Got HDX? If so, no FDC required... No kidding!

[Omega-TI]

Did you know you no longer need a floppy drive controller to load and run programs on a TI if you have an HDX board? Not only that, if you pull the card and run without it, you'll get back an additional 2,088 KB of stack memory to use! (You programmer's and cassette guys should love that.)

 

The attached modified DSR's for the HSX modification is as follows:

 

The first zip file tiled HSX-DSK1 is sort of a "Catch-22", you'll need the FDC to load the DISKLESS version into the HDX. (This program would be REAL NICE on a GUIDRY BOARD) <-- HINT HINT

NOTE: You'll have to remove the card for this modification to work.

 

The second zip file titled HDX-DSK4 will give you a functional "DSK4." on the TI. It's just like HDX1, but is a way around some programs that will not accept HDX as a string. Please note, some programs still will not work.

 

BOTH VERSIONS STILL SUPPORT HDX1 and will not interfere with normal operations.

 

This is how much memory you have on an unexpanded TI (console only)

 

This is WITH the TI-FDC, notice how much memory is available...

 

 

This last photo is WITH the HDX, but WITHOUT the TI-FDC... more memory.

 

Gallery of all images for the HDX experiment - << HERE >>

HDX-DSK1.zip

HDX-DSK4.zip

[Omega-TI]

I guess nobody found this interesting...

I thought it was kind of neat, especially if you wanted to copy larger games from cassette to disk format, had a failing disk drive, or just wanted to experiment. At least you know it can be done if needed.

[RobertLM78]

The extra stack is pretty neat .

[Tursi]

People got pretty upset with the extra stack space in Classic99 - such that even though it's never used, Classic99 still reserves it. It causes problems for other people to load things created on a console with the extra space if you use it all (in XB, anyway).

[Omega-TI]

People got pretty upset with the extra stack space in Classic99 - such that even though it's never used, Classic99 still reserves it. It causes problems for other people to load things created on a console with the extra space if you use it all (in XB, anyway).

 

Yeah, I can see how that might be an issue.

[TI-Sissy]

why not just get a nano?

[+OLD CS1]

why not just get a nano?

 

A system with a loaded PEB cannot use a nano/CF7, and vice-versa. In particular, if you have a Geneve you are unable to use a nano/CF7. I have a system with a PEB and a system with a CF7. I use the latter for portability and the former for a stationary setup. I like the idea of having my PEB system with some kind of mass storage over the 130MB hard drive and floppy for moving stuff from the Real World into my TI world more easily. Once Matt makes a few more F18As I will most likely upgrade my PEB system.

 

I would like to have a single computer, even if its a virtual machine, running servers for my TI, Commodore, and Atari, which would give me a place to store disk images rather than disks without funky SD or CF hardware, especially now that CF cards are becoming less available in the low-end consumer space. But that is just me as not everyone wants to set up a server for their classic computers.

 

Meh. Six-and-one-half-dozen-or-the-other, whatever floats your boat, etc.

[Omega-TI]

why not just get a nano?

 

I think I know what you mean, A P-Box without drives *is* a little bit like a Nano-PEB... just bigger. Is that what you mean? I've read that you would like to get one yourself someday, when and if you do, you'll love it!

 

I originally chose to go with a Nano, but my luck was not the greatest with it. I was 'forced' into getting a real P-Box, and I'm glad I was. Besides all the reasons OLD CS1 listed below, there are some VERY good reasons to go with a P-Box. One of the biggest is that you are not just limited to either one serial or one parallel port. The RS-232 will give you two serial and one parallel port, and if you choose you could even run two cards for a total of 4 serial and two parallel. I'm not sure who has a need two RS-232 cards these day, but at least you do have that option.

 

Options for expansion with a P-Box are greater as well, not to mention EVERYTHING seems to run on the P-Box as well. I had some programs that simply would not run on the Nano.

 

 

A system with a loaded PEB cannot use a nano/CF7, and vice-versa. In particular, if you have a Geneve you are unable to use a nano/CF7. I have a system with a PEB and a system with a CF7. I use the latter for portability and the former for a stationary setup. I like the idea of having my PEB system with some kind of mass storage over the 130MB hard drive and floppy for moving stuff from the Real World into my TI world more easily. Once Matt makes a few more F18As I will most likely upgrade my PEB system.

 

I would like to have a single computer, even if its a virtual machine, running servers for my TI, Commodore, and Atari, which would give me a place to store disk images rather than disks without funky SD or CF hardware, especially now that CF cards are becoming less available in the low-end consumer space. But that is just me as not everyone wants to set up a server for their classic computers.

 

Meh. Six-and-one-half-dozen-or-the-other, whatever floats your boat, etc.

 

True, it is six-and-one-half-dozen-of-the-other. I will tell you this much, I do NOT miss swapping CF cards! Having everything in a virtual HD via the HDX modification is pure luxury.