mattsoft Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Hi all - I have a U1MB in an 800XL and performed the 3.1 firmware upgrade today. After the firmware loaded into memory and began the install, the screen turned light blue with a dark blue bar and it just sat there for over an hour. Figuring something was up, I power cycled and now I just get a black screen from the U1MB. Is there a way to re-flash the bios externally from a PC to hopefully fix this? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Yes: buy yourself a TL866 USB EPROM programmer. It's fairly cheap and should come with a suitable PLCC adapter for the small square socketed chip on the U1MB board. You might also want to get a proper PLCC extractor so you don't damage the pins. Other than that, if the machine is hanging like this during flash updates, it's not a very good sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcokitt2000 Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) What was the version before installed 3.1? On the flashjazzcat site. The Ultimate 1MB firmware update can be applied by running UFLASH.XEX and flashing the 64KB FIRMWARE.ROM file to the ‘Firmware’ slot. One should also update SpartaDOS X using the customised version provided, which includes the latest hard disk tools on the CAR: volume. Alternatively, one may re-flash the entire ROM with one of the 512KB images provided, which include a useful selection of BASIC and OS ROMs (highly recommended when upgrading from the original firmware). Ultimate 1MB Firmware version 3.10 (April 2020) If you wish your existing configuration profiles to be preserved, be sure to select profile 1 before updating the firmware. Important: Owners of Ultimate 1MB with the original v.1 CPLD code from Candle’s first run of boards must ensure that they update to the current JED prior to installing the new BIOS, otherwise they risk bricking the device. Boards with the PBI feature (including all manufactured by Lotharek and those from Candle’s second run) will safely run the new BIOS without modification. If your U1MB has a white PCB, it is guaranteed to be compatible with the new firmware. Xillinx 9500 serie. https://atariage.com/forums/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=464371 Please read here.. And what you can do is use a rom flasher for flash 39sf040 is 512kb flashrom(allso on megaspeedy) to flash 3.10 or a older version wat was on 1umb for you to work. If yoy have the tools. I hope it helps or ask flashjazzcat he is the master of the firmware. Update flashjazzcat is to fast in answering your question. Gr. Marco Edited June 6, 2020 by marcokitt2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsoft Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 (edited) Thanks all, I'll get a programmer and try to reprogram the PLCC. This is a new U1MB purchased from Lotharek 1 month ago -- I don't recall the firmware number it shipped with. Was trying to flash the entire ROM with ULTNOGOS.ROM. Edited June 6, 2020 by mattsoft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Robot Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Here's where I killed mine You can get a $20 jtag programmer and reflash on the board if you'd rather not get an eprom programmer. my programmer and the cable I made are in the last comment as is a link to instructions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevymad Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 I too killed one and had to use a programmer to fix. Also had to figure out how to update the JED on my first board. Fun stuff. Alls good in the end though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsoft Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 9 hours ago, chevymad said: I too killed one and had to use a programmer to fix. Also had to figure out how to update the JED on my first board. Fun stuff. Alls good in the end though. Yup, I consider it all part of the hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivop Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 (edited) If you have another working Atari, and you have an AtariMax cartridge, you can use it to flash the same PLCC chips. They reset my U1MB to the "ulrimare" firmware, after which you can reflash FJC's firmware again and/or fix hardware stability issues, et cetera. Edited June 7, 2020 by ivop 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+skr Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 1 hour ago, ivop said: If you have another working Atari, and you have an AtariMax cartridge, you can use it to flash the same PLCC chips. They reset my U1MB to the "ulrimare" firmware, after which you can reflash FJC's firmware again and/or fix hardware stability issues, et cetera. I did that a few years ago and can confirm, that it works perfectly well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leech Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 4 hours ago, mattsoft said: Yup, I consider it all part of the hobby. It totally is. I had my programmers from other projects. One of which was having to flash the firmware to a SuperVidel to get it working again. Talk about some panic on that one! But because I got the jtag programmer for that, and the eeprom program for something else, I have my bases covered. Granted, I still had to order an adapter to get the Amiga kickstarts to burn. I actually just flashed mine with the ULTNOGOS.ROM last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 On 6/7/2020 at 7:49 PM, ivop said: If you have another working Atari, and you have an AtariMax cartridge, you can use it to flash the same PLCC chips. They reset my U1MB to the "ulrimare" firmware, after which you can reflash FJC's firmware again and/or fix hardware stability issues, et cetera. There is one thing I do not understand. The U1MB has one 1Megabyte flashrom. The AtariMax 8mbit has 2x 512KB flashroms. How do you do it? Does the U1MB flasher recognize the 1Megabyte flashrom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 14 minutes ago, Marius said: The U1MB has one 1Megabyte flashrom The Ultimate 1MB