Welcome to the WarpCopy64 home.



Introduction

WarpCopy64 is an attemp to utilize the RR-Net for high speed disk image transfer. Instead of using standard protocols like FTP or HTTP it uses it's own protocol which allows highest transfer speeds and proper error handling which makes it the perfect tool for mass transferring. It currently is the fastest way of reading/writing disk images from/to real 1541 hardware, and you don't even need any special cable or 1541 modification.





How to use?

Usage is very simple: Simply connect your RR-Net to your LAN and start the C64 server program. On the PC side you have to start the client executable, the rest is pretty much self explaining:

Read Image: Read a disk image from a 1541 or 1581 compatible drive.
Next Image: Like "Read Image" but this one will auto-generate new filenames.
Write Image: Write a disk image to a 1541 or 1581 compatible drive.
Directory: Read the directory of the currently inserted disk.
Export: Export the selected files from a C64 drive.
Delete: Delete the selected files.
Validate: Validate a disk.
Format: Format a disk. Disk name and ID will be auto-generated.
Send Server: Send the server to C64 via CodeNet.

You might need to change the IP adress to suit your network.
Please keep in mind that writing only works on formatted disks.


Error handling

WarpCopy64 has a very simple way of showing errors in the disk images. Every sector is shown as a square, the color of the square gives you information about errors:

Green: Ok, no error detected.
Yellow: Soft error, sometimes can be fixed by retries (WarpCopy64 will retry automatically)
Red: Hard error, unfixable (sector is completely missing or unreadable)
Black: Sector not read yet or packets lost (may happen on busy networks)


Speed

Some WarpCopy speed measurements (D64 reading):

Drive	Mode	Time	Factor
1541	Warp	0:22	25x
1541	Jiffy DOS	4:39	2x
1541	Normal	9:18	1x
1581	Jiffy DOS	9:09	3x
1581	Normal	28:11	1x

Reading a D64 image is typically done within 22 seconds. This is the limit of the IEC bus, so without adding a parallel cable it is impossible to gain much more speed.

Access to non-1541 devices is considerably slower. Reading a 1581 disk image takes almost 30 minutes with normal Commodore serial routines. If you have Jiffy DOS this time will reduce to 9 minutes.


Problems

It seems that the RR-Net does not work on plastic C128D's for unknown reasons.


History

V0.6 (7.10.05):

Added: Fast D64 reading is now also available when the server runs on a NTSC C64.

V0.5 (6.10.05):

Changed: A missing sector will now cause a "no sync" error if the whole track consists of missing sectors.
Changed: Missing sectors due to lost network packets will now be re-read.
Bug fix: Modified the timing of the fast write routines. Now they should work on C128DCR aswell.

V0.4 (18.9.05):

Bug fix: The "Next Image"-button didn't generate new filenames.
Changed: The client now checks if a disk image file already exists.
Changed: During image reading and writing the client will now display the filename of the disk image.
Added: The "Send Server"-button can be used to send the server to the C64 via CodeNet.
Added: The client will now store it's settings.

V0.3c (15.9.05):

Bug fix: Fixed a bug in the D64-write drive code which limited it to device number 8.
Change: The client now opens it's message boxes as child windows.

V0.3b (14.9.05):

Bug fix: Removed a possible access fault.

V0.3 (14.9.05):

Massive changes, too many to name them all. Here a list of a few new features:
- Images from 1581 disks
- Directory display
- Writing of files (just drop files to the WarpCopy window)
- Reading of files
- Deleting of files
- Validate option
- Format option
- Configurable device number
- Disabling of fast 1541 routines in case of compability problems
- Aborting of error retry or slow image reading
- Improved error handling
- C64 server now checks for preconfigured MAC adress (CodeNet compability issue)
- Fixed some problems with the track/sector display
- Fixed a bug in the error retry routine which could cause corrupt disk images

V0.2 (16.4.05):

Bug fix: Repaired the D64-write drive code. Now the write incompabilities between WarpCopy written disks and normal 1541 format should be gone.
Changed: Interleave during writing of tracks 1 to 17 is now 4 instead of 3. This limits the maximum transfer speed, but the whole speed is now a bit more network slowdown proof.

V0.1 (5.3.05):

Initial release


Download

WarpCopy64 V0.6, Windows 32


Links

Individual Computers, get your Retro Replay and RR-Net here.



Last change on 7/10/2005. For comments contact Graham.