Turbo Freezer 2011 - Usage / Info

[+MrFish]

@santosp  Current Turbo Freezer 2011 Production - Declare Interest Thread

@HiassofT Turbo Freezer 2011 - Original Production Thread

@HiassofT Turbo Freezer 2005 / 2011 - Files

@ndary Turbo Freezer 2011 - Demonstration Video

 

 

I finally had a chance this last weekend to test out my new Turbo Freezer 2011 from @santosp. Great device and great implementation.

 

The YouTube video by @ndary was a good starting point for understanding how to use a lot of features in the device. But after I started delving into the manual and seeing some of the other features, I had a few questions about how some of the features worked together and what would be some of the best ways to utilize some of the features. After going through the manual and testing a few things out, I decided to make up a memory layout overview, to help visualize what I was working with a little better.

 

Turbo Freezer 2011 - Memory Layout

 

Flash ROM (1 MB - 128 x 8 KB Banks - 16 x 64 KB Blocks)
-------------------------------------------------------

Banks 000 - 119 (960 KB)    Cartridge Emulation

Banks 120 - 127 (64 KB)     Freezer Software (+ Cart Emu Menu & Oldrunner OS)

 

Battery-Backed RAM #1 (512 KB - 64 x 8 KB Banks - 8 x 64 KB Blocks)
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Banks 000 - 047 (384 KB)    Cartridge Emulation

Banks 048 - 055 (64 KB)     Snapshots (Optionally: Cartridge Emulation)

Banks 056 - 063 (64 KB)     Freezer Software 

 

Battery-Backed RAM #2 (512 KB - 64 x 8 KB Banks - 8 x 64 KB Blocks)
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Banks 000 - 063 (512 KB)    Extended RAM / RAMDisk

 

 

In terms of usage, what I decided to do for the cartridge emulation portions was to make a 960 KB AtariMax ROM filled with games and put that in the flash ROM area; and then put SpartaDOS X + several OSS carts in the Battery-Backed RAM cart emulation area. This provides a nice setup of games and development/DOS. Using an Atarimax ROM for filling the cartridge emulation ROM with games works out nice, because you only need to flash a single ROM to add all the games you want; and you can put both ROM's and XEX files into the Atarimax ROM; plus you get the easy to use Atarimax menu (which can use joystick or keyboard) for selecting from your games (or whatever else you might want to have loaded into the ROM). A nice feature for SpartaDOS X is that the Turbo Freezer can simulate having a second cart piggybacked, giving simultaneous access to SpartaDOS X and Mac/65 (for instance).
 

One thing to note here for those just starting out using the Freezer, is that the extended RAM / RAMDisk area is both of those at the same time and neither has any regard for the other. This means you could overwrite some snapshots in the RAMDisk area by loading a program that uses the extend RAM or, visa versa, you could overwrite something in extended RAM by storing a snapshot in that area of extended RAM being used. One thing to consider in this regard is that not all (not many) programs use 512 KB of extended memory. So, saving snapshots to higher RAM can allow you to preserve both without having any conflict. 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by MrFish

[erichenneke]

Thanks,  mine is in transit.  Hopefully it arrives soon.  This will be very useful and give me a head start when it gets here and I start playing with it. 

[erichenneke]

4 hours ago, erichenneke said:

Thanks,  mine is in transit.  Hopefully it arrives soon.  This will be very useful and give me a head start when it gets here and I start playing with it. 

And coincidentally, it just arrived today ! 

[xrbrevin]

48 minutes ago, erichenneke said:

And coincidentally, it just arrived today ! 

Shrike! that is a coincidence ?

 

[blacka013]

Thanks for the info Mr Fish.

 

Perhaps you could do a video to show what you have discovered, so we have a better idea of how to use the Freezer.

 

Regards

[+MrFish]

53 minutes ago, blacka013 said:

Thanks for the info Mr Fish.

 

Perhaps you could do a video to show what you have discovered, so we have a better idea of how to use the Freezer.

