8-Bit Software
The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library
Floppy
Disk Transfer:
OmniFlop
Last Update: Tuesday, 08 February
2005
09:20
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On This Page You Will Find |
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Overview |
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Download & Installation |
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Support |
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OmniFlop Overview
OmniFlop is a ‘universal’ floppy disk reader, writer, and tester for the IBM PC or compatible which can handle alien floppy disk formats not normally supported by DOS, Windows and Linux.
OmniFlop consists of a Windows driver plus a Wizard. The Wizard can be used without installing the driver, but only the ‘standard’ DOS formats can then be read, written or tested – none of the alien ‘extended formats’ will be available.
It runs under Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
For DOS and Windows 95 through to Windows Me, use OmniDisk
instead.
OmniFlop was written to archive aging floppies for alien
formats from other systems (e.g. BBC DFS and BBC DDOS). OmniFlop knows many
disk formats and can even work out formats if they’ve never been seen
before. Release 1.00 includes support for testing, reading, and writing
such unrecognised formats, as well as reading, writing, and formatting
the
known formats. If the results of the Test are submitted for a previously unknown
format (see support), the format
will be added to give better support, plus you’ll get a credit!
OmniFlop has been released but is still a ‘work in progress’. This means changes can be made by request.
- Read,
write, and format
Single Density*, Double Density, and High Density disks.
- Read,
write, and format
3½" and 5¼" disks.
- Read and write ‘standard’ disk image files (‘.img’).
- Read and write ‘interleaved double-sided’ images (‘.dsd’) for double-sided disks containing single-sided formats.
- Read and write single-sided format images (‘.ssd’).
- Read and write ‘Cylinder/Head/Sector’ images (‘.chs’).
- Read and write ‘Head/Cylinder/Sector’ images (‘.hcs’).
- Read and write ‘Head 0 then Head 1’ images (‘.hcs’).
- Automatic detection of formats and hardware.
- Read, write, and format IBM PC DOS formats (160kB, 180kB, 320kB, 360kB, 720kB, 800kB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB, 2.88MB).
- Read, write, and format BBC Acorn DFS 40-track and 80-track formats (100kB, 200kB, 400kB).
- Read, write, and format BBC Acorn ADFS formats (640kB, 800kB, 1600kB).
- Read, write, and format BBC Opus DDOS 80-track format (360kB, 720kB).
- Read, write, and format 640kB CP/M format.
- Read, write, and format 640kB PDOS format.
- Read, write, and format Spectrum Plus3 CP/M format.
- Read, write, and format Spectrum Miles Gordon Tech +D/Disciple format (800kB).
- Read, write, and format Atari ST DSDD format.
- Read, write, and format Amstrad CP/M format.
- Test floppy disks for compatibility with the IBM PC (including unknown formats!)
- Read and write unknown formats, including Intel 8271, WDC1770, and NEC µPD765 FDC formats.
- Easy to use – a wizard guides you through the process.
* Most modern PCs can support single density. The main difficulty in getting it to work is usually the software or the configuration of it. Don’t assume your PC can’t do single density: try OmniFlop or OmniDisk!
Some of these functions require a (free) licence. See section 2.5 of the User Guide (in the download) for more information.
OmniDisk is a Command Prompt universal disk reader, writer and formatter. It is more powerful than OmniFlop but harder to use. It can interpret certain formats to file level, and configures itself automatically to your system. It is capable of automatically reading all formats that the hardware can, even if these formats have never been seen before, or are copy-protected. [Version 0.04 of OmniFlop can also test, read, and write all such formats if uniform.] The original 16-bit version of OmniDisk runs under DOS or a DOS Command Prompt in Windows 95, 98, 98SE, or Me. The new version of OmniDisk, OmniDiskXP, runs in a Command Prompt under Windows XP, 2000, NT.
FDC is a Command Prompt disk reader, writer, and formatter. It is manually configured and you must use the correct combination of commands for your system to access disks correctly. There is no auto-configuration. FDC runs under DOS or a DOS Command Prompt in Windows 95, 98, 98SE, or Me.
The most important difference between these utilities is the Operating System(s) they work under. There is no point trying [the 16-bit version of] OmniDisk or FDC under Windows XP!
