Zoom Floppy and Cassette

[Videofx]

Is there any way to connect a datasette to the Zoom Flopy and create
tapes from .TAP files?

Thanks!

Bill

[Thomas Winkler]

yes

2012/1/19 Videofx <k9...@yahoo.com>

[Videofx]

Can you please tell me how to connect the cassette ? does the C64
datasette just connect or do I buy another piece of hardware to
connect it? Does the ZoomFloppy firmwaere support cassettes or do I
have to flash with new firmware?

thanks for the help!

Bill

> > Bill- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[me...@gmx-topmail.de]

Hi Bill,

tape support for ZoomFloppy is currently in development. You can take a look at http://zoomtape.de.vu for an impression, but it's not the latest software version there.

Regards
Arnd

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:34:30 -0800 (PST)
> Von: Videofx <k9...@yahoo.com>
> An: ZoomFloppy Users <zoomflop...@googlegroups.com>
> Betreff: Zoom Floppy and Cassette

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[me...@gmx-topmail.de]

Hi again.

> Can you please tell me how to connect the cassette ?
> does the C64 datasette just connect or do I buy
> another piece of hardware to connect it?

Tape support requires a daughter board for ZoomFloppy.
Your tape drive is then connected to this daughter board.

> Does the ZoomFloppy firmwaere support cassettes or do I
> have to flash with new firmware?

The tape specific addons for OpenCBM and ZoomFloppy firmware are currently in development. Yes, you need to flash the new firmware when it is available.

Regards
Arnd

[nhoijtink]

09 may 2017 ...... still no TAPE adapter board for the ZoomFloppy device. Also the page of ZoomTape (http://zoomtape.de.vu/) is no longer accessible.

Is there any news on the development of this? It seems shings are allready built into the firmware, just the hardware isn't available. Can anyone elaborate on this?


Op donderdag 19 januari 2012 21:50:45 UTC+1 schreef Menge:

[RETRO Innovations]

On 5/9/2017 6:35 AM, nhoijtink wrote:

09 may 2017 ...... still no TAPE adapter board for the ZoomFloppy device.

Unfortunately, yes., but...

Is there any news on the development of this? It seems shings are allready built into the firmware, just the hardware isn't available.

From my perspective, I finished laying out the ZoomTape boards a month ago, and initial prototypes arrived a few weeks back.  I have the parts, but have not had a free weekend to solder and test.

Can anyone elaborate on this?

As soon as I can solder a few up, I will look for folks to test. I am not near the baords to snap a pic, but this is the design:

[nhoijtink]

That's really great news. Sadly i'm not in the US, but in The Netherlands (Europe) so testing might be an issue (shipping etc).
I have a couple of things on my wishlist, and this is one of them ;) In the near future i also plan to buy a Supercard Pro anyway.


Op dinsdag 9 mei 2017 15:39:35 UTC+2 schreef RETRO Innovations:

[blondm...@gmail.com]

I am also European, and am very delighted to read this news, too, so as soon as it is available I will order it. Thanks for the innovation!

[nhoijtink]

Almost a year later ;)

Op dinsdag 9 mei 2017 15:39:35 UTC+2 schreef RETRO Innovations:

On 5/9/2017 6:35 AM, nhoijtink wrote:

[me...@gmx-topmail.de]

Thank you for your interest. I think the last software update was several years ago. There is a new version in the repo I am working on. A new platform. With photos and schematics. It already works, but it is not very robust and fully tested yet. Take it as a "technology preview". Unfortunately I do not have spare time for the hobby projects at the moment.

 

Best regards
Arnd

 

 

Gesendet: Mittwoch, 21. März 2018 um 06:46 Uhr
Von: nhoijtink <elk...@live.nl>
An: "ZoomFloppy Users" <zoomflop...@googlegroups.com>
Betreff: Re: Zoom Floppy and Cassette

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[RETRO Innovations]

On 3/21/2018 12:46 AM, nhoijtink wrote:
> Almost a year later ;)

As promised, I did solder one up, and then I asked for the newest
firmware, so I could send the unit out for testing.

However, I then found out that Arnd has improved the design in the
recent past, and has moved to an ARM processor.  I then started to
consider the bill of materials for such a change.

However, even though I did also get stopped by lack of time for hobby
projects, I admit that another concern stopped efforts.

