Floppy Disk Emulator Help

SEI_Adam · Aug 22, 2019

Hi Guys,

My customer has a Quick Tech CNC Machining Centre running Syntec 900ME, and we were unable to get the RS232 communication working, after trying everything we possibly could from the advice given in here. Thank you again.

Anyway, we now have a floppy disk emulator that we have plugged in, instead of the actual floppy drive, so we can can load programs onto the machine via the emulators USB port.

So far, we have been unable to make a successful transfer on either direction.

I’m wondering if we are doing it wrong. Does anyone know the correct procedure to get this thing working ? So far I’ve plugged in the USB, and tried to send a program to it, but to no avail.

Does anyone know the correct procedure ?

It looks like this one. Cheers.

floppy disk emulator - Google Search

Milland · Aug 22, 2019

If you're using a true emulator, it needs a thumb drive that's been "modded" to look like a 1.44Mb floppy disk. This utility will take a regular thumb/flash USB drive and reformat it to suit.

GOTEK Floppy Emulator - philscomputerlab.com

Let us know if that works for you. Be careful about deleting programs from the drive, I've found I have to rerun the utility again to properly format the drive once I've removed files from it.

You also want to get used to formally "ejecting" the drive from the Windows environment, as just pulling the drive may corrupt it. Not an issue on the machine side, just the Windows side.

Vancbiker · Aug 22, 2019

Have you tried contacting Syntec about the RS232?

syntecamerica.com

I set up RS232 on a Syntec 900 on a lathe about 12 years ago and don't recall there being anything too difficult about it. I don't have access to that machine or any info about it any more so can't offer anything more.

Mud · Aug 22, 2019

I know less than nothing about your machine. But I HAVE heard that sometimes you have to format the USB stick in the emulator in order for it to work correctly.

Milland · Aug 22, 2019

Mud said:
I know less than nothing about your machine. But I HAVE heard that sometimes you have to format the USB stick in the emulator in order for it to work correctly.

Huh - I've always used the utility I mentioned in #2, I'm not sure how you'd do it in the emulator itself unless it had a routine built in for it. Maybe some do, but the emulator drives I've bought don't (I think).

norb · Aug 22, 2019

Call Shop Floor Automation.I have an emulator from them. When I set it up I had to set dip switches on the emulator to be compatable with my machine. Also the thumb drive had to be 2 gigs or less in size.

Nerdlinger · Aug 23, 2019

Milland said:
If you're using a true emulator, it needs a thumb drive that's been "modded" to look like a 1.44Mb floppy disk. This utility will take a regular thumb/flash USB drive and reformat it to suit.

GOTEK Floppy Emulator - philscomputerlab.com

Let us know if that works for you. Be careful about deleting programs from the drive, I've found I have to rerun the utility again to properly format the drive once I've removed files from it.

You also want to get used to formally "ejecting" the drive from the Windows environment, as just pulling the drive may corrupt it. Not an issue on the machine side, just the Windows side.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Format the USB drive to make it look like a floppy. In fact, when I plug the USB into the computer it lists it as a “floppy drive.”

ripperj · Aug 24, 2019

Dumb question, I only need one floppy emulator for the machine right? I can use the software on the pc to format the USB drive??(no emulator on pc)
Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

SEI_Adam · Aug 24, 2019

Milland said:
If you're using a true emulator, it needs a thumb drive that's been "modded" to look like a 1.44Mb floppy disk. This utility will take a regular thumb/flash USB drive and reformat it to suit.

GOTEK Floppy Emulator - philscomputerlab.com

Let us know if that works for you. Be careful about deleting programs from the drive, I've found I have to rerun the utility again to properly format the drive once I've removed files from it.

You also want to get used to formally "ejecting" the drive from the Windows environment, as just pulling the drive may corrupt it. Not an issue on the machine side, just the Windows side.

Man, this worked a treat. Once I downloaded this software and watch Phil's video, it all worked. And made sense. Thanks for your help.

Thanks everyone that commented. Much appreciated.

SEI_Adam · Aug 24, 2019

ripperj said:
Dumb question, I only need one floppy emulator for the machine right? I can use the software on the pc to format the USB drive??(no emulator on pc)
Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Yes correct. Just follow Millands link above and watch the video so you understand how to save files to the USB etc..

Milland · Aug 24, 2019

ripperj said:
Dumb question, I only need one floppy emulator for the machine right? I can use the software on the pc to format the USB drive??(no emulator on pc)
Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Right, just use the software utility on the PC to format a USB to "lobotomize" it into a 1.44Mb format. Really old machines might need the .72Mb formatting, but I've not seen that myself.

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