Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Update your old 720k to a 1.44 drive etc.
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Please note this section is now locked. This has been done to keep it purely as a "how to" and not an open channel for all Gotek questions.

Since people are going to want to ask questions, a new section has been created for that express purpose here:

https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 228#p40228

So if you can't find a post you may have made, please check in the new section, as all existing Gotek questions and chat from this section have been moved to the new section.

Thanks

R_J


Its come to my attention that people arrive at this post, read the first part and assume it only discusses using a TTL serial adapter for flashing a Gotek.

It doesn't, it covers the TTL serial adapter and USB A to A cable method of flashing with FlashFloppy, installation of an OLED display, and some basic instruction on how to use the software.

In order to help you find what you need, and get the most from this "how to" here is a basic index to get you to relevant parts:


1. Continue reading after this index for details of how to flash using a USB TTL serial adapter.

2. Follow this link if you want to flash using a USB A to A cable:
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 3940#p4036.

3. Follow this link for details of how to install an OLED display.
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 3940#p4087

4. Follow this link for details of how to use the software:
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... t=10#p4174

Otherwise, if you want to read on and get the whole story of both methods, then carry on, and thanks for reading :)

Remember, all of the software tools are on this thread, so you don't need to go anywhere else to get everything you need.


Enjoy!

Having received a Gotek on Friday, I sat down this weekend to install FlashFloppy firmware and test on one of my STs.

Having done so successfully, what else would I need to do. Of course! I need to share my experience with you all :D

The model I bought is marked SFRC922C on the PCB, and according to the eBay listing was a 1.44Mb device. This shouldn't matter, since we are reflashing it anyway. I previously had a gotek that came with a donated STFM, which had the HxC firmware installed & is marked SFRC922.

I've done the process on both drives and everything works absolutely fine I'm pleased to say. Obviously, this is an 'At your own risk' post, because it is possible to brick your Gotek, so be sure you want to do this before pressing on.

You'll need the following items to do this little project:

1. A Gotek drive. Kinda obvious really!
2. A PL2303HX USB To RS232 TTL Auto Converter Adapter Module (search for this on eBay). There may be issues with Win10 drivers due to variances in these USB devices, if so, use the older 3.2 drivers I've attached. I wasted hours because of driver issues, hopefully you won't!
3. STM flashing software, which I've attached to this post.
4. FlashFloppy hex file, which you can download from here: https://github.com/keirf/FlashFloppy, and I've also attached to this post, but you shold always check for the latest version on GitHub.

First things first, disassemble your Gotek, there are 3 screws on the top, and remove the PCB and display assembly. This will give you a little more room for manouvere with the connections to the header for flashing.

Next, Install the flashing software, and make sure that it can be seen by the software. If the PL2303HX USB To RS232 TTL Auto Converter Adapter Module has an exclamation mark against it in Windows device manager, try the attached drivers, they worked for me.

Once you've disassembled, locate the header, which is right in front of the power plug on the Gotek. There is a row of 2 or 3 pins, with a row of 5 pins right behind it as in this photo:
Header
Header
IMG_20180127_141856.jpg (3.92 MiB) Viewed 47254 times
You may find, as I did, that the headers aren't actually present on the board, just the holes in the PCB. If this is the case, you'll need to get some header strips and solder them in. It's a 5 minute job, so not really a problem.

You'll need to connect your PL2303HX USB To RS232 TTL Auto Converter Adapter Module as per the following diagram, making sure the flash enable pins are jumpered. You MUST connect the TX line of the PL2303HX to the RX line of the Gotek, and the TX line of the Gotek to the RX line of the PL2303HX, or it simply wont work.
USB to Serial cable
USB to Serial cable
IMG_20180127_201254.jpg (3.42 MiB) Viewed 47254 times
Header.jpg
Header.jpg (73.08 KiB) Viewed 47254 times
USB to Serial cable connected to Gotek
USB to Serial cable connected to Gotek
IMG_20180128_142554.jpg (3.21 MiB) Viewed 47254 times
Close up of connections
Close up of connections
IMG_20180128_142606.jpg (3.54 MiB) Viewed 47254 times
Now we're ready to start the fun part :D

Start the flashing software:
Flash_1.JPG
Flash_1.JPG (32.96 KiB) Viewed 47254 times
Click next to move on to the check to see if the device is readable. If not, click the 'Remove Protection' button to fix this, and you'll move on to the next part. If you get a message from the software asking you to reset the device, briefly short the 2 pins at the end of the header block, marked in green on the diagram above. That should get things going.
Flash_2.JPG
Flash_2.JPG (29.75 KiB) Viewed 47254 times
Click next.
Flash_3.JPG
Flash_3.JPG (68.72 KiB) Viewed 47254 times
Click next. On this screen, click the 'Download to device' radio button, then click the square button with 3 dots to browse to your FlashFloppy hex file, and select it. Please note that the file browser doesn't default to hex files, so you'll need to select it from the file type browser.
Flash_4.JPG
Flash_4.JPG (91.19 KiB) Viewed 47254 times
The screen will change as below. Click next.
Flash_5.JPG
Flash_5.JPG (52.33 KiB) Viewed 47254 times
Flashing will commence, you'll see the next screen when it's done.
Flash_6.JPG
Flash_6.JPG (39.67 KiB) Viewed 47254 times
Your Gotek is now running FlashFloppy!!

