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SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

The Yamaha SY99 is a synthesiser combining frequency modulation synthesis (branded as Advanced FM) and sample-based synthesis (branded as Advanced Wave Memory 2) and the direct successor to Yamaha's SY77/TG77

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EX5_etc United States of America
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SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by EX5_etc »

Recently I tested a second generation USB floppy emulator that features a 3-digit LED display. It offers the ability to attach up to 999 virtual floppies to a keyboard and does not require any special software to work with. The device, model SFRM72-FU-DL, costs around $40 with fast 1-week shipping from China. There are many USB floppy emulators that look exactly the same as the SFRM72-FU-DL and they even have model numbers that start with "SFRM72" but their functionality is different. The SFRM72-FU-DL is equipped with a non-volatile 720k internal flash RAM chip. I have seen pictures of some that don't come with the chip though, especially the 1.44M version SFR1M44-FU-DL.

The emulator was tested initially with the SY85 and the 24-pin to 34-pin adapter that we developed and discussed on this forum long ago. The results were posted on the SY85 category. This thread deals with the performance of the emulator after it was installed on the SY99. Simply put, it was EXCELLENT, something I cannot claim about its performance with the SY85.

A few years ago I tested a first generation 720k USB emulator (2-digit LED display) with the SY85 and the SY99. The process to make that device work with the two keyboards was described in these threads:

http://www.yamahaforums.co.uk/forum/vie ... =55&t=5723
http://www.yamahaforums.co.uk/forum/vie ... =56&t=5716

The conclusion of those tests? The SY99 was much easier to work with than the SY85 when both were equipped with the same emulator. Guess what, that's the case with the second generation emulator that is reviewed here.

You will not be able to see any pictures in those two threads (as well as ALL of my other threads on the forum) because the account that I had with a certain ISP was closed and thus all the pictures are gone. In addition those threads are old and I cannot edit them anymore. If the admins have a way to restore the picture links and store my pictures on the forum server I'll be glad to send them to them.

The emulator I tested came with a software CD that should be tossed away for various reasons: the software is old, stolen and mostly useless, not to mention that some of it is in Chinese and Win7 here in the USA cannot translate the menus. Even the instructions can be confusing as to how the whole scheme works. Basically the ebay seller that sold the emulator to me had no idea about the item he was selling. Nothing is new about this of course but at least he was very polite.

You connect the emulator to the SY99 through the 26-to-34 pin adapter that we have discussed in some other thread of the forum years ago. Then you use one jumper only, S1, that "selects" drive B according to the original specifications of the IBM floppy drive interface. "M0", "S0", "JA", "JB", "JC" and "J5" are left open. I know that everybody suggests to use jumper "JA" for the "/READY" signal but the 26-to-34 adapter does not require the use of that jumper.

You will need a USB stick with a capacity of 2GB. Anything bigger is unnecessary because 1000 x 720k = 1000 x 0.7MB = 700MB (or 1.4GB if you use the 1.44M emulator). I have been told that you may be able to attach a USB card reader to the emulator and use a CF card with it but I did not test that option yet. You must use your Win7 (or WinXP) machine to format the stick in FAT (meaning FAT16) or FAT32 and as soon as this step is over you create folders on the stick labeled as "001", "002", "003", ..., "999", without the quotes. You don't have to have 999 of them, only as many as you wish and they do not have to be in consecutive order. I went from "005" to "512", "555" and "991". I only had 8 folders on the stick.

What about "000" that pissed me off greatly until I finally understood what was going on with it? "000" is the root directory. If you create a "000" folder on the stick and access it with the emulator, your 2GB stick will suddenly turn into a 720k one. If that happens you can format it as a 2GB with the v123_sfd utility that comes on the CD or it can be downloaded from various sites on the web. The v123_sfd utility works only on WinXP and older operating systems. There is also a newer version of that utility on the CD, UFloppyManager v2.0, that runs on Win7. So the CD is not completely useless but if things are done right nobody should have to use it.

When you are done with the creation of folders you start filling them up with files for the SY99. Anything above 720k per folder will be ignored by the emulator, simply because its on-board flash RAM chip is limited to 720k.

