Could anyone recommend how to connect and transfer files from a BBC B to a windows PC and back again?
I've seen this product on Ebay but was wondering how everyone else did it?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195136952277
USB File transfer
Re: USB File transfer
So many ways 
An MMC adapter will let you use an SD card; MMFS uses the BEEB,MMB container file and there are tools for manipulating that on Windows. MMFS2 uses a more FAT32 native structure.
You could just use a serial port on the PC and use a file transfer program (eg Kermit) on both ends. I _think_ that's what the cable you pointed to does; it's an FTDI or CH340 (depending) chip so shows up on the PC as a COM port.
You could make a UPURS cable ( https://www.retro-kit.co.uk/UPURS/ - hmm, the cert has expired ) which lets you do file transfers to/from floppy, or you could use that cable with my UPURSFS ROM ( https://sweh.spuddy.org/Beeb/UPURSFS/ ) which lets you treat your windows machine as a file server.
Or you could get snazzy and go down the Econet path and use the PiFS (makes a raspberry Pi into an econet server) and get the files off that.
I'm sure there's other ways
An MMC adapter will let you use an SD card; MMFS uses the BEEB,MMB container file and there are tools for manipulating that on Windows. MMFS2 uses a more FAT32 native structure.
You could just use a serial port on the PC and use a file transfer program (eg Kermit) on both ends. I _think_ that's what the cable you pointed to does; it's an FTDI or CH340 (depending) chip so shows up on the PC as a COM port.
You could make a UPURS cable ( https://www.retro-kit.co.uk/UPURS/ - hmm, the cert has expired ) which lets you do file transfers to/from floppy, or you could use that cable with my UPURSFS ROM ( https://sweh.spuddy.org/Beeb/UPURSFS/ ) which lets you treat your windows machine as a file server.
Or you could get snazzy and go down the Econet path and use the PiFS (makes a raspberry Pi into an econet server) and get the files off that.
I'm sure there's other ways
Rgds
Stephen
Stephen
Re: USB File transfer
There's also HostFS which implements a filing system by implementing the Tube protocol over a serial link, either RS232/423 or Spuddy's USB version.
Code: Select all
$ bbcbasic
PDP11 BBC BASIC IV Version 0.45
(C) Copyright J.G.Harston 1989,2005-2024
>_
Re: USB File transfer
As noted, if you’re handy with a soldering iron, make an UPURS cable, buy a USB<>RS232 adaptor, download the fully integrated UPURS rom package (or disc-based utils) and get transferring.
Re: USB File transfer
Something else to consider if what unit of information you want to transfer. Do you want to transfer a file that exists in its own right on the PC onto the BBC Micro or do you want to transfer a whole floppy image?
Kermit, already mentioned, transfers files rather than disc images and doesn't handle the file attributes that are specific to the Acorn filing systems, i.e. load and exec addresses and. for ADFS/Econet, the Acorn version of file permissions.
The various solutions that turn the PC into a file server of some kind also work at the file level - you can either work with these as the current filing system on the BBC micro, i.e. instead of DFS, and not bother with a local copy on the BBC micro, or copy between the two with something like JGH's TreeCopy command. The PiFS, UPURSFS and HostFS fit into this category and there is another one not already mentioned. Chris Morley did a bus snoop adaptor that fits on the tube port. It's primary use was to be able gather data on what the 6502 processor was doing for debugging/fault finding but it includes fast serial communication to the PC via USB and Tom Seddon has written a filing system to run over it called BeebLink IIRC.
By comparison with these, UPURS works at the disc image level, i.e. you transfer all the files on the floppy at once. The same is true to a certain extent with the likes of MMFS and MMFS2 in that all the files are inside disc images which you pick to mount on the BBC micro with *DIN. There are tools for working with disc images on the PC, either to unpack them to a native PC directory and re-pack after changes have been made or to drop and replace individual files. Some PC-based tools can generate disc images for the BBC Micro directly, for example the BeebAsm assembler can put the newly assembled file into an SSD file ready to go onto MMFS or be transerred with UPURS.
Kermit, already mentioned, transfers files rather than disc images and doesn't handle the file attributes that are specific to the Acorn filing systems, i.e. load and exec addresses and. for ADFS/Econet, the Acorn version of file permissions.
The various solutions that turn the PC into a file server of some kind also work at the file level - you can either work with these as the current filing system on the BBC micro, i.e. instead of DFS, and not bother with a local copy on the BBC micro, or copy between the two with something like JGH's TreeCopy command. The PiFS, UPURSFS and HostFS fit into this category and there is another one not already mentioned. Chris Morley did a bus snoop adaptor that fits on the tube port. It's primary use was to be able gather data on what the 6502 processor was doing for debugging/fault finding but it includes fast serial communication to the PC via USB and Tom Seddon has written a filing system to run over it called BeebLink IIRC.
By comparison with these, UPURS works at the disc image level, i.e. you transfer all the files on the floppy at once. The same is true to a certain extent with the likes of MMFS and MMFS2 in that all the files are inside disc images which you pick to mount on the BBC micro with *DIN. There are tools for working with disc images on the PC, either to unpack them to a native PC directory and re-pack after changes have been made or to drop and replace individual files. Some PC-based tools can generate disc images for the BBC Micro directly, for example the BeebAsm assembler can put the newly assembled file into an SSD file ready to go onto MMFS or be transerred with UPURS.
Re: USB File transfer
Gotek drive, but in the odd instance I need to make/read a disk, a greaseweazle attached to the pc.
Re: USB File transfer
With a working serial cable, there's also SerialFS.
But see the recent thread on preferring FTDI serial adapters over Prolific ones.
But see the recent thread on preferring FTDI serial adapters over Prolific ones.
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flaxcottage
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Re: USB File transfer
How about something really esoteric?
PC --> USB Floppy drive --> A5000 --> Econet --> BBC Micro.
Of course this way needs an Econet system, fileserver and BBC micro/Master with and Econet interface, not the usual items for most Beeb hobbyists I should think.
It is a pathway I have used for a single file, though.
Another way is to use a Datacentre on the BBC and transfer via a USB memory stick but Datacentres are not available any more.
The best way is as Daniel says - use a Gotek and USB stick.
PC --> USB Floppy drive --> A5000 --> Econet --> BBC Micro.
Of course this way needs an Econet system, fileserver and BBC micro/Master with and Econet interface, not the usual items for most Beeb hobbyists I should think.
It is a pathway I have used for a single file, though.Another way is to use a Datacentre on the BBC and transfer via a USB memory stick but Datacentres are not available any more.
The best way is as Daniel says - use a Gotek and USB stick.