The next thing to do is remove all of the programming cables from the Gotek, and make sure the jumpers are as follows:
Reassembling
Reassembling
IMG_20180128_143724.jpg (3.86 MiB) Viewed 47254 times
Jumper S0 selects drive 0 for Ataris usage. You can see that the 'Flash Enable' jumper has been removed and installed on a single pin for storage.

Screw it all back together, and that's it, you're good to go. Personally I have Autoboot.HFE in the root of my USB stick, which allows you to select 000 on the Gotek display, and boot to the config program, and select what images are in which slot of the Gotek, so you can change image using the Gotek up/down buttons.

I've attached the Autoboot.HFE software too, you can also download here: http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emu ... anager.zip

For more documentation on using FlashFloppy without Autoboot.HFE, you'll need to see the FlashFloppy documentation.

I am getting anothe Gotek soon, and I'll do this process on it when it comes. I'll update when I've done that.

Incidentally, if you are struggling with the drive because it won't see your USB stick, try reformatting, and if it still fails, try a different USB stick. It could simply be an incompatibility with your device.

Good luck with your Goteks!!
Attachments
SDCard_HxC_Floppy_Emulator_Manager.zip
(546.51 KiB) Downloaded 882 times
flashfloppy_v0.9.6a.zip
(166.12 KiB) Downloaded 783 times
Win_Driver_Prolific_3_2_0_0.zip
(1.77 MiB) Downloaded 931 times
Flash.zip
(33.38 MiB) Downloaded 953 times
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
BlankVector
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:51 pm

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by BlankVector »

Great tutorial !
What's the benefit of the FlashFloppy firmware, compared to HxC (except being open source)?
Subscribe to my Vretrocomputing channel on YouTube and Facebook. Latest video: Disable the key click in assembly language on Atari ST.
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Yeah, it being open source is the main one for me, plus I understand that it offers a much wider range of compatibility, so it'll work with STs, Amiga, Amstrad etc
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by rubber_jonnie »

BTW folks, once my next Gotek arrives, I'll add the other method of flashing, using a USB a to a cable.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
tzok
Posts: 336
Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2017 2:27 pm

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by tzok »

If you have any problem with connecting the flasher with the STM32 on Gotek, you may reduce the UART speed to 57600bps. It is also better to provide more reliable power source to the Gotek than 5V output from the USB-RS232 converter board.

Oh... one more thing - stay tuned for FlashFloppy v0.9.7a as it will have a huge improvement in .ST images reading/writing speeds.

P.S.
The 128x32 DIY-MORE OLED IIC displays can work with FlashFloppy/HxC without applying software delay prior to their init. There is a mistake on their board - to correct it, you need to swap R3 and R4 resistors.
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by rubber_jonnie »

:goodpost:

Yes, good advice for sure. Part of the reason I wanted to post was to get a discussion going, so this sort of thing is great.

Also, I believe that once you have FlashFloppy installed on your Gotek, you can update simply by putting a UPD file in the root of your USB stick, which is a great way to do it.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Neffers
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2018 12:25 am
Location: West Yorks.

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by Neffers »

Thank you for this quality thread.
Resident idiot. (Qualified, got a Diploma and everything)
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To: Part Deux

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Ok folks, you'd better get your sitting chairs, and readin' eyes, it's time for part 2, how to flash a Gotek, this time using just a USB type A to A cable.

This is a much simpler process than all of the messing around with USB serial adapters and all sorts of tiny cables.

This time it was a Gotek with a PCB marked SRFC922D.

First off you'll need the following:

1. A Gotek drive. Yes, really!
2. A USB A to A cable. these are quite common, I used one for an external USB drive. Search eBay for "USB a to a" and you'll find one.
3. STM DFU flashing software, which I've attached to this post.
4. FlashFloppy hex file, which you can download from here: https://github.com/keirf/FlashFloppy, and I've also attached earlier on in this post, but you should always check for the latest version on GitHub.

Before you start, remove the Gotek PCB from it's case, it just makes life a little easier, especially if you need to solder in headers as I did, which seems a fairly common occurrence.