To load data to the SY99
Turn on the synthesizer but do not plug in the stick yet. DO NOT FORMAT the virtual disk using the disk menu of the SY99. By means of the two buttons of the emulator, select the folder you wish to access. Left button is for decades, right for units, both for hundreds. Plug in the stick and press the RIGHT button. The display will show "d0" for 5-6 seconds. It means that the data from the folder you chose on the stick is copied to the internal 720k flash RAM chip. As soon as the process is finished you can use the SY99 to load the data from the virtual disk. If you want to load data from a different folder you must remove the USB stick from the emulator and repeat the process all over again. One solution to the required stick removal could be to install a push-on/push-off switch and cut the D+ line of the USB connector from the emulator board. This is something I'll check out in the future. Every time I cycled the power to the SY99 I was able to access the data of the emulator's 720k flash memory. It's non-volatile as I mentioned.

To save data from the SY99
Turn on the synthesizer (if it's off) but do not plug in the stick yet. Using the two buttons of the emulator, select the folder you wish to store data to, up to 720k only. Plug in the stick and press the LEFT button. The display will show "d2" for 5-6 seconds. It means that the data from the SY99 virtual disk inside the emulator (the flash RAM chip) is copied to the folder you chose on the USB stick. Anything saved by the SY99 using the save command is actually saved on the emulator's RAM, not on the stick. You can repeat the "save" process without having to remove the stick from the emulator. If you wish to store the SY99 data on a different folder you must remove the stick and repeat the selection process explained here without cycling the power. So, why did I say to avoid formatting the virtual disk? Because if you do you will be able to use that virtual disk with the SY99 but the emulator won't copy it on the stick.

Another neat future of this emulator is that it allows you to create folders on the go, without using your computer. Assume that you are not sure if one of the folders is empty and instead you want to store your SY99 data to a new folder that does not exist on the USB stick. By means of the two buttons of the emulator, choose the folder you wish to create, say 703. Plug in the stick and press the LEFT button. The display will show "d2" for 5-6 seconds. In this case the emulator creates a new folder named "703" and copies the contents of the flash RAM to it. Your PC will be able to access and read the data as you would normally do. It's that simple.

No software is needed and the only drawback at this point is the required removal of the stick in order to change the working folder. A small price to pay for not having to deal with specialized software, I would say.

My emulator came with only one LED and only one hole for that LED above the folder selection buttons. After I opened the emulator I found inside a second 2-color LED. Naturally I drilled a second hole on the faceplate and now I have two LEDs working. The original one shows when the synth is accessing the emulator's RAM, while the second LED shows when the emulator is accessing the USB stick. Please note that some of the second generation USB floppy emulators come without the second LED installed. The only way to know is to open the one you buy and check it out.

I plan to buy one more of these emulators to install it on my QX5FD sequencer but I need an adapter to go from 34-pin Shugart (QX5FD) to 34-pin IBM (emulator). I'll post the results after I have a working adapter.

DrF
Last edited by EX5_etc on Fri Apr 11, 2014 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yamaha: Motif XF6, SY99, SY85, QS300, PSR1000, WX5, EX5R, A5000, TX802, TG500, TG55, RM50, QY700, QY100, QY10, QX5FD, MDF3, MJC8, MFC10, EMX2, YDP2006, REV500, EMP700, EQ500U, MCS2, AW16G, YMM2
Korg: KingKorg, MicroArranger, MicroKorg S
Behringer: DeepMind 12, DeepMind 12D, Crave
Roland: Integra-7, Boutique D-05 (portable D50)
Controllers: Axiom Pro 49, Axiom Pro 25, AKAI Pro Advance 49, AKAI MPK miniplus, Arturia KeyLab mkII 61, Arturia Keystep 37, Novation 25SL Mk2
NI: Maschine 2
... and a few other things by Behringer, Evolution, Philips, Tascam, Technical Pro, Yamaha, etc, etc. I wish I had the time to use all this stuff; I am not even pro. :-)
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by Miks »

** WOW ** - This is excellent news !!
My (key related) gear (in alphabetical order):
Ferrofish: B4000+
Kawai: K1 II
Korg: M1 (up'd to EX, w/ 'Cool Blue'), M1REX (w/ 'Cool Blue'), Poly-800
Roland: D-50, D-110, D-550, PG-1000
Yamaha: AW1600, DX7IID (w/ 'Cool Blue'), EX5R, RM50, RX5, SY99 (w/ 'Cool Blue'), TG500, TX-802, YMM2
Sector101: SYEMB05 (5x), SYEMB06 (3x), EXFLM2 (1kit), MCD Sweet16 (1x), DataBlade32 (1x), WaveBlade 8MB Card (1x) & 1x Programmer Unit for WaveBlade
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by EX5_etc »

I decided to upgrade the latest USB floppy emulator in order to make it easier to use with the SY99. None of these upgrades are required as I have already explained, the emulator works fine right out of the box. While I was working on the upgrades I discovered that online claims about this emulator using USB card readers are false. None worked in my tests. In addition the "UFloppyManager v2.0" utility included on the CD does not function properly under Win7 but it works fine under WinXP.

