Jump to content
Have You Played Atari Today?
2600|5200|7800|Lynx|Jaguar|Forums|Store  

Vorticon

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    4,687

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Posts posted by Vorticon

  1. Posted

    5 hours ago, jedimatt42 said:

     

    I just loaded DSK1.DM2K from my FlashFloppy-Gotek via EA5 ( from original EA grom in a supercart ) - TIPI is in system, DSK1 is not mapped. 

     

    (and with DSK1. mapped, it still worked, as when LVL3 ops can't find the file, TIPI allows it to run down the chain. )

     

    Do you have a crubase conflict with the TIPI and the Floppy controller? 

    The disk controller is at 1100 and TIPI is at 1000. Weird... And I don't honestly remember is it was working previously or not after I got the TIPI. Why would this be isolated to the EA option 5 though??? It works with EA option 3, XB, DM2K etc... A real head scratcher...

    • Like 1
    • Confused 1

  3. Posted

    I was wondering if someone could do a quick check for me.

    With the TIPI-PEB in place, can you access the PHYSICAL drives (DSK1-3) from the EA module option #5? This is not working for me although option #3 does work. No issues with XB either. The only way to load an option #5 program (memory image) from the physical drives on a diskette is to use the LOAD command from within FC... If I take out the TIPI, then everything goes back to normal.

     

     

  4. Posted

    5 hours ago, TheBF said:

    Thanks. I am happy it is has some use to someone. :) 

     

    I call the first 64K segment 0.  I only activate segments 1 .. 15 so not to tromp on the running system by accident.

    So its Option Base 0  thinking. (which can get me into trouble sometimes)

     

    Not sure about the lock-up.  My method is to fill the entire 64K segment with the pattern byte and also make a reference 4K buffer filled with the same pattern.

    Then use a Forth word COMPARE ( addr1,len1,addr2,len2)  on each 4K chunk of the active segment.

     

    I will look and see what could hang it up. Might be hard to find without a broken SAMS board.  :) 

     

    There definitely seems to be an issue with SAMSTESTER when it comes to detecting the size of the RAM on the SAMS card. Both Matt's Expansion Memory Tester and AMSR4 are reporting 512K, whereas SAMSTESTER is seeing 1024K.

  5. Posted

    6 hours ago, Ksarul said:

    The 612 and the 688 are the two chips that have caused the most problems with the 100 or so boards I've built. BTW, you can use a 25LS2521 in place of the 74LS688, as it is an equivalent replacement (and in my experience, more stable).

    The 688 is one of the chips not in my programmer's library, so I was not able to test it. Best replace it as well I suppose with the 25LS2521.

  7. Posted

    14 hours ago, TheBF said:

    Very sorry.  I added a FATAL error halt feature and of course I added a bug to go with it.

     

    When you run some of the tests they don't return properly and the command interpreter is left in limbo. 

     

    This version has the bug fixed.

     

     

    SAMSTESTER2.VIP.zip 9.41 kB · 4 downloads

    Great program! You've got to love Forth!

    I am seeing some inconsistencies however:

    • AMSR4 reports only 512K of RAM (after I reflowed the solder joints, the RAM size went from 1024 to 512 irrespective of the position of the SRAM chips), but SAMSTESTER seems to see all of the memory. The REGTEST passes.
    • SAMSTESTER goes only to segment #15. Shouldn't there be a segment #16 to account for 1024K? It starts at segment #1, not #0.
    • AMSR4 is locking up at random memory pages. Not so with SAMSTESTER

    I think the problem lies with the 612 memory mapper. I have managed to test almost all of the support chips and they pass. I think one of the SRAM modules is bad as well but I am getting inconsistent results with the testing (swapping the SRAM chips sometimes gives an error, and sometimes not).

    I'm just going to order replacements for the 612 and SRAMs and see if that solves the issue.

  8. Posted

    2 hours ago, brain said:

    Not to be pedantic, but the SD-interface *DOES* have a printer and a serial interface, depending on how folks configure their hardware.  I will concede that they are less used than the SD interface, but I don't think we can say they are unneeded for normal operation.  If you were using the printer or the serial, they absolutely are needed 🙂

     

    But, yes, you can comment one or both out, and reduce the code size.

     

    Jim

     

    Ideally the code gets optimized in order to allow use of all functions, although I am OK selectively switching off functions depending on need.

