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


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12 hours ago, hueyjones70 said:

This is slightly off topic but I have the 512K memory upgrade installed in a 1200XL that has been modified to use the 800XL OS. When I set up a RAM Disk, how many sectors should the RAM Disk have?

 

Depends on the DOS and the Ramdisk driver you are using, e.g. the original DOS 2.5 and its original ramdisk driver will always give you just a 64k ramdisk (499 single density free sectors from 512). BiboDOS, SuperDOS, TurboDOS, XDOS and a few others are limited to 256k max. ramdisk size (999+ double density free sectors). You will also find some DOS versions and ramdisk drivers that are limited to max. 128k ramdisk size (e.g. other ramdisk drivers for DOS 2.5, older versions of SuperDOS, etc. with 999+ single density free sectors).

 

With MyDOS 4.5x, SpartaDOS, BeweDOS, RealDOS, etc. and the appropriate ramdisk driver you can have ramdisks up to 1MB, e.g. I am using the MyRD2 ramdisk driver under MyDOS 4.5x - it fully supports my 512k memory upgrade and gives me 4078 single density (128Byte) free sectors when totally empty and 4024 free sectors with DUP (thats 54 sectors for DUP on D8)...

 

MYDOSUS.zip

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24 minutes ago, moonlight_mile said:

Quick question.

I have version 2.2. I read over the documentation and I could have sworn that it said something that the 512k ram could not be used on an xe. Is they true? I can’t find where I saw it.

Maybe it was my imagination.

I just want to double check before I plug this into the computer.

 

Imagination says: "(It's) just an illusion!"  - and its untrue!

(www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFaCuHa10oE)

 

Of course the 512k RAM can be used in an XE. If the XE already has XRAM (e.g. a 130XE) then the Sys-Check will simply disable it.

 

 

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Imagination says: "(It's) just an illusion!"  - and its untrue!
 
Of course the 512k RAM can be used in an XE. If the XE already has XRAM (e.g. a 130XE) then the Sys-Check will simply disable it.
 
 

Ok. Thanks. I can’t for the life of me remember where I saw that or what it was in reference to. I just didn’t want to blow the sychek up right after I got it.lol

Thanks for the info!
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26 minutes ago, moonlight_mile said:

I have version 2.2. I read over the documentation and I could have sworn that it said something that the 512k ram could not be used on an xe. Is they true? I can’t find where I saw it.

Maybe it was my imagination.

 

Yes and No :-D

 

You´re right, in the early days of the Sys-Check english manual there was such an hint at the end of the manual. This was wrong. Unfortunately it took some months before I found this mistake. The current manual (dated from 2019) is still valid. And: You can use your Sys-Check with any XE computer without trouble. Any internal RAM expansion will be ignored if you enable the memory expansion feature on Sys-Check.

 

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14 hours ago, hueyjones70 said:

I checked my setup with MYDOS 4.2 and it showed 1522. I checked my 128K 130XE and got the same number.  I am not sure if everything is working as it should. I had to follow the 800XL instructions.

 

Is that setup really with Sys-Check plugged in ?

Could be a) that MyDOS 4.2 and its ramdisk driver is limited to 192k ramdisk (which I doubt) or b) you did not use Sys-Check, but simply have a computer with 256k RAM (64k base RAM replaced with 256k RAM, so you actually have 64k base RAM and 192k XRAM) or c) MyDOS 4.2 is not configured correctly for your setup. I guess it is option c)...

 

Afair, in older versions of MyDOS you have to configure your setup by typing in the rambank page sequence of your setup at least once (and save it by writing new DOS files with the H command), for a Sys-Check 512k RAM extension you could type in:

 

03,07,0B,0F,23,27,2B,2F,43,47,4B,4F,63,67,6B,6F,

83,87,8B,8F,A3,A7,AB,AF,C3,C7,CB,CF,E3,E7,EB,EF

 

Tried it with MyDOS 4.2c and it did not work that way. Maybe it wants decimal numbers or the numbers must not be separated with commas or something else? Better use a newer version of MyDOS, like 4.54 or 4.55 and the ramdisk driver MyRD2 by Lee Barnes - all of that can be found on Mathy's homepage or in the attachment of post 202. This MyDOS 4.5x version and the ramdisk driver automatically detect the size of your ramdisk, so you do not have to type in the rambank page sequence anymore.

 

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Hello guys

 

6 hours ago, CharlieChaplin said:

Maybe it wants decimal numbers or the numbers must not be separated with commas or something else? Better use a newer version of MyDOS, like 4.54 or 4.55 ...

 

What is and is not needed to configure MyDOS is in the manuals.  Either in TECH.DOC or in MAIN.DOC.