The attached pictures show the upgrades as well as various points of interest inside the box. The first picture shows how the emulator looked when it came from China. Then the second LED was pushed out and finally two buttons were added. In detail:

(A) and (G): When the emulator arrived there were two jumpers set at "JA" and "S0", while the plastic bag contained an additional two for configurations that require up to four jumpers. I removed all of them and set only one at "S1" because that's what the SY99 uses through the 26-to-36 adapter.

(B): the internally connected 2-color LED that flashes when the emulator is accessing the USB stick. The only way to use it, is to drill the proper size hole on the faceplate, very carefully bend the pins and then push it through the hole. Too much pressure on the pins may damage the board.

(C): the flash RAM chip, SST25VF016B. It has a 2MB capacity and it is interfaced via SPI to the MPU. The same chip is used in some versions of the SFR1M44-FU-DL. It is limited to 720k or 1.44M by the firmware of the emulator.

(D): the point where the magic of not having to remove the USB stick, in order to choose a folder, happens. R1 is a 22-ohm surface mount resistor that connects the D+ data line of the USB connector to the MPU. If that line is cut the MPU thinks that the stick was removed. I used a fine tip on the soldering iron to remove the tiny resistor; a big tip can damage the tiny solder pads due to excessive heat. In place of the resistor I added a series combination of a switch and a 47-ohm resistor, because I did not have a 22-ohm one in my parts box. The switch I used is a dual pole push-on/push-off but only a single pole is required. That simple modification allows me to leave the stick on the emulator until I have to use a PC to transfer data to/from it. The button of that switch is red.

(E): the area below the two original buttons that select "units", "decades" and "hundreds" if pressed together. I do not like to use two fingers when I "give the finger" to something or someone, so I added a dual pole momentary switch to make things easier. Pad "E3" is for units, "E2" is for decades and "E1" is the common (ground) point. One pole is connected between E1 and E2 and the second pole between E1 and E3. Both poles are activated at the same time by pushing the black button, thus simulating a simultaneous push of the two original buttons. I chose the color to match the two originals. The two switches were soldered on a little "L" board I made and mounted on the box after I opened two nice big holes on the faceplate.

(F): the mounting screw of the little "L" board. I made a conical hole and used a conical screw to avoid having anything protrude from the flat bottom surface. Attention to the detail is a must in my life, that's why I am never happy.

The last picture shows everything put in place inside the emulator's case. It works like a charm and I hope to enjoy it for a very long time since I don't have to use software to partition the stick. Well, up to the point when some WinOS stops supporting FAT16. The emulator may be able to work with FAT32 but I have yet to check on this. Maybe someone else will.

DrF
Attachments
Picture of upgraded emulator
Picture of upgraded emulator
Picture of upgraded emulator
Picture of upgraded emulator
Picture of upgraded emulator
Picture of upgraded emulator
Picture of upgraded emulator
Picture of upgraded emulator
Yamaha: Motif XF6, SY99, SY85, QS300, PSR1000, WX5, EX5R, A5000, TX802, TG500, TG55, RM50, QY700, QY100, QY10, QX5FD, MDF3, MJC8, MFC10, EMX2, YDP2006, REV500, EMP700, EQ500U, MCS2, AW16G, YMM2
Korg: KingKorg, MicroArranger, MicroKorg S
Behringer: DeepMind 12, DeepMind 12D, Crave
Roland: Integra-7, Boutique D-05 (portable D50)
Controllers: Axiom Pro 49, Axiom Pro 25, AKAI Pro Advance 49, AKAI MPK miniplus, Arturia KeyLab mkII 61, Arturia Keystep 37, Novation 25SL Mk2
NI: Maschine 2
... and a few other things by Behringer, Evolution, Philips, Tascam, Technical Pro, Yamaha, etc, etc. I wish I had the time to use all this stuff; I am not even pro. :-)
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by Miks »

