Ultimate 1MB, Incognito, 1088XEL and SIDE/SIDE2 Firmware Update Released

[flashjazzcat]

I haven't used D2D, so I have no explanation for the issue you're experiencing. If you can tell me what to download and how to test (and/or send sample files), I would be most grateful and will then happily look into things over the weekend. My Rapidus spends most of its time in the spares box and is brought out for the explicit purpose of developing these drivers and tools, so everyday usage feedback is most welcome (I'm happy enough to do everything at 1.79MHz, as it turns out).

 

To answer the second question: SIDE.SYS essentially works just like the RAMDISK.SYS driver. It adds an entry to the SDX LSIO table (which SDX calls instead of the OS SIO vector). allowing low-level block IO transfers to be redirected to the HDD. Conversely, the 'internal' SIDE driver (i.e. the U1MB PBI BIOS) actually intercepts the OS ROM SIO vector at the OS level, allowing the HDD to work with software which calls SIOV directly and thus with any DOS you like.

[Sugarland]

I'm having a stability issue since updating. I'm using an NTSC 800XL with two different U1MBs and UAV-D. Both with and without the!cart I am getting games to go wonky. It's a random corruption of gameplay each time. Are the OS ROMs included compatible with NTSC machines? Specifically the XL OS 1.3? Also I noticed the OS B PAL is included in 2.0 and is that okay to use on an NTSC machine?

 

I'm not entirely sure the U1MB update is the cause. The crashes are infrequent and are proving time consuming to narrow down. To eliminate the!cart, I used it on a nearly stock 1200XL (only has UAV-D) and have had no issues for six+ hours today. So it's not the!cart.

 

Back to the 800XL, I swapped out one U1MB for another with the same effect (both are updated). So it could be that I accidentally ESD'd the motherboard when I mounted it to the motherboard a few days ago or that the update or OS ROM is the cause. It's proving a lot of work to diagnose since the crashes are infrequent.

 

If it's not the OS I have a few more ideas but want to see if anyone else is having stability issues please on NTSC machines? Specifically MS Pac Man 2016 and Blue Max corrupt while playing. Loaded MS Pac Man from SIO2USB without the!cart inserted and it crashed once. About to go to bed so there may be mistakes here... My brain is not 100% right now.

 

edit: I tried flashing another OS rom to the U1MB and it rejected the OS for not being 16k. The ROM I have is 10k.

Edited August 11, 2018 by Sugarland

[flashjazzcat]

The firmware is completely out of the picture once the operating system has booted (unless you have the PBI BIOS enabled and are experiencing issues with disk IO), so if you're getting random problems outside of the BIOS setup menu/loader, it's likely a hardware matter. I believe there are different PAL/NTSC versions of the 800 OS, so I'd recommend using the one appropriate for your system.

 

There are 16K padded builds of OS A/OS B floating around the forums. I can look this evening if you have no luck finding them.

[+DrVenkman]

If you're having stability problems, I have to ask if you have you examined the board under bright lights and magnification for solder flakes or any marginal connections (cold solder joints, almost-bridged points near the U1MB jumper wires)?

 

One final point - here's a 16K OS B version, but beware: there are a handful of games that check for modified OS roms and won't run unmodified. Fortunately, there are hacks/cracks available for probably all of them by this point.

OSB16K.rom

Edited August 11, 2018 by DrVenkman

[Sugarland]

Thank you DrV and FJC. I'll keep at it as you directed and update here.

[SS]

There are 16K padded builds of OS A/OS B floating around the forums. I can look this evening if you have no luck finding them.

I have the 16K padded NTSC OSb but that doesn't seem to work with built-in BASIC. I also have an OSb compatible "XLFix" ROM which supposedly should work with internal BASIC but I didn't have any luck. So for OSb compatibility plus BASIC I am using a ROM called "SuperMon". I haven't thoroughly tested it with everything though so I need to put a little more time into it. I can post if anyone is interested.

 

I have not found a 16K NTSC OSa though. Not the biggest of deals really but I'd like to play around with it if anyone can post. Thanks.

