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OT: Sharp PC-1600 Cassette Files - Printable Version

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OT: Sharp PC-1600 Cassette Files - Bill (Smithville, NJ) - 03-18-2012

Soory for the Off Topic subject, but I know there are a few Sharp PC fans here. I've been playing a lot with my 1600, and have been storing files to memory modules as ram files. Yesterday, I tested the memory module batteries and realized that they were several years old and starting to get weak. I've used a rs-232 cable to save basic files to the PC. But haven't been too successful saving binary files to the PC.

Today I was successful in using the Cassette/printer interface to copy the bimary files to a PC. Not a real fast method, but it does work.

I notice that the PC-1600 writes the cassette file in short bursts (about 5 seconds writing, then pause and then write amother few seconds, etc.). I could hear the relay click on/off between each write. Looks like it's writing in fixed blocks. This is totally different from the PC-1500, whoich writes a continuous file. This makes the wav file about double the size and it takes about twice as long to write or read.

I wonder why they changed it to this method. I don't see what the advantge would be. The relay gets heavy use and a cassette recorder would be starting and stopping a lot for large files.

Bill