Re: Pseudo-disk *almost* ready for the big time.

["PZ" <skierpaul@yahoo.com>]

Hi Alex, I'm interested, however I have a few questions.

Is it possible to copy disk images directly to the Pseudo-disk directly
from an Apple?  For example, I have a very large archive of SHK disks,
can I simply unshrink a disk to a particular volume on the Pseudo-disk
and then boot from it?

How do multi-sided games work?  At some point a program will say
"insert side 2" - is there a way to read the keyboard for an obscure
key combination (to enter a menu) in-order to "swap" disks or will this
interfere with a "press any key" scenareo?

- Paul

Alex Freed wrote:
> "Later Days Apples Pseudo-disk" proudly presented by (previously unheared
> of) Bronze Age Computing.
>
>
> A while ago I wrote about my experimental MMC/SD interface that could look
> to Apple 2 either as a ProDOS
> storage device or as a DISK ][.
>
> Took a while to iron out some glitches. Not sure all of them are gone, but I
> feel the device is stable enough to
> be presented to the world.
>
> See http://mirrow.com/FPGApple/pseudodisk.html for details. Yes, the page is
> rather primitive.
> I swear my Verilog is better than my HTML :)
>
> In a nutshell the board can act as a ProDOS disk or a DOS 3.3 disk. Or DOS
> 3.2 if you load such a nibble image.
> I didn't run too many tests, but all the .nib files I tried seem to work.
>
> Of course it works much faster in ProDOS mode. Takes about 2 seconds from
> cold start to a BASIC program loaded
> under ProDOS. By contrast the DOS 3.3 image takes 9 seconds to load DOS and
> Integer BASIC from a .nib image.
>
> It can be made a bit faster with some modifications to the firmware (Atmel
> AVR program written in "C").
>
> Of the 3 chips on the board (not counting the 3.3V regulator) all 3 are
> programmable: the CPLD, the 6502 driver and the
> AVR code.
>
> Last time a few people expressed interrest in the design. Now is the time to
> decide if pseudo-disk is to become a product.
> I made 6 prototype boards. I'm keeping 3 for my 3 Apples: (2+, 2e and GS).
> The other 3 are available.
> If they are claimed and there are at least a few more pre-orders I'll make a
> small "production" run. The 3 current boards do not have a solder mask, but
> they have extra prototyping space for mods.
> Imagine what they will be worth on ebay in 30 years :))
>
> The MSRP is $100 per board. Another $15 buys you (at cost) an SD card with a
> few pre-loaded images.
> 
> 
> -- 
> -Alex.