Header Free:
Headerless.jpg
Headerless.jpg (3.59 MiB) Viewed 47015 times
Headers soldered in:
Headered.jpg
Headered.jpg (4.28 MiB) Viewed 47015 times
Since you have the PCB in your hand, do all the jumpering:
Header_A-A.jpg
Header_A-A.jpg (48.31 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Make sure you connect the blue and red pins to each other. The blue pins enable flash mode, and the red pins enable DFU mode, which allows the USB socket to provide power to the PCB. Don't connect any other pins. Here's mine:
Jumpered.jpg
Jumpered.jpg (4.03 MiB) Viewed 47015 times
Then plug your A to A cable into the PCB:
AtoA.jpg
AtoA.jpg (3.5 MiB) Viewed 47015 times
Next, install the STM DFU software and once completed, open Device Manager on your PC before you plug in the Gotek to one of your USB ports.

Once Device Manager is open, plug the Gotek into your PC with the other end of the A to A cable.

If the device fails to install properly, you will need to locate the device in Device Manager, and double click on it. The following screen will open:
Driver_inst.jpg
Driver_inst.jpg (43.26 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Click 'Update Driver' and you'll see the following:
Driver_opts.JPG
Driver_opts.JPG (27.23 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Then click the option to browse your computer, and browse to the following location:
Driver_loc.jpg
Driver_loc.jpg (25.63 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Select the correct driver for your OS (Windows 8.1 works with Win10 BTW), make sure the tickbox to 'Include subfolders' is ticked:
Browse.JPG
Browse.JPG (37.51 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Click 'Next', and once the drivers are installed, any yellow exclamation marks in device manager will clear, and you're ready to proceed.

Next extract the FlashFloppy hex file to a location of your choosing.

You'll then need to create a DFU file from the hex file, ready to send to your Gotek.

From the start menu, open 'DFU file manager' and you'll see a screen like this:
DFU_FM_Generate.JPG
DFU_FM_Generate.JPG (20.43 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Select 'GENERATE'' and click on the 'OK' button, it will take you here:
DFU_FM_Generate_2.JPG
DFU_FM_Generate_2.JPG (34.54 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Click on the button button marked 'S19 or Hex', it'll open a file browser:
DFU_FM_Generate_3.JPG
DFU_FM_Generate_3.JPG (47.04 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Select the FlashFloppy firmware from where you extracted it to and click 'Open'. Click the 'Generate' button, and save the DFU file to a place of your choosing:
DFU_FM_Generate_4.JPG
DFU_FM_Generate_4.JPG (81.15 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Once the file has saved, you can safely close the 'DFU file manager' program.

Now start the DFuSeDemo software:
DFU_Flash_1.JPG
DFU_Flash_1.JPG (69.34 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Select 'Internal Flash' as the target, and click the 'Choose' button. When the file browser opens, select the DFU file from the location you saved it to earlier using the 'DFU file manager' software, and the 'Generate' function.
DFU_Flash_2.JPG
DFU_Flash_2.JPG (70 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Once the 'File correctly loaded' message appears, click the 'Upgrade' button to flash the Gotek. It may show a warning about the Gotek being read protected, and ask if you want to remove protection. Click 'Yes' to continue.

If you see the following or a similar message, click 'Yes' to continue.
DFU_Flash_Warning.JPG
DFU_Flash_Warning.JPG (16.5 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
Once the flashing commences, you'll get a progress bar, and once you see this, you're done:
DFU_Flash_3.JPG
DFU_Flash_3.JPG (72.39 KiB) Viewed 47015 times
And that is all you need to do. FlashFloppy is now installed on your Gotek.

Jumper S0 selects drive 0 for Ataris usage. Remove all other jumpers you installed in preparation for flashing.

Screw it all back together, and that's it, you're good to go. Personally I have Autoboot.HFE in the root of my USB stick, which allows you to select 000 on the Gotek display, and boot to the config program, and select what images are in which slot of the Gotek, so you can change image using the Gotek up/down buttons.

For more documentation on using FlashFloppy without Autoboot.HFE, you'll need to see the FlashFloppy documentation.

Incidentally, if you are struggling with the drive because it won't see your USB stick, try reformatting, and if it still fails, try a different USB stick. It could simply be an incompatibility with your device.

Good luck with your Goteks!!

Hopefully, my next section here will be how to a a small OLED display in place of the LED numeric display.
Attachments
DFuseDemo.zip
STM DFU flashing software. Unzip and install.
(12.85 MiB) Downloaded 799 times
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Happy days, just received 2 Gotek compatible OLED screens, so I'll add a screen fit to the how-to.

I cant imagine it'll take long to do :)
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Going Gotek - FlashFloppy How To

Post by rubber_jonnie »

As promised, here is the how-to for adding an OLED screen to your Gotek. FlashFloppy firmware supports OLED screens as standard, so it really is as simple as plugging the OLED display in, in place of the Gotek segmented LED display.

