EDIP is a Windows program for working with Einstein disk images (.dsk files) — opening them, browsing their directory, and extracting or inserting files. This page reproduces EDIP's own "Version 1e" changelog/feature notes, reorganised under headings for readability. Original text and dated release note: EDIP VERSION 1e, 22/Jan/2011 20:55.
Disk image files are now extracted correctly to the smallest number of 128 byte records, instead of to the smallest number of 2kb blocks.
Extracted files will now have added to their extension _EDIPv1e_ plus DOS type, i.e.
myfile.txt_EDIPv1e_XTALmyfile.txt_EDIPv1e_ZDOSmyfile.txt_EDIPv1e_CPM2myfile.txt_EDIPv1e_CHECK or myfile.txt_EDIPv1e_NO_CHECKAll files extracted into the PC environment will be in MS DOS format. DOS type only indicates the original disc image's system — it will not restrict insertion of the file into a newly EDIP-created image with a different DOS type.
For an unrecognized DOS the CPM check box will not be greyed out; the user will then need to judge whether the image's DOS is of the XTAL or CPM type. If wrongly used the file will be corrupt and will not run in the Einstein or under Einstein emulation. The user should then try using the CPM check box with a different setting for extracting files.
Files extracted with the CPM box ticked will have _EDIPv1e_CHECK added to the filename extension. Unticked, _EDIPv1e_NO_CHECK will be added to the filename extension.
Files that have been deleted during Einstein run-time conditions (i.e. Einstein emulation or on the physical Einstein) will be shown prefixed with four exclamation marks in the image directory, i.e. !!!!MYFILE.XBS.
Files with the prefix "!!!!" would have been intended to be deleted by the original floppy disk owner before a disk image was made of it. In some cases the file can be extracted by EDIP to an original file make-up. Other files with the prefix "!!!!" could have had their originally allocated sectors overwritten by new files written to disk after deletion. The user must be aware that not all "!!!!" prefixed files can be salvaged. The only way to test whether "!!!!" prefixed files are not corrupt is to use them under run-time conditions.
EDIP now opens a window with a black background. When a disk image is opened, the dialogue box holding its directory will be positioned on the window.
These files use a different format in the directory of extents in the extended disk image for allocating blocks than XTAL. Previous EDIP versions did not take this fully into account — small files apparently were extracted or inserted OK for use, but larger files became corrupted. This has now been fixed.
In previous EDIP versions the CPM check box in EDIP was needed by the user when the image's O/S is known — left unchecked for Xtal systems, ticked for CP/M and ZDOS. An exception to this were blank images created and distributed with EDIP: copies of these images made with EDIP for inserting files would automatically have the check box configured and greyed out for the correct operating system.
EDIP version 1e now reads specific areas in the system tracks of an opened disk image to identify known DOSs and set the CPM check box automatically.
A new feature added since version 1d is the drive configuration shown in EDIP's disk details drop-down box, for example "Drives Configured S40 S40 S40 S40". Reading from left to right, the first "S40" means boot drive 0/A is single side 40 track format. The second, third and fourth "S40" mean drives 1/B, 2/C, 3/D are also single side 40 track format. Each drive's setting could be different, shown as S40 (single side 40 track), D40 (double side 40 track), S80 (single side 80 track), or D80 (double side 80 track).
Within the system tracks of an Einstein floppy disk, and an extended disk image made from it, there is one byte which, according to its value, will initialise disk parameter blocks and disk header blocks when loaded into RAM, to read and write up to four differently formatted floppy drives.
The Einstein computer has the ability to read and write to floppy drives configured for single side 40 track, single side 80 track, and double side 80 track. Up to four floppy drives can all be set to a different setting for sides and tracks according to the byte in the boot disk.
EDIP version 1e displays the drive configuration in the drop-down disk image details box. Example: "Drives Configured S40 S40 S40 S40" will be shown for the standard Einstein format used with the original one or two single side only, flip-over three inch floppy drives built into the Einstein TC01 when purchased.
With a mix of original single side only, flip-over three inch floppy drives for the Einstein, and modern double sided floppy drives, a boot disk could mismatch the format configuration for a particular four-drive set-up — e.g. configuring a single side only three inch drive as a double sided disk. For those new to the Einstein with a mix of drives, it is recommended that they use only disk images which configure all Einstein floppy drives to single side 40 track for creating boot disks.
Examples:
Extracts a copy of an Einstein disk image's system tracks. Twenty sectors of the first two tracks are extracted from the disk image to a file in a Windows folder. The file name will be the same as the disk image it is extracted from; the file extension will be SYS_Einstein. Example: disk image name name.dsk, extracted file name.SYS_EINSTEIN.
Extracts a file from the disk image into a Windows folder of all sectors and only sectors. Extended disk image header and track headers are excluded. The sectors are in order of the way they would be accessed by the Einstein computer — sectors are in sequence according to track-by-track order and sector ID, eliminating sector skew. The file name will be the same as the disk image it is extracted from; the file extension will be RAW_EINSTEIN. Example: disk image name name.dsk, extracted file name.RAW_EINSTEIN.