Excellent work DrF, and an excellent description of what steps you've taken to make it work 'like it should' ((i))

Now I think I have to get one of these... :mrgreen:
My (key related) gear (in alphabetical order):
Ferrofish: B4000+
Kawai: K1 II
Korg: M1 (up'd to EX, w/ 'Cool Blue'), M1REX (w/ 'Cool Blue'), Poly-800
Roland: D-50, D-110, D-550, PG-1000
Yamaha: AW1600, DX7IID (w/ 'Cool Blue'), EX5R, RM50, RX5, SY99 (w/ 'Cool Blue'), TG500, TX-802, YMM2
Sector101: SYEMB05 (5x), SYEMB06 (3x), EXFLM2 (1kit), MCD Sweet16 (1x), DataBlade32 (1x), WaveBlade 8MB Card (1x) & 1x Programmer Unit for WaveBlade
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by EX5_etc »

Miks wrote:Excellent work DrF, and an excellent description of what steps you've taken to make it work 'like it should' ((i))
Thanks Miks. I am glad to report that I tested the new emulator by using a FAT32 formatted stick and everything worked fine. So, we are good to go for many years. I have updated the first post with the new information. I think I'll buy one more of these babies and two SFR1M44-FU-DL to replace the older emulators I use in other instruments. The least I depend on software to do my job the better it is.

DrF

Update on Aug 3, 2014: I made a mask that can be attached with tape on the faceplate of the emulator and then used for drilling of the additional 3 holes. You can print it, align the existing holes and drill. Remember, you measure twice and you drill once. After it is done it cannot be undone.
Attachments
A mask for drilling on the emulator
A mask for drilling on the emulator
Mask.jpg (7.38 KiB) Viewed 16604 times
Last edited by EX5_etc on Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yamaha: Motif XF6, SY99, SY85, QS300, PSR1000, WX5, EX5R, A5000, TX802, TG500, TG55, RM50, QY700, QY100, QY10, QX5FD, MDF3, MJC8, MFC10, EMX2, YDP2006, REV500, EMP700, EQ500U, MCS2, AW16G, YMM2
Korg: KingKorg, MicroArranger, MicroKorg S
Behringer: DeepMind 12, DeepMind 12D, Crave
Roland: Integra-7, Boutique D-05 (portable D50)
Controllers: Axiom Pro 49, Axiom Pro 25, AKAI Pro Advance 49, AKAI MPK miniplus, Arturia KeyLab mkII 61, Arturia Keystep 37, Novation 25SL Mk2
NI: Maschine 2
... and a few other things by Behringer, Evolution, Philips, Tascam, Technical Pro, Yamaha, etc, etc. I wish I had the time to use all this stuff; I am not even pro. :-)
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by Derek »

Useful info, thanks. I'm not too fussed about the SY99 floppy disk mind, as I have sy.factory and MIDI :)
Regards
Derek Cook

http://www.carregddu.co.uk
http://www.echoes-music.co.uk
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by db7 »

Nice to see this infinitely superior – a.k.a. not entirely un-user-friendly ;) – firmware has finally been cloned enough that it’s appreciably available and affordable. No one should have to keep an XP machine around solely because pirates do not pirate efficiently enough :P

AfaIk, this folder-based firmware was only previously available in emulators such as the considerably more expensive one that I previously published for the SY99/77 – http://www.yamahaforums.co.uk/forum/vie ... =55&t=6230 – and that was the prior version, supporting only 99 disks. I doubt I’ll bother replacing that as I barely use the drive and would have to create an adaptor, unlike my one which shipped with the lines already mapped properly (due to being for a 26-pin embroidery machine, albeit with one or two solder bridges needing broken on the PCB). Also, mine is already black, whereas these are only available in beige, so I would also have to swap their cases. ;) That one also already had the red button and extra LED installed.

Speaking of which, DrF, did you not deliberately remove the disk-swapping button from at least one of your previous emulators? What happened to change your opinion of it? ;)

I found an SFRM1M44-FU-DL – which are available in black – a month or two back and replaced it into my venerable QY700, where it works perfectly (once you figure out how that weird button-pushing system works!). And I never even considered different versions of FAT, so that has worked admirably with my workhorse 8 GB and hence FAT32 stick from the beginning.

