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Antonia 4MB in NTSC 1200XL - How to disable BASIC?


Xebec

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Hey folks,

 

I've got an Antonia 4MB upgrade in a 1200XL, and  I'm using the AVGCart to try various programs. 

 

However, I can only reliably get 64KB or less programs to run correctly.  If I try running programs like Yoomp, it tells me to disable BASIC before loading.  Bosconian also appears to load but then crashes.  I can use ANT.EXE to select different RAM amounts - I've tried XE / 128KB, Rambo 320KB, Rambo 1MB, but none make any difference.  

 

I also noticed that if I boot the system without AVGCart, it default to BASIC - even if I hold down the OPTION button.  I've verified via the atari diagnostic screen that the option key is working.

 

How do I disable BASIC?

 

P.S.  I'm running the stock XLOS ROM (the only ROM) that the hardware comes with.  

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Probably a bad PIA chip.

 

Boot with ASM/ED cart. Use BUG to look at $D301. It should be $FD, meaning BASIC is enabled. Change $D301 to $FF - BASIC is disabled. This probably doesn't work in your system. If it does, then the MMU is bad.

 

I have a million MMUs...

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Thanks all. I removed the 1200 ROMs as recommended and am just using Antonias default XLOS.  

 

I can try flashing in additional ROMs using ANT.exe just would need to know which files to use.

 

I have a parts 800xl and another 1200xl (bad keyboard membrane but otherwise good) - can I pull the PIA from the 800xl and use in the 1200?

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19 hours ago, bob1200xl said:

Probably a bad PIA chip.

 

Boot with ASM/ED cart. Use BUG to look at $D301. It should be $FD, meaning BASIC is enabled. Change $D301 to $FF - BASIC is disabled. This probably doesn't work in your system. If it does, then the MMU is bad.

 

I have a million MMUs...

Hey Bob!

 

I replaced the PIA from another system;  no change - I still can't get the 1200XL to boot without BASIC being loaded with Antonia and XLOS.

 

I also used DEBUG to verify that I could change $D301 back and forth between FF and FD.  (CD301<FF, DD301, etc) I don't see a way to reboot the system after making this change without powering off..  

 

I do remember someone else had the same problem with Antonia and the 1200XL -- legacy or lower memory software seems fine, but anything requiring 128KB or more fails.  

 

Any other suggestions?  I appreciate the help here.  FWIW, I did re-verify that the Antonia is replacing the MMU (ribbon connection), and my 1200XL has no ROMs installed, so it's getting the default Antonia OS ROM which should allow disabling of BASIC :).  

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As an informational -- not a solution -- I have a 1200xl with an Antonia board in it. I don't have an AVGCart, but I do have a Side cart that I can load xex's with. Yoomp loads without any complaints...but then the Side cart has a setting so you can disable basic. I don't know how I would do it without that. Does the AVGCart have any settings?

 

 

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AVG default is no basic, and it may load some Altirra OS stuff...

 

there have been some back and forth discussions about making the conversions on machines before upgrades, as in 1200XL os mod or 600xl memory mod etc... The trend anecdotal or not seems to be those who make the standard conversions/modifications first and then add on expansions and the like seem to fair better than those who don't.

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12 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

AVG default is no basic, and it may load some Altirra OS stuff...

 

there have been some back and forth discussions about making the conversions on machines before upgrades, as in 1200XL os mod or 600xl memory mod etc... The trend anecdotal or not seems to be those who make the standard conversions/modifications first and then add on expansions and the like seem to fair better than those who don't.

 

19 minutes ago, Frankie said:

As an informational -- not a solution -- I have a 1200xl with an Antonia board in it. I don't have an AVGCart, but I do have a Side cart that I can load xex's with. Yoomp loads without any complaints...but then the Side cart has a setting so you can disable basic. I don't know how I would do it without that. Does the AVGCart have any settings?

 

 

I can try a SIDE2;  However my Antonia+1200XL has BASIC on regardless of whether I hold OPTION or not -- without a cartridge installed.  

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OK - Tried the SIDE2;  and Yoomp still says to turn off BASIC.  I've tried the SIDE2 with Basic OFF and Basic ON just in case something was flipped.

 

I used ANT.EXE to try both 128KB XE and 1024KB modes, linear memory on or off - and no differences.  

 

Does Antonia normally respond to OPTION for turning off basic with no cart? 

 

Any other ideas/suggestions?   Thanks! 

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16 minutes ago, Xebec said:

OK - Tried the SIDE2;  and Yoomp still says to turn off BASIC.  I've tried the SIDE2 with Basic OFF and Basic ON just in case something was flipped.

 

I used ANT.EXE to try both 128KB XE and 1024KB modes, linear memory on or off - and no differences.  

