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RXB - Rich Extended Basic


Bones-69

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  • 5 weeks later...

Trying to make a RXB2015 cart!

 

Used the minipro and programmed both chips - both went OK. Plugged them into the cart - plugged the cart into the TI and it comes up with nothing, just TI Basic. Either I didn't do something properly or ???

 

Programmed the flash into the 1284P - that seemed to complete OK.

Programmed the eeprom into the 49F040 - also seemed to go OK.

 

Plugged chips into board, and board into TI...

 

Is there something else I was supposed to do - wave around a dead chicken or something?!? :)

For the record - I did manage to make a Coretex basic cart using the same board and a 49F040 so while I am certainly no expert - I did accidentally make it work before... LOL

 

Cheers, Arthur...

Edited by aftyde
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No, the final versions of the files (I put them into the Cartridge ROM Images thread a while back) should work perfectly. Note that with the 1284, there are TWO files you have to load You have to load the Data section of the chip with the 128K flash file and the EEPROM file into the config area. You then need to load the 512K ROM file into the 49F040. One note on the 040 chips, they really don't like cheap programming sockets for some reason, so I use one of these--and it works every time. Here is Gazoo's procedure for loading the files using a MiniPro.

Programming with the MiniPro programmer.pdf

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Excellent - read the details in the PDF and the 1284 programmed just as in the procedure. I am still at a loss as to what to program into the 40 though. I have two files...

 

128K attachicon.gifRXB2015Flash.bin

4K attachicon.gifRXB2015EEprom.bin

I loaded code and data memories - as per instructions but it seems like I am missing something.

For kicks, I programmed the 40 with the EEprom file - plugged it into the board but get nothing other than TI Basic.

Is there a ROM file I should have that I am missing? I don't see any 512K ROM anywhere?!? (or in the lists)

 

Very much appreciate the help! :) I've only ever programmed the 40 for Cortex 80 col basic... I am also using the carrier you recommended. I went through that drama with the Cortex project and Kevan was good enough to clue me in to the whole crappy adapter deal... LOL

 

Cheers, Arthur...

 

 

 

No, the final versions of the files (I put them into the Cartridge ROM Images thread a while back) should work perfectly. Note that with the 1284, there are TWO files you have to load You have to load the Data section of the chip with the 128K flash file and the EEPROM file into the config area. You then need to load the 512K ROM file into the 49F040. One note on the 040 chips, they really don't like cheap programming sockets for some reason, so I use one of these--and it works every time. Here is Gazoo's procedure for loading the files using a MiniPro.

Edited by aftyde
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Got it! :) Super happy!!! Thanks Kevan and Kasrul for your help with this... I have actually wanted an RXB cart for years... I was never able to figure out how to get it working with my PGRAM+

Two tasks remain - what do I sacrifice for a cart shell (football, personal report generator, something else) and printing a label!

 

:grin:

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One very important thing when you get to the point of putting it into a cart shell: if you put it in without cutting one of the side support strakes out, the board will not sit properly with a 1284 installed. Just put the board into the case and you'll see which support you have to remove (it is right below the 1284 at the edge of the cartridge wall). I usually just take a set of flush-cut nippers to clip the strake off the cartridge wall and then cut it at the bottom to completely remove it. This process works fine and doesn't otherwise affect the cartridge case.

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I have a couple of questions which are probably unrelated to everything else here, but help would be much appreciated. I am posting my questions both here and on my "own" thread (Pipistrello FPGA):

 

Background: I think I have successfully now added 256K SAMS memory extension to my TMS99105+FPGA system. I am right now debugging it.

 

Questions:

1) RXB2015 detects SAMS, but it claims 1024K are available, although I have only 256K. I wonder how the detection works? Maybe it is bad behaviour, but in my system memory wraps around, i.e. the 256K of expanded RAM I have appears four times in the 1024K SAMS memory map. Would it be better behaviour to just respond with zeros or something above 256K instead of wrapping around?

 

2) How much memory does "IN THE DARK" require? I don't exactly know what this things is, I am hoping it is a game :). In addition to working with SAMS I am working with disk support, and it partially works (yippee! but it is save & load only, i.e. PAB opcodes 5 and 6). When I am loading the game the last file it loads is DSK1.ITDT16, then it gets stuck.

 

3) There was a SAMS memory test program somewhere, I think it was in the extended basic suite cartridge. On the TMS99105 system I don't have enough memory configured to load that 512K of cartridge ROM and 128K of GROM simultaneously (the FPGA board has one megabyte of memory, but I am currently only using half of it, the other half is on the upper half of the FPGA board's 32-bit memory bus which I am not yet supporting).

