RespeQt 4.1 beta

[_The Doctor__]

fix that jiggly chinese wire! you don't want that happening during I/O!

Edited October 29, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[+MrFish]

I am still working on the RespeQt and all the features I want to add are not finished.

But in the meantime, I thought I could release an unofficial beta version so that people can start testing and reporting any issues.

I am still willing to merge these new features in the source repository maintained by Joey Z (this is not a fork !) but I don't want to submit software with remaining bugs.

So, right now, I deliver this work in progress to get feedbacks and improve it before committing the changes to the official repository.

 

So, what's in this beta version called 4.1 in the About box?

 

A few words about my objectives. I started to enhance RespeQt to be able to use it as a preservation tool.

Features I want to add into RespeQt is the ability to create images from real floppy disks or "recreate" floppy disks from images.

Of course there are dedicated hardwares to do that without an Atari (Kryoflux and SuperCard pro) and they probably do it better.

But this is not the easy way. That's why I would like RespeQt to be an alternative to read/write floppies.

In order to do that, 2 main features are needed

- Support ATX images in read/write mode

- Support drive enhancement emulation that people own (Happy, Super Archiver).

With this, one can use for example Super Archiver to copy a floppy from its real Super Archiver in D1: to an ATX image in D2: emulating Super Archiver enhancement.

In this first beta version, you should be able to read/write floppies from/to ATX images if you have either

- a Happy 810 Rev.5 drive or

- a Chip 810 drive or

- a Super Archiver 1050 drive.

 

Let's start the new feature tour:

The first visible change is the drive layout where 3 new icons are available on the right side.

drivewidget.png

- The first icon is used to enable Chip 810 / Super Archiver 1050 emulation.

- The second one is used to enable Happy 810 Rev.5 emulation. Happy Rev.7 emulation is not available yet. This is the first line in my TODO list.

- The third icon is used to turn drive lever (not really useful right now but will become handy with other drive emulation like Speedy)

 

Next, in the Tools/Options... menu entry, you have a new category on the left side called Disk image options with five checkboxes:

imageoptions.png

1) "Display command name of empty drive slots" is used to guess the operation sent to a physical drive (not emulated in RespeQt).

For example, instead of having these 2 lines:

 

- PRO file emulation has been enhanced.

- ATX file emulation has been added.

- Both PRO and ATX images can be written.

- Accurate protection emulation of PRO and ATX images.

- Full Chip 810 emulation (at SIO level) except the Execute Code command which is never used by official software.

- Full Super Archiver 1050 emulation (at SIO level) including Skew alignment, Weak sectors,...

Note: Skew alignment fails sometimes to write a perfect alignment on real floppy disks

- Happy 810 Rev.5 emulation (at SIO level) with Skew alignment.

Note: Option 3 (sector copy) works only in read mode so you can read at double speed from RespeQt to a Happy drive but not the other way

 

What I am asking for is to have people test the ATX protection emulation because there are hundreds and hundreds of software and I can not test everything myself.

 

Thanks for the beta release; it's already quite functional, and very useful for the ATX

support alone.

 

I've been testing a variety of ATX files on my 800XL using a Sparkfun USB2Serial board,

with RespeQt running under Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit. So far I've not come across any

ATX files that aren't working properly. I'll continue to test as I get time.

 

I don't have a 1050 with any upgrades at the moment (have had some in the past), and

my stock 1050 needs at power supply right now. I wondering, though, if you're planning

to support basic ATR creation for stock 1050's -- since many disks have no protection

and hence no need for imaging as ATX?

[ebiguy]

 

Thanks for the beta release; it's already quite functional, and very useful for the ATX

support alone.

 

I've been testing a variety of ATX files on my 800XL using a Sparkfun USB2Serial board,

with RespeQt running under Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit. So far I've not come across any

ATX files that aren't working properly. I'll continue to test as I get time.

 

I don't have a 1050 with any upgrades at the moment (have had some in the past), and

my stock 1050 needs at power supply right now. I wondering, though, if you're planning

to support basic ATR creation for stock 1050's -- since many disks have no protection

and hence no need for imaging as ATX?

 

Hi, I am not sure to understand. Basic ATR creation on 1050 is already supported with all Sio2PC softwares (APE, AspeQt, RespeQt,...) by booting a sector copy on your Atari and copying from an ATR image in D1: to a real floppy in D2: for example.