 

Does Antonia normally respond to OPTION for turning off basic with no cart? 

 

Any other ideas/suggestions?   Thanks! 

I have a SIDE2 as well, and Yoomp loads fine. I just flip the switch on the cartridge so the side-loader starts, go find Yoomp and it loads. 

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3 minutes ago, Frankie said:

I have a SIDE2 as well, and Yoomp loads fine. I just flip the switch on the cartridge so the side-loader starts, go find Yoomp and it loads. 

OK Good to know;  unfortunately different result for me :)

 

Which ROM are you using with your Antonia? 

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5 hours ago, Xebec said:

Which ROM are you using with your Antonia? 

 

5 hours ago, Frankie said:

Afraid to say I don't really know. In ANT all my slots have the same thing  XLOS,ABvC

 

That is Atari XL/XE OS Rev.2, BASIC v.C

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On my 1200XL Antonia I boot clean - no OPTION, no carts, nothing plugged into SIO. BASIC comes up. If you want to check your OS, type "DOS". You should go to the 800XL help screen.

 

Back to BASIC. When BASIC comes up, type "poke 54017, 255". This turns off BASIC and the system hangs. Hit RESET and BASIC returns.

 

You may be able to see the BASIC bit going on and off at bit 11 on the PIA.

 

I would guess that the Antonia does its own decoding and bit latching internally. PIA is probably internal. Bad Antonia...

 

Bob

 

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1 minute ago, bob1200xl said:

On my 1200XL Antonia I boot clean - no OPTION, no carts, nothing plugged into SIO. BASIC comes up. If you want to check your OS, type "DOS". You should go to the 800XL help screen.

 

Back to BASIC. When BASIC comes up, type "poke 54017, 255". This turns off BASIC and the system hangs. Hit RESET and BASIC returns.

 

You may be able to see the BASIC bit going on and off at bit 11 on the PIA.

 

I would guess that the Antonia does its own decoding and bit latching internally. PIA is probably internal. Bad Antonia...

 

Bob

 

Thanks Bob!  I figured that might be the expected behavior.  I'm just curious here as there was another user having the same type of issues here:

 

If I remember correctly, this Antonia worked fine in an 800XL with AVGCart.  I'll mess around tomorrow with a spare 800XL and verify that's still the case.  

 

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Because of lack of the PB1 wire on the 1200XL's MMU, Antonia has to re-create this signal itself and does it. If you have a 1200XL core. If you have a normal 800XL core in Antonia mistakenly, then "Connect the last wire from pin 18 of U14 (MMU) to pin 11 of U23 (PIA)." will help.

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6 hours ago, Simius said:

Because of lack of the PB1 wire on the 1200XL's MMU, Antonia has to re-create this signal itself and does it. If you have a 1200XL core. If you have a normal 800XL core in Antonia mistakenly, then "Connect the last wire from pin 18 of U14 (MMU) to pin 11 of U23 (PIA)." will help.

Oh I see - I did order this for an 800XL originally, and didn't realize they had different configs.  I assume this isn't just an Atari ROM difference but rather a firmware difference on Antonia itself?  If yes - is there any way to update that firmware?

 

If not, no biggie - Soldering iron it is -- Thank you very much Simius!  

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49 minutes ago, Simius said:

It is a firmware difference. There is a way to update, but requires a programming equipment and apropriate software. Drawing one wire is much simpler. 

 

Thanks.  I do have a USB blaster but will run the wire tonight :).  

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35 minutes ago, Simius said:

If you have an USB Blaster already, there is no problem with the firmware.

Ant_1200XL.pof 7.83 kB · 2 downloads

Awesome, thank you Simius!  

 

One last question - what is the name of the adapter / connector I need to go from the USB Blaster to the Antonia board?  My antonia board has a red female 'cap' on the end that I need to interface with my blaster's 10 pin female plug.   I looked on the videos but couldn't figure out what that is.. 

 

Thank you! 

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Thanks -

 

Just an update - I ran the wire - MMU 18 to PIA 11 (pic below), and I still can't disable BASIC.  

 

I also have a XL ROM that defaults to BASIC disabled, but unfortunately I can't flash it because..  BASIC is enabled :).  If I boot off of the AVGCART and run ANT.EXE -- when I go to 'L'oad it won't see any disks, even ones connected via SIO.  If I boot off of D1: SIO, when I try to load ANT.EXE, it tells me to disable cartridges (BASIC presumably).

 

I guess the next step is get an 800XL.. Move Antonia to that, try to flash the "BASIC OFF" ROM.. and then move Antonia back to the 1200XL and see if that at least works :).

IMG_20200514_172440604.jpg

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