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    3 hours ago, pengels said:

    Hi Vorticon,

     

    you can comment out the lines 231 & 232 in config.h (#define INCLUDE_SERIAL #define INCLUDE_PRINTER). The SD-interface doesn't have neither a printer nor a serial interface, therefore these modules are not needed for normal operation. They are used for debugging purposes. I wonder, why these modules are activated by default. The Sketch will be reduced to about 28kB after that and an additional advantage is, that the PC-324 can be used at the same time on the Hexbus.

     

    Peter

     

    Thanks that did it. Of note is that there are 2 sections that have these INCLUDE statements and both have to be commented out. 

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    22 minutes ago, GDMike said:

    Does the computer work? I mean is the base 32K useful? I didn't see where you said that it didn't or did function. Sorry if I missed that part. I just saw the test results.

    Seems to but I have to test that more extensively. 

    • Like 1

  11. Posted

    The error message is very vague unfortunately, so it could be anything. I'm working on testing all the chips I can test, then order replacements for the rest although it might actually be cheaper to just buy one of the new SAMS cards from Jim... That said, I just hate throwing away a fixable piece of equipment, particularly since all the chips are socketed.

    We'll see how far I get.

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    On 12/13/2020 at 8:22 PM, TheBF said:

    1st thing to check is for correct power.  Is the 7805 regulator making 5 volts?

     

    This can be hard to test without a card extender.

    You might have to solder a wire onto the output pad of the regulator chip. Insulate the end you will measure with tape to prevent accidentally shorting it. (Murphy's law)

     

    Or just replace it with a new one.

     

     

     

    I used an extender and checked the output of the 7805 and it's a steady 5V. So that's not it. That would have been too easy, wouldn't it 😁

    • Like 2
    • Sad 1

  14. Posted

    On 12/13/2020 at 8:21 PM, Ksarul said:

    Do you have an EPROM burner with integrated LS logic testing capability? If you do, just pull the ones it can test one by one and see if any show up bad. . .

     

    I have a TL866CS programmer, and the 6840008 SRAM is not on the list of supported chips unfortunately. Is there an equivalent chip I could use?

  15. Posted

    Welp I cleaned all the contacts with 91% IPA, re-seated all the chips after spraying Deoxit on the machined sockets, and also deoxidized the PEB slots, but unfortunately with no change. I think I have a bad chip somewhere and the trick is to figure out which one... I wish there was a SAMS testing program which pinpointed the bad chip.

    Any suggestions for a testing strategy would be much appreciated. I have all the likely needed testing equipment.

     

  17. Posted

    2 hours ago, SteveB said:

    Hi oddemann,

     

    there is a little example game "speedy.sxb" included, but I will also include it here for the rest to see without the need to download it first: 

    // SPEEDY
// A demo of "Structured Extended Basic" by Stefan Bauch

REPEAT
  GOSUB initialize
  REPEAT
     CALL KEY(0,K,S) :: B=B+(K=65)/4-(K=76)/4 :: B1=B-INT(B) :: Q=Q-(B1=.75)+(B1=.25) :: W=W-(B1=.5)+(B1=0)
     CALL GCHAR(Q,W,E) :: SC=SC+1 :: CALL VCHAR(Q,W,130)
  UNTIL e<>32
  CALL SAY("GAMES OVER")
  DISPLAY AT(24,2):"GAME OVER     SCORE :";SC
  WHILE S=0
    CALL KEY(0,K,S)
  WEND
UNTIL K=78
END


initialize:
  CALL CHAR(130,"")
  Q=23 :: W=16 :: B=100.25 :: SC=0
  CALL CLEAR :: CALL VCHAR(1,1,130,23) :: CALL VCHAR(1,32,130,23) :: CALL HCHAR(1,1,130,32) :: CALL HCHAR(23,1,130,32)
  FOR I=6 TO 18 STEP 6 :: CALL VCHAR(I,10,130) :: CALL VCHAR(I,17,130) :: CALL VCHAR(I,24,130) :: NEXT I
  CALL CHAR(130,"FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF")
RETURN

     

    So this translated to:

      

