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Incognito - Now's your chance!


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1 hour ago, flashjazzcat said:

The idea behind 'Boot diagnostic cart' is that you have an issue and you want to diagnose it. I imagined - in my naivety - that on Incognito and U1MB machines alike, you'd plug in the diagnostic cart, turn the machine on, jump directly into the BIOS and choose 'Boot diagnostic cart'. When done, the user would take the cartridge out of the left cart slot and put it away until the next time it was needed.

 

Now that the U1MB firmware can selectively toggle the presence or absence of the SIDE/SIDE2 ROM, I toyed with the idea of making it bring a previously suppressed ROM back in software... but eventually I thought this would complicate things and potentially create issues with other flash carts. So the way to bring - for example - the SIDE2 ROM back is to enable it and then power-cycle the machine (or press the cart button, which resets both SDX and external cart ROMs to bank #0).

 

Note there is a 'cart reset' U1MB plugin (kindly written by Marcin) already, which allows AtariMax carts to be reset to bank #0 in software right from the BIOS menu. If the extra 2K of ROM space in Incognito was made usable, the Incognito could have plugins too. Never mind that the Incognito doesn't have an IO header... there are many other uses for plugins.

 

The behaviour of SIDE ROM management can be changed (i.e. made to re-activate previously suppressed ROMs) simply by amending the plugin as well. That's the beauty of keeping all the device-specific code in the plugin module. :)

No doubt about of the benefits and advantage of the BIOS-plugin model... Very well conceived, indeed. I do wonder what Candle's thoughts are on this matter, though (from Incognito's implementation point-of-view).

 

The only let-down here (if any) would be Ultimate's architecture, itself: it order to run with mass-storage, the host's LEFT-cart port MUST be used, permanently. To illustrate what this means, I've just ran (last week) a complete batch of firmware upgrades (v3.02) on both my Ultimate's (800XL). Since it have been months since I turned them on, and I had to test a whole bunch of things with them (e.g. SIDE 1/2 OSS carts booting Atari DOS from HD-storage .ATR) it was a real "shock" for me having to remember that I had to turn either HD or PBI bios OFF (thus losing it) in order to boot the carts I was testing. I was like "OMG!". There is no such thing on Incognito, and that has HUGE implications, especially on my usage pattern (may not be the case for others, though...)

 

But, regardless of the above, the point is that the new "X/Bios" RIGHT-cart will have then to incorporate some basic logic / control so you can write to some register/s and bring it back on and off to the bus, because it should also be a multi-bank cart, as well (not to run Last Word from it, but to store smaller code for those low-level tasks that enable HW features, etc., and require little contiguous space to be stored or ran from base/linear ram).

 

This would allow it to run not just on Incognito, but also on NON-incognito 800's, as well. You have no idea how many times I wanted to have a "bios"-level download of high-speed code on my Indus/GT (for its wonderful and sleek US-Doubler emulator or SuperSynchroMesh), or just launching a CP/M terminal emulation (with own 80-col driver) BEFORE proceeding with booting the system itself... That would also help greatly during beta-testing of main BIOS functions, itself.

 

Just to give a simple, mundane example...

 

 

Edited by Faicuai
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16 minutes ago, Faicuai said:

the host's LEFT-cart port MUST be used, permanently

Well, it pulls right out when you need it for something else. I attempted to ameliorate abject confusion in the latest U1MB BIOS with the 'SIDE HDD Defaults' setting, but I can always add a 'run carts' too. :)

16 minutes ago, Faicuai said:

X/Bios

Please consider a different name... that one's been used before and the connotations are not pleasant. :)

 

Anyway: a lot of this stuff can be done via the loader. On U1MB platforms with a 65C816, one can install the reboot-proof version of the RAPIDISK.SYS driver from the loader, and then run any DOS or bootable volume you like with increased HDD speeds until the power is cut.

