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Sys-Check V2.2 ready-to-use batch available


tf_hh

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Thanks, that's great news. I am an avid repairer and restorer and upgrader of Atari 8-bits and I was going to invest in the older tools like SALT carts, etc., but yours may be better in that area, cheaper than all the different diagnostic devices (like SALT) I'd need for all 8-bits and I get to use it as an external memory and OS upgrade on an unexpanded 8-bit as well.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi folks,

 

I got a hint about the Sys-Check V2.2 manual I want to share.

 

On page 12 (german and english version) I suggest not to use the external Sys-Check memory expansion when the computer is a XE model and has already a memory-expansion built-in. This information is outdated. During tests with the beta-testers there were some problems at the XE machines due to the typical bad XE timing, but I could fix that. All shipped versions have already the actual logics in their GALs programmed. So this info will be deleted from the manual.

 

Everybody could use Sys-Check also without any issue if the computer has already an internal memory expansion. The only combination not working is Sys-Check together with the TurboFreezer AND both memory-expansions enabled. This will produce memory failures (in the extended memory area). Reason is simple: Both expansions uses the same way to get access to the addressbus: Draining REF (refresh signal) to low.

 

Jurgen

 

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This issue couldn´t be verified by me. I´ve tested an ABBUC-member owned 600XL (with 64 KB base memory) and a selfmade SRAM 512K expansion with Hias´ GAL code and it works with Sys-Check V2.1 (the older version w/o memory expansion) without any issue. Can´t imagine or explain why this souldn´t work together.

 

Your description sounds like an issue with PB7. Try it out using Satantronic´s XRAM V0.21 memory test program and sent a screenshot, please.

 

Jurgen

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This issue couldn´t be verified by me. I´ve tested an ABBUC-member owned 600XL (with 64 KB base memory) and a selfmade SRAM 512K expansion with Hias´ GAL code and it works with Sys-Check V2.1 (the older version w/o memory expansion) without any issue. Can´t imagine or explain why this souldn´t work together.

 

Your description sounds like an issue with PB7. Try it out using Satantronic´s XRAM V0.21 memory test program and sent a screenshot, please.

 

Jurgen

 

Did you also do the mem TEST or only the show pages? The pages are shown good, but tested wrong. Indeed the pages where PB7 = 0

 

The pages where PB7 = 1 are good.

 

See screenshots here:

Without Syscheck, 600XL Hias SRAM upgrade 512KB, all pages tested OK

 

 

With Syscheck, 600XL Hias SRAM upgrade 512KB, half of pages tested ERROR, other half tested OK

 

 

Any suggestions? I have programmed the GAL with the newest firmware; the battery back up circuit is not installed, and there are no switches installed on the memory upgrade (so it is 512KB upgrade).

 

It's not a real problem for me, but I was interested in the cause of this.

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Jurgen, so i can use the 512KB memory expansion with a standard 130XE (128K) ? If that works, i prefer this above the U1MB , because Sys-Check V2.2 works external. Has anybody tried Sys-Check V2.2 with Side2 on a standard 130XE or 800XL. Would it be possible to use the ATR function of the SIDE2 then aswell ?

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It's not a real problem for me, but I was interested in the cause of this.

Any suggestions? I have programmed the GAL with the newest firmware; the battery back up circuit is not installed, and there are no switches installed on the memory upgrade (so it is 512KB upgrade).

 

Thanks for the screenshots. I will try to setup an identical 600XL to analyze this behavior. Could take some time, please be patient.

 

Jurgen

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Jurgen, so i can use the 512KB memory expansion with a standard 130XE (128K) ? If that works, i prefer this above the U1MB , because Sys-Check V2.2 works external. Has anybody tried Sys-Check V2.2 with Side2 on a standard 130XE or 800XL. Would it be possible to use the ATR function of the SIDE2 then aswell ?

 

No, this wouldn´t work. The ATR function of the SiDE only works in junction with the PBI BIOS of the Ultimate 1MB. The U1MB is mandatory for using these special mode of SiDE devices. Standard usage is possible like with any other memory expansion.

 

Jurgen

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If he burn the pbi bios with the os on an eprom and installs that, would that allow him to obtain the desired outcome?

 

Hmm, this should not work. I don´t know the exact technology behind the PBI bios, Jon can answer this, I´m sure. But Sys-Check actually can only emulate OS-ROMs in the address space $C000-$FFFF. More and/or other things are possible, but require change of the logic and/or PCB.

