USIfAC II (Amstrad CPC USB Hard Disk)
Description: USB hard disk for Amstrad CPC 464/664//6128
Creator: ikonsgr
Basic Features:
- Use any PC USB as your Amstrad storage device
- AMSDOS and PARADOS ROM emulation
- 765 Floppy Disk Controller emulation,
- Loading speeds of up to ~30kb/sec (6-7 times faster than a floppy disk drive)
- Load/Write DSK images and Load SNA snapshot files
- RSX commands to copy files from/to floppy disks, transfer DSK images, and quick format disks
- Built-in Reset & Pause buttons
Extra Functions:
- A small utility to type ASCII/txt files on-screen (type.zip). Run TYPE.BAS, give the file name. Use any key to pause text, and press again to unpause
- A utility (disk2image.zip) for creating disk images from old Floppy disks. Just extract the zip file to a USB stick and run "disk2img.bas". You will be asked to give a disk image name (you can use the included TEMP.DSK or any other standard DATA format DSK image). For the root directory, you should also add a '/' in front of the name, e.g.: '/TEMP.DSK', but if you use a folder, you don't need to add '/'. The utility can transfer only standard "data format" floppy disks (40 tracks with 9sectors/track, 512 bytes/sector)
- CPCLoad utility that offers an easy batch extraction of files from DSK images
- A Dsk manager for easy mounting images manually, to the 4 available slots (Multi_dsk_manager.zip)
- Basic loader creator utility (cpc_loader.zip) for creating small Basic loaders for your games/programs, and making the loading process much easier:
Basic RSX commands
- |HELP which gives you a short description of all RSX commands supported
- |HELP,2 and |HELP,3 for more commands
- RUN"FM -Note that the below function requires the File_Manager.zip extracted into the USB (there is a link at the end)
- Left-right arrows for changing pages
- Up/Down arrows for seeking file/dir names on each page
- <Return> for taking action: If the selected name is a directory it will move into it, if it's a "DSK" image it will give you a catalog of the disk image(CPC6128/664) or it will reset (CPC464) and then you can access image by giving "CAT".Finally, if it's a file, it will try to execute it
- <SPACE> Moves up a directory, if you are inside a subfolder you can also use "." or ".." at the top of the first page.
- - |USB to enable USB host module (with firmware _2d and newer, this required only once, after initial power up)
- - |CAT to get a catalog of the root directory
- - |CD,"dir" to change directory to "dir"
- - |CDR for moving up to the directory
- - |CAT,1 Get a list of DSK images
- - |MG, for placing DSK images to Data Slot 1 and |MG2, |MG3, |MG4, for placing DSK images to Data Slots 2,3,4 -You need the file Multi_dsk_manager.zip to use this function, check the link at the end
- Place the files into the USB as explained in the Readme inside the Multi_dsk_manager.zip
- Type "|USB" and RUN"NC.BAS". After finishing using the DSK image manager, reset Amstrad using the USIfAC II reset button. You can now switch between DSK images to all 4 Slots using the "dsk_swap" button on USIfAC II board
- - |SMG shows active Data Slots
- - |MD, to create folder
- - |DEL, delete files
- - |DELD, delete folder
- - |EXT,'name' for extracting .DSK images to USB as files
- - |COPY, "XXX" for copying all files starting from "XXX" from the USB to the floppy disk
- - |DSK,'name' for copying .DSK images to floppy disks
- - |FORMAT for quick formatting floppy disks
- - RUN"NAME" of the BAS/BIN file, exactly like you do when using a floppy disk
For Amsdos dsk image access:
- - |DOS,1, for Selecting AMSDOS Emulation
- - |USB to enable USB host module
- - |MG,"name" to select the image file you want to use
- - |FDC, to enable Floppy Disk Controller emulation (|DIS to disable) -From now on, any CAT, LOAD, RUN, SAVE command will access the disk image -by giving the "|FDC" command, FDC emulation will be disabled and CAT, LOAD, RUN, SAVE commands will access the USB flash drive again
For Parados dsk image access:
- - |DOS,2, for Selecting PARADOS Emulation
- - |464 Amstrad will reset, and then you can access the PARADOS .DSK image using CAT, LOAD, RUN, and SAVE commands.
Note that RSX commands can't be used in this mode of operation until you RESET Amstrad again.
Extra Commands for communications
- |TYPE, 'FILE' -Displays ASCII text files
- Serial port speed (|SET)
- Wifi/Bluetooth Modules (|WiFi, |COM)
- |WF for connecting via WiFi and |WF,1 for configuring the WiFi
- |TER for the Terminal Utility
- Show status of Interface (|STAT)
Built-in Games
- - |KGOR
- - |PACMAN
- - |GALA
LINKS FOR USIFAC USERS
FILES FOR EXTRA FUNCTIONS
Find all the necessary files in DropBox (by the developer) here:
■ USIFAC 2 For Amstrad CPC
BinaryValue.com Blog (2024)