[flashjazzcat]

There was no internal BASIC (nor any means of controlling ROMs) on the 400/800, so the OS won't support it.

[SS]

There was no internal BASIC (nor any means of controlling ROMs) on the 400/800, so the OS won't support it.

 

Yes, this I know. That is why I was trying to find a modified OSb compatible ROM that would support internal BASIC. "SuperMon" seems to do the trick for now but what I probably really need to do is to purchase a BASIC cartridge; I have only ever owned XL machines so I've never really had the need for one up until this point. I have always used a Translator disk for OSb compatibility in the past but now that I can run OSb in earnest via the U1MB I would like to start doing some more things with it.

[flashjazzcat]

Yes, this I know.

My apologies. Your earlier statement suggested that OS-B not seeming to work with internal BASIC came as a surprise.

[SS]

My apologies. Your earlier statement suggested that OS-B not seeming to work with internal BASIC came as a surprise.

 

No worries. I literally learned this just last week! Like I said, I have never ever used real OSb before so I am trying to soak everything into my brain that I can. More information is good, even if it is a bit of a repeat at times. I have been asking a lot of questions recently and will surely have a lot more. I am greatful for all of the great help.

Edited August 11, 2018 by SS

[flashjazzcat]

Forgot to respond to this the other day:

 

...but what does Incognito's "unlocked config." means? While you are running the BIOS?

Correct. The hardware register, primary configuration register and 'aux' register are writable following a system reset (including power-on) until the configuration is locked by setting D7 of the config register. From that point on, the configuration registers are completely inactive until the next time system reset unlocks them.

 

Also, I still have to pressing questions I could never answer so far:

 

1. I still see the "Run Diagnostics Cartridge" option on the BIOS... what cart?

No-one wrote one yet. Avery suggested he might write one a couple of years ago but I guess he has many more important things to do with his valuable time. Any diagnostic cartridge can be launched via this option, however.

 

2. In the FLASHABLE space (512K) there is a 16K slot called "Recovery OS". What exactly is supposed to be there?

No idea. I'm not even sure what that slot contains on my own Incognito or how that OS is made active.

[morelenmir]

No-one wrote one yet. Avery suggested he might write one a couple of years ago but I guess he has many more important things to do with his valuable time. Any diagnostic cartridge can be launched via this option, however.

 

I have wondered about this option myself in its U1MB manifestation. I wondered if it was related to the SALT cartridge but I guess not then!

[flashjazzcat]

 

U1MB has a internal driver to side 2 (i don't know what version). This driver works with FATfs driver but don't respectively works with RAPIDISK.SYS and with VBXE (if I play wav in D2D the screen (voice graph) interrupts.. ?) With this driver (without RAPIDISK.SYS) I could play wavs directly from FAT partition.

 

 

Trying to test this, but I have no suitable WAV files and no inclination to start producing any. Would you be able to send me a couple of WAVs for testing?

[rocky]

I send You (mail) D2D program and Gods.wav. You set 8>6 bit and 44000kHz.

 

*I don't know how attach this file in this forum

 

Regards

[flashjazzcat]

Got it. Many thanks!

[flashjazzcat]

I send You (mail) D2D program and Gods.wav. You set 8>6 bit and 44000kHz.

Working fine in an Altirra setup using RAPIDISK.SYS (direct from a FAT16 partition), so things are logically correct by the looks of it. Will have to set up Rapidus on a test machine to probe further...

 

EDIT: Also, D2D appears to play files back quite well when launched directly from the SIDE loader (assuming the FAT FMS is enabled in the loader). Although it failed and jumped back to the menu the first time I selected 'Play Once', on the second attempt it played OK.

Edited August 13, 2018 by flashjazzcat

[flashjazzcat]

Tried it with the Rapiudus in my VBXE/U1MB 130XE and D2D just locks up when I select Play, regardless of whether or not I install RAPIDISK.SYS. Imagine my shock...

