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Using the FluxEngine client software with Applesauce hardware

The FluxEngine isn't the only project which does this; another one is the Applesauce, a proprietary but feature-rich off-the-shelf imaging device. Its native client (which is a lot better than FluxEngine) only works on OSX, so if you want to use it anywhere else, the FluxEngine client works.

The Applesauce works rather differently to the FluxEngine hardware or the Greaseweazle, so there are some caveats.

  • Rather than streaming the flux data from the device to the PC, the Applesauce has a fixed buffer in RAM used to capture a complete image of a track. This is then downloaded later. The advantage is that USB bandwidth isn't an issue; the downside is that the buffer can only hold so much data. In fact, the Applesauce can only capture 1.25 revolutions or 2.25 revolutions, nothing else. When used with the FluxEngine the capture time will be ignored apart from used to determine whether you want a 'long' or 'short' capture.

  • The current (v2) firmware only supports reading, not writing (via clients other than the official one, of course). The new (v3) firmware will support writing, but it's not out yet, so for the time being the FluxEngine client is read only.

  • You can only do synchronous reads, i.e., reads starting from the index mark.

Other than this, the FluxEngine software supports the Applesauce almost out-of-the-box --- just plug it in and nearly everything should work. The FluxEngine software will autodetect it. If you have more than one device plugged in, use --usb.serial= to specify which one you want to use.

I am aware that having software called FluxEngine and hardware called FluxEngine makes things complicated when you're not using the FluxEngine client software with a FluxEngine board, but I'm afraid it's too late to change that now. Sorry.

What works

Supported features with the Greaseweazle include:

  • simple reading of disks, seeking etc
  • erasing disks
  • hard sectored disks
  • determining disk rotation speed
  • normal IBM buses

I don't know what happens if you try to use an Apple Superdrive or a Apple II disk with FluxEngine. If you've got one, please get in touch!

What doesn't work

  • voltage measurement
  • writing

Who to contact

I want to make it clear that the FluxEngine code is not supported by the Applesauce team. If you have any problems, please contact me and not them.

In addition, the Applesauce release cycle is not synchronised to the FluxEngine release cycle, so it's possible you'll have a version of the Applesauce firmware which is not supported by FluxEngine. Hopefully, it'll detect this and complain. Again, file an issue and I'll look into it.