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Does anyone have information on the HxC .hfe file format?

k6whp

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
71
It appears that the ONLY file format that is visible in my new GoTek emulator are .hfe files.
 
You post this in the CP/M section, so I assume you are referring to use with CP/M systems?

I've seen a lot of mention/discussion regarding the use with Amstrad systems.

My understand is that the HxC, and Gotek, are different things, but this may well depend on the software/formware, and/or versions of the hardware. OP refers to HxC, and Gotek, but which device exactly is being referred to?

All the mentions I've dealt with suggest that the default format of the Gotek (again, this maybe depends on the firmware installed) is the .hfe format, but all the systems I've had (indirect) dealing with have been able to use .DSK format images (as used by various Amstrad systems). I don't know if the devices can use that format automatically, or if this requires a different firmware to be loaded.

Look up something called FlashFloppy?

These comments may not be an immediate help, but may give you hints on what avenues to pursue?

Geoff
 
Thank you, A.J., that's a big help.

Geoff, I currently have a GoTek with the latest version of the FlashFloppy firmware installed in a Kaypro 2X. It works fine but I am attempting to use the HxC floppy emulator software (and Disk Browser) to create individual images from raw Kaypro files in the Windows 7 environment and have not had much success aside from converting .td0 and .imd images to .hfe images that can be read by the GoTek/Flashfloppy firmware -- sometimes.

A.J.'s link told me what I need to know.

Thank you.
 
Gentlemen and other readers,

I stumbled upon a fine piece of code here:


Mr Sydney-Smith started this effort in 2017 and released his "latest" version 2.00 in November of 2018. It is quite good -- especially for me -- because it codifies the creation of his so-called ".dsk" images and allows CP/M disks to be added or deleted from it. I was looking to do the same for the .hfe images and am starting out with this gentleman's source and a -- er -- source.

Not to start an OS wars -- I am no devout lover of Windows -- but my efforts towards this end ONLY involve the reviving of two Kaypro 2X machines and NOT building up a collection of retro computers -- least of all old DOS machines.

Just the two Kaypros, that's it, period, full stop.

So far, one of 'em has the GoTek installed and running but, other than that, I cannot seem to find an easy way to migrate from Kaypro CP/M disk images to the .hfe format despite trying to get the .IMD and .TD0 format methods to work with the HCX Windows applications. (Their Disk Browser fails to cooperate or I am an idiot, which s probably the latter.)

Also, I am not big on rediscovering Linux/Unix and developing with something like gcc via Mingw, etc. (The gcc comiler is a terrific product but ponderous through a Unix imitation portal). All got is the Windows 7 box and a couple of old VC++ compilers (MSVC++ 6.0 and MSVC++ 2008) and, so far, the 2008 version is the weapon of choice. (Anyone familiar with that world recognizes that anything later is bloated and ponderous. (Actually, MSVC++ 6.0 was the last decent product for this sort of work but it has support issues and idiosyncrasies on Winows 7 and beyond.)

Anyway, as Emperor Franz Josef of Austria said in Amadeus, "So there it is!"

Anyone interested in this process, happy to hear from you.
 
Not sure if I can help, then I'm not sure what you're trying to do.

I've used the IMD system, to access both IMD and TD0 images, and had no problems creating actual disks, or creating RAW images (which is the disk data without any formatting etc overhead at all so a 200k capacity disk would produce a 200k file). Usually my intention then would be to use the Joyce emulator (for my PCW machine) as that system will access a RAW image as well as it's usual .DSK type image (the .DSK image is more specifically a CPC (Amstrad) type file that DOES contain disk and track overhead) so that I can access the files, and if need be, create a .DSK image.

I also use one of my old DOS machines with the 22DISK system to access any 'real' disks created and access the files directly from that.

I've not done anything with a Gotek, or with the hfe type images, as I've never needed to, but this may be little more than a slight detour from the usual things I've done.

As an aside, when I've needed to manipulate directly image data, I've used QB - an oldish MS Quick Basic compiler, which I've found quick and reliable for manipulating from one file to another, using 'R' or 'B' file types.

I understand that the IMD system uses compression with the image data, and I'd rather not get involved with that (prob TD0 does as well) but once the original image is changed to RAW thet that's OK.

I have found TD0 and IMD images before and converted them so that I could use the files on my PCW (or via Joyce), including some original disks that were NOT intended for the PCW. I'm sure that the KAYPRO images will be accessible via 22DISK.

