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Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:54 am
by highinfidelity
Ah, I see. AFAIK blue and white LEDs are inherently more bright than the others, and compensating for that with a resistor may be tricky and also unreliable (may depend on the specific LED unit / lot). Perhaps they should have used any other colour rather than blue, but on the other hand not much remains to choose from which is not to some degree a blend of red/green/yellow (all already in use on the Princess) and again these intermediate colours are harder to find at retail.

I think that at some point you really have to put a stop mark and go out with what you have done that far, otherwise you would endlessly go ahead developing a product that will never be released (not at a passable price, at least).

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:01 am
by highinfidelity
I've read the user's manual in full. It doesn't mention using the Princess as a floppy disk emulator or anything else, it focuses on .tap files and tape grabbing EXCLUSIVELY. Wasn't the Princess capable to do other things as well? The user's manual itself seems to mention a "disk mode" at the beginning, but then the subject is not expanded later... :?

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:16 am
by orion70
Well, it should refer to the normal SD2IEC functionality. Manuals and wikis are easily found in the net, see here and here for a good start. I guess you already have the latest firmware installed, if not take a look here (if you put the .bin file in the root dir, it should be flashed automatically at first boot).

Disk-wise, I don't think the Princess differs much from any other SD2IEC device.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:49 am
by highinfidelity
Indeed I remember considering (in previous chats) that all the disk features of the Princess would basically be a duplicate of the FE3 in my case, the .tap support being the only really new feature that I needed. But then I was a bit surprised by not finding a single line about "normal SD2IEC functionality", as you said, in the user's manual.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 8:59 am
by tokra
DO NOT flash the standard SD2IEC-firmware to the Princess, it will then loose it's .tap-functionality. You need the specialized firmware from manosoft.it - which is based on the recent builds of the original SD2IEC-firmware.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 9:32 am
by mrr19121970
Also the manosoft.it layout is a bit weird. Make sure you download the firmware for the correct device too. I "bricked" mine in the vic20. I suspect the vic20 delivers some current when off, so the downgrade and reflash didn't work. I had to physically remove from the machine before it came back to life.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 12:38 pm
by eslapion
mrr19121970 wrote:... I suspect the vic20 delivers some current when off, so the downgrade and reflash didn't work. I had to physically remove from the machine before it came back to life.
The VIC-20 can deliver a trickle amount of power when off if you have a disk drive attached to the IEC port and leave it on.

The 1st effect I noticed of that was that some memory expansion I made between 2007 and 2010 would keep their content when the VIC-20 is off.

If the CPU in the Princess is locked up, it can probably stay in that state with just that little power.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 2:42 am
by highinfidelity
Thanks for the advice, but will leave my firmware untouched. "Leave it alone if it works" is my motto! 8)

I think they tried to address the current issue to seome degree. There is one LED (I think the "motor virtual" LED but I may recall wrong) that stays lit and slowly fades out showing that there still is some energy left in the capacitors. The users' manual also stress to take time while turning off and back on the VIC to reset it. The LED takes indeed quite a long time to go unlit, much more than I would expect (and still there's probably some energy leftover at that point...). I never really realised that it is best to keep the VIC off for so long while resetting.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:54 pm
by Jeff-20
Can anyone nearby me (Chicago) or within easy mail range (continental USA) do repairs on the Princess? My sd slot pulled away from the board. I don't have the soldering skills to fix or replace that part.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 4:33 am
by eslapion
Jeff-20 wrote:Can anyone nearby me (Chicago) or within easy mail range (continental USA) do repairs on the Princess? My sd slot pulled away from the board. I don't have the soldering skills to fix or replace that part.
I'd say Ray Carlsen is the man you want to contact.

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 4:35 am
by mrr19121970
It was posted another thread that the Ultimate Princess will come out soon. Any speculation on what features could be added (full 1541 drive emulation and LED screen would be my favorites)

I bought some 'well nuts' and added them to my Princess3 as removal grips. Idea stolen from Kiesel UK1541
20160825_114052.jpg

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 7:16 am
by majikeyric
I purchased a NE SD2IEC (http://www.ebay.fr/itm/252503247729?_tr ... EBIDX%3AIT),
and it is really great, it is really cheap and works like a charm with my VIC20 + Ultimem 8)

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 7:21 am
by mrr19121970
Me too, but I also added the grips as it is a pain to remove.
20160825_121013.jpg

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 11:16 am
by majikeyric
Nice! :)

Re: Manosoft Princess device (split from: Datasette Questions)

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:40 am
by majikeyric
From the Commodore64SD Manosoft Prod Facebook group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/852465494818098/

Features of the forthcoming Princess UIltra:

- Jetgrab inside
- high quality connector sd card push-pull
- usb for external power
- bluetooth module inside for remote control
- reset cbm/c64sd controled separate or together
- application on windows dedicate
- loopback -> save data from cbm to tap file