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73 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
73 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
Using the FluxEngine client software with Applesauce hardware
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The FluxEngine isn't the only project which does this; another one is the
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[Applesauce](https://applesaucefdc.com/), a proprietary but feature-rich
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off-the-shelf imaging device. Its native client (which is a lot better than
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FluxEngine) only works on OSX, so if you want to use it anywhere else,
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the FluxEngine client works.
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The Applesauce works rather differently to the FluxEngine hardware or the
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[Greaseweazle](greaseweazle.md), so there are some caveats.
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- Rather than streaming the flux data from the device to the PC, the Applesauce
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has a fixed buffer in RAM used to capture a complete image of a track. This is
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then downloaded later. The advantage is that USB bandwidth isn't an issue; the
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downside is that the buffer can only hold so much data. In fact, the Applesauce
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can only capture 1.25 revolutions or 2.25 revolutions, nothing else. When used
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with the FluxEngine the capture time will be ignored apart from used to
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determine whether you want a 'long' or 'short' capture.
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- The current (v2) firmware only supports reading, not writing (via clients
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other than the official one, of course). The new (v3) firmware will support
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writing, but it's not out yet, so for the time being the FluxEngine client is
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read only.
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- You can only do synchronous reads, i.e., reads starting from the index mark.
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Other than this, the FluxEngine software supports the Applesauce almost
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out-of-the-box --- just plug it in and nearly everything should work. The
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FluxEngine software will autodetect it. If you have more than one device plugged
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in, use `--usb.serial=` to specify which one you want to use.
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I am aware that having _software_ called FluxEngine and _hardware_ called
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FluxEngine makes things complicated when you're not using the FluxEngine client
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software with a FluxEngine board, but I'm afraid it's too late to change that
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now. Sorry.
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What works
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----------
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Supported features with the Greaseweazle include:
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- simple reading of disks, seeking etc
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- erasing disks
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- hard sectored disks
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- determining disk rotation speed
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- normal IBM buses
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I don't know what happens if you try to use an Apple Superdrive or a Apple II
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disk with FluxEngine. If you've got one, [please get in
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touch](https://github.com/davidgiven/fluxengine/issues/new)!
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What doesn't work
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-----------------
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- voltage measurement
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- writing
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Who to contact
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--------------
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I want to make it clear that the FluxEngine code is _not_ supported by the
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Applesauce team. If you have any problems, please [contact
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me](https://github.com/davidgiven/fluxengine/issues/new) and not them.
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In addition, the Applesauce release cycle is not synchronised to the
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FluxEngine release cycle, so it's possible you'll have a version of the
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Applesauce firmware which is not supported by FluxEngine. Hopefully, it'll
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detect this and complain. Again, [file an
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issue](https://github.com/davidgiven/fluxengine/issues/new) and I'll look into
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it.
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