I wonder whether the 1M44 can be converted to a 720 kB emulator, and the converse, by altering some jumper or suchlike on the board. Jammie a.k.a. jhulk mentioned on the 99/77 group on Facebook that he thought this would be possible for at least some types of emulator. But I never heard anything back about whether or not his tests worked. DrF or someone else with the necessary reverse-engineering smarts might be able to confirm or deny the proposition.

Anyway, thanks as always for your diligence and sharing your results, DrF.
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by EX5_etc »

Well, you know me, I am cheap when it comes to buying upgrades that have not been tested before. I did not want to spend the big bucks and waited until the price of the newer emulators dropped.

So, to answer some questions... In the previous version the firmware of the emulator and the SY99 worked perfectly well together. I did not have to do anything else than press buttons if I wanted to change the virtual drive number. This emulator however does not allow the user to change the virtual drive number unless the USB stick is removed. That is why I had to install the red button on this emulator. In previous versions the red button was controlling the "S1 - select B" signal on the 34-pin interface. Here it disconnects the USB stick.

You are right about the color but I chose not to paint this one. If the two original buttons were different in color (white or beige) I would have done it.

As for the SFRM1M44-FU-DL, your question may have already been answered. We have this thread that made me think about buying the latest emulator that I bought:
http://www.yamahaforums.co.uk/forum/vie ... =56&t=7091

Unfortunately member "nib" did not explain everything on that thread, as to why he put the switch there, how he connected it, why the jumpers had to be the way they were, etc, etc. He was too busy perhaps to stick around and cover all the details, I do not know. He used the SFRM1M44-FU-DL in 720k mode or at least that is my impression by reading his thread, but his 24-to-36 adapter for the SY85 is not the one we developed here a few years back.

I do plan to buy two SFRM1M44-FU-DL units, one for the QY700 and one for the PSR1000. Of course I'll have to retire or use the older emulators on something else. Which makes the ones I want to eventually upgrade to, cost double their current price. In other words, it appears that in the end I did pay full price anyway. :D

DrF
Yamaha: Motif XF6, SY99, SY85, QS300, PSR1000, WX5, EX5R, A5000, TX802, TG500, TG55, RM50, QY700, QY100, QY10, QX5FD, MDF3, MJC8, MFC10, EMX2, YDP2006, REV500, EMP700, EQ500U, MCS2, AW16G, YMM2
Korg: KingKorg, MicroArranger, MicroKorg S
Behringer: DeepMind 12, DeepMind 12D, Crave
Roland: Integra-7, Boutique D-05 (portable D50)
Controllers: Axiom Pro 49, Axiom Pro 25, AKAI Pro Advance 49, AKAI MPK miniplus, Arturia KeyLab mkII 61, Arturia Keystep 37, Novation 25SL Mk2
NI: Maschine 2
... and a few other things by Behringer, Evolution, Philips, Tascam, Technical Pro, Yamaha, etc, etc. I wish I had the time to use all this stuff; I am not even pro. :-)
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by dogufo »

Hello,

I bought this emulator from ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/181407270261?ss ... 1423.l2649

but the seller sent me SFR1M44-FU instead, and no cable. :roll:

can I still install it in my SY77? Any solution?

and for the flat ribbon cable adapter 34 to 26 pin, do you please have any suggestion of where I can buy it?

Thanks from Italy! :P
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by EX5_etc »

Hi dogufo.

If the seller sent no cable you can simply open a case with paypal and claim that the emulator is useless due to the adapter that is missing. The seller should pay to get his emulator back and he should be banned for selling crap to innocent buyers. I would also say that you should not have paid all that money for the emulator. There are cheaper devices on ebay that work better.

In any case the only picture I can post is the table that shows the connections of the adapter that you need. There was never a picture of the actual adapter posted nor there will ever be one. The adapter is inside the SY99 and the synth has been in storage for the last two months and it will stay in storage for a few more months. Even if it was not in storage I would not open it to take a picture of the adapter and send it to anyone to see it. I have my reasons for doing so. My adapter was sold many years ago on ebay but I do not make them anymore. The second picture I attached shows the adapter with the kit I sold on ebay. I have seen threads (on the SY99 area, not the SY77 area) of other users that discuss adapters they made in the past. Maybe someone around here can make one for you.

