For STM32 based floppy emulators like the GOTEK, there is a nominal charge (about $12US at the time of this writing) for the new bootloader. The HxC2001 firmware itself is free, but to install it on non-HxC2001 hardware, it requires a special bootloader. Upgrade Process Step 1 - Purchase an STM32 Bootloader from the HxC2001 project. Here are some pictures of the parts I used (click for larger version): (1) 0.91" OLED 128x32 Display (optional) (eBay search here)Įven if you don't have any of these on hand, if you shop carefully, you can get the parts for $35US or less. (1) 1 header jumper (you can borrow this from one of the other headers on the GOTEK during programming) (1) 4-pin header strip (eBay search here) (1) 5-pin header strip (eBay search here) (1) USB-to-serial adapter with 3.3V output (eBay search here) (1) GOTEK Floppy Drive Emulator (eBay search here) You can find the "official" instructions here. To illustrate the steps for someone trying this for the first time (and to add a few tips and suggestions), I've put together this step-by-step guide. The HxC2001 website provides fairly clear instructions on how to upgrade a GOTEK floppy drive emulator to use HxC2001 firmware. With a few simple steps, you can convert a very inexpensive (<$30US) GOTEK emulator into a retro-floppy emulator with excellent compatibility for older machines. The good news is that the HxC2001 project has ported their excellent firmware to the GOTEK floppy emulator. This is a problem for using it in older computers that expect a Shugart-style floppy interface unless you're willing to do some custom cabling. The interface it presents to the computer is IBM-compatible only.
It works, but the firmware is much more limited and the software to install images is less than user-friendly.
Recently, GOTEK has created a less expensive but less capable unit sold on eBay and Amazon. HxC2001 is quite capable, but can also be quite expensive per drive (upwards of $100US per unit). Over time support for different drive types and floppy image formats has been added. To address this problem for his Atari ST, Jean-Fancois Del Niro created HxC2001, which is a hardware-based floppy drive emulator. Finding working 8" or 5.25" floppy drives is becoming increasingly difficult. Machines from this period commonly have 8" or 5.25" floppy drives. I enjoy collecting older computers, particularly ones from the mid-to-late `70s through the early `80s that run CP/M. Upgrading the GOTEK Floppy Drive Emulator
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