Hi,

I was wondering if there was a possibility to include a Sunrise CF interface emulation in the main emulators. It could be interesting to format and access CF cards through a PC interface by the way of such an emulation.

I know I could use this in my current problem : I cannot run FDISK310, perhaps due to a FDD problem, so I cannot format my CF cards.

This can be especially useful for the owners of Sunrise CF that use it on a diskless MSX machine, which has no FDD at all.

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This can be especially useful for the owners of Sunrise CF that use it on a diskless MSX machine, which has no FDD at all.

YESSSSS!!!!! The main reason to buy a CF is a broken drive. It by far a better solution than replacing the drive........

But a windows tool that can format the card would be just as good to me.

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But a windows tool that can format the card would be just as good to me.

That's a good idea ...
Could be simpler than implementing a full CF interface emulation.

If you're running Linux, try this: insert the CF card and look what kind of device is being used for it. (e.g. /dev/sdc). Use this device as a hard disk image for openMSX's IDE emulation, using e.g. the -hda command line option, the hda console command or by adjusting the config file.

In theory, this should work. No guarantees, though.

If you partition the CF card in Windows, and put MSX-DOS2 and the fdisk program on it, there's also a chance that it will boot and run. Depends how badly Windows messes with it

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If you're running Linux

I'm not running Linux

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If you partition the CF card in Windows, and put MSX-DOS2 and the fdisk program on it, there's also a chance that it will boot and run. Depends how badly Windows messes with it

I already tried it ... Under Windows, I formatted a 32Mb CF card (no partition needed) and put COMMAND2 and MSXDOS2 files on it, from my HDD.

It does not work

Probably the boot sector being incompatible for booting on a msx. But if it's partioned, you might be able to format it on the msx itself, just make sure it doesn't boots and type _format.

The only time I inserted my MSX CF, formatted with 3 FAT-12 partitions, into a Window$ PC, Windows was so "nice" to automatically "upgrade" that CF to FAT-32, 1 partition. All data lost

Now, the FAT-12 formatted CF will never again leave that Sunrise CF interface anymore. The second CF is formatted FAT-16, which -- hopefully -- will be left alone and intact by any Windows that that CF might encounter...

AuroraMSX: As far as I know, the IDE interface BIOS supports different partition table formats. If you would pick a partition table format that Windows does not understand, maybe that would convince it to leave the partitions alone?

Metalion: If you can find a tool that can write a raw disk image to a CF card, you could use openMSX to prepare a harddisk image that matches the size of your CF card and transfer that to your real MSX.

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Metalion: If you can find a tool that can write a raw disk image to a CF card, you could use openMSX to prepare a harddisk image that matches the size of your CF card and transfer that to your real MSX.

I could do the same with BlueMSX ... I can create a HDD image (.DSK file) using the Sunrise IDE interface. The only problem is that the maximum size I can use on my 32Mb CF card is a 20Mb HDD image. Could it be written on the CF card ?

Actually, it brings us back to the start of this topic. If a Sunrise IDE/CF interface emulation was available, I could create a 32Mb CF card image in the same way.

Furthermore, I suppose that the emulation of a Sunrise IDE/CF must be really close to the existing Sunrise IDE emulation.

And where could I find a tool to write a raw image ?

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The only problem is that the maximum size I can use on my 32Mb CF card is a 20Mb HDD image. Could it be written on the CF card ?

Um, what do you mean? You can't create a 32MB hdd image? (I think you can, at least in openMSX, but I bet also in blueMSX....)

This way you can make it work, if you have CF interface for PC:

- Download Dubaron DiskImage
- Put your CF-card to PC reader
- Use Dubaron DiskImage to copy the empty CF to HDD image for BlueMSX or OpenMSX (This is to make sure you make correct size image)
- Partition the HDD image and copy the stuff you need on emulator
- Use Dubaron DiskImage to copy the HDD image back to CF card.

Tadaa...

NYYRIKKI:

you really tried this and it worked ?

Yes, this should work fine Thanks NYYRIKKI.

To be honest I have only used this program to copy my existing CF cards to emulators, but I have not restored data back to CF cards ever. How ever I don't see any reason why it should not work.