The letters NC in the attached picture mean No Connection. The small triangle on the connectors points to pin 1. You only need one 26-pin IDC connector, one 34-pin IDC connector, one 4-pin floppy drive power connector with leads, about 30cm of 26-wire ribbon cable and the proper tool to clamp the IDC connectors. Someone who works with electronics and especially on projects with microprocessors should be able to make an adapter for you. As for the SFR1M44-FU, I have no idea if it will work or not. The other thread I have mentioned may contain some information about your emulator.

DrF
Attachments
SY99_adapt.JPG
SY99kit.jpg
Yamaha: Motif XF6, SY99, SY85, QS300, PSR1000, WX5, EX5R, A5000, TX802, TG500, TG55, RM50, QY700, QY100, QY10, QX5FD, MDF3, MJC8, MFC10, EMX2, YDP2006, REV500, EMP700, EQ500U, MCS2, AW16G, YMM2
Korg: KingKorg, MicroArranger, MicroKorg S
Behringer: DeepMind 12, DeepMind 12D, Crave
Roland: Integra-7, Boutique D-05 (portable D50)
Controllers: Axiom Pro 49, Axiom Pro 25, AKAI Pro Advance 49, AKAI MPK miniplus, Arturia KeyLab mkII 61, Arturia Keystep 37, Novation 25SL Mk2
NI: Maschine 2
... and a few other things by Behringer, Evolution, Philips, Tascam, Technical Pro, Yamaha, etc, etc. I wish I had the time to use all this stuff; I am not even pro. :-)
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by HeavyNova »

Great project! ((i)) Just a couple logistical questions. The USB emulator is limited to reading folders smaller than 720KB (out of a necessary hardware limitation) for it to be able to communicate with internal SY99 architecture, I understand that much. So how is it a 999 disk emulator? I see that it has a 3-digit display and that you can create 999 folders on it, but 998 must be empty except for one at a time, right? (assuming you are saving 720KB of data into a folder on the emulator) I love the idea of storing 999 disks onto a 2GB memory stick for the sheer convenience and portability of it and the concept that this could all be saved onto the emulator at once. But, in the end, why would you need the capacity to create 998 folders on the emulator when you can only save and access 1 folder at a time? I have never tried fabricating my own cable or worked with ribbon-cable adapters before. It does not look difficult if I could source the adapter and trust my own capacity to press it into place without severing the lines or breaking the plastic adapter. To be clear, you only have to purchase one 34-pin adapter to modify one end of an emulator supplied cable because the 26-pin connector plugs directly into the USB emulator, right? All in all, a great project I'd love to delve into when I have the time or when I have to crack open the SY99 for maintenance or other work.. How much faster are your load times compared to the old floppy drive? Did you shorten the supplied emulator ribbon cable to make it the ideal length for the SY99 retrofit? "Solid-state" solutions such as these are always the way to go when performing an upgrade or repair, so much more reliable than moving parts which will all eventually stop working.. Finally, is it available in black? 8O Please say yes.
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by EX5_etc »

Hi HeavyNova.

The answer to almost all of your questions is the word "emulation" and what it actually means. If I want to put it in a simple and easy to understand way, I would say that an emulator is a device that works exactly like the old device it replaces except for the fact that it uses modern technology to achieve this. "Exactly" means in every aspect or in almost every aspect.

Take for instance the old floppy drive of the SY99 or any other keyboard. Back then they used the 720k version because it was cheaper or more widespread than others. You had the ability to access only ONE floppy disk at the time, the one that was inserted in the drive. You could not speed up the data access simply because the floppy controller inside the synth was made to function at a very specific speed. Even if you later replaced the 720k drive with a 1.4M drive your data speed was the same as far as the SY99 goes.

So, THAT is exactly what the USB emulator does now. It allows you to access only one folder at a time, or put it in another way, only one virtual disk at a time. In the original drive you would eject the disk and replace it with a new one if you had to read/save something from another disk. That is what you do now, you virtually eject the disk using the process I described above. The difference is that instead of having a pile of 999 disks, you have all of them stored in one USB stick. You can have all these folders on it and they can be either full, partially full or empty, your choice.

The emulator is not faster than the original floppy drive. I think some tests I did with a different version of the emulator a few years back showed a speed gain of about 10%. Can it be faster? Yes it can, because its speed is controlled by the firmware. Do we want it to be faster? No, because the floppy controller inside the SY99 does not know how to read/write faster and if we increase the speed we will have errors.

