How to convert raw images to Imagedisk:

edited March 2018 in Software
These are just some notes for my own reference and hopefully they might be of use to others:

Many sites such as Winworld distribute disks as raw disk images. This is generally the preferred format for standard MS-DOS disks, and is supported by many disk tools.

However, from my experience some tools have issues with the earlier 160k, 180k, and 320k formats.

Imagedisk can write a variety of DOS and non-DOS formats, and is often preferred for earlier non-DOS media. However, Imagedisk does not know directly how to use raw disk images.

To help facilitate this it includes a utility called "bin2imd". But one must specify the disk geometry manually.

The help states:
Use: BIN2IMD binary-input-file IMD-output-file [option-file] [options]
opts:   /1                      - 1-sided output
        /2                      - 2-sided output
        /C                      - write Compressed sectors
        /U                      - write Uncompressed sectors
        /V[0|1]                 - Verbose output
        C=text | @file          - image Comment
        N=#cylinders            - set Number of output cylinders
        DM[s]=0-5               - track Data Mode
        SS[s]=128-8192          - track Sector Size
        SM[s]=n[,n-n][n.#]      - track Sector numbering Map
        CM[s]=n[,n-n][n.#]      - track/sector Cylinder  Map
        HM[s]=n[,n-n][n.#]      - track/sector Head      Map

And typical usage is:

BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=<0-5> N=<40 or 80> SS=<usually 512> SM=<1>-<1-21> /2 (or /1 for single sided) C=<comment | @File&gt;

But they neglect to list the disk modes (parameter DM) in the documentation. They are as follows:

Disk Mode 0=500Khz FM
Disk Mode 1=300Khz FM
Disk Mode 2=250Khz FM
Disk Mode 3=500Khz MFM
Disk Mode 4=300Khz MFM
Disk Mode 5=250Khz MFM

Therefore the following commands will convert the standard disk formats used by the IBM PC and hardware compatibles:

160k raw to imd:
BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=5 N=40 SS=512 SM=1-8 /1

180k raw to imd:
BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=5 N=40 SS=512 SM=1-9 /1

320k raw to imd:
BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=5 N=40 SS=512 SM=1-8 /2

360k raw to imd:
BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=5 N=40 SS=512 SM=1-9 /2

1.2mb raw to imd:
BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=3 N=80 SS=512 SM=1-15 /2

720k (3.5") raw to imd:
BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=5 N=80 SS=512 SM=1-9 /2

1.44mb raw to imd:
BIN2IMD <image.img> <image.imd> DM=3 N=80 SS=512 SM=1-18 /2

It is important to note, however, that some very early non-IBM hardware compatible MS-DOS computers used various other formats not listed above.

Comments

  • I'll get this integrated into our main site pages =)
  • Wouldn't plain old DiskDump work?
  • I recommend to use PSI.EXE from PCE IBM PC 5150 emulator.

    For example : .IMA (.IMG / Standard Disk Image) --> .TD0 (Teledisk) .IMD (ImageDisk)

    psi filename.ima filename.td0

    Also you can convert normal image or other format to .psi (PCE sector Image).

    .PSI format includes a lot of disk/sector information.

    Of course .TC (TransCopy Image renamed from .IMG), or Kyroflux image must be more extensive than .psi .td0 .imd.
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