No doubt I'd need to study the document you showed somewhere in this thread (or another nearby) regarding the structure of the hfe image.

When you say you already created such images, but sometimes they did not work, what sort of problem was being reported?

Geoff
 
By the way, I see some reference to HxC software (something called HxC ?) that supposedly will convert image files between image types to/from .HFE files. Have you seen/tried this? There's explicit reference to importing a RAW image to create an hfe image, but there's reference to .IMD as well?

Geoff
 
Right, I've had a look, and check this:


This system may help.

It supports a number of image formats, but it allows the import of RAW images, and creates hfe images, which seems to be what you need. You can easily use the IMD software to convert either IMD images or TD0 images to RAW.

I've not downloaded this myself, but might be worth a play - but I've no need for hfe images. Any queries, let me know.

Geoff
 
Geoff,

Thank you for following up with this thread. I believe that I have tried all you describe. My effort has been exhaustive but not productive. It is probably owing to my ignorance more than anything. To describe my status at present:

(1) Yes, I have tried the HxC software to no avail.

(2) I have looked at cpmtools and other suggestions also to no avail.

(3) I requested the .hfe file description in order to see if I could write my own Windows-oriented app to accomplish what I wanted. It's in progress but not too promising.

(4) I have .hfe diskette images of native CP/M files that have either been found or created on my 2X.

(5) The .hfe images I have come across will be visible when directly moved to a properly formatted USB thumb drive and inserted into the GoTek emulator on the 2X.

(6) Similarly visible are images created on the 2X. This is done by renaming a .hfe file, copying it in Windows, and placing it on the USB drive. When the image is loaded onto the 2X and "dialed to", the files are visible. I can then delete all the files in the disk image and copy other files from the 2X's B: drive.

(7) Therefore, using the 2X, I can copy/rearrange/edit the files on/onto that "emptied" .hfe image. For example, I can copy only the necessary files for the Turbo Pascal compiler onto the image and leave the spreadsheet demo programs on the original TP distribution diskette in the B: drive. Similarly, I can copy the desired snippets of C code or C source code for an app (.h, .c, etc.) onto an "emptied" disk image. And so on, ad nauseum.

(8) I possess a very great amount of old CP/M diskettes containing programs like the Perfect series, WordStar, various editors, games (which I do not play often), and other sundries that I am currently copying/creating using the the 2X. Thus, I can "back up" my collection of CP/M diskettes onto my Windows 7 desktop using this method.

What I am aiming to do is use the Windows 7 desktop computer to grab other CP/M software "collections" on the internet to port them to .hfe files. I regret to say that, germane to any problem being solved is a clear and lucid statement of that problem and, regrettably, I have not been able to formulate one. So, not to be pedantic, let me see if I can do so with an example.

(1) I limit this to the windows 7 environment with a work station that does not have any older drive (i.e., a 3" diskette, etc.) and also only using the DOS window and not any Unix/Linux framework like MingW, etc. Therefore this involves creating any suitable format of file readable by the GoTek on my Windows 7 workstation and copying them onto the USB drive.

(2) I am using a GoTek emulator that has "the latest" FlashFloppy firmware loaded. I am disinclined to upload any "newer" or different firmware into the GoTek as I do not want to jeopardize it's present ability to read the .hfe files. (Sort of a Hippocratic oath: first, do no harm.)

(2) As an example, consider the archive of Kaypro CP/M files cited by this forum at the following URL:

http://www.retroarchive.org/maslin/disks/kaypro/

(3) Select a "trivial" item in that archive called DUMPSCRN.

Kaypro hfe problem 1.jpg
(4) When downloaded and expanded, it yields the following files:

Kaypro hfe problem 2.jpg
(3) The problem is this: I want to translate/transport those files into an image that is recognizable by the GoTek emulator. So far, the only file image it recognizes is the .hfe format. Therefore, how does one "load" those files into a .hfe file?

(4) Alternatively, how does one load those files into a file image that is recognizable by the GoTek emulator?

(5) In seeking the answer to #4, I have investigated the FlashFloppy Github and experimented with the Kaypro examples/Host/Kaypro/IMG.CFG file that ostensibly will read Kaypro images if placed in the root directory on the USB drive. I have not been successful in making this work and, candidly, I am not sure I completely understand this method. See #2 above.

(6) I have experimented with other methods of accomplishing the above graciously suggested by others. Alas, this was without success and/or they were outside the limits I sent with #2 and #2 above.

