SIO2SD oddity - A8 program loader

[blakespot]

I just got Lotharek's SIO2SD device and did so thru eBay so got the lower price bundle loaded with his SD card full of games and demos.

 

Sadly, in this setup, the menu program starts to load --- I see the folders listing, and then it boots into the first (alphabetical) item in first folder on SD card -- mid listing. It used to list more of the menu before this happened, now I just see three folders and boom. I am hoding OPTION and SHIFT on the SIO2SD to get menu.

 

Anyone have any help? Thanks. Using with a 800XL PAL.

 

 

 

 

bp

[jmccorm]

Stuck fire button? Auto-fire joystick?

 

What machines are you running it on?

What do you have plugged into the joystick port?

No stuck keys, right?

[blakespot]

Stuck fire button? Auto-fire joystick?

 

What machines are you running it on?

What do you have plugged into the joystick port?

No stuck keys, right?

 

PAL 800XL, just a regular joystick - I will try unplugging. No stuck keys.

 

 

bp

[blakespot]

Ok this is happening:

 

The file tree from the eBay bundle on the SD card is:

 

/atari/

SIO2SD.CFG

Sio2SD.xex

 

going in further:

 

/atari/__Anim

/atari/__DEMO

/atari/__GAMES

/atari/__Tools

/atari/__Vbxe

/atari/__Ziny

Sio2SD_CFG_PJ.SET

 

and looking at the __GAMES dir:

 

/atari/__GAMES/__Executables

/atari/__GAMES/__Floppy images

/atari/__GAMES/__Trained

 

and looking at __Trained dir:

 

/atari/__GAMES/__Trained/AllCat.xex

/atari/__GAMES/__Trained/Arkanoid.xex

/atari/__GAMES/__Trained/Artefakt.xex

...

 

What is happening is that the first (alphabetically) file in __Trained is loading after the SIO2SD loader menu loads. I looked at SIO2SD.CFG and AllCat.xex is mentioned in there. So, I deleted SIO2SD.CFG and deleted (moved off SD) AllCat.xex. What happens then is that the same thing happens but with Arkanoid.xex now, and looking at the re-created .CFG file, Arkanoid.xex is named within.

 

Why in the world is this happening? And more importantly, how can I stop it?

 

Thanks.

 

UPDATE: I see that as the file list first appears each dir is quickly selected one after the other drilling down until the .xex is encountered then the system reboots -- very fast. Just as if a key is stuck -- but it's not; I go into BASIC and no repeat key is happening. If I interfere with the situation by wildly keying arrow keys, I am able to get into a situation where no file is selected but there is a repeat pinging sound as if a key is stuck. Again, in BASIC I can type fine.

 

ANOTHER UPDATE: This only happens on my PAL 800XL, not on my 130XE. So it's specific to one of my machines. How could the system appear ok in BASIC but not under the menu?

 

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: peek(53279) returns 7 (no function keys being pressed).

 

 

bp

Edited January 20, 2018 by blakespot

[jmccorm]

UPDATE: I see that as the file list first appears each dir is quickly selected one after the other drilling down until the .xex is encountered then the system reboots -- very fast. Just as if a key is stuck -- but it's not; I go into BASIC and no repeat key is happening. If I interfere with the situation by wildly keying arrow keys, I am able to get into a situation where no file is selected but there is a repeat pinging sound as if a key is stuck. Again, in BASIC I can type fine

 

Your update confirmed what I suspected: it was getting an input that auto-selected the first item down the tree. The reason why, I can't say, and you've taken some good steps to try to narrow it down. If nobody else has any input, you might try contacting the seller and seeing if they've seen this situation before, or if they have any suggestions.

 

You could also try older/newer versions of the SIO2SD Atari binary and see if that makes a difference. (Forum search for it.)

[snicklin]

I am not sure if this is exactly the right answer, but might work for you....

 

Can you rename the 'atari' folder to 'ATARI' in uppercase?

 

Mine works like this and it states here that it should be called ATARI : http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=23

 

It may make no difference at all.

[ACML]

Have you tried an older menu to see if it works?

sio2sd_v2.2.xex

 

[_The Doctor__]

Try a different PAL 800XL, you may have a hardware issue.... this will rule that out..

[blakespot]

Try a different PAL 800XL, you may have a hardware issue.... this will rule that out..

 

I don't have PAL machines lying about. I just ordered this PAL 800XL board from Germany and it took a month to get here.

 

 

bp

[_The Doctor__]

lower soi2sd divisor speed... make sure folders are emptied, delete .cfg files.

check power supply voltage under load, so2sd's a power hungry beast in operation, a supply may not work on a more power hungry Atari in combination with a power hungry device...