 

EDIT: Tested D2D on the 1088XEL (no Rapidus, same PBI BIOS) and it worked fine, albeit with insufficient speed to manage 44KHz playback. So: D2D has no inherent incompatibility with the PBI BIOS, and yet the mere presence of the 65C816 OS on my 130XE causes this particular combo to lock up when commencing playback. I can imagine that being a lot of fun to try and diagnose.

Edited August 13, 2018 by flashjazzcat

[rocky]

Directly from side loader D2D run, but there are problems when the wavs are saved far on the card meybe > 32MB..

I play wavs from Sparta dos, they plays well. Best results I have, if I load side 3.2 driver and play D2D and wav from APT patrition..

With Rapidus I could play 5bit 65kHz (max set in D2D). This frequency works only with SIDE with KMK max is about 55kHz if I remember..

 

D2D with RAPDISK.SYS works if I first load side.sys (v3.2) and next RAPDISK.SYS.

 

D2D is good tools to test transmission speed (hardware/software).

Edited August 13, 2018 by rocky

[flashjazzcat]

I will try again, then. Lotharek suggested further Rapidus stability fixes which I have yet to test. The fact everything works perfectly in emulation is reassuring, but makes diagnosing real hardware issues difficult.

[Sugarland]

I think I've found the general cause of the in-game crashing. It seems to be an incompatibility between the!cart and U1MB. I'm not sure if it's the 2.0 update or not. I will try to downgrade one of them to test that. I will post in the!cart thread and ask JAC! if he tested with/for U1MB compatibility.

 

If any of you have both a U1MB and the!cart, here are some games to try to replicate the issue:

 

Robotron - starting a game, the warp screen stops and bounces you back to the title screen/main menu. Using the real cartridge with U1MB this does not happen.

Commando 320k - crashes at start of gameplay after about 3 or 5 frames in with the helicopter in the bottom. Don't have the real cart to test that version.

Pole Position 1982 version - game crashes very soon after start of actual gameplay. Using the real cartridge with U1MB this does not happen.

 

There is much more to say but I think this may be the incorrect thread but I don't know the actual cause.

[flashjazzcat]

Once the OS gets control on a cold start it clears out all the RAM, so it's difficult to imagine how a different BIOS revision might impact things. Only a few U1MB hardware registers remain exposed if SDX is turned off (and the PBI BIOS is disabled, which I'm sure you're doing), and unfortunately I don't own The!Cart and therefore can't do any tests here.

[+remowilliams]

Robotron - starting a game, the warp screen stops and bounces you back to the title screen/main menu. Using the real cartridge with U1MB this does not happen.

Commando 320k - crashes at start of gameplay after about 3 or 5 frames in with the helicopter in the bottom. Don't have the real cart to test that version.

Pole Position 1982 version - game crashes very soon after start of actual gameplay. Using the real cartridge with U1MB this does not happen.

 

On my v2 the!cart (1200XL/U1MB, updated) I just tried Robotron and it seems to work fine. Pole Position says 1982/1983, so not sure if its the one you are using but it's fine as well.

[SS]

Robotron - starting a game, the warp screen stops and bounces you back to the title screen/main menu. Using the real cartridge with U1MB this does not happen.

Commando 320k - crashes at start of gameplay after about 3 or 5 frames in with the helicopter in the bottom. Don't have the real cart to test that version.

Pole Position 1982 version - game crashes very soon after start of actual gameplay. Using the real cartridge with U1MB this does not happen.

Please post the exact files that you are using because I would like to test them with my U1MB but with the UNO and Ultimate Carts instead of TheCart! to see if I get similar results. Thanks.

[Sugarland]

Please post the exact files that you are using because I would like to test them with my U1MB but with the UNO and Ultimate Carts instead of TheCart! to see if I get similar results. Thanks.

 

Attached. I hope you can extract the three games out. I got these from this forum. Two car zip archives combined. One of the archives is from one of your posts, SS. The other from another forum post I forget which right now. I think it was posted from user 'tmp' here.

cart! workbook-sugarland Aug2018.rar

[+remowilliams]

You should be able to retrieve the individual images from a subdirectory where you are saving the workbook (tcw) too.