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Rana ROM images


MrMartian

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Well, I replaced the crystal and burned the ROM. Here is a vide I took before I made any changes to the drive.

Here is a video after the updates.

The beeps sound different, but not really much faster. It maybe loaded DOS a few seconds faster. I assume I have to do something else to see a more pronounced speed difference?

 

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On 5/17/2020 at 8:15 PM, MrMartian said:

So okay, here's a new release. A few bugs fixed, code a bit more optimized. Still only shows 'F' on format, because so far it looks quite ugly trying to display the track while doing so.

 

Rana 8031 US 1.0.bin 4 kB · 8 downloads

Whoops. Somehow I missed this. Time to burn again! :) 

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Somehow I ended up with 4 extra screws that I do not know where they go.

 

As I re-assembled, I put the six screws (1 near each corner and 2 holding down components) that screws the motherboard to the metal tray/bottom.

Then I put the 4 screws that hold the drive mechanism to the metal tray/bottom.

Then I put the 2 screws that hold the faceplate on.

At this point, I have 2 sheet metal screws to hold the back plate on and 2 sets of 4 machine screws (look like they might be the same size). One set would hold the top of the drive to the metal tray/bottom.

 

Where do the other 4 screws go?

 

Thanks.

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1 hour ago, toddtmw said:

The beeps sound different, but not really much faster. It maybe loaded DOS a few seconds faster. I assume I have to do something else to see a more pronounced speed difference?

You can hear the sector sounds are "shorter" due to the faster I/O speed, but since there is no drive buffering, the sector order formatted on each track has to be re-arranged so they can be read out with less delay between each sector.

 

Now you need to reformat that disk with the UltraSpeed interleave (aka incorrect term: skew). The SpartaDOS formatter can do this, or a Sectory copier such as MyCopyR 2.1.

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On 5/23/2020 at 1:40 PM, toddtmw said:

When I select NMC27C32Q from the software for my TL866II-Plus, it defaults to 18. I set it to 12.5, and it gets an error on the first byte verification.

 

Is there a trick to programming a 27C32 with this thing?

Your linked datasheet is for NMC27C32B not Q - The B version indicates Vpp should be 12.75V and Vcc 6.25V. Vpp of 12.5 is the minimum. Above 14V and 7V will cause damage.

 

So 12.5V may be too low.

 

Just checked my MiniPro software v6.85 - Selecting "NMC27C32B" defaults to 12.75V, with Vdd at 5.0V. So maybe yours is defaulting to 5.0V as well.

 

But Q... that may be very different... I found an older datasheet for a 450ns NMC27C32 - no letters after, and it requires 25V Vpp.

https://datasheet.datasheetarchive.com/originals/distributors/Datasheets-23/DSA-443106.pdf

 

With a 450NS  speed, that suggests a relatively older variant, so 25V programming requirement is quite plausible...

 

So you may need 25V on the Vpp pin... which the TL866 V1 or V2 can not do, unless you do a hack to supply power from an alternate source like this video:

https://youtu.be/IpQ3w7sMOYo

https://youtu.be/jrlxXsmqr-c

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5 hours ago, toddtmw said:

Well, I replaced the crystal and burned the ROM. Here is a vide I took before I made any changes to the drive.

 

IMG_0872.mov 29.78 MB · 2 downloads

Here is a video after the updates.

 

IMG_1109.mov 28.51 MB · 2 downloads

The beeps sound different, but not really much faster. It maybe loaded DOS a few seconds faster. I assume I have to do something else to see a more pronounced speed difference?

 

Yes.  You have to use SPartados or some other dos that supports ultraspeed sector skew to see the difference.  Boot spartados and xinit a disk with Ultraspeed and dos.  Then boot that.  You will see a huge difference.

 

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5 hours ago, toddtmw said:

Somehow I ended up with 4 extra screws that I do not know where they go.

 

As I re-assembled, I put the six screws (1 near each corner and 2 holding down components) that screws the motherboard to the metal tray/bottom.