Edited by flashjazzcat
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1 minute ago, flashjazzcat said:

Well, it pulls right out when you need it for something else. I attempted to ameliorate abject confusion in the latest U1MB BIOS with the 'SIDE HDD Defaults' setting, but I can always add a 'run carts setting' too. :)

Please consider a different name... that one's been used before and the connotations are not pleasant. :)

 

Anyway: a lot of this stuff can be done via the loader. On U1MB platforms with a 65C816, one can install the reboot-proof version of the RAPIDISK.SYS driver from the loader, and then run any DOS or bootable volume you like with increased HDD speeds until the power is cut.

Don't worry about the BIOS. In my opinion, it's just fine, considering the underlying (and substantial) complexity it currently manages and represent with simplicity and elegance. ?

 

It's just that booting OSS Basix-XE with DOS .ATR image from SIDE (on same cart-port) is simply impossible on my Ultimate's... and for any other cartridge, too, for this purpose. That means ANY of my go-to-carts (MS Basic II, Word Processors, Assembler Editor, RIGHT-carts bootable from my revised XE04-FP-LRc OS-load, etc.), will never have access to HD storage when running on my 800XL / Ultimate's...

 

However, I like the lateral thinking of using the Loader instead for these things... Injecting high-performance code on my Indus/GT drives (or upgraded 1050's) could a starting point, for sure!

 

Or what about the OTHER Incognito mystery (that I also have asked about, already, and never got an answer): the "RECOVERY OS" slot... that's a full 16KB of phantom space that I still don't know what in the world it is used (or could be used) for...

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12 minutes ago, Faicuai said:

OSS Basix-XE with DOS .ATR image from SIDE (on same cart-port) is simply impossible on my Ultimate's

I'm able to do it, thanks to ebiguy's OSS cart conversions, which work on a stand-alone SIDE cart, with U1MB (and ATRs and HDD partitions), and with or without SDX. :)

 

But I understand the point (blockage of the cart port on U1MB machines); nothing will properly address this other than full cartridge emulation on a SIDE cartridge, with cart emulation accessible via the SIDE Loader.

 

Edited by flashjazzcat
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Yep, I said basically the same thing, and that any DIY upgrades I did for the 800 were just to hold me over until I acquired one. I only got as far as upgrading a 16K board to 48K and had just ordered 74HC IC's I needed for the 48k-62K upgrade the same day the pre-order was made known. I pre-ordered the next day. The 48K board will go up on eBay once I have my Incognito; unless someone here would like it to upgrade a 16K 400 or free up slots on an 800, who isn't getting an Incognito for whatever reason. I'll sell inexpensively to someone here, on eBay I'll probably price it about half that of the Incognito.

 

 

Edited by Gunstar
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On 8/14/2019 at 6:06 PM, toddtmw said:

@DrVenkman @candle thoughts on topic name?

Commodore Disk Drive Discussion

 

Other suggestions?

 

From this thread, posts:

76 (Can we leave this post here and also copy it to the new thread?) Sorry, I know I'm making this as hard as possible... :) 

89-90

92-100

 

Thanks!

I'd like to do this, however, the post numbers you are seeing are different than the post numbers I see since there are several hidden posts in this thread.  Because I can see these hidden posts, that throws off the numbers.  And I don't want to move the wrong posts.  Best thing to do is to copy the link for each post (by clicking the post number) and pasting it into a message.  Best to PM me this privately.  I can then move all of those posts into a new thread titled "Commodore Disk Drive Discussion".

 

Also, I cannot leave a single post in both threads. It's either move it or not.  :)

 

Thank you,

 

 ..Al

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35 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

because this has been happening across many threads these days... it's getting tiresome... cool things being done for the 800 series get ready for some Commie diversion in it..