has a 512KB flash ROM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivop Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 2 hours ago, Marius said: The U1MB has one 1Megabyte flashrom. The AtariMax 8mbit has 2x 512KB flashroms. How do you do it? Does the U1MB flasher recognize the 1Megabyte flashrom? Like @flashjazzcat said, it has 512kB of flash ROM. Two fit in an 8Mbit cartridge. It's called Ultimate 1MB because it has 1MB of RAM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 11 hours ago, flashjazzcat said: The Ultimate 1MB has a 512KB flash ROM. Ahhh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 8 hours ago, ivop said: Like @flashjazzcat said, it has 512kB of flash ROM. Two fit in an 8Mbit cartridge. It's called Ultimate 1MB because it has 1MB of RAM. AAh now I remember again what my question was. The Atarimax 8Mbit is 1MB ... how do you flash only 512KB on these boards? What is the trick? Creating a 1MB file with twice the firmware and flash it to two 512KB flashroms? Or could you leave one socket open on the cart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+orpheuswaking Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 4 hours ago, Marius said: AAh now I remember again what my question was. The Atarimax 8Mbit is 1MB ... how do you flash only 512KB on these boards? What is the trick? Creating a 1MB file with twice the firmware and flash it to two 512KB flashroms? Or could you leave one socket open on the cart? Someone should detail exactly how to do that with a Atarimax cart. (Not me as I don't know) lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivop Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, Marius said: AAh now I remember again what my question was. The Atarimax 8Mbit is 1MB ... how do you flash only 512KB on these boards? What is the trick? Creating a 1MB file with twice the firmware and flash it to two 512KB flashroms? Or could you leave one socket open on the cart? Yes, I created a 1MB file with twice the firmware. Hence the label says 2x U1MBv2 unbrick chips IIRC I just concatenated the original ROM. I believe I used some AtariMax tool under Wine to create the ATR. Boot over SIO2PC and flash the full cart. I has been a while and it's my only AtariMax cart, so I never use it for anything else anymore. After unbricking, I put the "bricked" flash ROM in the cartridge and ran the flasher again, so I still have two of them. Edited June 23, 2020 by ivop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 5 hours ago, ivop said: Yes, I created a 1MB file with twice the firmware. Hence the label says 2x U1MBv2 unbrick chips IIRC I just concatenated the original ROM. I believe I used some AtariMax tool under Wine to create the ATR. Boot over SIO2PC and flash the full cart. I has been a while and it's my only AtariMax cart, so I never use it for anything else anymore. After unbricking, I put the "bricked" flash ROM in the cartridge and ran the flasher again, so I still have two of them. This is very smart. I soldered a DIP->PLC adapter on a SIC! Cart board which works also, but I realize now I shouldn't have done that. AtariMax works as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivop Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 2 hours ago, Marius said: I soldered a DIP->PLC adapter on a SIC! Cart board which works also, but.... Well, that's pretty creative, too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsoft Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 (edited) Hi again - so I finally got a programmer (this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CDD9PGT/), pulled the PLCC, put it in the programmer, selected IC SST39SF040 @PLCC32, and then programmed with the U1MBv3.jed file. Put the PLCC back into the U1MB and nothing. Same black screen. Any ideas? If I verify the PLCC against the JED file, the verify passes so the PLCC is being programmed completely. Ugh! If the PLCC is damaged, I presume I can just buy a new one and program it? Also, presumably nothing else on the U1MB can be erased/damaged by the Atari firmware upgrade -- just the PLCC, ya? Thanks! Edited June 29, 2020 by mattsoft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roydea6 Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 7 hours ago, mattsoft said: U1MBv3.jed Is not for a PLCC, it is used via rom file the jed file is for the brains of the U1M. and a 10 pin adapter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 8 hours ago, mattsoft said: If I verify the PLCC against the JED file, the verify passes so the PLCC is being programmed completely. Ugh! You need something like this to program the JED: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/263262406797?chn=ps Also a custom JTAG cable using a 2mm pin pitch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 This might be of some value, although geared to using the MaxFlash Studio Programmer to update the 32-in-1 OS. You might also be able to find some threads at the AtariMax forum. (The 32-in-1 uses the same procedure to "double the image" to re-program.) Warp OS 32in1 Update Procedure.odt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 If you need instructions, try this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, mattsoft said: Put the PLCC back into the U1MB and nothing. Same black screen. Any ideas? Contrary to my previous posts, it occurs to me that you have probably damaged nothing at all. Simply repeat the process you already carried out, but instead of loading a JED file into the MiniPro programmer software, load ULTIMATE.ROM. You can find the file in the 'ROM' folder of this archive: https://atari8.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ultimate1MB_Firmware_v.3.10_260420.zip I think you'll find that things then work perfectly once the chip is put back in the socket. Sorry for any confusion, but I am sometimes a little thrown by the boundless inventiveness and resourcefulness of the user. Edited June 29, 2020 by flashjazzcat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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