Re: A new pseudo-disk for Apple 2.

["Bryan Parkoff" <nospam@nospam.com>]

"Alex Freed" <alexf@mirrow.com> wrote in message 
fc-dnXO3i4lkySLZnZ2dnUVZ_sqdnZ2d@comcast.com">news:fc-dnXO3i4lkySLZnZ2dnUVZ_sqdnZ2d@comcast.com...
>I have finished a prototype of a new mass storage device for Apple 2 that
> uses MultyMedia Cards.
> So what, you'll ask. There is already a CF interface.
>
> Yes and no. My toy has a small AVR microcontroller on board and 2 modes of
> operation.
> The trivial mode simply interfaces the MMC to Apple as yet another ProDOS
> storage device.
> The fun starts with the "smart" operating mode. The device looks to Apple 
> as
> a Disk ][ controller.
> So Apple happily reads nibble images as if they were real 5 1/4" floppies.
> This allows using
> images of DOS 3.3 disks or any other .nib images. For example a couple of
> games that do not
> use DOS work fine.
>
> The software is not quite finished: I need to add an application that will
> run on Apple
> and select one of many .nib images to use. My prototype just uses a single
> image, but that is
> not very difficult.
>
> The firmware can use a lot of improvements too. Currently I feed Apple a 
> new
> byte every time
> it asks for one instead of changing it every 32 msec. Seems to work for
> quite a few images, but
> won't work with many protection schemes.
>
> The big question is is there any interest in this device? If there is, I 
> can
> make a small production
> run and offer for say $100. If not, I'll be the only owner of the only
> prototype.
>
> The board has an AVR micro and a CPLD for fast interfacing. Originaly I
> though that an AVR
> running at 16 MHz is fast enough to do everything in software, but it is
> not. In addition the
> CPLD acts as a perfect 5v to 3.3v converter - MMC uses 3.3 V. I can add an
> EPROM
> to make this card bootable. Currently I boot from a real disk and DOS can
> see the other
> "disk" in another slot.
>
> The MMC card can have up to 4 partitions. Some partitions up to 32 MB can 
> be
> seen
> as ProDOS volumes and one can have any number of .NIB images.
> Future driver will be able to see 2 images at once as drives 1 and 2.
>
>
> -- 
> -Alex.
>
>

    I wonder -- do you think that some folks are willing to spend their time 
by converting all games from DOS 3.3 to ProDOS and eliminate copy-protection 
scheme.  It is like Sierra games such as King's Quest.  It is too much work 
to do by decompiling 6502 assembly code.  Modifying and updating it to work 
with ProDOS.  Is it worth?

Bryan Parkoff