GPIB - IEEE-488 interface for Wang 2200 MPV for use as Hard Drive emulation? Or other disk emulation option available?

    English version (German version (google translated) below)

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    Hello All!

    A while ago i came across a youtube video thanks to http://www.wang2200.org that showed how someone managed to "push" disk images to a Wang 2200 via the Wang MOdel 2254 IEEE-488 (GPIB) interface via a normal IBM PC with an ISA GPIB card.

    I have a full Wang 2200 MVP with the floppydisk cabinet with 2 8" drives (3rd slot is blanked) and would love to get this unit a little more software to use for it. I have the digital images from the wang2200.org website, but i have every difficulty in finding a 2254 IEEE-488 interface to try it with... I have 2 Wang PC 240's with GBIP interfaces to match it with, but that is kind of hard without the interface. There was a hard drive cabinet last week, but it went for INSANE money and i simply have no room for it upstairs, let alone the weight...

    I know it's a long shot, but does anyone of you have any ideas on how to emulate either a hard drive cabinet or a 8" floppy drive so i can load some new software on it?


    Or does anyone has a 2254 interface who wants to part with it? :) I received a tip from Pyewacket via another facebook page to give a shout on this forum to Antikythera and Georg, maybe you have some brilliant ideas?

    I restored my Siemens PG machine thanks to this forum, so i try to keep track, but i do need to brush up my german :)


    Here is the link to the data sheet for the interface:
    https://www.wang2200.org/docs/…aSheet.700-4008D.3-82.pdf


    And a link to the video:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?…YZRM&ab_channel=techstory

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    German version (google translated)

    Hallo zusammen!


    Vor einiger Zeit bin ich dank http://www.wang2200.org auf ein Youtube-Video gestoßen, das zeigt, wie es jemandem gelungen ist, Disk-Images über die Wang MODel 2254 IEEE-488 (GPIB)-Schnittstelle über einen normalen IBM-PC auf einen Wang 2200 zu "pushen". eine ISA-GPIB-Karte.


    Ich habe einen vollständigen Wang 2200 MVP mit dem Diskettengehäuse mit 2 8-Zoll-Laufwerken (3. Steckplatz ist leer) und würde gerne etwas mehr Software für dieses Gerät verwenden. Ich habe die digitalen Bilder von der Website wang2200.org , aber ich habe jede Schwierigkeit, eine 2254 IEEE-488-Schnittstelle zu finden, mit der ich es ausprobieren kann... Ich habe 2 Wang PC 240 mit GBIP-Schnittstellen, aber das ist ohne die Schnittstelle ziemlich schwer. Es gab eine Festplatte Schrank letzte Woche, aber es ging für Wahnsinniges Geld und ich habe oben einfach keinen Platz dafür, geschweige denn das Gewicht...


    Ich weiß, es ist ein langer Weg, aber hat jemand von euch eine Idee, wie man entweder ein Festplattengehäuse oder ein 8-Zoll-Diskettenlaufwerk emulieren kann, damit ich neue Software darauf laden kann?


    Oder hat jemand eine 2254 Schnittstelle, die sich davon trennen möchte? :) Ich habe von Pyewacket über eine andere Facebook-Seite einen Tipp erhalten, Antikythera und Georg in diesem Forum zu grüßen, habt ihr vielleicht ein paar geniale Ideen?


    Ich habe meine Siemens PG-Maschine dank dieses Forums restauriert, also versuche ich den Überblick zu behalten, aber ich muss mein Deutsch auffrischen :)


    Hier der Link zum Datenblatt der Schnittstelle:

    https://www.wang2200.org/docs/…aSheet.700-4008D.3-82.pdf



    Und ein Link zum Video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?…YZRM&ab_channel=techstory

    2 Mal editiert, zuletzt von Shifu ()

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    Dear Sven,


    I'm sure @Goerg will be able to help.

    He built a Wang Disk Emulator based on an erduino and might even still have some circuit boards left over.

    This will let you put all the .wvd files you can find on wang2200.org on an sd card and also make your own without going through the hassle of exporting and importing through ieee488.


    Yours,

    Martin

    That would be amazing Martin!

    I'd hope so! I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to get some more life into it. At least mine came with one original boot disk so i had something to try!

    Sonny

    Well if you‘d like i can copy some disks for you until you have a more suitable option.

    I do have a 2270 and enough 8“ disks.


    What kind of software would you be looking for?


    The „real ones“ like word processing really need a disk drive to install them, but there should be quite a number of games you could use like Pacman, @martians, etc

    I have the same cabinet! only with 2 drives mounted at the moment.

    I wanted to give the MVP OS a run, but i think that either needs more disks or the disk drive. For now i think my disk either is just a system disk or the diagnostic disk.

    Thanks for the offer! but since i'm still fixing the terminal (had CRT glue rot and some components that needed fixing). At the moment i have at least some image but still very distorted, so i need to dive back into the driver board but didn't had the tools at the time. Now i have the tools, all i need is the time...

    Then justblet me know when you are ready to give it a spin and I‘ll be happy to copy some disks for you.


    The 2270 should be quite enough to boot the MVP System and then use the 2nd disk as the application disk.


    At least until you get yourself one of those disk emulators.

    Zitat von vhauffmr

    Then justblet me know when you are ready to give it a spin and I‘ll be happy to copy some disks for you.


    The 2270 should be quite enough to boot the MVP System and then use the 2nd disk as the application disk.


    At least until you get yourself one of those disk emulators.

    That is great! thank you so much! :mrgreen: i will sure do when i'm done with the terminal. Winter is coming so usually that means more evenings tinkering with electronics and more time to finish my repair projects.

    Hello Shifu,


    the Wang Disk Emulator is a simple device to use Wang Virtual Disk Images with a real machine. It is based on an Arduino Mega 2560 and emulates both Floppy Disk and Hard Disk Drives up to 8MB using the old, simple protocol. Currently it is tested with the original 2200 (A/B/C/S/T), the 2200VP and the 2200MVP.


    The disk images are stored onto a micro SD card using a standard FAT format. The number of images is only limited by the size of the SD card, but I recommend small SD cards (4GB - 16GB) with only a few files, otherwise it might become confusing. The emulator emulates two drives (F and R), so you can access two images at the same time. It is operated via a touch display (see pictures).



    The emulator replaces the real floppy drive, so it is attached to the standard disk controller (6541 compatible). All you need is a power supply connected to the Arduino's USB B connector.


    I'll send you a PM with more information how to build or obtain one.

    This look absolutely amazing! i'd love to see a PM! did you design this? incredible!