New (alt) BIOS for Ultimate 1MB/Incognito

[Wrathchild]

I recall (but can't locate the post) a post regarding problems with some cartridges on an 800 with Incognito installed.

I have this issue with my machine, e.g. Start Raiders II (xegs grey shell) works OK, but the original Star Raiders (brown) doesn't. AtariMax boards aren't seen either.

My setup has the inbios36 and pbi v1.3.

Did this have a software or hardware solution?

If software, which of the Incognito ROM slots was responsible for it and was the fix brought forward into the latest build?

If hardware, can details be reposted and I'll get these done.

 

Thanks,

Mark

[flashjazzcat]

I recall (but can't locate the post) a post regarding problems with some cartridges on an 800 with Incognito installed.

I have this issue with my machine, e.g. Start Raiders II (xegs grey shell) works OK, but the original Star Raiders (brown) doesn't. AtariMax boards aren't seen either.

My setup has the inbios36 and pbi v1.3.

Did this have a software or hardware solution?

If software, which of the Incognito ROM slots was responsible for it and was the fix brought forward into the latest build?

If hardware, can details be reposted and I'll get these done.

This may be what you're looking for:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/96927-xlxe-compatible-atari-800/page-22?do=findComment&comment=2518404

 

Nonetheless I have enjoyed giving the newest beta a spin and am really looking forward to the new loader when it appears.

Loader is taking longer than expected (owing to complexity), but is coming along:

 

 

As inferred by the screenshot, it's possible to choose from a number of named FAT partitions, and partition mounting is also handled from within the loader (hence the APT entry). The main BIOS's Drive 1 redirection is now observed by the PBI BIOS: I'm just waiting on ProWizard to do a few sanity tests before all this stuff is released.

Edited October 29, 2015 by flashjazzcat

[Wrathchild]

This may be what you're looking for:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/96927-xlxe-compatible-atari-800/page-22?do=findComment&comment=2518404

 

 

Thanks FJC, I'll get that checked out (and replaced) soon.

[flashjazzcat]

Should get new loader and updated main/PBI BIOS uploaded shortly. Just want to get read-only FAT filesystem finished first:

 

[flashjazzcat]

Here's the next big update, then: BIOS, PBI BIOS, and SIDE Loader.

 

Ultimate 1MB Firmware beta release.zip

 

 

 

 

Use the provided version of uFlash to update, as usual. Content of README:

 

Installation instructions

 

To update the Ultimate 1MB firmware, run uFlash (either from SpartaDOS X or from Candle's existing XEX loader), and update the BIOS, Loader, and PBI BIOS slots:

 

BIOS: BIOS.ROM

Loader: LOADER.ROM

PBI BIOS: ULTPBI.ROM

 

You MUST update all three components, one after another, before power-cycling the machine. If you have a SIDE/SIDE2 cart attached, remove it before flashing (if SIDE2, it's possible to leave it attached providing the Ultimate PBI BIOS is enabled: this disables SIDE's external cart).

 

The most noticable new component is the loader, which - as before - can be accessed from the main BIOS menu. It's also possible to launch the loader direct from the BIOS splash screen or even set the machine to boot direct to the loader on a persistent basis.

 

 

Loader Usage

 

Some brief notes on using the loader:

 

* Control the selection using the arrow keys (without control). Since cursor left/right moves between menus, use control+up/down to page up and down through the FAT file list

* The PBI BIOS must be ENABLED for ATR mounting to work (otherwise ATRs will be greyed out)

* Assign a drive number to an ATR with the Tab/arrow keys (Return or Tab to accept), or simply tag successive images with Ctrl+Space and then press Ctrl+B to boot from the volume on drive 1

* To simply launch a single ATR from drive 1, select it and press return

* To launch an XEX, select it and press return

* Multiple FAT partitions are supported, and one may even simultaneously mount ATRs from different FAT partitions on the same card

* To find any file in the currently logged directory, simply start typing its name. This powerful feature means almost any XEX or ATR can be launched via a few keystrokes

* Holding down the SIDE ATR swap button and pressing Reset while the button is held will reboot direct to the loader. Release the SIDE button about a second after pressing reset for this to work.

