Creating A LIF system disk

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Hello

I am interested in all things HP but mainly test equipment and I found the forum doing a search on LIF format. I looking for someone that has a suitable old school computer that would be able to create a system disk for my HP1652B logic analyser. I can supply all the files and programming utility but don't have a computer that can do this myself. One I have the disk I can duplicate using the actual machine itself.

This is a link to my YT channel and there are links in the show notes explaining what's required

https://youtu.be/oJQNJxtMKmY

Thanks for reading and any help or advice

Regards Chris

[matthiaspaul]

(09-17-2017 08:12 AM)AllTheGearNoIdea Wrote:  I looking for someone that has a suitable old school computer that would be able to create a system disk for my HP1652B logic analyser. I can supply all the files and programming utility but don't have a computer that can do this myself. One I have the disk I can duplicate using the actual machine itself.

This is a link to my YT channel and there are links in the show notes explaining what's required

Sorry, but why don't you just describe in a few words what those requirements are instead of creating an extra hurdle for those who might be able to help you by forcing them to view (even lengthly) videos somewhere else? Mind, that not everyone might have the capability to view videos (depending on machine, OS, bandwidth, security policies, or even disabilities), or is willing to spend megabytes of bandwidth and a lot of time (23 minutes - or more, when you're on a slow connection) to view them, when a few hundred bytes of text in a forum post are all that's needed - and even in a more accessible format...

Greetings,

Matthias

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Thanks Matthias

I think anyone that read my post and has the expertise to create a HP LIF format disk will know precisely what required and my show note on my YT channel provide a step by step guide for what's required by someone that's actually done it. A picture paints a thousand word hence the link to my YT channel and show notes.

However for completeness I'm looking for someone with a suitable old computer running DOS with a 3.5 SD drive. Many old bits of HP test equipment run from a system disk this has a LIF file system rather than the later DOS system. HP have a utility that can create the
LIF format disks but this will only run on an old computer. I can provide links to the information and files for anyone that may be able to help.

My best regards Chris

[Dave Frederickson]

Hi Chris,

I have a vintage system that I use for working with Series 70 and 80 LIF discs and images. It runs LIFUTIL just fine.

I found some 1652B files here: http://www.hp1652bmanual.com/

I can make a system disc from these files or the files you have. I'll PM you my email address.

Dave

EDIT: Found a LIF image of the system disc here: http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic...=33&t=2723

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Hello Dave if you can help at all that would be brilliant I have asked lots of people on various forums but nobody has been able to help until now. I am surprised how difficult it's been given the HP1652B is quite a common machine. The link you showed is correct to the best of my knowledge and on my YT show notes there's a step by step guide by Julio if you need to know any details. I thought about trying to buy a vintage computer and having ago myself but I have heard so many different stories regarding the special disk drive requirement. I could see myself surrounded by old computer and still no system disk. I will obviously cover all your costs etc.

I will send you a PM with my contacts details.

Many thanks
My very best regards Chris

[Dave Frederickson]

Hi Chris,

As an FYI, LIFUTIL was written to run on machines from the 80's. That is, with a processor speed on the order of 16 MHz. I've discussed some aspects of LIFUTIL with Ansgar Kückes and apparently the timing of code in LIFUTIL is highly dependent on the hardware clock speed.

My system is a 400 MHz Pentium II running Windows 98 SE. The computer needs to be slowed down be either disabling the L1 cache in the BIOS setup or running a DOS utility like CACHCHK7.

Second, the floppy disc controller needs to have low-level access. Check your FDC using Dave Dunfield's TestFDC.
http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/img/index.htm

The FDC should pass the single and double density tests at 250 and 500 kbps. I bought an Adaptec 1542 off eBay which works just fine.

Dave

[AllTheGearNoIdea]

Hi Dave

Thanks for that information I will copy this to the guy that's in the UK that offered to help. I not sure if he knows what he's getting into but worth a try locally. Many thanks for the information and taking time to reply

Best regards Chris