 

Jurgen

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No, that would not work either. U1MB emulates an external PBI device with an 8KB banked (4 2KB banks) math-pack overlay. The only deviation from a "proper" PBI device is that the external device RAM is actually taken from the base RAM of the machine (under the hardware registers, also known as MAPRAM).

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  • 9 months later...

Hi folks,

 

brenski did some tests with his Sys-Check and found out, that his Sys-Check V2.2 won´t work with his two Arabic 65XE computers (of course they have an ECI :) ).

 

I haven´t one of these Arabic XE in my inventory, so I can´t test. IMHO the only difference is an alternative O.S. ROM and keyboard (markings).

 

Anybody here equipped with Sys-Check V2.2 and at least one Arabbic XE who can make a test?

 

The both Arabic XE´s brenski tested won´t start with Sys-Check PCB attached, even if Sys-Check is enabled or disabled. That´s weird, then in disabled state absolutely no signal is touched by Sys-Check´s logic. The same Sys-Check device works fine at a lot of other XL and XE systems...

 

Thanks for help - Jurgen

 

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Anybody here equipped with Sys-Check V2.2 and at least one Arabbic XE who can make a test?

Got one here Jurgen, and had a few through my hands in the past. I can confirm that this one and the previous one both work with SysCheck 2.2 (indeed, I used the tool to diagnose the DRAM issues in one case).

 

EDIT: I did suggest to Brenski that the ECI contacts (since the ECI is rarely used) could be corroded or dirty. I wonder if other ECI devices were tested? Just scanned back through emails, in fact, and in one case he said that SysCheck worked with the 65XEN only when SysCheck was plugged into the pass-thru of a Citrad ECI RAM upgrade.

Edited by flashjazzcat
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Hi Jurgen



I think you maybe mis-read my PM. It fails to run - with the switches in any position except for ALL OFF - and produces RED SCREEN


- this happens on ALL FOUR Arabic 65xe. (3x) 65XEN board, and (1x) 130xe board with 2of4 ram chips.


Note1: All machines have ECI


Note2: All machines pass the Atari self-tests (incl ram)


If, i place 1, 2 + 3 in OFF position i get the usual READY prompt as expected.



hope this helps



+++++++++++++++



Hi Jon


the thing I'm thinking is that maybe the edge connectors on the Arabic 65xen is somehow different - but that doesn't explain the Arabic 65xe that uses the 130xe board responding the same way.


If the edge connectors are suspect, i'm surprised that ALL work with the Ctirad 576xe between the computer and the syscheck-II. very strange



Is it possible it's something detected in the OS Rom that isn't liked?



Martin


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Not to dissuade you from the problem, but I had an issue with Sys-Check on an 800XLF board where a lot of the time it failed to be recognized. (I find this ironic, given who I purchased the XLF from). In any case, it turned out to be an issue with the contacts and how far the SC was inserted or even bent/angled on the PBI bus. Granted, the XE's are different but out of a dozen or so machines I used it on, it was just this one XLF that was a late make that had the issues.

 

Do you have an XE extender you could try it with or even validate that any ECI devices work?

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yep. have tried extenders (i have three different ones).

 

here's the latest on those Arabic NAJM 65xe(s)

 

65xen - no1 & no2 - change of position - syscheck-II now works!

65xen - (130xe board) - applied slight pressure during powerup - syscheck-II now works!

65xen - no3 - no amount of adjustment, realignment or extenders makes any difference - syscheck-II doesn't initialise

- this last machine passes all self-test diags

 

3 out of 4 is good tho! it's progress, thanks Jurgen, Jon and kheller2 !

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Hi,

 

thanks for all helpful replies :thumbsup:

 

The last machine which won´t work maybe has an issue with the ECI - maybe. If you have a KMK-IDE interface, please test it on that computer. I found out, when Sys-Check won´t work at any machine, KMK-IDE V2.0 wonßt also and vice versa :)

 

Jurgen

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Jürgen,

 

do you allready have one SysCheck left to buy?

 

Hallo Jürgen...hast du noch ein SysCheck Modul übrig? Ich bin interessiert...habe einen 130XE mit merkwürdigem defekt vor mir und ich denke dein Modul könnte mir weiter helfen.

 

Viele Grüße

Matthias

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