FDSemu - New FDS drive emulator, with menu and large flash

Started by jamesholodnak, January 04, 2016, 03:43:29 pm

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jamesholodnak

I have been working on something to emulate the famicom disk system, I called it FDSemu. 

During developement I was trying to address the shortcomings of the fdsstick.  Larger flash, nice menu.

I have made them and have them for sale on my website.  http://fdsemu.com

Currently they have these features:

  • Storage of 256 disk sides.

  • Nifty menu on boot for disk selection.

  • Disk reading/writing (with special cable).

  • USB connectivity for flash manipulation and disk reading/writing.

  • Firmware is user upgradable.

  • SRAM for holding current disk to ensure disk writes are successful. As flash chips age thier write times increase, so this feature will ensure FDSemu works correctly as it gets older.



The key feature here is the SRAM chip.  This ensures that as the fdsemu ages, it will always be able to handle writes properly.  Instead of writing to the flash as data is received from the ram adaptor, it stores it in this SRAM chip first.  When the write is complete it then stores it into the flash memory.

As flash memory ages, its write speed slows down, which could cause some issues in the future (writes not being committed to flash properly).  This SRAM chip handles all that.

It is still constantly being updated, I am waiting on my Venus Game Converter to come in the mail so I can then add support for this copiers disk format.

I am looking for a MagiCard copier, I hear they use a different format for the games.  If someone would like to part with one, I promise to give it a nice home.   :)

Thanks,

James



YoshiFan501


zmaster18

How can you use this to write games onto FDS disks? Do you sell the connector cable?

YoshiFan501

Quote from: zmaster18 on January 04, 2016, 08:21:18 pm
How can you use this to write games onto FDS disks? Do you sell the connector cable?


i hope someone sells drive cables!

jamesholodnak

Everything is open source, even the firmware.

The SRAM is the major player here, ensuring no matter how many times the flash chip gets written to, it will always succeed.

During development I did the maths and sooner or later the flash chip would not be able to keep up with the data coming out of the ram adaptor, and writes would begin to fail sometime down the road.  The SRAM buffers the entire disk, then writes the changed data to the flash after the transfer is over.

chowder


jamesholodnak

I had developed it when fdsstick had its small 8 disk side limit and no menu.  Since then he has updated his device to match this one.

Now, the advantages are:


  • Open source firmware

  • The SRAM chip to deal with aging of the flash chip

  • Faster microcontroller clock speed (72mhz fdsemu vs. 48mhz fdsstick) for any future enhancements

  • Excellent support, just email me I'll be happy to work with you

  • Planned future enhancements, that are secret until they are ready :)


YoshiFan501

Quote from: jamesholodnak on January 05, 2016, 09:52:05 am
I had developed it when fdsstick had its small 8 disk side limit and no menu.  Since then he has updated his device to match this one.

Now, the advantages are:


  • Open source firmware

  • The SRAM chip to deal with aging of the flash chip

  • Faster microcontroller clock speed (72mhz fdsemu vs. 48mhz fdsstick) for any future enhancements

  • Excellent support, just email me I'll be happy to work with you

  • Planned future enhancements, that are secret until they are ready :)




id love to see the FDSStick FDS BIOS style menu replicated here.

And a case like the fdsstick. and the cable!  ;)

Raverrevolution

It's a damn shame I bought an FDSStick 8 disk side model.  Ditto on the FDS Bios type of menu.

chowder

Thanks for the clarification :)

Quote from: jamesholodnak on January 05, 2016, 09:52:05 am
I had developed it when fdsstick had its small 8 disk side limit and no menu.  Since then he has updated his device to match this one.

Now, the advantages are:


  • Open source firmware

  • The SRAM chip to deal with aging of the flash chip

  • Faster microcontroller clock speed (72mhz fdsemu vs. 48mhz fdsstick) for any future enhancements

  • Excellent support, just email me I'll be happy to work with you

  • Planned future enhancements, that are secret until they are ready :)



YoshiFan501

Quote from: Raverrevolution on January 05, 2016, 10:56:24 am
It's a damn shame I bought an FDSStick 8 disk side model.  Ditto on the FDS Bios type of menu.


ikr? that bios menu makes me want the fdsstick, but the fdsemu has futureproofing

P

The FDS menu works for our 8 disk side model too, just update the firmware. Loopy said that the only different between our model and the new one is the size of the memory.

I have the 8 side model, but if I ever want to buy a bigger one I'll consider this one if it's any good.

loopy

If anyone bought an old FDSStick model and wants it upgraded, email me.

Quote from: jamesholodnak on January 05, 2016, 09:52:05 am
I had developed it when fdsstick had its small 8 disk side limit and no menu.  Since then he has updated his device to match this one.

Now, the advantages are:


  • Open source firmware

  • The SRAM chip to deal with aging of the flash chip

  • Faster microcontroller clock speed (72mhz fdsemu vs. 48mhz fdsstick) for any future enhancements

  • Excellent support, just email me I'll be happy to work with you

  • Planned future enhancements, that are secret until they are ready :)




For the record:

- FDSStick is well within spec for the entire life of its flash, extra SRAM is unnecessary in my design. Stop implying it's flawed / bound to fail without some proof.
- Drive emulation isn't terribly demanding.  A faster cpu is unlikely to have any tangible benefit, it just adds cost.
- Are you saying my support is bad? :P
- FDSStick is also easily upgradable and more developments are in progress.
- FDSStick has more compact, elegant design ;)

I've tried to be cordial about your fdsemu project, so I am somewhat miffed at all the one-upmanship and your trying to paint FDSStick in a bad light, esp. considering you've made use of a fair amount of my code.

jamesholodnak

Do not feel miffed, sir.  I am not talking bad about you or your fdsstick!  fdsstick is a wonderful product.

Yes, microcontroller speed is irrelevant in regards to emulating the fds drive.  My first version of it used a 20mhz Atmel microcontroller.  I picked the Nuvoton because it was cheaper and I already had experience with other ARM devices.

I think your support is also excellent, I was saying nothing bad about you, only saying my support is almost as good as yours.  I am a married college student with a full time job (with overtime), time is very limited for me.

I have looked up to you since I was a child, writing my first Nintendo NES emulator at age 13.  Always wondering what the mysterious loopy is going to discover next.  The PPU register breakdown was amazing at its time.  I've never seen you more active than you are now and I enjoy reading what you have to say.  I'm not trying to say fdsstick is crap, just trying to highlight some features of fdsemu.  I like the case, and I'm working on my own case in the limited time that I have now.  Assembling boards by hand and testing them thoroughly is an important step in the creation of each fdsemu; add that with my already busy life and my time to work on a case is very minimal.

Sorry loopy, I love you though, no harm was intended.

Also, I've added a coupon code for FamicomWorld, for $10 off each order, to make fdsemu $30 each.  Use coupon code "famicomworld" at checkout.

Thanks.

YoshiFan501