Then I put the 4 screws that hold the drive mechanism to the metal tray/bottom.

Then I put the 2 screws that hold the faceplate on.

At this point, I have 2 sheet metal screws to hold the back plate on and 2 sets of 4 machine screws (look like they might be the same size). One set would hold the top of the drive to the metal tray/bottom.

 

Where do the other 4 screws go?

 

Thanks.

You must have gotten some screws mixed up in the batch for the drive.  All the screws you mentioned installing are accounted for.  The extras are from some other project.  I'm guessing they are the same kind as the ones the drive and faceplate are mounted to the frame with.  That is a common type.  The others are not very common, much smaller than normal PC type screws.

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On 5/17/2020 at 8:15 PM, MrMartian said:

So okay, here's a new release. A few bugs fixed, code a bit more optimized. Still only shows 'F' on format, because so far it looks quite ugly trying to display the track while doing so.

 

Rana 8031 US 1.0.bin 4 kB · 10 downloads

Since swapping to the above release, I've had spurious failures to format disks in Ultraspeed.  This happens in SPartados X's formatter and more often, quite often, when using SCOPY with this drive as the destination using Ultraspeed as the destination skew.  The symptom is that the format goes through all the way from format and  verify of all tracks and then dies at the point the formatter would usually spit out the directory sectors and announce a successful format, so the controller is doing its job all the way, but at the very end there's a communications fault between the atari and the drive in finalizing the filesystem.  I don't think it is entirely my drive.  I've been wrestling with this for some days and finally posted this.  Anyone else having troubles with USD skew formatting  and this revision of the rom?

 

When I experience this with SCOPY, it is really persistent, will happen several times in a row.  If I go into Spartados X's formatter and try a time or two, get a successsful format done, then the drive kinda seems prepped and will usually execute a SCOPY format and spit out the disk I wanted.  It is a queer problem.

 

 

best,

 

jeff

Edited by Jeffrey Worley
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6 hours ago, toddtmw said:

Somehow I ended up with 4 extra screws that I do not know where they go.

 

As I re-assembled, I put the six screws (1 near each corner and 2 holding down components) that screws the motherboard to the metal tray/bottom.

Then I put the 4 screws that hold the drive mechanism to the metal tray/bottom.

Then I put the 2 screws that hold the faceplate on.

At this point, I have 2 sheet metal screws to hold the back plate on and 2 sets of 4 machine screws (look like they might be the same size). One set would hold the top of the drive to the metal tray/bottom.

 

Where do the other 4 screws go?

 

Thanks.

Did you account for the four small screws that secure the top shell of the drive enclosure to the bottom?  If you secure the back plate to the drive with this unsecured it can still feel pretty solid but isnt.

 

Best,

 

Jeff

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I am unable to format a disk with the Rana with the most recent firmware posted here.

 

I tried SD and DD in SDX. (I've not used SDX much, so it could be user error... I used the format command) I selected Atari mode. I also selected Ultra speed. But after the format it says the drive does not support ultra speed, then it says it does not support high speed, then it switches to normal and tries again and fails.

 

I booted DOS 2.5 and it is unable to format a disk in ED or SD. (It just keeps formatting over and over again until I hit the break key.)

 

These are NOS disks that I have not had issues with in the past.

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On 5/26/2020 at 1:25 AM, Nezgar said:

Do the formats fail in all densities? SD / ED / DD?

 

If it works with SDX's formatter and not SCOPY, methinks it is something to do with SCOPY not starting it's writes with sectors other than 1/2/3

It fails in all densities but more often in double.  It seems like some close timing issue at the end of the format, when the drive's controller is done with its job and the Atari is to write the directory sectors to the disk.  The failure is intermittent but fairly stubborn.  Several successive attempts will usually result in a successful format.  The write always goes well and makes a good copy if the format is successful.