Is this SAMS test program available somewhere as a stand-alone cartridge image?

Edited by speccery
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The SAMS test program is available as an EA5 file--and the one you want is AMSTEST4. There are two prior versions, but they do not work properly with the newest versions of the AMS card (any of the 1024K versions from the SW99ers version on need the AMSTEST4 program). It is in the SAMS thread already, so you should be able to grab that and run it (assuming you can run the Editor Assembler).

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The SAMS test program is available as an EA5 file--and the one you want is AMSTEST4. There are two prior versions, but they do not work properly with the newest versions of the AMS card (any of the 1024K versions from the SW99ers version on need the AMSTEST4 program). It is in the SAMS thread already, so you should be able to grab that and run it (assuming you can run the Editor Assembler).

 

 

Thank you. I got from Asmusr pointer to the AMSTEST4-8.BIN which I guess is a FlashROM99 image, and I can load those. Editor Assembler is still probably out of my reach, I think my disk support is still too primitive and probably needs further development before E/A becomes viable. Need to check that, though.

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I have a couple of questions which are probably unrelated to everything else here, but help would be much appreciated. I am posting my questions both here and on my "own" thread (Pipistrello FPGA):

 

Background: I think I have successfully now added 256K SAMS memory extension to my TMS99105+FPGA system. I am right now debugging it.

 

Questions:

1) RXB2015 detects SAMS, but it claims 1024K are available, although I have only 256K. I wonder how the detection works? Maybe it is bad behaviour, but in my system memory wraps around, i.e. the 256K of expanded RAM I have appears four times in the 1024K SAMS memory map. Would it be better behaviour to just respond with zeros or something above 256K instead of wrapping around?

 

2) How much memory does "IN THE DARK" require? I don't exactly know what this things is, I am hoping it is a game :). In addition to working with SAMS I am working with disk support, and it partially works (yippee! but it is save & load only, i.e. PAB opcodes 5 and 6). When I am loading the game the last file it loads is DSK1.ITDT16, then it gets stuck.

 

3) There was a SAMS memory test program somewhere, I think it was in the extended basic suite cartridge. On the TMS99105 system I don't have enough memory configured to load that 512K of cartridge ROM and 128K of GROM simultaneously (the FPGA board has one megabyte of memory, but I am currently only using half of it, the other half is on the upper half of the FPGA board's 32-bit memory bus which I am not yet supporting).

Is this SAMS test program available somewhere as a stand-alone cartridge image?

1. The Detection no longer works as it was taking up to much space and hardly anyone has the smaller versions with cheap chips today.

2. The version you play is 336K of map using SAMS memory. The disk 5 copy is larger at 920K.

3. Do you mean the Assembly version that comes with the AMS / SAMS card? Or my RXB version?

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1. The Detection no longer works as it was taking up to much space and hardly anyone has the smaller versions with cheap chips today.

2. The version you play is 336K of map using SAMS memory. The disk 5 copy is larger at 920K.

3. Do you mean the Assembly version that comes with the AMS / SAMS card? Or my RXB version?

 

 

Thanks!

1) Makes sense

2) I noticed using classic99 that RXB (or the Basic program) uses SAMS memory nicely from bottom up. I just reworked FPGA memory buses so that I have access to the entire 1meg of RAM on the board. I still need to change hardware memory mapping around, so that I can get a continuous 512K of SAMS memory. I think I have some hardware bugs in memory paging still.

3) I mean AMSTEST4 (machine code program), which I subsequently found thanks to kl99. I also tried your AMSTEST, but my disk support is not yet smart enough to know how to load it (or alternatively it is bogus enough to screw up the loading). I need to study more how the PAB opcodes should be handled, as my code barely knows what to do with 5 and 6 (save and load), I think I need to add open/read/close too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

 

Thanks!

1) Makes sense

2) I noticed using classic99 that RXB (or the Basic program) uses SAMS memory nicely from bottom up. I just reworked FPGA memory buses so that I have access to the entire 1meg of RAM on the board. I still need to change hardware memory mapping around, so that I can get a continuous 512K of SAMS memory. I think I have some hardware bugs in memory paging still.

3) I mean AMSTEST4 (machine code program), which I subsequently found thanks to kl99. I also tried your AMSTEST, but my disk support is not yet smart enough to know how to load it (or alternatively it is bogus enough to screw up the loading). I need to study more how the PAB opcodes should be handled, as my code barely knows what to do with 5 and 6 (save and load), I think I need to add open/read/close too.

