Backing up Famicom Disks with MGD1, 3206 or 7201 drive?

[RGB_Gamer]

All the Famicom Disk System images I see are in .fds format. But the way I will be backing up and restoring Famicom Disk System games with my MGD1 with FDS drive and MGD2PC cable.

My question is, will this method require that the .fds files be converted or edited in some way? I have a 3206 FDS drive, so will I be able to write to disks? Or do I need some sort of modification and/or 7201 drive? My 3206 currently (with copy master and my Venus Game Saver) can copy from original disk to pirated disk, pirated disk to pirated disk, but not from original to original nor pirated to original.

[kyuusaku]

Yes.

No.

Yes, both.

Bullshit, all disks are the same.

This is all on Tototek...

[RGB_Gamer]

Yes.

No.

Yes, both.

Bullshit, all disks are the same.

This is all on Tototek...

I didn't' see any info on converting or editing .fds to work with the MGD1 setup. My 3206 drive was modded to write disks (found that out from Ki, Tom's friend).

[rbudrick]

Wait, your 3206 has a mod board already in it? It may have the power board mod that all FDS drives need to write, but already having the write mod board in it is quite rare.

-Rob

[RGB_Gamer]

Wait, your 3206 has a mod board already in it? It may have the power board mod that all FDS drives need to write, but already having the write mod board in it is quite rare.

-Rob

I got it from gamedoctorhk.com and the claimed it had the write function mod. I am able to use copy master to write from disk to disk. I cracked it open and yes, looks like the power mod was done.

[rbudrick]

Wait, your 3206 has a mod board already in it? It may have the power board mod that all FDS drives need to write, but already having the write mod board in it is quite rare.

-Rob

I got it from gamedoctorhk.com and the claimed it had the write function mod. I am able to use copy master to write from disk to disk. I cracked it open and yes, looks like the power mod was done.

Well sure, it has to have to power mod, but is there an additional write-mod board installed that connects to the disk module?

-Rob

[RGB_Gamer]

I will crack it open again and look, but what am I looking for this time?

[rbudrick]

I will crack it open again and look, but what am I looking for this time?

There should be a couple of wires coming off of the disk module itself leading to an obviously homemade circuit. You can't miss it, I would guess.

-Rob

[RGB_Gamer]

I will crack it open again and look, but what am I looking for this time?

There should be a couple of wires coming off of the disk module itself leading to an obviously homemade circuit. You can't miss it, I would guess.

-Rob

Is this what you are talking about:



I am still trying to figure out how to write .fds images with an MGD1. I looked at an MGD format FDS image and .fds image and though saw some differences, I have no idea how to make the .fds images work with my MGD1. I will however start dumping my original FDS games to MGD1 format.

[kyuusaku]

No, he means the few integrated circuits necessary to restore the write signal to the 3206. The wire is a necessary mod for even the 7201...

[yagababa]

the thread on tototek is long, but what i dont understand is that, 1. can read and write fds images to and from a pc, but you cant use other images that are not read from your own diskette? why is this?

[RGB_Gamer]

the thread on tototek is long, but what i dont understand is that, 1. can read and write fds images to and from a pc, but you cant use other images that are not read from your own diskette? why is this?

I don't know about using images not reading from your own disks, but seems most FDS disks are backed up anyways, so really no need to back up your own disks.

To write .fds images to your FDS disks, you need an FDS to PC cable (atatches to your PC's parallel port on one end, and to your FDS drive on the other).

There is a separate cable for sending .fds images to the FDS RAM adapter, which eliminates the need for disks.

[kyuusaku]

If you just want free games, the PowerPak can emulate the FDS more reliably than the FDSLoadr and doesn't require a dedicated computer.

FDSLoadr will make FDS images that will run in emulators/PowerPak but it's not a reliable writing method, I haven't heard of anyone getting it to work besides the author. This format is not suitable for archival because it's missing low level data essential for error detection and comparing raw dumps. Modifying it for true dumps/proper writing is just a matter of updating the PC software.

MGD will make FDS images that will not run in emulators because they're a modified raw disk dump, but they can be reliably written back to disk. The MGD's dumps are ALSO not suitable for archival because while they are in the low level format, they've been "touched up" by the MGD locally; error detection is stripped/recalculated during transfer, redundant sync data is removed, the header is "fixed" according to what the MGD detects and everything it decides is not a file is stripped.

[yagababa]

If you just want free games, the PowerPak can emulate the FDS more reliably than the FDSLoadr and doesn't require a dedicated computer.

Then the only thing missing is a powerpak for the famicom

- yaga

[MottZilla]

What would be the point in that? NES systems are cheap. If you really want to use the PowerPAK on a Famicom you can use one of a million adapters for playing NES games on a Famicom.