Software Preservation Society
Encyclopedia
The Software Preservation Society (SPS, Softpres), formerly known as the Classic Amiga Preservation Society (CAPS), is a group of computer enthusiasts that is concentrating on finding old software disks
(mostly games
) and taking a snapshot of the disks in a format
that can be preserved for the future. The images are not made publicly available out of respect for active copyright
holders. However, contributors get the images in return for their contributions.
SPS has created a preservation solution called KryoFlux, which is a software-programmable FDC
system that runs on small ARM
-based devices that connects to a floppy disk drive and a host PC over USB. KryoFlux reads "flux transitions" from floppy disks at a very fine resolution. It can also read disks originally written with different bit cell
widths and drive speeds, with a normal fixed-speed drive.
Disk storage
Disk storage or disc storage is a general category of storage mechanisms, in which data are digitally recorded by various electronic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical methods on a surface layer deposited of one or more planar, round and rotating disks...
(mostly games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
) and taking a snapshot of the disks in a format
File format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
that can be preserved for the future. The images are not made publicly available out of respect for active copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
holders. However, contributors get the images in return for their contributions.
SPS has created a preservation solution called KryoFlux, which is a software-programmable FDC
Floppy disk controller
A floppy disk controller is a special-purpose chip and associated disk controller circuitry that directs and controls reading from and writing to a computer's floppy disk drive . This article contains concepts common to FDCs based on the NEC µPD765 and Intel 8072A or 82072A and their descendants,...
system that runs on small ARM
ARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
-based devices that connects to a floppy disk drive and a host PC over USB. KryoFlux reads "flux transitions" from floppy disks at a very fine resolution. It can also read disks originally written with different bit cell
Bit cell
A bit cell is the length of tape, the area of disc surface, or the part of an integrated circuit in which a single bit is recorded. The smaller the bit cells are, the better the storage density of the medium is....
widths and drive speeds, with a normal fixed-speed drive.