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Flash ROM Cart


ralphb

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Something that wasn't obvious to me was how is the menu created?

 

Well, it looks like Ralph actually reads the menu entries out of the roms, so those carts like fbForth that have multiple menu entries for 80 column mode or not, or the web browser that has entries for different serial options, those all show up!

 

There does seem to be a title length limit, you see in the flashrom99 menu for the really long entries in the web browser. 2 or 3 characters get cut of the end.

 

-M@

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Yep! It works like a champ! The non-inverted 32k image is perfect for it!

 

-M@

 

Ok, like a champ isn't quite right... right now I am having trouble with my disk I/O while using the flashrom cart. fbForth did work once well for me a few minutes ago. So I don't think my issue is a software one with fbForth. I am also having some disk I/O issues in DM2K loaded from the flashrom, but then the same disks were hosed when checked with the XB2.7 suite cart.

 

Although the fbForth black board cart you made me is still working perfectly. I wonder if there is a power strain going on when I've got my USB keyboard, the F18A, and now the flashrom all having a party. I'll add more POWER and see what happens... :)

 

-M@

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Ok, like a champ isn't quite right... right now I am having trouble with my disk I/O while using the flashrom cart. fbForth did work once well for me a few minutes ago. So I don't think my issue is a software one with fbForth. I am also having some disk I/O issues in DM2K loaded from the flashrom, but then the same disks were hosed when checked with the XB2.7 suite cart.

 

Although the fbForth black board cart you made me is still working perfectly. I wonder if there is a power strain going on when I've got my USB keyboard, the F18A, and now the flashrom all having a party. I'll add more POWER and see what happens... :)

 

-M@

 

I removed my speech synthesizer, and the disk i/o seems to be improved, and fbForth works like it should. Which side powers the PEB boot at the console end of the flex cable? the console power supply, or the PEB power supply? It might be time for a flex cable card/boot tuneup...

 

-M@

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I removed my speech synthesizer, and the disk i/o seems to be improved, and fbForth works like it should. Which side powers the PEB boot at the console end of the flex cable? the console power supply, or the PEB power supply? It might be time for a flex cable card/boot tuneup...

 

-M@

 

My problem is pretty inconsistent... but only happens with the flash rom cartridge. Anybody else have any ideas, how to diagnose it?

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That sounds suspiciously like either a timing or a power drain issue. You've eliminated the Speech Synth, so that makes more power available to the console--but it may still leave the cartridge port marginal somehow. I'll have to calculate the power drain for all of the chips on the board and see if it is somehow coming close to the limits for the cartridge port. I doubt that it is, as the Wiesbaden Supermodul II put a lot more load onto that port.

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That sounds suspiciously like either a timing or a power drain issue. You've eliminated the Speech Synth, so that makes more power available to the console--but it may still leave the cartridge port marginal somehow. I'll have to calculate the power drain for all of the chips on the board and see if it is somehow coming close to the limits for the cartridge port. I doubt that it is, as the Wiesbaden Supermodul II put a lot more load onto that port.

 

I'm also steeling power right off the supply for my keyboard adapter. When I get a chance, I'll have to add a toggle switch to the back of my console so I can power off the adapter.

 

Oddly, disk I/O with the HDX interface works well, but with the TIFDC, input is scrambled, and output corrupts. This is how I know fbForth is working fine, and it is just my system.

 

Hopefully no one else using it with a PEB is having this trouble. I would think the Gram Kracker also put far more load on power than this little cart.

 

-M@

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Oddly, disk I/O with the HDX interface works well, but with the TIFDC, input is scrambled, and output corrupts. This is how I know fbForth is working fine, and it is just my system.

 

Hopefully no one else using it with a PEB is having this trouble. I would think the Gram Kracker also put far more load on power than this little cart.

 

-M@

 

I'm having the same issues as well. No FDC I/O when I have the FlashROM 99 installed. I might take a sector editor to the 4A/DOS program tomorrow and change DSK1 to HDX1 see what my results are.

 

I've not had time to diagnose anything yet as I've been waiting for a day off. I'm also leeching power off my TI's power supply to feed the PS/2 keyboard adapter, but I also have the 16" inch extension (which works fine on everything else). The only other new item I have in my box is the SAMS card, but I cannot imagine any reason that would have an effect.

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Matt, have you tried Console Writer? That one is working for me with both PEB and CF7+. I'll try fbForth when I have the chance.

 

Again, if you have non-working programs, please check with the program being the only BIN on the SD card. This eliminates potential menu interference. If it's still acting up (and I assume it does, after Omega tested it) then it appears to be some electrical problem, although I can't think of any reason from the top of my head ... :?

