Re: Remote Virtual Disk Drive Emulator

[eric@rothfus.com (Eric J. Rothfus)]

This is what the SVD was meant to do (www.theSVD.com).

The SVD is a little device that uses a serial-port connection
to your PC to download diskette images which are served-up to
your vintage machine just as if the image was a real diskette
in a real drive.  The box isn't too complicated, a slow PIC,
some memory, and "glue" logic to match the floppy signals
necessary in the old machines.

I originally built it for the TRS-80 line, then expanded it
support Heathkit, and now (drum roll please Vince) the
Apple ][!

The "dongle" that Vince was refering to is a little device
that "matches" the signals from the Disk ][ controller to
those made popular by the Western Digital 17xx floppy
controller chips.  In fact, this dongle would allow you to
connect one of the old TRS-80/PC style 5 1/4 drives to your
Apple - though why you'd do that is beyond me. :-)

The hardware is done and works.  I've played Lode Runner
for the first time on my 2+.  Alien Rain is pretty cool
too.  Yes, I mostly play with the old games.

The software has a bit left to go.  It supports .DO,
.PO, and .NIB images - though any conversion back and
forth should be done with Cider Press.  The NIB support
seems to be good enough to handle copy protected disks
like Alien Rain.  It also allows booting of DOS 3.2
disks too.  DOS 3.3 images have expanded support, allowing
you to download single program files instead of an entire
disk at a time - just another short cut that you can also
do with Cider Press.

All I have to do is to find time to finish things!  And
Vince, your dongle will be in the mail in a week or so.

Eric