I long considered how to broach the subject, and had held off on
responding, but your post suggests it is more appropriate to share than not.

I'm concerned how a 1530/1531 interface fits in the larger technology
space, when one could just record the cassettes on a regular tape deck
into a PC through the sound card.

It seemed ZoomFloppy filled a void, even though Kryoflux can do the same
thing, as can Catweasel (I think).  I think both are more expensive, and
require more effort to build a Kryoflux setup (finding a suitable 5.25"
drive, enclosure, PSU, etc.).

How does one differentiate ZoomTape given the ease of playing back a
tape into a sound card?

Jim

[Kenneth Sessions]

Yeah Jim,was kinda thinking the same thing myself....

[Pontus Berg]

I disagree.

KryoFlox and SuperCardPro does flux level stuff. You need a 5.25" PC drive and you need to modify it to read the back side of a disk. I bought the Kryo and a modded drive and still couldn't get a plain and working D64 out of it. Compare that to reading my disks using d2d64 and ZoomFloppy using a 1571 which are still highly available - works every time. For reading originals of EA games or Paperback Writer you might need Kryo/SCP - but for anything else there is the much more available ZF option.

Tape - you want them in TAP format. Really. Sound card ripping to wav and then to TAP is an error prone detour (much like flux) and there really aren't that many options for TAP. Luigi [1] produces interfaces but he's not really selling. Every now and then he collects the components needed and sells DIY packages. His stuff is super good but limited availability and having to build it yourself makes very few potential users. I belive he's more interested in the process of creating the stuff than selling the result.

So for me there SURELY is a gap in the market with a generally available interface for ripping tapes to TAP format.

Having said this (and as I have one of Luigi's interfaces) I am MUCH more interested in an "ZoomFloppy compact" that could go into the drive so that I'd just connect the PC to the 1541 with a USB cable, but that is just me ...

/Pontus

1: https://www.luigidifraia.com/hardware/

/Pontus Berg
 Mobile: +46 735 082860

 Skype: BacchusBerg

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[nhoijtink]

I do understand your concerns/reservations. In fact, i dont realy need for ZoomFloppy to support TAPE, but if the firmware supports it through a minor hardware modification, why not? It would make life for other users more easier.

As for the soundcard recording option, yep, not a good idea to go for an unexperienced user. I personally took that road twice, first time around i used a WAV recording through the soundcard. I didnt realy understood back then what i was doing so failed. Later on i bought one of those USB Tape adapters, as it was cheap and i wanted to fiddle a bit with one. I used AudaCity for the recording, and it took me trying several different programs, fubmling with volume, and retries to finally get a working tape recording from it..Nice as a personal interest hobby project, but not for the user that wants/needs óut-of-the-box'solutions.

I have a Kryoflux as well, never actually used or tried it due to the limited PC hardware.For flip side it does require special modded drives, where as in my 1571 i can just flip the disk with ZF. SuperCardPro is on my whshlist and will be for a while ;)

I also have a 1541 Ultimate I, I Plus, II, and II Plus with appropriate tape adapters. They do a nice job, but are probably too expensive for some. I like to use my original hardware, so for me using the 1541 Ultimate devices came was a must have as it has so much features that made the price acceptable for me.

In the past i also built and used a C64S interface once, as i already had an X1541 based cable and that cable/interface was similar and easy to miodify.However, as that was DOS based, and PC got faster and faster, the timing got screwed up and they have become somewhat obsolete/useless.

As for the DC2N devvices, as pointed out, that a completely hobby project. You need to sign up front, pay up front, and then take a back seat for a year or longer for the device to be custom built and shipped according to the mail i got from the author whom i pissed off by complaining about it. They probably are great devices if you ever get your hands on one.

In conclusion i would like to see ZF supporting tape out of the box, as it is cheap and user friendly, even if i personally dont need it per se. The alternatives are few, and of those some are either expensive, obsolete, or hard to obtain.

.

Op donderdag 22 maart 2018 02:31:34 UTC+1 schreef Skideric:

[nhoijtink]

Oh and i also have a Cassiopei and Tapuiino, great devices ;) I also have Catweasel III and IV controllers, jeez, i might forgot even more, lol. But there it is, i like hobby driven projects ;)

Op maandag 28 mei 2018 08:19:59 UTC+2 schreef nhoijtink: