mattkubaNov 10
Ian Scott
Are you ready for #PicoIDE? It seems to be telling me it's ready. Coming soon: ATAPI optical disc emulation and IDE hard drive emulation. https://picoide.com
Nov 10 at 2:42amWeb
Show threadJoe's Computer MuseumNov 10

@polpo

All I can say about PicoIDE is this:

It's going to be the biggest thing for vintage computers.

Ever.

Take Platinum Filament, Retrobrite, BlueSCSI, PicoGUS and PicoMicroMac combined. Then multiply that by about 20.

Show threadVaneshiNov 10

@MuseumJoe @polpo

A generic IDE ODE that does audio for a not utterly insane price?

Money printer go brrrrrr.

Show threadJames MitchellNov 10
@MuseumJoe it's a big deal, but also there are already dead cheap and common devices covering the bulk storage side of the equation. Lots of niches but not like the classic Mac where BlueSCSI changed the game for bootstrapping a computer
Show threadJoe's Computer MuseumNov 10

@wotsac Right. What PicoIDE does is brings the image management of BlueSCSI into the IDE/ATAPI world. Instead of having CF cards as whole drives, you can just change images and ISOs at leisure. Backup a machine by just copying the disk image.

It's kinda a big deal.

Show threadJames MitchellNov 10
@MuseumJoe it's decidedly much nicer, but also with SD being something I can mostly pop out of a 5150 and pop into a modern laptop and moving files on to it in seconds makes up for a lot of the wasted space
Show threadAdam β™ΏNov 10
@polpo I need to find a cheaper way to get some of your stuff over to Australia.
Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@voltagex I need to find a seller there, I feel like Australia sorely needs one!
Show threadAdam β™ΏNov 10
@polpo post something here and I'll boost it.
Show threadCollin AllenNov 10
@polpo Looking forward to PicoIDE! 🀩
Show threadEssem Nov 10
@polpo oh my god hell yes
Show threadZergy  Nov 10

@polpo Look cool.
Can it emulate an optical drive and a HDD at the same time or only one decided from the time of file you selected?

I guess you need a special type of SD card to make Windows NT4/2000 running with it like it is the case with CF cards?

Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@Zergy I'm working on simultaneous emulation of HDD and optical drives – the hardware should be up to it.
It works with drive images on the SD card so NT4/2000 should be fine as long as the image size is OK.
Show threadZergy  Nov 10
@polpo Nice, thank you for the informations.
I was asking for NT4/2000 as they see standard CF card as removable medias and can only be installed on industrial CF cards, I don't know if it's the same for SD cards.
Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@Zergy Ah, I see now. The PicoIDE presents as a standard fixed hard drive, so it should work regardless of the SD card type.
Show threadGorgeous na Shock!Nov 10
@polpo I've been wanting this forever. You're the GOAT as usual.
Show thread☠ Captain Arcee ☠Nov 10
@polpo I've been wanting a device like this for years! I'm absolutely stoked and you bet your ass I signed up to get notified when it launches.
Show threadNRoach44Nov 10

@polpo oh god if we can emulate the ATA_SCE_IDENTIFY_DRIVE command for the PSX it's going to make things so much better https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps2/Hard_Drive#Security_and_authentication

What's your setup for testing / debugging / validation?

Hard Drive - PS2 Developer wiki

Playstation Development Wiki - PS5, PS4, PS3, PS2, PS1, PSP, Vita Information

Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@nroach44 Oh interesting! Looks like it would be simple to add. My setup consists of a 32-channel logic analyzer and a second PicoIDE with a special IDE analyzer firmware that can capture IDE bus activity that I then use scripts on to help play back, analyze, and compare with activity from real drives. The ATADEMO program is also invaluable for validation. http://ata-atapi.com/atademo.html
ATA-ATAPI.COM -- ATADEMO Device Testing Program

Show threadNRoach44Nov 10
@polpo I'd love to have a play with the analyser firmware if you plan to release it at some point!
Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@nroach44 once I open up the repo it will be in there!
Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@nroach44 regarding the PS2 specific commands, what needs them? I use OPL with a regular drive and it works.
Show threadNRoach44Nov 10

@polpo The PS2's HDD has those commands to identify an authentic drive, which the official drivers require, but that's easily patched out.

The PSX (the PS2 DVR) has a special drive controller that *requires* those commands to work, and uses values from that identify command to encrypt the data stored on the drive. If you swap the drive, it'll work in another machine (so key is on drive) but a disk image can only be restored to the one drive. I *know* it's ECB, but it's not been figured out yet.

Show threadNRoach44Nov 10
@polpo Without one of these drives, the PSX functions like a slim PS2, as the DVR functions (and the XMB UI) don't work at all. Naturally the drives are failing due to age, so this DRM makes everything a PITA.
Show threadDustyNov 10
@polpo a heinous abomination of genius
Show threadExxoNov 10
@polpo What a time to be alive!
Show threadPiperNov 10
@polpo Oooh exciting! I might have to pick one up (and see if I can 3D print a 5 1/4" bezel so I can put it one of my systems without removing the 3 1/2" FD)
Show threadda_habakukNov 10
@polpo great! instabuy ;)
Show threadda_habakukNov 10
@polpo only wish for usb port instead of microsd ;)
Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@da_habakuk unfortunately the USB port on the RP2350 is pretty slow. MicroSD can be much faster on it!
Show threadda_habakukNov 10
@polpo can we have normal size sdcards? im getting old!!! ;) jk its great and i want it ! :)
Show threadDekkiaNov 10

@polpo I've been tinkering with different IDE-HDD replacement options for my oscilloscope for the better part of two months now.
Nothing ever works.