 

There is no version 4.54.  Since 4.53/4 is often mistakenly called 4.54, MyDOS went from 4.53 (4.53/3 and 4.53/4) to 4.55.  The latter is still in beta (meaning not all the bug that were in previous versions of MyDOS have been killed) and does not need a /3 and /4 version.

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi, I have a 130XE with bad ram. Can I use the SYS-CHECK V2.2 to simply bypass the bad ram and run games from my Ultimate Cart and/or MyIDE II cart?

It is not clear from the youtube videos about that. Or, would I still have to desolder the bad ram and replace it? If yes, the SYS-CHECK V2.2 is a non-starter for me.

 

Also, my 130XE has the expansion port on the back.

 

If it will work, are there any in stock and where/how do I buy it?

 

Thanks!

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3 hours ago, jmprice_314159 said:

Hi, I have a 130XE with bad ram. Can I use the SYS-CHECK V2.2 to simply bypass the bad ram and run games from my Ultimate Cart and/or MyIDE II cart?

It is not clear from the youtube videos about that. Or, would I still have to desolder the bad ram and replace it? If yes, the SYS-CHECK V2.2 is a non-starter for me.

 

Also, my 130XE has the expansion port on the back.

 

If it will work, are there any in stock and where/how do I buy it?

 

Thanks!

For what it’s worth I was using a syscheck in my 130xe to play games from my Sdrive before I was brave enough to replace the ram in the first bank myself.  

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Hello jmprice

 

4 hours ago, jmprice_314159 said:

Ok, how do I get to post 205? Thanks.

 

The message I am typing right now (and the one you are reading right now) will probably be #215.  See upper right hand corner of this message.  Scroll up to 205.

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

 

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11 hours ago, jmprice_314159 said:

Hi, I have a 130XE with bad ram. Can I use the SYS-CHECK V2.2 to simply bypass the bad ram and run games from my Ultimate Cart and/or MyIDE II cart?

It is not clear from the youtube videos about that. Or, would I still have to desolder the bad ram and replace it? If yes, the SYS-CHECK V2.2 is a non-starter for me.

 

Yes and no ?

 

Yes to the first question: Sys-Check can substitute the 64 main memory of your bad XE machine. But, this is not made for permanent use, just for testing purposes. So no the 2nd question. If Sys-Check is set to substitute the main memory, then extended memory expansion doesn´t work and also attached cartridges will not be recognized. The reason is simple: Sys-Check must claim the system´s buss completely to let the machine ignore the faulty RAM.

 

But, as Sys-Check beeing an external device, it can´t grab and re-route the internal signals from/to MMU, where cartridges are connected to.

 

BTW, running a system with faulty RAM can have a lot of side-effects. Mostly these defect RAMs have influence to the databuss, and when you´re running the machine for a longer time, spurious hang-ups or restarts may happen. So it´s better you fix that.

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4 hours ago, Allan said:

I wish there was a Sys-check for the 1050 disk drive. Partially joking because I don't think that would be possible because the only I/O is the SIO port.

 

Believe it or not, but I´ve thought about such a solution in 2017 already. But... under the bottom line it´s useless from my experience after dozens repaired 1050:

 

1. The major parts (digital interface) are in sockets and easy to change for a test

2. In all my years I have only ONE time a defect TTL chip (74s series) in a 1050

 

So mostly not running 1050s have problems in any analogue circuit. Often power (electrolytic caps, diodes or 78xx voltage regulators), SIO problems (defect 3086 transistor array or 6532 RIOT) or starting, but impossible to read/write disk failures based on problems in the analogue amplifier circuitry or the drive mechanic itself. A "1050 Sys-Check" could only detect some simple digital faults and maybe SIO defects, but all other stuff must be checked with an oscilloscope, or replaced "brute force" (change all).

 

Even when some nice measurement breakout-boards (Arduino stuff for example) exists, such a testing tool would be check only 10-15% of all typical faults found "in the wild"... that´s not economic.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
On 12/20/2016 at 3:49 AM, Stormtrooper of Death said:

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 ?

So, after 6 years time to decide, i finally bought SysCheck v2.2 from Abbuc. I waited this long because I also wanted the plastic case that was now for sale on ABBUC aswell. Going to be very happy when the Atari goodies arrive.

 

Are there also other ROMS that can be used on the SysCheck , such as BasicXE, Mac65, etc? 

Edited by Stormtrooper of Death
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9 hours ago, Stormtrooper of Death said:

Are there also other ROMS that can be used on the SysCheck , such as BasicXE, Mac65, etc? 

 

Sys-Check can run only operating system images, or, to be more exactly, ROM contents from $C000-$FFFF, where $D000-$D7FF is mirrored to $5000-$57FF like the XL/XE self-test.

 

Cartridge software like OSS carts etc. can´t run from the Sys-Check firmware EPROM or Flash.

 

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