BBC Model B Internal Compact Flash Hard Drive Kit
with 2GB CF Card
For the BBC Model B - with printed install guide
This is a Buy-It-Now sale for a New Compact Flash ADFS type Hard Drive kit, specifically catered towards the BBC Model B.
NOTE - There is a BIG caveat using this system on a Model B, please read below and make sure you understand before purchasing! Any questions, please ask.
The kit is a tried and tested IDE version of the ADFS Winchester system, and is fully compatible with software that uses one. It comes with dozens of software titles loaded ready to go via a menu system, and you can add more either by directly copying from a disk drive or GOTEK to the ADFS system, or via PC tools such as ADFS explorer.
The advantage of the CF system is it's fully ADFS compliant, and is the same system that was used with my DataCentre. This means that DataCentre images are fully compatible, as are other .DAT hard drive images you may find on the net, or use with BeebEm and the like.
If you also have a Raspberry Pi CoProcessor fitted, then the CF system adds a whole heap of extra features. It can be set up as a Level 3 Econet File Server (with Econet hardware added to the machine), as boot drive for the DOS core of the RPi CoProcessor, or to run DOOM...which is included on the CF card on this system.
The kit is easy to install, and doesn't require any soldering, but it does require cutting two of the power cables going to the motherboard, and splicing in the power connector for the Interface card. A set of "chock block" connectors are supplied for this purpose, and you will need a small flatblade screwdriver for installing it. You can route the 1MHz cable under the motherboard if you wish, or you can run it above.
An ADFS 1.33 ROM comes with it as well as 4 mounting posts, to stick the adapter to the lid of the Model B (Note the photo shows it installed in a Master, but it goes in the same place on the lid on a Model B, I will update this photo when I get a chance). You can also fit it into a small project box if you wanted to. There is also a leaflet describing the install process (please forgive me though this is a work in progress, so anything that is unclear, please message to ask!), and a DVD of utilities and other software and interesting Beeb related videos.
Although the photos show a 1GB card, the kits in this listing all now come with a 2GB one. Because the BBC Micro and ADFS are both 8 bit based, and IDE and CF cards are all 16 bit, you can only use half the stated capacity, so they format to 2 partitions of 512MB(ish) each as Drive :0 and Drive :1. You'll struggle to fill even one partition of that size on a Beeb, let alone two!
CAVEAT - PLEASE READ!
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For the Model B, there is one big caveat you need to keep in mind - memory! As the Model B only has 32K as standard, the filing systems, including ADFS takes up a chunk of that as workspace. If ADFS 1.33 is fitted on it's own, PAGE is pushed up to &1D00, and with an 8271 or 1770 DFS it goes higher to &1F00. This will annoy the majority of games you try to load from the system via the CF menu preloaded onto the card. Some will work, but most will crash. This issue is not solely down to this system, it also affected the original SCSI Winchester drives, so is just part of how the system was originally designed by Acorn.
The fix for this is to load ADFS 1.32 into Sideways RAM. Of course, this means you actually NEED some sideways RAM in your system, but this can be purchased as simple plug and play modules, upgrade boards, or can be fitted yourself for the sake of a few pounds, and a bit of tinkering on the motherboard. I can supply both the RAM chip, to give you an extra 32K RAM, and a Combination ROM, that allows you to load in both ADFS 1.32 and 1.33 into that Sideways RAM when needed. You can contact me regarding this at the point of sale if it's something you feel like doing yourself, the instructions are on my website. The ADFS 1.32 image is on the DVD, or can be downloaded from the net, or sent to you separately.
This memory issue does not occur however when using a Second Processor, like the PiCoPro, or even a standard Cheese Wedges. Things like Executive Elite, DOOM, Level 3 File Server, and all the usual Second Processor software will still load just fine when using ADFS 1.33 in ROM on a Model B. Please bear all this in mind when fitting this kit.
This kit was designed for use with the Model B only. Whilst it will physically work on a Master 128, they use a different CF Image and ADFS version, as well as a different power cable. I have separate kits for the Master, please see my other listings.
Any questions, please ask!
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