Or do you mean something else ?

 

Edit: Thank you very much for the tests of ATX files. Which software did you try ?

Edited October 31, 2018 by ebiguy

[+MrFish]

Hi, I am not sure to understand. Basic ATR creation on 1050 is already supported with all Sio2PC softwares (APE, AspeQt, RespeQt,...) by booting a sector copy on your Atari and copying from an ATR image in D1: to a real floppy in D2: for example.

Or do you mean something else ?

 

I'm talking about making an ATR image from an original software disk that would be in a 1050.

 

I suppose in both cases, the method could be used that you mention; but it would be nice to have

the functionality built into RespeQt, so no booting of disks would be required.

 

With AtariMax software using the ProSystem application, this is exactly what you get.

 

 

Edit: Thank you very much for the tests of ATX files. Which software did you try ?

 

Here's the list of the titles I remember. Some of them I tested more than others.

One-on-One

Pooyan

Polar Pierre

Great American Cross-Country Road Race

Spy vs Spy I

Spy vs Spy II

Spy vs Spy III

Pole Position

Montezuma's Revenge

Flip & Flop

Frogger

Lode Runner

Karateka

Ballblazer

Bruce Lee

Choplifter

Goonies

Mr. Do

Spelunker

Edited October 31, 2018 by MrFish

[ebiguy]

I'm talking about making an ATR image from an original software disk that would be in a 1050.

 

I suppose in both cases, the method could be used that you mention; but it would be nice to have

the functionality built into RespeQt, so no booting of disks would be required.

 

With AtariMax software using the ProSystem application, this is exactly what you get.

OK, you are talking about 1050toPC (or 1050toUSB).

That would be a good idea.

 

Here's the list of the titles I remember. Some of them I tested more than others.

 

One-on-One

Pooyan

Polar Pierre

Great American Cross-Country Road Race

Spy vs Spy I

Spy vs Spy II

Spy vs Spy III

Pole Position

Montezuma's Revenge

Flip & Flop

Frogger

Lode Runner

Karateka

Ballblazer

Bruce Lee

Choplifter

Goonies

Mr. Do

Spelunker

Thank you for the list. It will let other guys know that these titles are working in RespeQt.

[morelenmir]

It did it again. The computer never went to sleep, or even into screensaver. I was doing some (very important) 'Information Warfare' on Twitter. After I was finished, I looked @ RespeQt. It had stopped again.

 

I believe this is due to my cheap Chinese FTDI->SIO cable. If I even bump it in the slightest way, it makes the USB disconnect sound. Bump it again and it makes the USB connect sound.

 

*** This is separate from the power saver issue ***

 

I think an 'auto-reconnect' feature would be helpful in both cases, that is if it's possible.

 

My non-Chinese Sparkfun FTDI break-out implementation does exactly the same thing--stop working when left for a while. This is why I added a momentary push-switch between ground and the reset leg (leg 19 I think?) to quickly reinitialize the USB connection without having to reach behind my machine and fumble around unplugging and then replugging. It is also why I don't use the official FTDI USB cables with the chip built in to the cable as none of the signals they offer are the reset pin (along with the insane £17 price tag!). Plus I like blinky LED's to tell me something is happening on send or receive!

 

My system is an eleven year old Win7 machine and it has shown this behaviour since all the way back at R2.

[Kyle22]

Is there a way to make RespeQt re-init the device if it goes offline? If this could be made automatic, then it wouldn't be a problem.

[_The Doctor__]

you don't want respeqt doing spurious data to keep the usb alive. you want windows to keep it awake. If windows is still awake and power management is set to keep everything alive and not power save... then sadly you are left with the ftdi sleeping all by itself... plug and unplug or hardware reset mod is the only safe choice then... otherwise the ftdi driver would need modification.. not sure that's something these guys are up to doing... did you even try the solutions posted? They worked for stubborn devices for myself years ago..

 

I guess it's best to stick with true rs232 or choose the wonderful APE and AtariMax sio2pc usb.... though if the computer hibernates his driver can get messy...

silly stuff as always

china fun...