 

 

FMS Driver

 

The loader includes a read-only FAT file system driver which presents files to applications as per Atari DOS 2.x. The primary purpose of this is so that uFlash can be used to update ROMs, reading large files directly from the FAT. Note the supplied version of UFLASH.XEX (v.1.2 Test 10) is required for this to work, since it fixes a rogue-write bug which wiped out the HATABS vector table.

 

An indirect JMP through DOSVEC causes a reboot to the loader. DOSINI points to the FMS init routine, so reset hooking should work in applications, although this seems buggy at the moment.

 

 

UFLASH

 

As written above, the supplied version of uFlash should be used to replace any prior versions currently in use. Note: Sic! flashing (among other things) is currently broken, so please do not attempt to flash Sic! until these issues are rectified.

 

 

BUGS

 

The loader is likely to contain several bugs, and several features are incomplete (see To-Do for details). Please report issues to me in the AtariAge thread; likewise any suggestions or feedback.

 

 

THANKS

 

While I must reiterate thanks to Phearon and Hias for their help when I was working on the main BIOS and PBI ROM earlier this year, for invaluable assistance with the new loader, my unreserved gratitude goes to ProWizard, who has worked tirelessly with me night after night patiently testing repeated updates on real hardware, using a broad range of XEX and ATR files. Not only that, but ProWizard provided an audience of one which was enough to keep me working on this unexpectedly complicated project.

 

Thanks also to Drac030 and Pasiu/SSG for additional BIOS testing feedback.

 

 

Given the considerable man-hours expended on what has now become a complete firmware re-write for the Ultimate and Incognito upgrades (updated Incognito firmware to follow shortly, BTW), I'd hope to get everything more or less finalised by the New Year. Any further development beyond version 1.0 will depend on sufficient interest/encouragement from users.

 

Most importantly, enjoy!

[morelenmir]

In that case, let me be the first to add some encouragement and assure you of interest FJC!!!

 

Truly excellent, excellent news. I look forward to playing with this - especially in concert with the new version of Altirra BASIC. Many thanks indeed!!!

 

A quick question - how does one exit the loader and return to an SDX session without unmounting the selected *.ATR->drive assignment? If I select 'Reboot' from the last paine after assigning a drive I get a 'No DOS present' message rather than returning to the SDX command line.

[flashjazzcat]

Jump back into the main BIOS with Help+Reset to re-enable SDX (assuming it's enabled in settings). Press "C" from there and SDX will boot.

 

Completely forgot to mention that the loader handles dynamic APT partition mounting as well. Just select "APT" from the partition menu.

 

Another thing: "D1 swap" in the PBI menu of the main BIOS swaps (redirects) drive 1 and the boot drive. This works somewhat like the same feature in the IDE Plus BIOS, the difference being that both drives must have a valid APT partition (not a disk image or serial disk) attached to them, otherwise redirection does not occur. It's a fiddly feature designed to quickly switch between two disk based DOSes without recourse to the loader (you could have SpartaDOS 3.X on one partition and MYDOS on the other, for instance). It can be a little confusing once you add ATRs into the mix, however, so if in doubt, leave "D1 swap" disabled.

 

Apologies for spelling Phaeron wrongly, BTW.

Edited December 13, 2015 by flashjazzcat

[morelenmir]

Jump back into the main BIOS with Help+Reset to re-enable SDX (assuming it's enabled in settings). Press "C" from there and SDX will boot.

 

Completely forgot to mention that the loader handles dynamic APT partition mounting as well. Just select "APT" from the partition menu.

 

Another thing: "D1 swap" in the PBI menu of the main BIOS swaps (redirects) drive 1 and the boot drive. This works somewhat like the same feature in the IDE Plus BIOS, the difference being that both drives must have a valid APT partition (not a disk image or serial disk) attached to them, otherwise redirection does not occur. It's a fiddly feature designed to quickly switch between two disk based DOSes without recourse to the loader (you could have SpartaDOS 3.X on one partition and MYDOS on the other, for instance). It can be a little confusing once you add ATRs into the mix, however, so if in doubt, leave "D1 swap" disabled.

 

Apologies for spelling Phaeron wrongly, BTW.

 

Excellent FJC, many thanks for getting back to me so quickly!!!