Yea I load the AMS wih a RXB command BLOAD or BSAVE to save he lower 8K in Program Image files.

I now have my alternate AMS 24K working but still having to troubleshoot bugs.

Also I am going to have to write a program loader for AMS24K so it loads 48K of XB program in one shot and saves in one shot.

 

I am thinking of going with:

 

SAVE DSK1.MY48KPGM,48K

or

OLD DSK1.MY48KPGM,48K

 

This would automatically save you program in both 24K portions of memory to disk or from disk

 

This is similar to my already subroutine in RXB 2015:

 

SAVE DSK1.XBPRGM,IV254

 

Which of course saves XB programs in Internal Variable 254 format.

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I never have been able to get the "No Menu" version of RXB2015E to work satisfactorily on my system. I have converted the GRAMKRACKER files to HSGPL format and they load fine. When I select RXB, I get the cursor and an immediate "Syntax error" message. Any ideas? Or will I have to wait and see if RXB2016 will see the light of day as a finished product?

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I never have been able to get the "No Menu" version of RXB2015E to work satisfactorily on my system. I have converted the GRAMKRACKER files to HSGPL format and they load fine. When I select RXB, I get the cursor and an immediate "Syntax error" message. Any ideas? Or will I have to wait and see if RXB2016 will see the light of day as a finished product?

Honestly the RXB No Menu is a silly idea and here is why that is true:

 

Normal XB:

1. Press any key from TI Title Screen to get a menu.

2. Press 2 for XB loads DSK1.LOAD

3. Or wait for Load to crash then start typing in your program.

 

RXB:

1. Press any key for TI Title Screen to get menu.

2. Press 2 for XB you get another menu asking for disk number or letter to run DSK#.LOAD or press 0 (ZERO) and run WDS1.LOAD

3. Or press SPACE BAR and start typing in your program.

 

Which one is faster and more convenient? Which one has a DISK LOAD BYPASS KEY? Was pressing the SPACE BAR that much work?

I mean the entire extra effort to press a SPACE BAR or invalid key after you press 2 keys can not be that much of a taxing effort can it?

 

(I removed the menu from being on the screen after DSK#.LOAD or pressing the SPACE BAR so why do I need a NO MENU?)

 

 

RXB

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  • 2 months later...

Moved from another thread...

 

 

This will allow me to make a SAMS only XB with no ROMS at all from the SAMS, cool huh?

Instead of 3 4K ROMs or 2 8K ROMs like GK does I can run a 20K RAM in the upper 24K and swap them out using the SAMS. (Need 4K for exchanging values)

Also VDP will only be used for Graphics and DSR's. All the strings and programs will all be in SAMS memory.

 

Cool way to load it is the 20K of RAM for SAMS will be in another bank of GROM or 20K of ROM and moved from there into SAMS.

As long as RAM is not turned off a reset of the Console will maintain memory as I can place a flag there.

 

Now I can show all of this at Fest West. This even allows for future expansion of the new RXB SAMS cart.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong... theoretically this will enable one to load and run BASIC from a DOS shell like 4A/DOS, run and execute programs and return back to the DOS environment like an early PC or TRS-80? -- If so... that *IS* big.

 

Please let me know ASAP when this is a finished product. There are a limited number of presentation spots available (due to scheduling and time constraints and other activities.) Of course presentations can be any length not exceeding 20 minutes.

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Moved from another thread...

 

 

Correct me if I'm wrong... theoretically this will enable one to load and run BASIC from a DOS shell like 4A/DOS, run and execute programs and return back to the DOS environment like an early PC or TRS-80? -- If so... that *IS* big.

 

Please let me know ASAP when this is a finished product. There are a limited number of presentation spots available (due to scheduling and time constraints and other activities.) Of course presentations can be any length not exceeding 20 minutes.

RXB has a kind of DOS BATCH file if you use CALL USER("device.textfile") already since version 2001.

 

This feature will be retained in RXB SAMS along with previously explained features.

Edited by RXB
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The attached text file contains the source code for Myarc's Advanced BASIC version 4.05. A few comments:

 

1. It runs natively on the Geneve, in 80 columns.

2. Because it is a native Geneve program, it utilizes some of the system routines (called by XOP) for video, keyboard, disk, and memory. The XOP routines are numbered as follows:

a. 5 - keyboard

b. 6 - video

c. 7 - memory

d. 8 - DSR

e. 9 - utility (like filename parsing)

f. 10- math

 

3. The Geneve pages memory in 8K chunks.

 

 

 

ABASIC Source All.txt

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