Is there an existing internal card that fits to an internal slot that allows selecting an image off of a USB or CF card (DOS 3.3 and ProDOS) and mount that to D1 or D2 on that slot in a ][. ][+, or //e?
I own a Floppy Emu, and I own a BOOTI, but what I would like, is an internal card that gives an on-screen (Apple II display) list of disk images, allows you to select one, and mount it to one of the two drives. As the CFFA3K is out of production, and no-one has seemingly picked up production of a new version, what else exists?
I do not want something with an external display for selecting the disk image, nor something with a pitifully small cap on images. I would like to load a few hundred images on one device and be able to easily select them, as the CFFA3K allowed.
If nothing like this exiss, I feel that something like it should exist. Perhaps a version of the Floppy Emu HW that installs into a slot with an on-screen image selection menu. Anything like that would be grand, although it might need a firmware interrupt to change the image at any time with a key combo.
I purchased the ReActiveMicro Drive/Turbo for II, II+, IIe, and IIgs from ReActiveMicro.com. It's very easy to use with ProDOS. According to the documentation, DOS 3.3 support is provided through the use of a program called DOS.MASTER (preloaded on CF Card). You'll probably want to contact the vendor for more information on this. If you can afford the external connector, I highly recommend it. That will be my next purchase. opening the case cover each time is a pain.
I've been working with Eric Neilson via email on getting my non-CFFA card to support CPM. You can read more about his success with the CFFA card and CPM at:
https://planemo.org/2020/06/18/bootable-cp-m-system-on-the-cffa3000-compact-flash-hd-for-the-apple-ii/
I have only been successful in having my card support CPM via a file that he provided to me via a email with a link in it. That image worked. I've been trying to find out why the instructions on his aforementioend website fail at one step on my non-CFFA card when I follow his instructions. But his image I downloaded worked great. It's going to take some file comparions digging into to see what is going on onmy system.
Good luck!
Reading about the RM card, it would seem it is more of a ProDOS hard drive emulator (with some kind of work around for DOS3.3). I could be wrong though, I just skimmed the page. I don't think that meets the desires outlined. It sounds like he wants something more like what the Floppy Emu can handle (almost any disk image format), but internally with a nice menu through the computer.
I would also like something similar, but hat can handle lower level functions like formatting a blank too. The FE chokes if it's given a format command. Write support for NIB and WOZ would be nice too. If thats even possible. I thought I read WOZ by nature was meant to be mainly read only. But I'm not overly familiar with the format to speak to it.
I own one of those, too. I'll re-examine the docs for DOS 3.3 format options, but it is not a Disk ][ emulator.
Supporting .nib and .woz 1 and 2 formats does not sound especially difficult to add once you support .dsk, .po &c.
The most difficult part would be reserving memory space for an interrupt screen where you can change the loaded image. IDK how that'd be mapped, but it'd need to be entirely on-card to bankswitch in and out of current memory.
This would likely also need an external interrupt button, and would work similar to old cracking cards.
Ian kim makes a great option for what your looking for https://www.ebay.com/itm/SD-DISK-Plus-FDD-HDD-Emulator-for-APPLE-e-and-IIgs/283604690830?hash=item420828278e:g:pZsAAOSwbZpe0jhs http://apple2.net/
I have heard of this before, but I have never once seen one in use.
' All disk images can be replaceable while power ON APPLE][ by terminal command and LCD dial.'
Reading that seems to indicate that it needs an external display to select the disk image. I'm unsure if that is only to change it once you have boted one, or if you need it to select one at any given time. I'm not even sure what this LCD dial is supposed to be.