    100 GOSUB 210
110 CALL KEY(0,K,S) :: B=B+(K=65)/4-(K=76)/4 :: B1=B-INT(B) :: Q=Q-(B1=.75)+(B1=.25) :: W=W-(B1=.5)+(B1=0)
120 CALL GCHAR(Q,W,E) :: SC=SC+1 :: CALL VCHAR(Q,W,130)
130 IF NOT (e<>32) THEN GOTO 110
140 CALL SAY("GAMES OVER")
150 DISPLAY AT(24,2):"GAME OVER     SCORE :";SC
160 IF NOT (S=0) THEN GOTO 190
170 CALL KEY(0,K,S)
180 GOTO 160
190 IF NOT (K=78) THEN GOTO 100
200 END
210 CALL CHAR(130,"")
220 Q=23 :: W=16 :: B=100.25 :: SC=0
230 CALL CLEAR :: CALL VCHAR(1,1,130,23) :: CALL VCHAR(1,32,130,23) :: CALL HCHAR(1,1,130,32) :: CALL HCHAR(23,1,130,32)
240 FOR I=6 TO 18 STEP 6 :: CALL VCHAR(I,10,130) :: CALL VCHAR(I,17,130) :: CALL VCHAR(I,24,130) :: NEXT I
250 CALL CHAR(130,"FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF")
260 RETURN

    Not bad at all.

    I really like that project. Everything in one place and super easy to use. Even includes a character definition utility!

    Well done. I will definitely be using this.

     

    • Like 2

  20. Posted

    On a whim, I replaced my original SAMS card from 1995 with a standard 32K expansion card and all the problems disappeared, including the FC instability. Would that make sense? It seems to work fine with the TIPI-PEB out of the system, but then I really don't use any software currently that requires the full SAMS capabilities, just 32K. When I am back home tonight, I will run diagnostics on the SAMS card and see if it passes. 

    • Like 3

  22. Posted

    7 hours ago, dgrissom said:

    Vorticon,

    I did my best.  Results of testing.

    (I don't have as much hardware on-line.  Stock Black and Chrome with  TIPI/32 Pi Zero W and Speech Synth - My NanoPEB is off line.  I can add it for testing if you want.)

     

    All versions tested seemed to work (you caught me setting up XMAS songs using FCMD and my TIPI - all were XB "LOAD"'s)

    I am using a script to set the TIPIMAP (run Directory set as DSK2), XBADD, XBDIR. LOADER is renamed LOAD (FC uses LOAD and seems to conflict) (

    RESULTS:

    • Super XB  - Works
    • RXB2015 w/Menu - Worked every time (darned delay!)
    • RXB2015 without Menu - Works.
    • TI Extended BASIC - Works

     

    Example script:  STARTXB

    0001  ECHO TIXB XMAS VOL 2              
    0002  TIPIMAP AUTO ON                   
    0003  TIPIMAP DSK2. TIPI.MUSIC.TIXMAS.XM
    0004  XBMOD=TIXBG                       
    0005  XBADDR=25458                      
    0006  XB DSK2.LOADER                    
    0007                                    
          *EOF (VERSION 3.0)                
    Other files are similar and used values from Matt's FCMD wiki.

     

    DG   

    Thanks for checking. Appreciate it.

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    Now that I got my TIPI-PEB to work again and with FC version 1.8 running, other issues are cropping up.

    • Both my standard TI RS232 card (@1300) and my HDX-modified RS232 card (@1500) seem to lock up FC after just a few seconds. I believe this was the root cause of my previously reported problem with version 1.8. Pulling them out and replacing them with a Myarc RS232 card solves the issue. Found that out by essentially via a process of elimination. This was not an issue with my previous FC versions and frankly it would be odd to have both cards fail at the same time.
    • The XB command locks up the system. I have my system setup for RXB2015 and nothing has changed there. Running XB programs on the TIPI directly from XB works. Has anybody tried that command with version 1.8?

  25. Posted

    Turned out a couple of the cables on the PI harness were a bit loose. Note to self: try not to pull the harness connector by the wires... 😁

    So now my system boots up fine. But my tribulations were not over unfortunately. The most glaring problem is that the physical disk drives were no longer accessible from the EA cartridge option 5. Works fine with option 3 or from XB or from within FC with the LOAD command. Totally weird...

     

AtariAge
Forums
Store
General
Follow AtariAge

Copyright ©1998-2021 AtariAge

×
×
  • Create New...