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DivIDE: Difference between revisions
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DivMMC; TR-DOS support in ESXDOS; RWAP not currently producing DivIDEs
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* The '''DivIDE Plus''', developed by Jarek Adamski and Jurek Dudek, increases both the ROM and RAM to 512K, and adds an onboard CompactFlash connector and a pass-through edge connector. However, it is reported to have a number of hardware bugs - in particular, it places junk values on the I/O bus, causing incompatibility with software that uses IM2 mode without a full interrupt table. | * The '''DivIDE Plus''', developed by Jarek Adamski and Jurek Dudek, increases both the ROM and RAM to 512K, and adds an onboard CompactFlash connector and a pass-through edge connector. However, it is reported to have a number of hardware bugs - in particular, it places junk values on the I/O bus, causing incompatibility with software that uses IM2 mode without a full interrupt table. | ||
* The '''DivIDE 2k11''', produced by Lotharek, provides the same 8K ROM / 32K RAM configuration as the original model, but is re-implemented in CPLD and vertically mounted for a much smaller footprint. It has a CompactFlash slot on board, and no IDE connector. | * The '''DivIDE 2k11''', produced by Lotharek, provides the same 8K ROM / 32K RAM configuration as the original model, but is re-implemented in CPLD and vertically mounted for a much smaller footprint. It has a CompactFlash slot on board, and no IDE connector. | ||
* The '''DivMMC''', announced by Mario Prato of Apulia Group Retrocomputing in May 2013, provides two SD card slots. At the hardware level, it differs from earlier DivIDE models in that it uses the SD card's native protocol for data access, rather than IDE - nevertheless, it is strongly inspired by the DivIDE hardware design, and runs a version of ESXDOS providing the same functionality (except where the application software relies on direct IDE access, such as audio/video players). | |||
== Firmware == | == Firmware == | ||
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At a hardware level, the DivIDE provides read/write access to raw disk sectors. Higher level capabilities (such as access to PC filesystems and loading emulator files) are handled in firmware flashed to the onboard ROM - the DivIDE provides hooks into various points in the Spectrum ROM, such as the tape load/save routines, meaning that disk access can be closely integrated into Spectrum BASIC. There are a variety of firmware images available, offering different features: | At a hardware level, the DivIDE provides read/write access to raw disk sectors. Higher level capabilities (such as access to PC filesystems and loading emulator files) are handled in firmware flashed to the onboard ROM - the DivIDE provides hooks into various points in the Spectrum ROM, such as the tape load/save routines, meaning that disk access can be closely integrated into Spectrum BASIC. There are a variety of firmware images available, offering different features: | ||
* [http://esxdos.org/ ESXDOS], by Phoenix, is an operating system providing read/write access to FAT16 and FAT32 filesystems, and the ability to load emulator snapshot / tape files, via extended BASIC syntax and a menu-driven file launcher. | * [http://esxdos.org/ ESXDOS], by Phoenix, is an operating system providing read/write access to FAT16 and FAT32 filesystems, and the ability to load emulator snapshot / tape files, via extended BASIC syntax and a menu-driven file launcher. It also emulates the TR-DOS disk system (used by the majority of Russian software). | ||
* FATware, by Baze, works with FAT16-formatted disks and provides a friendly menu-driven interface for launching emulator snapshot and tape files, including support for long filenames. However, disk access is read-only, and there's no provision for accessing the filesystem directly from user code. | * FATware, by Baze, works with FAT16-formatted disks and provides a friendly menu-driven interface for launching emulator snapshot and tape files, including support for long filenames. However, disk access is read-only, and there's no provision for accessing the filesystem directly from user code. | ||
* [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/residos/ ResiDOS], by Garry Lancaster, runs on the DivIDE Plus and extends BASIC with commands for disk access, along with various additional tools and packages including a task manager, simple windowing facilities and emulators for the ZX80 and ZX81. It primarily works with [[IDEDOS]] filesystems, but FAT support is available in an add-on package. | * [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/residos/ ResiDOS], by Garry Lancaster, runs on the DivIDE Plus and extends BASIC with commands for disk access, along with various additional tools and packages including a task manager, simple windowing facilities and emulators for the ZX80 and ZX81. It primarily works with [[IDEDOS]] filesystems, but FAT support is available in an add-on package. | ||
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* The [http://www.divide.cz/index.php?x=eshopn divide.cz shop] (based in the Czech Republic) has reliably sold the original DivIDE for the last few years, along with accessories, spare parts and other goodies. | * The [http://www.divide.cz/index.php?x=eshopn divide.cz shop] (based in the Czech Republic) has reliably sold the original DivIDE for the last few years, along with accessories, spare parts and other goodies. | ||
* The DivIDE 2k11 is sold by [http://lotharek.pl/ Lotharek] (Poland). | * The DivIDE 2k11 is sold by [http://lotharek.pl/ Lotharek] (Poland). | ||
* Sintech ([http://sintech-shop.co.uk/ UK], [http://www.sintech-shop.de/ Germany], [http://www.sintech-shop.cz/ Czech Republic]) regularly have the original DivIDE in stock. | * Sintech ([http://sintech-shop.co.uk/ UK], [http://www.sintech-shop.de/ Germany], [http://www.sintech-shop.cz/ Czech Republic]) regularly have the original DivIDE in stock. | ||
* [http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/ RWAP Software] (UK) have previously offered both the DivIDE Plus and original DivIDE through their trading site [http://www.sellmyretro.com/ SellMyRetro]. The DivIDE Plus has suffered production problems in the past (reportedly due to the board being a complex double-sided surface-mount design, and more than one manufacturer going AWOL...), and as of June 2013 there is no indication that any more will be made in future. | |||
* Other distributors pop up on eBay from time to time with small production runs of the original DivIDE. | * Other distributors pop up on eBay from time to time with small production runs of the original DivIDE. | ||