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Matt, have you tried Console Writer? That one is working for me with both PEB and CF7+. I'll try fbForth when I have the chance.

 

Again, if you have non-working programs, please check with the program being the only BIN on the SD card. This eliminates potential menu interference. If it's still acting up (and I assume it does, after Omega tested it) then it appears to be some electrical problem, although I can't think of any reason from the top of my head ... :?

Ah, thanks for that reminder! I have been testing hard reset back to TI boot screen and standard menu. But I'll try the solitary bin approach tomorrow.

 

Tonight, I opened up my console, and put a power switch on my USB Adapter. Guessing that I'll always have this question in my head if anything goes wrong. It didn't help.

So, I eliminated my USB Adapter, Speech, rainbow PEB extension, and still trouble with the TI FDC.

 

Anyway, I'll try console writer, also my problem apps in single bin, and if that doesn't work, I'll strip my PEB of anything unnecessary tomorrow.

 

I swear fbForth worked just fine for a few quick tests yesterday, and once this morning.

 

I have two of your FlashRom 99 cartridges built. They both test to the same results. It sounds a whole lot like the same problem Omega has with 4ADOS.

 

-M@

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.

.

Hi, can somebody please post the correct FBforth-File for the SD-Card here for me to test that ? (only if wanted/needed)

 

(But please nothing like "copy /b invert-sugar ♫ No. #3 Bohemian solderpoint ♫ whtech somewhere ♫ download the PDF-Locks ♫ Install Linux") :D

 

just the file so that I instantly can test that ;) And maybe the 2 or 3 commands I have to enter in Forth, starting from the menuscreen,

so that I definetly can run into the error

 

xXx

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One other thought--it might still be stepping on one of the buffers for the FDC while the software is running. That will cause behavior like this too, especially as the problem is only showing up with cartridge images that access the disk drive. Compare what happens with fbForth to TurboForth, Navarone's Database Manager, and DBT's Desktop Publisher or TI Workshop cartridges. They all access disks. Console Writer seems to avoid the issue, which tells me that the single-bank cartridges may not have a problem. That could put the issue in the bank-switching logic, with it putting some value into the buffer space to preserve something and trashing something. Cortex BASIC would be another good one to test here. I will try to get some test time with mine this week, but work has been ruining my hobby time for most of the last month, which is why I'm posting the thoughts here for everyone to play with. . .

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I tested the fbForth BIN posted above, with a matching FBLOCKS, and it works fine on my machine with a CF7+ (and an attached Speech Synth).

 

post-35214-0-50550600-1465213232_thumb.jpg

 

So something is different about your systems ... but what? I guess we need more data points. I'll also try with the big PEB later today.

 

EDIT: I stand corrected, when loading large amounts of data it seems to fail at some point.

 

post-35214-0-30692700-1465213948_thumb.jpg

 

I don't know enough about fbForth, but it seems more like the communication between TI and disk becomes unreliable. I also noticed that the disk activity indicator on the CF7+ lights delayed for later blocks.

 

EDIT: Just for clarification, this is working correctly, as explained by Lee further below.

Edited by ralphb
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Well ... I fed both BIN and FBLOCKS to MESS, and voila:

 

post-35214-0-93112500-1465215378_thumb.png

 

So it cannot work on the FlashROM as is.

 

Lee will have to provide some insight, maybe the image is using an incompatible bank switch?! Or my FBLOCKS is bad, but then I used the most recent one from the fbForth thread.

 

 

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Well ... I fed both BIN and FBLOCKS to MESS, and voila:

 

attachicon.giffbforth-mess.png

 

So it cannot work on the FlashROM as is.

 

Lee will have to provide some insight, maybe the image is using an incompatible bank switch?! Or my FBLOCKS is bad, but then I used the most recent one from the fbForth thread.

 

Those errors actually look like successful loads. Some words on disk redefine resident words, and you get those warnings. The 64 column editor is purposefully overriding the 40 column one.

 

-M@

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Oh, I see. I couldn't start the editor, as typing EDIT yields some error, again both in MESS and with the FlashROM, so I thought the load was bad. If this is to be expected, then it seems that the CF7+ is working.

 

But I can confirm that the PEB with stock TI controller (no 80 tracks mod) and the Lotharek is not working -- the file is not found. Same with Console Writer -- right now I can read with the PEB, but not write, although I've written those files at some point in the past.

 

Still, I wonder if it's working for others with a CF7+ or NanoPEB ... And what would the PEB do differently?

 

EDIT: Now I can write with Console Writer again, same setup as before ... erratic behavior indeed!

Edited by ralphb
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