 

This pretty much replaces MATR then? I've grow really fond of that little app!

[Roydea6]

Well worth the wait.... Hoping for this update to the side loader since Candle quit doing his updates to the Fat32 loader..

 

Just a few graphical quirks and I still need to read the text file a couple more times to get the cursor movements understood...

 

[w1k]

flashed:) cool!

[flashjazzcat]

Just a few graphical quirks...

What are graphical quirks exactly?

[spookt]

<whisper>incognito?</whisper>

 

[MARIO130XE]

flashed ... and I like it. Thanks fjc

[flashjazzcat]

<whisper>incognito?</whisper>

As soon as I figure out the differences in the banking scheme for the loader.

[spookt]

As soon as I figure out the differences in the banking scheme for the loader.

 

Thank you

[Roydea6]

What are graphical quirks exactly?

After power off and power on it seems that the graphic glitches are not there.

[flashjazzcat]

After power off and power on it seems that the graphic glitches are not there.

Perhaps I should have written "you must power-cycle the machine immediately after updating all three components". Thanks for the update anyway.

[+Stephen]

Got this installed on my PAL 130XE. Brilliant piece of work! I haven't noticed any issues so far, and the SIDE Loader seems quite a bit faster.

[Roydea6]

While using the UFLASH on my second 800XL I am getting an error #$8B . Does anyone know what this means. Using SIO I don't get this error..

[flashjazzcat]

While using the UFLASH on my second 800XL I am getting an error #$8B. Does anyone know what this means.

NAK: Device Not Acknowledged. It means there's no volume in the drive.

[flashjazzcat]

Regarding Incognito, I expected building the loader for that platform to take around half an hour, which it did, but it then threw up a bug in the main Incognito BIOS (machine hanging on next reset after loader's been run). That bug (which is - oddly - related to the CPU tests, suggesting uninitialised interrupt state on warm start) took four hours to track down.

 

Urgh: simply removing a stray CLI (actually conditionally included for Incognito) in the CPU speed test fixed it.

Edited December 14, 2015 by flashjazzcat

[fujidude]

We really appreciate your work on this project FJC! Thank you for doing it.

[flashjazzcat]

Here's the Incognito build of the same firmware:

 

Incognito Firmware beta release.zip

 

Exactly the same update procedure as with Ultimate 1MB (update all three components - BIOS, PBI BIOS, and loader - then power cycle), with the big difference that little testing has taken place. That said, the firmware is 99 per cent identical to Ultimate 1MB, but there are enough differences that some additional bugs may exist. Since nailing the IRQ bug earlier this evening, I've just been tweaking using uFlash on real hardware and haven't had to pull the flash ROM out of the board once, so I doubt there are any show-stoppers.

 

If users with USB flashers conveniently to hand want to dive in first and give some feedback, that would be super helpful.

 

One thing which doesn't currently work (and about which I haven't been able to get info from the horse's mouth yet) is automatically booting to the loader again after a program launched with the XEX loader does an exit to DOS. This works fine with the Ultimate version but the Incognito loader cart refuses to respond to a write to CCTL once previously disabled by setting bit 7 of $D500. Not a major problem, however. Note, I'm not talking about the BIOS option of permanently booting the machine to the XEX loader: that works fine.

 

I'd hoped to have my website fully updated by now with the latest firmwares, but bug-hunting has put paid to that. Should be sorted in a few days. Meanwhile, Lotharek's website is hosting a copy of the Ultimate update found a few posts back.

Edited December 14, 2015 by flashjazzcat

[MrMartian]

So far, in my limited testing, everything's working okay! Excellent work! I hope to have more time to play in the next couple days...

[morelenmir]

I've had a day of pottering and playing with the new Loader and I also have found no significant faults at all. Really excellent work FJC - not just it but the whole BIOS and PBI improvements also!!!

 

Before you started working on this latest update you did mention that one or two of the existing bugs that were present in 'MATR' would need to be addressed as the new loader would use the same code base. At some point - after you've had a very well deserved rest of course! - are you planning to reintegrate these fixes in to the parent application? I personally really like MATR now and still would probably use it in preference to the Loader if a new version were to appear, even without the putative R/W features mentioned in the TODO text.