You'll need:

1. Your Gotek drive, with FlashFloppy firmware installed.
2. A suitable OLED screen. (search eBay for Gotek OLED IIC I2C 0.91" 128x32 white OLED LCD Display Module 3.3v 5v, the small rectangular screen with 4 connection pins, marked GND, VCC, SDA and SDL or SCK). Other screens can be used, provided they have the same connections.
3. Suitable hand tools for resizing the display hole in the Gotek case.

First off, remove the Gotek from it's case completely. The segmented LED display will just push out from the front.

Then, disconnect the display and all the connecting wires from the main PCB. Keep the wires handy, you'll re-use them in a moment.

You should now have this in your hand:
IMG_20180203_154128.jpg
IMG_20180203_154128.jpg (3.23 MiB) Viewed 46850 times
Now connect the OLED display as per the following diagram. Just follow my colour coding and you're set.
Connections.
Connections.
Gotek_OLED.png (166.44 KiB) Viewed 46850 times
You may find that you have 6 header pins, not four. In that case, use the 4 outer pins as indicated below, the pin assignments are exactly the same as if it had a 4 pin header installed.
Alt_Head.jpg
Alt_Head.jpg (244.71 KiB) Viewed 46701 times
And you should now have something that looks similar to this:
Connected.
Connected.
IMG_20180203_151034.jpg (4.57 MiB) Viewed 46850 times
Now plug in your USB stick, and connect the Gotek to power. (FDD connection isn't needed to test)
Testing.
Testing.
IMG_20180203_094436.jpg (3.85 MiB) Viewed 46850 times
Press the slot selection buttons, and the display should change to indicate the slot number, and the disk image loaded in the slot. If you're using autoboot.hfe (I'd recommend you do), and it's in the root of your USB stick, cycling to slot 000 will show autoboot.hfe as the selected image.

Now, when you put the PCB back in the case, and line up the display, you'll see the hole isn't large enough for the whole display, as below:
Hole size.
Hole size.
IMG_20180203_151202.jpg (3.39 MiB) Viewed 46850 times
So next we'll modify the case to allow the full width of the display to be visible.

Modifying the case isn't difficult, but you will need a large flat file that will fit through the unmodified hole for the original display, and a small file for tweaking later on:
Tools you'll need.
Tools you'll need.
Files.jpg (3.51 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Take your large flat file, and tape it up, so only the file edge is showing. This will help you control which parts of the hole get filed:
How to prep your flat file.
How to prep your flat file.
File.jpg (4.05 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Take the lower half of the Gotek case, and identify the internal parts that need trimming:
Prepping the case.
Prepping the case.
Prep.jpg (2.26 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Then using a pair of side cutters, trim the internal ribs away, and file any rough bits flat:
Prepping the case.
Prepping the case.
Prep_1.jpg (2.68 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Locate your display in the case, and determine by how much will to extend the hole.
Prepping the case.
Prepping the case.
Prep_2.jpg (2.23 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
In my case, the hole was 21mm wide, and I had to extend it to 27mm wide. It will depend on your display, and bear in mind, the display does not necessarily extend to the end of the PCB, so work it out very carefully, with the display powered on, so you don't make the hole too big.
Prepping the case.
Prepping the case.
Prep_3.jpg (2.61 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Use something right angled as a guide (I used an old piece of PCB!), score a line on the inside of a case as a guide for when you file.

Then using the edge of the file, file the hole down to your guide mark. The tape on the file will stop you accidentally filing other parts of the hole.
Prepping the case.
Prepping the case.
Prep4.jpg (3.3 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Once you're done filing, it should look like this:
All done.
All done.
Finished.jpg (3.88 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Next locate the display in the hole, powered on to check its in the right place, and mark the corners.
Locating the display
Locating the display
Locating.jpg (2.58 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
I then used a small blob of hot glue at each corner to keep it in place. How you retain the display is up to you, but this worked for me.
Getting the display in position.
Getting the display in position.
Locating_2.jpg (3.27 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Next I turned my attention to the tab on the case top.
Top cove tab
Top cove tab
Tab_1.jpg (2.8 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
I located the centre reinforcing rib, and trimmed the side of the tab off, as per the picture:
Tab trimmed.
Tab trimmed.
Tab_2.jpg (2.9 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
Finally reassemble everything:
Putting it all back together.
Putting it all back together.
Reassembly.jpg (3.31 MiB) Viewed 46819 times
And with the top cover back on you're ready to go!

The display will show you which slot you've selected, and the name of the image in the slot.

Good luck with your Goteks!!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Locked

Return to “FLOPPY DRIVES KITS & UPGRADES”