Creating image files from protected BBC disks

[THEOLDUN]

I have been converting some of my wife's BEEB educational software for use on a PC running BeebEm. I have used two methods to get data from the BBC disks into image files on the PC:<br>
1. XFER to copy the files over a serial cable from BBC to PC, followed by BBCExplorer to create the images.<br>
2. Omnidisk to create images directly, using a 1.2MB 5.25" drive in an old DOS PC.<br>
But some programs (Acornsoft's Podd is the current problem) use a pre-loader which talks directly to the disk controller chip, bypassing the DFS, in order to load data from an unconventionally formatted disk. I can look at the machine code of the pre-loader using Disc Doctor, but it is 15 years since I wrote any 6502 assembler, and I can't even remember which program I used as a disassembler! (?Gremlin.) Furthermore Disc Doctor does not read the unconventionally formatted sectors of the disk.<br>
Any suggestions, please.

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[Fraser]

Copying files over a null modem cable might get the files recorded but it isn't a true image of the original disc. If a sector based format won't suffice a more complex format such as FDI is needed. I don't think many emulators are supporting the format yet. Some spectrum ones do. I have a registered copy of disk2fdi and the necessary parallel cable and parallel pci card and a 1.2MB drive so I can potentially do some discs.

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[THEOLDUN]

Have since found an image of PODD, so the pressure is off for a while. Thanks for your suggestions.<br>


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