Ultimate 1MB firmware update using SIDE LOADER

[opossumita]

The FAT driver needs a later SpartaDOS X version... sigh. You should replace FATFS.SYS with the one from the SDX 4.46 Toolkit ATR.

 

How can i do this? All this thing really needs patience...

[Mclaneinc]

I love that you can play around with all these things in Altirra and in no way knock Avery for his time adding an emulated U1MB but I apart from just tinkering can never see why people would set up a VHD and ATR / File loader when its all built in to Altirra and your own rather larger HD's with no issue of compatibility..

 

As said, I tinkered with it but found it easier to just load up the disks within Altirra

 

On real hardware though, its a MUST HAVE if you want to avoid being connect to a PC and just use the Atari all in...Fantastic bit of kit, wish it had been around in the quality it is now back then...Time travel, must warm up the Delorean and get me some goodies

[flashjazzcat]

Aside from development and a possible penchant for the SIDE loader, setting things up in the emulator is a good dry-run for performing the same tasks on real hardware. In particular, the emulator offers a safe environment in which to test firmware flashing (opussumita's eventual goal), without the risks of bricking associated with real hardware when things aren't done correctly.

Edited September 29, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[flashjazzcat]

How can i do this? All this thing really needs patience...

Here's the disk image again with the 4.46 FATFS.SYS replacing the newer driver:

 

opussumita.zip

[Mclaneinc]

Aside from development and a possible penchant for the SIDE loader, setting things up in the emulator is a good dry-run for performing the same tasks on real hardware. In particular, the emulator offers a safe environment in which to test firmware flashing (opussumita's eventual goal), without the risks of bricking associated with real hardware when things aren't done correctly.

 

That is a good point, that's why you are the dev and I'm the dopey one

 

As said, I love the idea of it and back then it would have been a blast but I moved away from the electronics side and adding stuff on to just playing and tinkering at trying to code. Thankfully things like the U1MB play an important role these days too and it never tires to see my beloved machine doing stuff people simply dreamt of back then.

 

Well done to you and all our devs and hardware makers....

[opossumita]

Thanks

 

Here's the disk image again with the 4.46 FATFS.SYS replacing the newer driver:

opussumita.zip

Thank you flashjazzcat... (In the Ultimate menu i enabled SpartaDOS and SIDE harware On, with button, SIDE2 switch up) Now typing F: and uflash.xex I can open the flasher...I select firmware and well the firmware.rom is in the file list (DRIVE D6:)... I'm scared about this procedure......... Will you help me also if the machine bricks? Otherwise I'll be desperate

Edited September 29, 2016 by opossumita

[+Roydea6]

DO IT! If things go bad there are a lot of AtariAge members willing to help.. (Depending on your Location on the Globe)

[flashjazzcat]

Aside from Murphy's Law (i.e. people with recovery facilities such as USB EPROM programmers will experience no issues, while those without a means of recovery immediately brick the machine), the other thing to watch out for is noise on the U1MB Reset line. The problem is most frequently observed on 1200XL machines, and may only be noticeable (if at all) with the original BIOS from time to time (garbage in the menu), but usually becomes more obvious with the new firmware. The solution is a capacitor (usually 100pF will do) between the U1MB's Reset pin and GND (a GND pin on the back of the PLCC socket is ideal). As mentioned, I only noticed one machine which wasn't a 1200XL which required this mod, but I think there are others out there. If operation with the original BIOS has been 100 per cent stable, then you're probably OK.

 

Another gotcha is the CPLD. If your Ultimate 1MB is from an early run and has the V.1 JED, the new firmware won't work. Only if you are already able to use "SIDE Hardware" and have verified that a PBI BIOS is present when it is enabled (i.e. the hard disk works and is bootable), should you proceed with the update. It appears you're already using the PBI HDD, so no problems there.

Edited September 29, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[opossumita]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I did it! :D :D Thank You very much flashjazzcat annd rdea6... A big big hug for you!

[flashjazzcat]

Well done.

[opossumita]

i've tried dropzone.xex and numen.atr... No problems at all... What about the button on the side2? Does it become useless after the update? Before i pushed the button, then reset and the system loaded SIDELoader again automatically...

[flashjazzcat]

If you set "ATR swap button" to "Enabled" in PBI BIOS Settings (which you should do anyway, since it should be turned off only in peculiar circumstances), then mount (for example) an ATR on D1: and a second ATR on D2:, pressing the button will cause the images to be rotated (swapped) on the next disk transfer operation. This allows you to load multi-disk sets which would expect physical floppies to be swapped in and out of a single disk drive.

 

The SIDE button only invokes the loader when you use the loader ROM on the SIDE cartridge itself (i.e. without U1MB). The effect is to map the first bank of the upper half of the ROM at $A000-$BFFF, but when using the PBI BIOS, no part of the SIDE's ROM is used at all.

Edited September 29, 2016 by flashjazzcat