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16OmniDisk XPOmniDiskXP |
OmniFlop |
FDC |
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Configuration |
Automatic |
Automatic |
Manual |
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User Interface |
Command line (DOS box) |
Windows Wizard |
Command line (DOS only) |
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Ease of use |
Medium |
Easy |
Medium/Hard |
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Facilities under DOS |
16Disk read/write/format 16Interpretation of disk images |
Not compatible |
Disk read/write/format |
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Facilities under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me |
16Disk read/write/format Interpretation of disk images |
Not compatible |
Disk read/write/format |
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Facilities under Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP |
XPDisk read/write/format Interpretation of disk images |
Disk
read/write/format Disk test (v0.03+) |
Not compatible |
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Editing Disk Images |
Supported |
Not supported |
Not supported |
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.inf Files |
Supported |
Not supported |
Not supported |
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DFS ‘*’ Commands |
Supported |
Not supported |
Not supported |
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DDOS ‘*’ Commands |
Supported |
Not supported |
Not supported |
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Floppy Drive Types Supported (BIOS setting) |
Any - BIOS setting not used. |
5¼" 360kB (v0.04+) 3½" 720kB (v0.04+) 5¼" 1.2MB 3½" 1.44MB 3½" 2.88MB (v0.04+) |
Any - BIOS setting not used. |
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Formats Supported |
All including: All DOS formats All BBC DFS formats All BBC ADFS formats All Spectrum formats All Amstrad formats All CP/M formats All PDOS formats … plus many more … |
DOS 160kB DOS 180kB DOS 320kB DOS 320kB x 1024 DOS 360kB DOS 720kB DOS 800kB DOS 1.2MB DOS 1.44MB DOS 2.88MB BBC Acorn DFS 40-track (100kB/200kB) BBC Acorn DFS 80-track (200kB/400kB) BBC Opus DDOS (360kB/720kB) Acorn ADFS L 640kB Acorn ADFS D, D+, E, E+ 800kB Acorn ADFS F, F+ 1600kB CP/M-80 / PDOS 640kB Spectrum +3 CP/M 720kB Atari ST DSDD 720kB Amstrad CP/M 720kB Spectrum Miles Gordon Tech +D/Disciple 800kB Apple Macintosh 1.44MB high-density, HFS Volume +More NEC µPD765/7265/ 72065/72066 FDC formats ‑ including Intel 8271 and WDC1770 formats. |
DOS 180kB DOS 360kB DOS 720kB DOS 1.2MB DOS 1.44MB DOS 2.88MB (untested) BBC DFS 40-track BBC DFS 80-track Acorn ADFS L 640kB Acorn ADFS 800kB DEC RX01 DEC RX02 DEC RX50 |
Support/Enhancement |
Available |
Available |
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Status |
16v3.6 Established XPNot yet released |
v1.00 released |
v0.13 Established |
Download & Installation
OmniFlop is written for Windows NT, Windows 2000, and
Windows XP only. For DOS and Windows 95 through to Windows Me, use OmniDisk
instead. If you want to use OmniDisk under Windows 2000 and Windows XP you will
need to install OmniFlop then use OmniDiskXP.
The download contains installation instructions in Adobe ‘pdf’ format. You can read these with the free Adobe Reader at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html, if you don’t already have it installed. If you want to read them immediately on-line they are also available here.
The download contains a user guide (OmniFlop.pdf), a Windows driver (OmniFlop.inf, OmniFlop.sys), and a Wizard (OmniFlop.exe).
The Wizard can be used without installing the driver, but only the ‘standard’ DOS formats can then be read, written or tested – none of the ‘extended formats’ will be available.
Download the archive, install the driver (if you want extended format support beyond the standard DOS formats), and run the Wizard.
For help or suggestions, use the ‘Support’ contact at the bottom of this page or in the ‘About’ box from the Wizard.
Support
Use the contact address in the ‘About’ box of the Wizard, or post to the BBC Mailing List with ‘OmniDisk’ in the subject - if that doesn’t work, contact the host of this page (who will have my e-mail address).
Use the support contact – requests are welcome and are normally implemented.