K6-3+ Full Cache Enable Mod
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Tyan S1564S to S1564D single to dual processor conversion (also s1563 and s1562)

Reply 38 of 48, by eightbit

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marxveix wrote on 2022-05-16, 17:42:

I flashed gotek finally with latest FlashFlpoppy, but it does not work with my Socket7 machine.F-F it says and i can select boot also from the buttons, but no boot from boot.img, i probably try it with other pc motherboard that has fdd connector.

Well, the first thing is that you do not name the floppy image "boot.img". It needs to be named DSKA0001.img (and DSKA0002, etc).

The FF.CFG has to be present on the USB for the latest Gotek models that do not have the JC jumper as well, and there's a portion in that config file where you have to specify this is for "ibmpc".

And, S1 needs to be jumpered.

You should read the wiki for FlashFloppy....it explains it all.

Reply 39 of 48, by Solo761

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eightbit wrote on 2022-05-17, 02:14:

The FF.CFG has to be present on the USB for the latest Gotek models that do not have the JC jumper as well, and there's a portion in that config file where you have to specify this is for "ibmpc".

But only once, if it remains it will reflash configuration each time it powers on. Just to mention this to be sure 😀.