Date   : Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:52:59 -0000
From   : profpep@... (Mike Pepper)
Subject: Harddisc fakery using a microcontroller

> Rick Murray wrote:
> > nowadays. I wanted to write an emulator (which is sort of in limbo at
> > the moment) to look at hacking the firmware to permit an SD card to be
> > used off the parallel port, as a form of storage.
>
> What you want is a hard drive equivalent of this:
> http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator
>
> As far as the system it is plugged into is concerned, it looks like
> a floppy drive and quacks like a floppy drive. What you need is the
> equivalent that quacks like a SCSI hard drive.
>

It's been done: these people have some quite nice kit, though I don't knwo
how much they cost, (I reckon expensive, looking at their client list...)

http://www.reactivedata.com/Products/SCSI_Bridge_Emulators_to_CF/index.php

I note they have one that emulates one of the older controllers as used by
Acorn: jsut plug into your host adapter and away.

Most serious emulators use Compact Flash, (CF) cards. Other types are a bit
faddish and changable, CF are actually reasonable fast, unlike SD, though
that wouldn't be an issue with a BBC. Some have on-board wear levelling
firmware too.

||\/||ike

The folks in the  world of audio samplers has already done a lot of work in
this area: most samplers used SCSI as their primary source, and retro Mac
users are getting intrested too.