LARKEN UTILS

[user@lab1]

Nice work, Jose.

I'm thinking of making a clone of the card "Larken", based on your work.
I read that the PCB and the wiring diagram may not correspond to 100%.
What do you recommend me to do?

Thanks.
Mic.

[Jose_Leandro]

Hi

Original PCB has some wires across all pcb and some chips over other chips. If you take the eagle files for the "most original" PCB, you will have to make those wires and put chips like original PCB.

I also include a "alternative" PCB with a reroute (no wires) and without chips over other chips. I recommend you this version.

bye

José Leandro

[user@lab1]

Hi José

I have seen the schematic in Eagle format which you have recommended, and I found some differences:
R9 is shown in the schematic as 1Kohm, in the photo is 470ohm.
R17 shown in the schematic as 468, in the photo is 470ohm.

I also wanted to ask you:
The disk drive connected to the Larken interface, it seems from the photos a common 5.25-inch PC floppy drive. It is a 360KB (DS-DD; PC-XT) or is a 1.2Mb (DS-HD; PC-AT)?
If I'm not mistaken, the Larken interface was sold with some utilities on a floppy. Can you tell me where I can find these utilities in the internet?
One last question, can you tell me in what year the interface "Larken" was released?

Thanks.
Mic.

[Jose_Leandro]

Hi

I have seen the schematic in Eagle format which you have recommended, and I found some differences:
R9 is shown in the schematic as 1Kohm, in the photo is 470ohm.
R17 shown in the schematic as 468, in the photo is 470ohm.

Thanks

I just change this little errors. I update schemes and board files

I also wanted to ask you:
The disk drive connected to the Larken interface, it seems from the photos a common 5.25-inch PC floppy drive. It is a 360KB (DS-DD; PC-XT) or is a 1.2Mb (DS-HD; PC-AT)?
If I'm not mistaken, the Larken interface was sold with some utilities on a floppy. Can you tell me where I can find these utilities in the internet?
One last question, can you tell me in what year the interface "Larken" was released?

Thanks.
Mic.

I tested the larken with 3 PC floppy drives. One 360KB 5 1/4", one 1.2M 5 1/4" and a 1.44M 3,5" and it worked with all of them.

When superfo sent me the larken , it came with some 5 1/4" disk that they only worked in the 360 KB 5 1/4". It seems to be sensitive to the type of floppy drive you use.

About the last question, sorry I don't know a lot of this interface or larken company. Indeed, superfo was the person who sent me the "Vista newsletter" where you can find the schematic.

Bye

José Leandro

[pterodactyl]

I'm preparing to start testing my TS1000 with the Larken controller connected to a 1.4MB drive. Will it be possible to format and use the entire space... there are no directories as I understand it?
if I also connect a 360K drive will I be able to copy from one to the other?

Gus can you post the utils again? I was unable to download the file.

Lou

[user@lab1]

I'm preparing to start testing my TS1000 with the Larken controller connected to a 1.4MB drive. Will it be possible to format and use the entire space...

Hi Lou,
I am very interested to your tests, but I do not think you can get the full size. The Larken format is less than 160KB single-sided, directories are not supported. Here you can find some more information: http://zx81.ordi5.free.fr/larken/
Practically, to format both sides of the disc (with a 5.25" floppy disk) you must remove the disk from the drive and turn it over, the same procedure that is used with the drive 1541 of the Commodore 64.

Anyway, let us know what results you got.

[XavSnap]

HI,

Available in the VB81 binary zip.
In the "DISKS" path… vb ressources enclosed in the same zip.

Have fun.

[Luciano]

Hi.

Do you have the LarkenUtils.rar file?

Is it possible to send me?

Thank you very much!

Regards

[XavSnap]

Hi,
Try to MP to Gus (Gustavo del Dago) to ask it…
Several files host on this forum seem dead, due to a change of host and backup issues.