Edited January 20, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[blakespot]

lower soi2sd divisor speed... make sure folders are emptied, delete .cfg files.

check power supply voltage under load, so2sd's a power hungry beast in operation, a supply may not work on a more power hungry Atari in combination with a power hungry device...

 

I have a second 1/2 brick and tested it with the 800XL -- same issue.

 

Can someone tell me what the default value for the SIO2SD's Sio high speed setting is? Thanks.

 

 

 

bp

[_The Doctor__]

I'd set the divisor at 08 to get started, then adjust up or down till it makes or breaks I/O, also turn off any weird enhancement that might be set in the firmware...

 

for instance... TopDrive mode if it's in there should be off

Edited January 21, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[blakespot]

Here is a video of the issue -- for whatever reason it's not actually launching the disk now, but you can hear the as-if-stuck-key ping.

 

[_The Doctor__]

I'd open the 800 up and re seat it's chips... it sounds like the synchronization tick is disturbing the key click... that isn't how that's suppose to be at all

[+Nezgar]

Sounds like the high speed SIO routines in the SIO2SD device are coded for NTSC POKEY timings if it works fine there. There may be a different SIO2SD ROM or loader you need to use for a PAL computer. So I agree with __TheDoctor__'s suggestion to lower SIO speed. ($10 for 2x (38400bps) or $28 for standard 1x (19200bps)

 

Speaking from experience with my 1050 Mini-Speedy where it had tested OK on a PAL machine, but would not work in high-speed (divisor $09) on an NTSC machine, even with speed limiting caps removed from both the 1050 and the computer until we discovered my EPROM was accidentally programmed with the original PAL ROM, and all was good when re-programmed it with the patched NTSC compatible rom made by Hias last year.

 

I have one of alsp's SDrive-ARM's, and I have a similar problem with this using anything faster than 2x / POKEY divisor $10 / 54000bps on an NTSC machine.

 

The menu software is probably behaving erratically due to errors received in the SIO data stream.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Nezgar

[Franko ATARI]

I agree with The_Doctor & Nezgar - it sounds/seems like it's an NTCS/Pal incompatibility.

 

You're narrowing down the problem when you said: "ANOTHER UPDATE: This only happens on my PAL 800XL, not on my 130XE. So it's specific to one of my machines. How could the system appear ok in BASIC but not under the menu?"

You're getting some timing (NTSC/PAL) timing/conflict issues...

[+tf_hh]

Sounds like the high speed SIO routines in the SIO2SD device are coded for NTSC POKEY timings if it works fine there. There may be a different SIO2SD ROM or loader you need to use for a PAL computer. So I agree with __TheDoctor__'s suggestion to lower SIO speed. ($10 for 2x (38400bps) or $28 for standard 1x (19200bps)

 

Hmm, I think this should be not an issue, because the SIO2SD and it´s software were made by polish people, and they use PAL machines.

 

Blake got this mainboard from me. It was a well tested one - with highspeed divisor 2 w/o any problems (using APE and APE SIO2USB interface). All ports are also well tested over 12 hours in endless loop using the CPS SuperSalt with external test fixture. Of course the evil is in the details, but before assuming the mainboard has a defect I would suggest to use a clean formatted FAT32 SD-Card with fresh created ATARI folder and some ATR files in. Load any working ATR file into D1: and boot. If this works fine, the device is fine.

 

BR Jurgen

[_The Doctor__]

I'm not saying it's a pal issue but a timing issue. the key click is occuring with the sio2sd pulse, turning off TOPDOS and lowering speed is always a good place to start.

Edited January 25, 2018 by _The Doctor__

[blakespot]

I emailed Lotharek to day asking about this, sending the video and description and he said the solution is simple: "remove old capacitors from READ/WRITE SIO lines."

 

He said remove and not replace. Lost in translation? I assume I need to replace them. Anyone have a good source for new caps? Thanks.

 

He also sent this: (attached)

 

 

 

 

bp

[+Stephen]

My assumption is that they are filter caps across a line, so removing them will just open the lines. This is most likely the same shit as in some of the XE models near the SIO port. I would remove them and just leave open.

[Franko ATARI]

Yes, just remove the capacitors. You need more signal strength through the those lines/traces. Don't replace anything....leave them open.

[_The Doctor__]

huh, I've not seen a PAL unit with the caps on the sio port... am I just that lucky or what?

[HiassofT]

huh, I've not seen a PAL unit with the caps on the sio port... am I just that lucky or what?

 

On PAL XLs they are soldered on the PCB (near the SIO port). I've only seen caps soldered directly to the SIO connectors in XEs.

 

so long,

 

Hias

[_The Doctor__]

all the same, if the sio cfg speed of the sio2sd is turned down to 19,200 it should still work with or without the caps....

[blakespot]

Ok. I see C77 and C78 on the image I just googled. Just remove -- don't bridge directly, right(!)? Thanks.

 

 

bp