I can't express how much hope I'm putting into this project.

Show threadMatthias BΓΌchseNov 10
@polpo Wow, that looks great. This isn't by any means more powerful than the system it connects to? πŸ™ƒ
Show threaddan πŸ’ΎNov 10
@polpo !!!
Show threadloebasNov 10
@polpo this is gonna be a gamechanger in the retro computing world indeed.
Great project, and great job!
Show threadTisha Tiger / NeligerNov 10
@polpo Aww that's cute! (and useful)
Show threadltningNov 10
@polpo Will you take my money already?!? :D
Show threadjordanNov 10
@polpo oooh, wondering if I can fit this inside my PlayStation 2 instead of buying one of the 3rd party SATA adapters for it
Show thread[HANDMAIDEN] xanNov 10
@polpo currently hooting and hollering for this
Show threadbitsavers.orgNov 10

@polpo

It would be great if it could support pre-LBA drives at some point

Show threadIan ScottNov 10
@bitsavers yep, it supports emulating a CHS drive with arbitrary geometry. either it can use a .vhd file with the geometry baked into it, or a raw image with the geometry set in an .ini file
Show threadroot42Nov 10
@polpo @bitsavers HDD clicker built in?
Show threadDrYakNov 10
@polpo oh, super cool! Would also open possibilities for cheap ODE (and HDD emu if applicable) in consoles and acrades with ATAPI -attached drivers! (DreamCast, original Xbox, etc.)
Show threadShineNov 10
@polpo this will be amazing for our retrogaming / game history archival nonprofit <3
Show threadJames MitchellNov 10
@polpo that is so pretty!
Show thread󠀁󠁔󠁨σ ₯󠀠󠁭󠁯󠁳󠁴󠀠󠁑tecteunNov 10
@polpo cool, would be awesome if optical disk emulation works in an original Xbox 🀩
Show threadwolrahNov 10

@tecteun @polpo Not saying it wouldn't be neat, but I'm curious what the benefit would be of an ODE for OG Xbox?

It's been about a decade since I was active in the "scene" but as far as I was aware every disc title ran fine off the hard drive with a modded BIOS, and the Xbox remains one of the easiest consoles to both soft and hard mod, if not the absolute easiest.

Mine is a v1.0 with the Thompson drive that was already dying 20 years ago but I haven't felt a need or desire to put a disc in it since I finished ripping my game collection.

Show thread󠀁󠁔󠁨σ ₯󠀠󠁭󠁯󠁳󠁴󠀠󠁑tecteunNov 11
@wolrah @polpo well, bootstrapping a new hdd, for exactly that reason, the thompson being very unreliable... (last time I tried to run a Hexen iso, it was really on its last legs). I remember using a dvd was really the only way to create a new hdd filesystem from scratch (although, that might already be possible with only a pc? idk, anyway, yesterday, it seemed like a good thing to have an ODE, preservation-wise πŸ˜† but you could be right!)
Show threadwolrahNov 11

@tecteun It's possible to do it from a PC as long as the console is already hardmodded or you have the HDD key from the EEPROM, it's also possible from the boot environments offered by fancier modchips like Xecuter3 and Xenium Ice.

Apparently these days there's an exploit called "ENDGAME" which loads purely from a memory card in the dashboard so a disc isn't even required for a softmod anymore.

Show threadKiri πŸ’ΎπŸ //nullptr::liveNov 10

@polpo This looks AWESOME. I have an old 486 with a hodgepodge of a configuration to run off CF cards and do ATAPI emulation, and this would be really cool to replace that all with.

Is it going to be possible to manually set the PIO mode? Like force it to pretend it only supports the slower modes.

Asking for a buggy 486 BIOS.

Show threadScott Small πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦Nov 11

@polpo I'm keen to try this out on my PowerMac 6500 (with it's notoriously buggy IDE implementation πŸ˜…)

I'm using a PCI SATA hard card with it right now, and while it's very fast, it only works on MacOS, and there's no image management - you're limited to partitioning with native tooling.

Curious to see how it compares to a BlueSCSI.

Show threadSimon ZerafaNov 11

@polpo

Does it support booting from CD-ROM images? πŸ˜²πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ

Show threadAbrugschNov 11
@simonzerafa @polpo If it's presenting the disc image as a standard IDE drive then I don't see why it wouldn't (provided the PC's BIOS can handle it)
Show threadSimon ZerafaNov 11

@abrugsch @polpo

Sure. Not every older BIOS can boot from an ODD.

If the BIOS can see a pre-loaded image as a drive and that information survives a warm or cold boot then it should work πŸ™‚

This is an amazingly useful feature, if you've every used a external USB ODD emulator such as the iODD drives you'll know how helpful this can be.

Show threadCarstenNov 12
@polpo can't wait!