As for the cable adapter that you need... The emulator works exactly as the original drive it replaces. Hence it comes with a 34-pin IDC connector, the same one you see in any original 1.4M floppy drive. The SY99 uses a 26-pin floppy connector. You have a few choices to work this problem out. I used one 26-pin connector, one 34-pin connector, one foot of 26-wire ribbon cable and a 4-pin power connector to make my own adapter. You could get an original 34-wire cable with two 34-pin connectors attached to it, cut one of them and then try to re-wire the thin wires to a 26-pin connector and a power connector. Or you could do the same with an original 26-wire cable with two 26-pin connectors and then try to re-wire it to a 34-pin connector.

Last, I have only seen the gray version of it. I have no idea if a black one exists.

I hope this helps and if anyone else has any suggestions feel free to contribute them. That's what we are here for.

DrF
Yamaha: Motif XF6, SY99, SY85, QS300, PSR1000, WX5, EX5R, A5000, TX802, TG500, TG55, RM50, QY700, QY100, QY10, QX5FD, MDF3, MJC8, MFC10, EMX2, YDP2006, REV500, EMP700, EQ500U, MCS2, AW16G, YMM2
Korg: KingKorg, MicroArranger, MicroKorg S
Behringer: DeepMind 12, DeepMind 12D, Crave
Roland: Integra-7, Boutique D-05 (portable D50)
Controllers: Axiom Pro 49, Axiom Pro 25, AKAI Pro Advance 49, AKAI MPK miniplus, Arturia KeyLab mkII 61, Arturia Keystep 37, Novation 25SL Mk2
NI: Maschine 2
... and a few other things by Behringer, Evolution, Philips, Tascam, Technical Pro, Yamaha, etc, etc. I wish I had the time to use all this stuff; I am not even pro. :-)
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HeavyNova
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by HeavyNova »

Thanks for the informative post. Is it possible to re-use the original 26-wire SY99 floppy ribbon cable and just modify the opposite end to accommodate a 34-pin connector? Then I would just need to purchase and adapt a 34-pin connector and fabricate a 4-pin power connector, not too difficult. :lol:
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EX5_etc United States of America
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by EX5_etc »

It is possible to modify the original cable as long as you do not mix any wires because some serious damage can occur. I would also recommend that you press the top locking part of the 36-pin IDC connector once, using the proper tool or a small vise. If you try that with a pair of pliers you can damage the pins, the wires, etc.The top plastic part of the IDC connector is not made to take pressure at a small area only, it must be pressed all at once. Note that pin 1 is shown with a small arrow. Try using some tape to keep the wires together before you press them into the connector. It's not difficult as long as you are careful.

If you do make an adapter cable it is advisable to check with a multimeter for shorts as well as for proper connectivity between pins of the two sides before you connect it to the keyboard.

Good luck.
DrF
Yamaha: Motif XF6, SY99, SY85, QS300, PSR1000, WX5, EX5R, A5000, TX802, TG500, TG55, RM50, QY700, QY100, QY10, QX5FD, MDF3, MJC8, MFC10, EMX2, YDP2006, REV500, EMP700, EQ500U, MCS2, AW16G, YMM2
Korg: KingKorg, MicroArranger, MicroKorg S
Behringer: DeepMind 12, DeepMind 12D, Crave
Roland: Integra-7, Boutique D-05 (portable D50)
Controllers: Axiom Pro 49, Axiom Pro 25, AKAI Pro Advance 49, AKAI MPK miniplus, Arturia KeyLab mkII 61, Arturia Keystep 37, Novation 25SL Mk2
NI: Maschine 2
... and a few other things by Behringer, Evolution, Philips, Tascam, Technical Pro, Yamaha, etc, etc. I wish I had the time to use all this stuff; I am not even pro. :-)
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HeavyNova
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Re: SY99: the 999-disk USB emulator (no software needed)

Unread post by HeavyNova »

Thanks. I will be sure to use a vice carefully if I attempt this at home. I may also try and surf the internet to see if i can find a company that fabricates/sells custom cables according to customer specs..Also, how long is the ideal length of this cable?

Also, kind of a dumb question because I haven't yet opened up the SY99 to see for myself, but does the original floppy drive utilize the 4-pin power connector? Did you simply re-use an existing power connector? If not, how do you know specifically which size/shape connector to get? Is there a name (or spec) for this exact type of connector? Or does any readily available 'generic' 4-pin connector work for this application? Also, if a connector like this wasn't originally supplied within the SY, where does it plug into?
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