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X68000 FDX68 adapter

Dloop

Dloop

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So I got a hold of an FDX68 and wanted to use it with my X6800 if it ever gets fixed (been away for repair for months).

It seems there were two options for using it, the first being to unplug an original drive in order to connect it with an internal cable and the second one cutting a Floppy drive IDE cable and trying to hack it together with a DB37 connector.

I did not want to disconnect the internal drives, and I didn’t feel comfortable with hacking together such a cable so I tried to make an adapter board instead :)

BD849EAE-E731-420B-B049-1DFF7DFB3E13.jpeg



It will be fun to try once I get the boards, and I thought to check if anyone here would be interested in case it ends up working. In that case I could share the files :)
 
Gimons did create a lot of crazy "switch" boards for FDX68.
https://gimons.booth.pm/
https://twitter.com/kugimoto0715?lang=de

I did never understand why you would go through all this trouble;
2hdsim is so easy to use and sd2scsi is a must have!
But... i have one without any drives so this could be an option?

PS; Did you see this thing?
https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/p1033045389?conversionType=service_page_search <3

Whats the problem with your x68000? What model?
I may have some spare mainboards in the basement.
 
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Yeah, I much prefer SD2SCSI myself rather than messing with floppies. But there's a handful of games that only work from floppies because the copy protection hasn't been cracked on them. That's what I have a FDX68 around for.

@Uroko Sakanabito , I know you were addressing @Dloop , but I have a dead ACE motherboard so if you happen to have a working one in your pile of spares, let me know. :thumbsup:
 
But they should work fine with 2hdsim or not?
It uses the same XDF files like write back software and i guess also FDX68?
After Y2 got cracked, what game with copy protection worth playing is left?

Sorry, i think it should be two Expert boards if i remember correct :(
 
It's my understanding that Aquales won't work past the first stage without floppies, and Ys III Wanderers from Ys reaches a point halfway through the game where you're unable to proceed further because a door doesn't open unless you're playing it from floppies. 2hdsom doesn't work either as I understand it.

My X68000 has been in storage for a year, so I'm a year out of date though. Maybe those games work now.
 
Uroko Sakanabito said:
Gimons did create a lot of crazy "switch" boards for FDX68.
https://gimons.booth.pm/
https://twitter.com/kugimoto0715?lang=de

I did never understand why you would go through all this trouble;
2hdsim is so easy to use and sd2scsi is a must have!
But... i have one without any drives so this could be an option?

PS; Did you see this thing?
https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/p1033045389?conversionType=service_page_search <3

Whats the problem with your x68000? What model?
I may have some spare mainboards in the basement.
Click to expand...
I have the original model, so not any hard drive support. Otherwise sd2scsi would probably be my choice too.
What is that thing you are linking? Hehe.
I had a person help me order it, and when it arrived to me I tried to open it up to check it. It looked good there but I didn't succeed in taking it apart xD So I sent it to this person for checking up and possibly fixing and testing it. That was in September. He mentioned that there's a lot of leakage and it's taking a long time to fix. On the side with the mainobard (not psu side) I did not see any leakage though :x But I'm trusting him I guess.
 
ShootTheCore said:
Yeah, I much prefer SD2SCSI myself rather than messing with floppies. But there's a handful of games that only work from floppies because the copy protection hasn't been cracked on them. That's what I have a FDX68 for.
Click to expand...
I run into similar on apple IIgs, most stuff will run from the internal CF card I put in, but I have a floppyemu for the stuff that doesn't just work. It's slower but oh well.
 
Dloop said:
I have the original model, so not any hard drive support. Otherwise sd2scsi would probably be my choice too.
What is that thing you are linking? Hehe.
Click to expand...

You can use an SD2SCSI with a base model X68000.

1) Connect SD2SCSI to computer via SCSI cable, either internally or externally (externally is easier because it uses standard SCSI cables; internal connection requires a homemade cable).
2) Prepare a MicroSD card with a pre-made hard drive image. Install the card into the SD2SCSI.
3) Boot off a prepared Master Floppy that includes SASI-to-SCSI drivers for the early model SASI X68000s like yours.
4) Install the SASI-to-SCSI drivers.

And that’s it-your computer will then boot directly off the SD card going forward, and the majority of the X68000 games will be available to you on the hard drive image. Floppies will no longer be needed unless your CMOS battery goes dead, in which case you’ll have to reinstall the SCSI drivers.

Detailed instructions are available here:
https://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=x68000:installing_scsi2sd_on_x68000_externally

If you need a Master Floppy with the SCSI drivers for your computer, I can make one for you.
 
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ShootTheCore said:
You can use an SD2SCSI with a base model X68000.

1) Connect SD2SCSI to computer via SCSI cable, either internally or externally (externally is easier because it uses standard SCSI cables; internal connection requires a homemade cable).
2) Prepare a MicroSD card with a pre-made hard drive image. Install the card into the SD2SCSI.
3) Boot off a prepared Master Floppy that includes SASI-to-SCSI drivers for the early model SASI X68000s like yours.
4) Install the SASI-to-SCSI drivers.

And that’s it-your computer will then boot directly off the SD card going forward, and the majority of the X68000 games will be available to you on the hard drive image. Floppies will no longer be needed unless your CMOS battery goes dead, in which case you’ll have to reinstall the SCSI drivers.

Detailed instructions are available here:
https://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=x68000:installing_scsi2sd_on_x68000_externally

If you need a Master Floppy with the SCSI drivers for your computer, I can make one for you.
Click to expand...
The original model does not have SCSI but SASI, doesn't it, so you cannot connect it externally using a regular SCSI cable. And it does not have an internal port/cable that you can use, which is why many are trying to get the HD models to my understanding.

I have invested in the FDX68 already, seemed like an easier approach initially due to what I wrote above. So will try this route first at least :) Though I have no idea what image the FDX68 should run afterwards :D
 
Might look into that later if the FDX68 is too complicated :)
 
I´m a huge
DYLdI3mXkAATCvd?format=jpg&name=large.jpg
fan but i would always go for SD2SCSI on x68k when it comes to "easy" usage.
The NFG x68000 image is insane and very easy to use :)
 
I've helped a few folks get the SD2SCSI working on a base model X68000 - it works great if you follow the procedure I linked to above, and a standard Centronics SCSI cable will connect the SD2SCSI to the External SASI port on the back of the computer.

Easier and faster than messing with floppy disc emulators IMHO.
 
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