Floppy Drive Emulation

[diegoparrilla]

Feature Description:

A significant addition would be the emulation of Atari ST floppy drives. This feature will provide an even more genuine and authentic retro computing experience for users by allowing them to load, save, and run software just as they would with a physical floppy disk.

Proposed Implementation:

1. Floppy Disk Image Loading:

   • Allow users to load .ST or .MSA floppy disk images from the microSD card or via a Wi-Fi connection.

2. Drive Selection & Management:

   • Provide options for users to select which virtual drive (A or B) they wish to insert the disk image into.
   • Offer disk eject and disk swap functionalities.

3. User Interface Enhancements:

   • Add relevant options and functionalities in the SIDECART.TOS application to manage the emulated floppy drives.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Retro Experience: By adding floppy drive emulation, SidecarT can provide an even deeper dive into the world of Atari ST, enhancing the retro experience.

• Broader Software Accessibility: Users can access a wider range of Atari ST software that was originally distributed on floppy disks.

• Preservation: Aids in the preservation of floppy-based software and games, ensuring they remain accessible.

Conclusion:

The addition of floppy drive emulation will augment the capabilities of SidecarT, making it an even more comprehensive solution for Atari ST enthusiasts. This feature is in line with SidecarT's mission to bridge the gap between genuine tactile retro computing experiences and modern emulation features.

[diegoparrilla]

The Atari ST driver code repo created here: https://github.com/diegoparrilla/atarist-sidecart-floppy-emulator

[diegoparrilla]

Implement a write to the disk