Low-level floppy read?

Hi All,

We have a CNC weld robot that backs its programs up to floppy. We want to back these floppies up to the network, however, the machine seems to format the disks in some proprietary format that our OS's can't read. I've tried using:

Windows XP
Windows 2000 (both of these I tried with cmd.exe and command.com)
Windows 98
Ubuntu dapper drake, and edgy eft

And the best I've got is a prompt to format the disk:

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/9752/floppynf4.gif

Can anyone recommend some low-level floppy drive tools? Maybe I have to image the disk, and push it out onto another when needed? We just need something that works.

Thanks for any input,

Milty

 

It's very simple to create/duplicate/save the floppy image especially under Linux, using dd command. but since the file system format of the floppy is unknown (proprietary), no one can do anything.. You may try to look through the binary image of the floppy but it isn't rather helpful imho

 

i remember being able to read apple, amiga,atari,,,, disks on my ibm using copy2pc software, or it may have been the copy2pc board. had to be a text file though. it was something along the order of norton disk editor.

but it would make a workin copy of anything, except the disks with a laser hole in them.



still have the thing boxed up somewhere. only worked on floopy drives though. patched into the floopy cable

 

"We have a CNC weld robot that backs its programs up to floppy"

Is CNC still in business?. If so ask them. But you probably already have thought of that. Bazza

Check out http://www.google.com.au/search?num=20&hl=en&as_qdr=all&q="read+a+floppy"&btnG=Search&meta=

It might help. Baz

 

Hi Bazza,

CNC is an acronym standing for Computerized Numerical Controller.

 

Hi Bazza,

CNC stands for Computerized Numerical Controller, not a company name.

 

Well, a binary image sounds about like what I am after. There's no need to view/modify these programs, just to have them on something more reliable than a floppy disk. Is this done with the DD command? I'm looking at the man pages now, and don't see anything obvious.

I tried looking this up, and had to laugh... seems this program has been bought up by Symantec. HA!

The robot was manufactured by Komatsu, and yes, we've called just about every number they have. The division has been sold. We're on our own on this one.

And what's this GOOGLE thing you mention? Can you explain what it is, where I get it, and how to use it?
I don't post on MG without Googling for awhile, Baz.

 

Most of the machines, use some form or another of Unix. You may be able to check the format by reading with a Knoppix LiveCD to verify format.

 

Since it is a commercial app. $30 won't break the bank, so try this

http://www.undisker.com/disk-images.html

You can copy/save and recover the binary image to all sorts, HD, CD....

By the way the system is probably either Unix or CP/M, be useful if you could determine which.

 

Thanks, Puppywunder58, YAFAcronym to remember. Bazza

===

 

Under Linux you need to write smth like

dd if=/dev/fd0 of=myimage

'if' - is your floppy disk device name, 'of' is the name of file where your are going to save the image
to restore the image of the floppy perform reverse operation

dd of=/dev/fd0 if=myimage

actually, you may easily find manual of dd command for ex here:
http://gentoo-wiki.com/MAN_dd_1

 

Sounds good but I think you'll find the system won't recognise that theere is a file on the drive, let alone copy it. That is also the problem with plain old diskcopy. That is why the system offers to format the drive.

Perhaps I'm wrong, of course it's been known

 

dd doesn't copy specific files from floppy, it copies the whole image of the this floppy. even if the file system is unknown