..now I realize this is probably info overload but wanted to describe the situation in case others wished to add suggestions.

Thank you for your interest!
 
Yes, too much information, swamping my poor brain.

May I try to summarise/clarify.

Reading your notes, it appears that you CAN do everything that you want to do ON the Kaypro, equipped with the gotek drive, using the .hfe images. Is that so?

BUT, you'd much rather be able to do the same things on your W7 machine.

Sort of, you CAN, BUT the image you end up with has problems when you try to use it back on the Kaypro.

Is that correct?

First of all, do you get any error message? What actually happens when you try to access the image?

Can you attach one of the 'problem' images, that I can have a look at it? Also one of the 'good' images created/filled on the 2X.

Geoff
 
>> Yes, too much information, swamping my poor brain.
Sorry, I hang out on a Tektronix and an amateur radio group
and the expectation is to describe the problem thoroughly
so as to make it documentation for people coming along in
the future who have a similar issue. There is nothing more
frustrating than to follow a thread only to have it crap out
and be worthless because of incomplete information.

>> May I try to summarise/clarify.

>> Reading your notes, it appears that you CAN do everything
>> that you want to do ON the Kaypro, equipped with the GoTek
>> drive, using the .hfe images. Is that so?
Correct.

>> BUT, you'd much rather be able to do the same things on your
>> W7 machine.
Close. If I cannot achieve a method for using the W7 environment.
I can live without that. It's more or less a challenge that is
diminishing in fascination. In sum, I "collected" all of the
software and source code I needed back in 1983 when I got my
Kaypro 2X. If I can archive it onto the .hfe files using the
2X then fine.

>> Sort of, you CAN, BUT the image you end up with has problems
>> when you try to use it back on the Kaypro. Is that correct?
Negative. I cannot take the DUMPSCRN files in the example and
load them onto an .hfe image. Period.

>> First of all, do you get any error message? What actually
>> happens when you try to access the image?
There is no error message per se. I have not developed a method
to load them in an .hfe image.

>> Can you attach one of the 'problem' images, that I can
>> have a look at it? Also one of the 'good' images
>> created/filled on the 2X.
I can send you the "good" images I created on the 2X or
gathered from some archive somewhere that were already in
a format that displays in the GoTek.

I cannot send you any that are "bad" because I have not been
able to migrate Kaypro file or diskette images to the .hfe
format on the W7 environment. (And this is what the crux of
my previous comment has been about.)

Please do NOT feel obligated to get too involved in this as you are not familiar with the GoTek and I don't want to waste your time. But any light you might be able to shed on this would be welcome.

My sincere thanks for your interest.
 

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I've now got a copy of the HxC emulator, and it's running.

Operation is not too clear, but seems that I need to create a suitable disk as my destination, set as an .hfe type. Maybe blank.

I then go into the HxC emulator, and check that the disk seems OK.

Then I need to have another disk, basically a PC disk, with the file(s) on that I need to insert.

I should then be able to drag/drop files from the PC disk onto the .hfe disk, and having done that, I should be able to save the .hfe disk, and this should work on the gotek?

Is this what you've tried to do?

I need to get this done myself.

Better if I could do this with a viable Kaypro image, and the file that you want to insert onto it. Not sure yet what the image you sent me (Disk Two ?) is.

Geoff
 
Geoff,

You're only scratching the surface. I have found the HxC software obtuse. Or, more appropriately, it found me obtuse. Reviewing the HxC step-by-step manual..


..and, keeping this simple and starting with the first process..

Step One and Two: start the software and click on SD HxC Floppy Emulator settings and choose the desired emulator mode..

HxC Create DOS image #1.jpg

Step Three and Four and : Choose Disk Browser and choose the file system and type and click on Create Disk..

HxC Create DOS image #3.jpg

The pull-down on the Disk Browser yields the following options; I selected one most appropriate for a Kaypro 2X DSDD..

HxC Create DOS image #4.jpg

Then, selecting a candidate set of files, I attempted to drag and drop them into the Disk Browser to no avail..

HxC Create DOS image #5.jpg

I am attaching the files I used to experiment . They are DISK IMAGES from MicroCornucopia in IMD format and according to the HxC manual, they should load.

Note that this is just the start of my adventures with HxC and I have found the software unintuitive or uncooperative. But I also plead ignorance as well. Please do not burn yourself out on this.
 

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