 

best,

 

jeff

Edited by Jeffrey Worley
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On 5/16/2020 at 5:05 PM, Jeffrey Worley said:

Does the Indus have some kind of a cache?  Maybe one sector?, my RPM tool shows 323, when I knew if I take it out of Config.sys (Indus.sys), I get 288 without Indus.sys or HSIO on, which is right).  With hsio I get the right number from the Rana, so there seems to be some kind of caching going on, buffering.  Oh, and check this out:

 

A drive programmed with Indus.sys can be crashed such that it has to be power-cycled to come back.  Try 

20200516_150642.thumb.jpg.a8bbc0af18d74105ed0c6d7b4a322647.jpg20200516_150654.thumb.jpg.ae319435085cdc958682ec645f62ca7b.jpg20200516_150700.thumb.jpg.68b813f260cefefd6d5674bcf409bb34.jpg

Hi. When I was working on my Indus a metal disk came loose off the large silver thing (motor?)

IMG_1111.thumb.jpeg.af604af269537f667cba04226578b388.jpeg

 

That rust-colored thing under it looks like it was double-faced tape or something similar. It was no longer sticky on either side. I used a little dab of super glue on both sides of it to stick it back on.

 

Is it possible, that if that falls off, the drive doesn't work well with the metal cover on?

 

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On 5/29/2020 at 5:20 PM, toddtmw said:

Hi. When I was working on my Indus a metal disk came loose off the large silver thing (motor?)

IMG_1111.thumb.jpeg.af604af269537f667cba04226578b388.jpeg

 

That rust-colored thing under it looks like it was double-faced tape or something similar. It was no longer sticky on either side. I used a little dab of super glue on both sides of it to stick it back on.

 

Is it possible, that if that falls off, the drive doesn't work well with the metal cover on?

 

I think it is just a dust cover.  I put them back on when they fall off.  The stepper motor cover sometimes comes unstuck too.  That one is pretty important as a dust cover.  Don't want any foreign materials in there.

 

Best,

 

Jeff

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Sorry, real life intruded for a bit there...

 

I'm not sure why people are having problems with this version of the ROM. It works perfectly fine for me... More details? Is it only formatting? Can you write fine to previously formatted disks?

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1 hour ago, MrMartian said:

Sorry, real life intruded for a bit there...

 

I'm not sure why people are having problems with this version of the ROM. It works perfectly fine for me... More details? Is it only formatting? Can you write fine to previously formatted disks?

Yes.  It writes fine, but won't format, or, rather, it won't finalize a completed format.  The controller goes through a successful format and then, when the computer is to write the directory sectors to the disk it bombs out.  I substituted the older .5 rom and it solves the problem.  It doesn't ALWAYS fail to format, but it can be stubborn about it.  There seems to be a timing thing between the time the controller on the drive finishes it's work and hands off the product to the format utility for finalization.

 

 

Best,

 

Jeff

Edited by Jeffrey Worley
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I retract my criticism of the USD v1.0 rom.  My problems with formatting were caused by disassembling and reassembling the drive to install the new rom.  My drive is touchy as all getout about position of wiring and reacts badly to fiddling.  I spent some time today cleaning up the RF problems, I swapped a 4700uf power cap for a 3300, to quiet the power filtering down a bit, had all 4700's installed previously.  I also put a choke on the head cable and re-routed it out of the hole in the mech where the stepper is, added a choke to a bight of the stepper cables, and the drive is much quieter now.  It formats fine.  I can duplicate the errors I was getting by undoing these fixes, or otherwise challenging the RF environment within the drive.  Cutting the slot into the top the way I did is just totally necessary.  I've been working on a way to make it quiet with a metal top on, have a sheet of steel for testing, and just can't get it to be quiet.  Perhaps the caps I used to replace the old ones are noisier than specced.  At any rate, it is not the fault of the rom.

 

best,

 

Jeff

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On 6/7/2020 at 10:28 PM, _The Doctor__ said:

More than a dust cover...

Somehow I glazed over and am confused trying to follow the thread now...

Do we have more than one drive going on in here now?

At least one other than mine.  Toddtmw built one, and I sent out several crystals, so I hope others as well.

 

Best,

 

Jeff

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