Use CP/M diskettes in your IBM PC
SuperCopy is a program that allows you to read floppy disks written on foreign computer types or write floppy disks for foreign computer types.
SuperCopy, user's manual, July 1988
SuperCopy is a program of the company Generics from Karlsruhe, Germany. The later copyright holder was the company ComFood Software GmbH. This company sold the program until the year 2000. But ... the liquidation is finished. The company has been deleted (commercial register notice dated 30.12.2009). But you can still access the old websites in the WayBack Machine: COMFOOD SOFTWARE GMBH.
The version 3.35 from 1988 is one of the first. The file SELECT.DAT contains only about 180 CP/M formats. The later version 3.40 from 1991 already contains about 300 CP/M formats and about 400 formats in 2000. The program probably exists since about 1986.
SuperCopy has a similar structure to UniForm. First a device driver must be installed (CONFIG.SYS). Then you can select the appropriate format with the program SELECT.EXE. SuperCopy has the advantage over UniForm that for example for drive A: (D:) and drive B: (E:) two 'different' formats can be selected. Both formats are then available at the same time!
You can copy a file with the DOS command COPY from a 'DEC Rainbow' floppy directly to a 'Kaypro 4' floppy. This does not work with UniForm-PC, 22Disk, or PC-Alien.
Note, the SELECT.EXE version is 3.10 but the data formats (SELECT.DAT) and device drivers are version 3.35.
The installation is very simple and takes a maximum of 10 minutes. With the program INFO.EXE you can display the installed formats.
File access (COPY, DIR, TYPE, ...) is just as easy as with UniForm-PC. SuperCopy, like UniForm-PC, supports many popular 'US' CP/M formats. But also a lot of CP/M formats of german companies like BASF, DeTeWe, Kontron, Olympia, Eurocom, Prof-80, Siemens and others, see below. SuperCopy is therefore absolutely recommended for the German retro computer scene.
### Update 20.06.2020: On my IBM 5160 test system with a CompatiCard IV I connected my 8 inch NEC FD1165-FQ as (only) drive A:. I installed it in CONFIG.SYS with the option -R28 (2 = 96tpi; 8 = 8 inch) and finally set it up as "SS SD 26/128 CP/M drive" with the command „SELECT -LD IBM3740“.
Here are the parameters for the IBM 3740 (SS SD 26/128). ###
A little curiosity
I formatted a floppy with the IBM3740 format; SuperCopy drive D:. Then I called Norton „DI D:“ and see there it worked! This is a CP/M floppy and DI is a DOS program! All parameters are correct. This must be caused by the driver CDRIVE.SYS.
The format-file SELECT.DAT
The format of the format file SELECT.DAT is quite well known. The structure can be followed in this assembler file (german/de).
Dr. Juliane Hehl (Hans Hehl) has written a BASIC program (DISKLOOP.BAS) for her interpreter HEBAS86, with which you can read the desired format from the file SELECT.DAT and 'print' to display, file or printer. I have tested the program, it works fine with the HEBAS86 interpreter.
Here is an example of the DEC Rainbow format (no 44).
Documents
- User's manual: SuperCopy, July 1986
- User's manual: SuperCopy, July 1988
- Supported floppy disk formats. Version 3.40 (1991) with 313 CP/M formats!
Software
- Dr. Juliane Hehl (formerly Dr. Hans Hehl):
- HEBAS86 Interpreter for DOS: HEBAS86.COM (direct download link)
- DISKLOOP.BAS: DISKLOOP.PDF (direct download link)
It's hard to believe, in 1996 the full version cost about 1.000 DM (500 EUR).
An excerpt from the internet presence of 1996!
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Lieferumfang:
SuperCopy gibt es in der preiswerten Grundversion
mit 4 CP/M-Formaten der eigenen Wahl als
SuperCopy mini CP/M für 299 DM
oder das Gesamtprogramm als
Supercopy Profi mit allen ca. 300 CP/M Formaten
und allen MS-DOS Formaten, KOS-Treiber, dem
AUTOCPM-Treiber und PC-tar 1.07 für 998 DM
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Scope of delivery:
SuperCopy is available in the inexpensive basic version
with 4 CP/M formats of your choice as
SuperCopy mini CP/M for 299 DM
or the entire program as a
Supercopy Profi with all approx. 300 CP/M formats
and all MS-DOS formats, KOS driver, the AUTOCPM driver
and PC-tar 1.07 for 998 DM
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