I'm really impressed with EP.COM, it's by far the best disk image emulator arround for MSX. I haven't found yet any game do not load with it. However, I have a problem with multidisk games, as I don't know how to switch disks. For the time being, I have CONCATed multidisk games in one file, as I used to do with START.COM or RUNIT. How can I switch disks? (I'm using the EP.COM with the OneChipMSX)

About RUNIT.COM, I think that I don't have the lastest version on my turboR, and Neardark site seems to be down. Is not this program mirrored or available to download somewhere else?

With FDE.COM (also for the turboR) I have the same problem that with EP.COM, no documentation at all. Is there some site where I can find it?

I seem to recall that disk were switched by numeric keypad. But that's dug up from the unreliable part of my memory.

afaik EP works with separate disk images

eg

EP IMAGE1.DSK IMAGE2.DSK IMAGE3.DSK /B /R

after which you can switch disks using the numeric keypad. Been a while since I used it though, so...

Thanks for the hints! So I have now separated disk images, but I'm still unable to change disk. I have translated from japanese (Google Transaltor) this part of the EP documentation:

Quote:

“0: As for YS2-PROG.FD0”, showing the thing where YS2-PROG corresponds [to 0] of the ten-keys, 　“1: YS2-DATA.FD1” has shown the fact that it corresponds [to 1] of the ten-keys in the same way. 　“Illegal FAT chain!”When with it is indicated, please redo from FDSAVE. 　If it goes well, reset catches, the game starts. 　When [the SET DATA DISK AND HIT RETURN KEY] it is indicated in after the opening, 　[KANA] While pushing the key, [RETURN] you push the key. 　[CAPS] When after the blinking of the lamp [1] of the ten-keys is pushed, the disk is exchanged. 　When the user disk (the floppy disk) we would like to use, in disk drive 　The user disk is inserted and the load of the user disk is chosen. 　When [the SET USER DISK AND HIT RETURN KEY] it is indicated, [KANA] the key pushing 　And others [RETURN] the key is pushed. 　[CAPS] When after the blinking of the lamp [2] of the ten-keys is pushed, floppy disk drive 　It changes. 　[2] not to be if also the [te], among the ten-keys, [0] [1] other than it does not care with any key)

It's not very clear yet. The main problem is that I don't know what could be the KANA key in the PS/2 keyboard that I have connected to the OCM (dip switch in international mode).

on BlueMSX emulator the kana key is Alt Gr : try it

No luck

maybe this'll help you to use ep.com:

ep filename.ext /b/d/r

/b and /d options make sure you the diskimages can be accessed as though they are regular disks. The /r option resets your computer automatically. Most of the time when playing a game like for instance YS2 you use all the options. Ep allows wildcards so this means for karloch's example:

ep ys2*.fd? /b/d/r will result in a reset and boot of all files starting with ys2 and extentions starting with fd

ep will load the files in the same order as they are found on the harddrive. So reorder your filestructure for convenience's sake if you didn't make diskimages in a logical order. in that case use a program like dirsort or something else. You can also boot another diskimage in the set rather than the first diskimage by holding down the KANA button during booting. Hold it down until the CAPS LED flashes (don't know how that looks on an emulator). Now press the number of the diskimage you want to load from on the numeric keys. The first diskimage = 0, the second = 1, and so on. The number of diskimages you can select depends on the number of files you 'loaded' with the ep.com command. At most you can access 10 different files in this way.

If you select a higher number than the number of files you 'loaded' with ep.com you will access the diskdrive.

You can only change diskimages when the game loads/saves or is going to load/save. This means for karloch's example:

- you load ys2 with program disk assigned to numeric key 0, datadisk assigned to numeric key 1 and userdisk assigned to numeric key 2
- you start the ys2 program disk and watch the demo
- after the demo the game tells you to set datadisk and press return
- now hold KANA key and press return
- the caps led will start flashing
- the datadisk is assigned to numeric key 1 so press that key
- the caps led stops flashing and the game continues loading from the datadisk diskimage

The diskimages you loaded with ep.com remain in memory even after reseting or powering off your MSX. To return to basic/ DOS reset the computer and press GRPH + INS until the computer boots.

maybe this helps...

What a complete explanation! Thank you so much Randam. Now I just have to figure out what is the KANA key on the PS/2 keyboard of the One Chip MSX (not an emulator )

Can't help you there: still don't have a OCM unfortunately...

What does EP need to run? turboR with MEGA-SCSI?

As far as I know:

• EP: Needs MegaSCSI
• START/RUNIT: Works with every configuration
• HDDEMU: Needs turboR
• FDE: Needs turboR

EP only requires MegaSCSI not turboR (as OCM is actually MSX2). As I have seen, EP is far superior to the other emulators.

Ah just a question, why EP is a MegaSCSI only program? Wouldn't be possible to write an equivalent for Sunrise IDE interfaces? Does it uses some special hardware feature of the MegaSCSI?

with EP you simulate a "real" FDD 720k not only start a file
then you reset the MSX the drive boot as if the floppy is inside
for "eject" floppy push GRAPH + INS then boot
info of EP are in the Mega-ssci Sram

Ep is in most cases superior to other programs but the program fdsave with which you can create diskimages isn't always better...

Fdsave sometimes has trouble with creating diskimages from singlesided disks. Also disks with a 'strange' FAT or protection are most of the time a hassle to make a diskimage of. Diskimages created on a pc, whether it is a .dsk, .720, .img or another on the whole will work with ep if it works on an emulator.

Want to make the diskimage on your msx? Then sometimes it can be a sollution to use HDDEmu. In creating images hddemu can create some, which wouldn't work when created with fdsave. Strangely enough hddemu isn't always able to load the diskimage it has created. In that case you can try to start the diskimages with EP. The .HED file hddemu also creates (probably some header file) you don't need when you want to load it with EP. So in the end it's just a case of mixing an matching the program to your needs.

@karloch: Ep is somehow related to another program called CP. With cp you can change partitions on a megascsi. If you want to access the files on a diskimage like on a regular disk without booting it you have to take the following procedure:

- let's say you're on drive C
- ep filename.ext /d
- cp c:@0 (where 0 equals the number of the file you loaded with ep; so if you loaded more than one you can select the specific one you want)
- now you can acces the files on the 'disk' on your HDD or CD-rom, or whatever

to return to the regular partition you were working on
- CP C:0 /I
- this returns you to partition 0 of drive C (don't forget the /i option!)

This for me stands to reason that EP has something to do with the way MEGASCSI partitions a harddrive. So that might be the case, but i'm no programmer...