So why don't you just complain about it some more instead of helping the thread get back on topic? After all, piling on is an American tradition, amirite? :)

 

***

I flashed my XEL, XLD and SIDE2 cart with Jon's new firmware this afternoon - I've been beta testing the XLD version for a couple months now but since it's "done" I decided it was the time. I did *not* purchase Lotharek's "FJC Firmware" option with my Incognito. I'll be making another direct donation to Jon when the board is in-hand to ensure Jon gets the maximum bang for my buck. :) 

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2 minutes ago, Kyle22 said:

The question remains: WHY is there a post about a Commie Disk Drive in THIS thread about Incognito?

That is off topic and an attempt to de rail this thread.

I already stated I'm going to move the posts to another thread, please stop harping on this.  Your posts about this are also off topic.

 

Thank you,

 

 ..Al

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On 8/12/2019 at 2:24 PM, flashjazzcat said:

To run my ROM, you need this JED from this post flashed to the CPLD. To do that, you'll need a Xilinx Platform cable or parallel Xilinx cable. There have been many discussions of the procedure on the forum, and one of them surrounds the post linked above. There's another one here.

 

While you wait for a Xilinx platform cable (or in case you don't want one), here's the original ROM you can use with the EPROM programmer:

 

Ultimate1MBv2.zip 173.2 kB · 9 downloads

 

That should get you up and running again without updating the CPLD. :)

 

EDIT (in response to edits): The JED file contains the code which runs on the CPLD (the 'Xilinx' chip). This code defines the logical behaviour of the hardware. The logical behaviour of your board is currently not to have 'IORAM' at $D1xx and $D5xx. Both are unfortunately required by my firmware... hence the conspicuous warning. :)

Thank you for your cogent answers to my neophitic questions.  I now have a map of where to go.  The Xinlinix cable will be here in a couple of days and so will the adapters, so it is a race as to which method restores the board to function first.  No matter what though, the JED gets uplinked.  Your rom is too cool to leave unburnt.  I will notice my friend he ought to send you a pretty for your great code.

 

Best,

 

Jeff

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1 minute ago, Technoid Mutant said:

Thank you for your cogent answers to my neophitic questions

Wow... there aren't many who send me scurrying to the dictionary: I'd forgotten what 'neophitic' (neophytic) means and had to look it up. :)

 

Anyway: many thanks for the kind remarks!

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44 minutes ago, flashjazzcat said:

Wow... there aren't many who send me scurrying to the dictionary: I'd forgotten what 'neophitic' (neophytic) means and had to look it up. :)

 

Anyway: many thanks for the kind remarks!

My first thought was for people using translators to read this. Wondered how well it would translate. 

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Got my Xilinx burner today, also got the adapter kit for my eprom burner.  I pulled the 29040 from the u1mb, plugged it into a plcc32 adapter and then into my burner and burnt the old rom you sent me back onto the chip.  Plugged it into the u1mb and fired it right up.

 

Now for the code update to the Xilinx chip.  Gotta install some software and get trained up, but I have a working machine again, and my burner adapters work too, so I'm pretty stoked.  I oughtta change some prompt in the code to XYZZY -- Nothing Happens....  ?

 

Jeff

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After dinking with several applications before finding the right one, which involved installing windows 7 in a virtual machine, then installing the Xilinx Lab 14 software in that, and wiring the cable to the U1Mb, it worked the first time.  THe jed is uploaded and running and I then flashed the new firmware onto the eeprom.  The board is now brand new.  Thanks to all for your help. 

 

Jeff

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Edited by Technoid Mutant
I am stupid
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  • 1 month later...
On 8/15/2019 at 10:18 AM, flashjazzcat said:

I'm able to do it, thanks to ebiguy's OSS cart conversions, which work on a stand-alone SIDE cart, with U1MB (and ATRs and HDD partitions), and with or without SDX. :)

 

But I understand the point (blockage of the cart port on U1MB machines); nothing will properly address this other than full cartridge emulation on a SIDE cartridge, with cart emulation accessible via the SIDE Loader.

 

Is there any reason why SiDE 2 cartridges can't be made with a pass-through cart port (and MyIDE II for that matter) to solve the issues of physical cart blockage?

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