Edited November 3, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[morelenmir]

you don't want respeqt doing spurious data to keep the usb alive. you want windows to keep it awake. If windows is still awake and power management is set to keep everything alive and not power save... then sadly you are left with the ftdi sleeping all by itself... plug and unplug or hardware reset mod is the only safe choice then... otherwise the ftdi driver would need modification.. not sure that's something these guys are up to doing... did you even try the solutions posted? They worked for stubborn devices for myself years ago..

 

I guess it's best to stick with true rs232 or choose the wonderful APE and AtariMax sio2pc usb.... though if the computer hibernates his driver can get messy...

silly stuff as always

china fun...

 

In my case--yep, I independently identified and attempted all the fixes you suggested. I also downloaded the tool to modify the firmware on the FTDI device itself and then changed the 'sleep' setting to never occur. Absolutely no difference. I am pretty sure it was some kind of edge case with my very old motherboard. The reset button solved my problems pretty much, but I don't think that could be applied in all cases unless everyone wants to start getting in to traditional electronics projects type modding.

 

I also agree with your suggestion of sticking to COM based SIO2PC. I have even recently bought a COM add-on card, since despite the age of my computer it was still just at the end of the era where they were a standard part of the motherboard--although annoyingly it does have an LPT port! Once I get around to installing that I am going to try assembling an SIO2PC based on one of the old designs for the COM interface. Hopefully with a direct connection like that then true XF551 emulation can finally be implemented. I would just buy one of the AtariMax devices, but when combined with the cost of APE and international post the price becomes a ridiculous £100+!!! Plus it doesn't even come in a case!

 

A far cheaper solution is the SDrive MAX. l now have a working unit, which once I finally get a 3D printed case will make most of the SIO2PC superfluous I think. Hopefully, since it too uses a direct connection to the SIO signals and does not go through the slower intermediary of a USB interface the device can be convinced to do true XF551, Happy and so on emulation. It already does ATX.

[_The Doctor__]

depends on the uno used as to how the level converter is done. but for the most part all very true. Not sure what the solution will be if windows or the hardware insists on 'saving' power. My personal thought is it's stealing the power from the user and lowering performance... It has got to be beyond annoying to have the device go to sleep like that...

Edited November 3, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[Kyle22]

I found an FTDI manual here: https://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/AppNotes/AN_107_AdvancedDriverOptions_AN_000073.pdf

 

It didn't seem to have any info that helped me so I e-mailed them. I will post the response (if any) here.

 

Selective Suspend is turned off, BTW.

[a8isa1]

I don't know how relevant this is. I never had problem with my ftdi based SIO2PC - USB going to sleep. normally I use the interface on my Raspberry Pi model 1 b or my laptop that's running Linux and I use SIO2BSD. When I tried this software with wine the "sleeping" behavior started. It will only wake up after I unplug it and then plug it back in. A long pause is needed before reconnecting or it will appear as /dev/ttyUSB1 instead of /dev/ttyUSB0.

Edited November 11, 2018 by a8isa1

[a8isa1]

I don't know how relevant this is. I never had problem with my ftdi based SIO2PC - USB going to sleep. normally I use the interface on my Raspberry Pi model 1 b or my laptop that's running Linux and I use SIO2BSD. When I tried this software with wine the "sleeping" behavior started. It will only wake up after I unplug it and then plug it back in. A long pause is needed before reconnecting or it will appear as /dev/ttyUSB1 instead of /dev/ttyUSB0.

[_The Doctor__]

that leaves us at windows or respeqt as the culprit.

[Kyle22]

Windows XP 32bit SP3 does this as well. I have read all the FTDI stuff and can't find the way to leave FTDI on all the time.

 

Allow the computer to turn off... and Selective Suspend are both un-checked and greyed out.

 

But it still turns it off. WTF?

[_The Doctor__]

You must have read about the ftdi eeprom prog that you must use to turn the features on or off so windows can actually control the device.... don't change the id's though or the proggy will not believe the thing is an ftdi anymore...

this. Ray used to change the id's and such... don't be a ray... just change the s1 s3 stuff ..

[Kyle22]

I used FT_Prog and selected USB Remote Wakeup under USB Config Descriptor. It seems to have fixed the problem.

 

When the Windows machine was in monitor off after screensaver mode for several hours, I rebooted the Atari and APETIME got the clock setting.

 

FT_Prog_v3.6.88.402 Installer.zip

 

[_The Doctor__]

[Kyle22]

 

Thanks for helping me figure this out.