KryoFlux Beta 2 Released - Apple 400K/800K Sector Dump Support

2010-02-18

We have just released KryoFlux beta 2. You can get the complete package and manual from here or just the updated “host” software from beta 1 here. KryoFlux is free for private, non-commercial use. Beta 2 adds support for sector dumps of Apple 400K/800K disks. This means we now support the vast majority of popular sector formats.

If you are new to KryoFlux, you can read more about it here, and see the info-trailer here.

KryoFlux supports dumping any floppy disk to “stream files”, which contain the raw flux transition information. It supports output of a range of common “sector dumps” to allow you to use your dumped images right away in your favourite emulator, Apple 400K/800K support being the most recent addition.

Like the sound of it? Great. Perhaps you would also like to know that KryoFlux:

  • Checks the data for sector formats to ensure data integrity.
  • Allows you to indicate the target platform even when dumping to stream files in order to still do appropriate integrity checks.
  • Allows you to dump disks to stream files and to a more emulator-friendly image formats at the same time. So for a dual format Amiga/Atari ST disk, KryoFlux can produce stream files, a .ADF and a .ST all on-the-fly while dumping the disk.
  • Allows you to use stream files dumped previously as a “virtual floppy” in order to produce sector dumps later.

A rather insane amount of work has been put into this system to resolve the ongoing issues we see in the retro-computing and preservation world. All this for the cost of building/buying the hardware detailed by our public domain / open hardware designs1).

In summary, here are the image types supported in beta 2:

  1. KryoFlux stream files
  2. CT Raw image, 84 tracks, DS, DD, 300, MFM
  3. FM sector image, 40/80+ tracks, SS/DS, DD/HD, 300, FM
  4. FM XFD, Atari 8-bit
  5. MFM sector image, 40/80+ tracks, SS/DS, DD/HD, 300, MFM
  6. MFM XFD, Atari 8-bit
  7. AmigaDOS sector image, 80+ tracks, DS, DD/HD, 300, MFM
  8. CBM DOS sector image, 35+ tracks, SS, DD, 300, GCR
  9. Apple DOS 3.2 sector image, 35+ tracks, SS, DD, 300, GCR
  10. Apple DOS 3.3+ sector image, 35+ tracks, SS, DD, 300, GCR
  11. DSK, DOS 3.3 interleave
  12. Apple DOS 400K/800K sector image, 80+ tracks, SS/DS, DD, CLV, GCR

Given that “FM sector image” and “MFM sector image” doesn’t sound very glamorous, let us just point out that due to intelligent handling, this supports basically any normal disk used for systems that contain a generic FM or MFM FDC - for example, all those weird synthesiser sample disk formats should work right out of the box!

Also, as far as we are aware, KryoFlux is the only system free for private, non-commercial use that can produce sector dumps for both Apple DOS 3.2 and 3.3 disks without interfacing to original drives and/or machines.

All this means we support pretty much any platform already: Acorn Electron, Apple, Amstrad CPC, Archimedes, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, BBC, Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, MSX, IBM PC, PC-8801, Sam Coupe, Spectrum, and many, many others.

Join the beta...

1) Hardware manufacturers: Did you just hear us say public domain hardware design? Yes you did! You can build this hardware right now and sell it with no further input from us. If you would like to sell it under our “KryoFlux” or “KryoFlux Compatible” trademarks (and you probably do, given this will get your product officially endorsed and promoted by us), no problem! You just need to obtain a license and certification - please contact us for more information.