Spectrum +3 support with HxC

For experts to discuss very technical stuff and newbies to ask why the Spectrum they bought off ebay doesn't work.
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nico24
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Joined: Wed May 02, 2018 1:00 am

Spectrum +3 support with HxC

Post by nico24 »

Hello,

I am trying to get the latest HxC firmware on a Gotek to work with my Spectrum +3, as an external drive.

At the moment I can only get the Spectrum to recognize and read the disk when I have an Autoboot.hfe file for the Amstrad CPC?! It then just shows 'hxc' as a file.

Would there be any know files working that I could try?

As a further example:

If i have the following 3 files on the USB stick:

1. HXCSDFE.CFG (indexing version)
2. DSKA0000.HFE (renamed version of the AUTOBOOT.HFE for the Amstrad CPC)
3. DSKA0001.HFE (renamed Spectrum DSK file)

if I choose 000 on the Gotek it references disk 0. this shows:

HXC . 16k
HXC35 .ROM 16k
146k free

If I choose the disk 001 then it just won't read anything on the disk.

This is really curious...... The autoboot disk is reading the config file somehow....
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nico24
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Joined: Wed May 02, 2018 1:00 am

Re: Spectrum +3 support with HxC

Post by nico24 »

Ok - so simple question. Does anyone have the HxC files for the Spectrum? That are known to be working. That way I can just plug away and try and get it working on mine. Right now it 'sees' some disks but not readable.
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PeterJ
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Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Spectrum +3 support with HxC

Post by PeterJ »

Hi [mention]nico24[/mention]

You could try asking here:

https://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewforum.php?f=20

Edit: it looks like you already have! Hopefully that more specialised group will be able to help you.
nico24
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Joined: Wed May 02, 2018 1:00 am

Re: Spectrum +3 support with HxC

Post by nico24 »

Thanks PeterJ, Pretty niche I guess. I've been through this with the Gotek for the AtariST, and the Amstrad and of course the Amiga. So I'm used to it by now. This Spectrum seems very tricky though with the Gotek for some reason. It should just be the same as the Amstrad really - it's all the same equipment.
nico24
Drutt
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed May 02, 2018 1:00 am

Re: Spectrum +3 support with HxC

Post by nico24 »

OK - good result. I relooked at the cable - and on the Spectrum you don't need to use the far end of the universal bus cable - i.e. the bit with the reversed side. When I plugged in the shorter section it worked all fine! So it was just that reversed part that was giving a strange data transfer.

Now I'm happy.
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