I run a computer service business. One of my clients is a machinist. He owns a JAPAX JAPT 3F Wire EDM. He uses it in conjunction with a JAPAX E-JAPT computer, on which he inputs the calculations needed for cutting the parts. The computer uses two 5.25" floppy drives. You must insert two separate floppies in order to use this computer.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I assume the computer has a ROM containing some sort of CMOS, which then loads a small OS off of the first floppy. It then proceeds to load a program off of the second floppy with which you set your calculations. Is my assumption correct, or at least somewhat close? I saw the unit in action, so therefore I am able to do some guesswork concerning how it works.
After my client finishes entering his calculations, he saves them onto a cassette tape (the drive is built into the E-JAPT computer). He then ejects the tape and places into another tape drive in the wire EDM machine. The machine then reads the information and performs the cutting.
My client has the problem, that one of the floppy disks is malfunctioning. He was able to borrow another floppy from a friend, but obviously must return it once he's finished cutting. He asked me if I could copy his friend's floppy onto another disk. I have a 5.25" drive in one of my old PC's, however I can't access the data. It must be written in a file format that neither MS-DOS nor Windows can read.
Q 1) Does anyone know how these disks can be accessed and copied? Can it be done with a regular PC? Is there a program, emulator or other operating system that I can use to access the data and make copies?
Q 2) If one of the floppy drives in the E-JAPT breaks, which type of drive can be used to replace it? This machine is about 25 years old from what I can tell.
Q 3) Can the E-JAPT be replaced by a regular PC running a compatible software and / or operating system?
Q 4) Are there more modern applications that can be used to make the necessary calculations and transfer them over to the EDM machine? Even if the software runs under MS-DOS, it's already MUCH easier for me to set up and service. Again, if the E-JAPT breaks, it would be great to have a simple replacement as an alternative.
Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide!