I won't be doing any videos (not into that sort of thing); but I would be willing to make up a simple tutorial detailing how to put together the setup I'm using (discussed above).

 

Edited September 9, 2020 by MrFish

[blacka013]

That would certainly be useful for me, and I would suspect for other users too.

 

Regards

[spookt]

I’d love to see that. My freezer is here but apart from testing it works so haven’t had time to get to it. A nice tutorial would probably be a good motivation. 

[+JAC!]

TurboFreezer 2011 Official Documentation

 

Just in case it got missed, the full documentation is available at https://www.horus.com/~hias/freezer/turbo-freezer-2011/

 

 

[+MrFish]

5 minutes ago, JAC! said:

TurboFreezer 2011 Official Documentation

 

Just in case it got missed, the full documentation is available at https://www.horus.com/~hias/freezer/turbo-freezer-2011/

 

Thanks Jac, I did link to all the official files and docs at the top of my first post.

 

[HiassofT]

I haven't got around to update the documentation with the changes I did in the 3.11 (beta) versions. Please have a look at the "ChangeLog.txt" in the latest software ZIP - currently https://www.horus.com/~hias/freezer/software/beta/freezer-software-200413.zip (see also below).

 

The majority of the documentation is still valid, only very few things changed (eg the "M" memory map command) and most of the new additions like the CartEmu presets should be pretty self-expanatory (I hope).

 

One difference of the new Panos Freezer that might not be too obvious is that it uses a different flash chip than the previous versions. This chip has a smaller internal block size (4k instead of 64k), which is a good thing as it allows you to separately reflash each 8k bank and you no longer need to worry about the previous 64k restriction.

 

Here's the list of changes from the 2020-04-13 changelog:
 

Quote

Version 3.11 (2020-04-13):
--------------------------
- fixed bug in "G" command in debugger. Wrap-around of
  stack pointer wasn't properly handled

- increased history size in debugger from 4 to 90 lines

- shift+return repeats last debugger command

- show number of cycles per instruction in disassembly

- use OS SIO code only for cassette access in "SIO" debugger
  command, use builtin highspeed code in standard speed for
  all other devices to avoid issues with highspeed or PBI code
  in the OS

- add ramdisk block selection to save/exec/swap ramdisk functions.
  0-F select these corresponding PORTB values:
  $E3, $C3, $A3, $83, $63, $43, $23, $03
  $E1, $C1, $A1, $81, $61, $41, $21, $01

  Block 0 is available with all ramdisks and was the default in
  previous Freezer versions.
  Only use even numbers if you have a ramdisk with separate antic access.
  Turbo Freezer 2011 ramdisk supports blocks 0-7.
  With RAMBO/AtariMagazin 256k ramdisk use blocks 0-3.
  With Newell/CompyShop 256k ramdisks use blocks 0,2,4,6.

- flasher: support SST 39SF040 and 39SF010A flash chips;
  fix error reporting

- flasher: add option to erase/clear the Freezer RAM

- flasher: add option to erase/clear ramdisk on Freezer 2011

- cartemu: add autorun option for Freezer 2011

- cartemu: powering up with Option pressed disables CartEmu

- freezer: fix SHIFT-K (start cartemu via warmstart) not working
  on Freezer 2005

- freezer: fix rolling screen when changing menu and during
  snapshot load/save

- cartemu Freezer 2011: don't save settings to NVRAM if when
  starting with SHIFT+RETURN

- cartemu: move MyPicoDos to separate bank and update to
  version 4.06

- cartemu Freezer 2011: provide 128 user presets, organized in
  8 pages with 16 entries with editable descriptions and page titles

- flasher: add option to backup/restore/clear CartEmu settings
  and presets on Freezer 2011

- add 'MR' command to print memory map of RAM, 'M' command now
  respects the PORTB value set via PB

- cartemu: use MyPicoDos 4.06F with Freezer 2011 8k/16k/OSS CAR
  loader on Freezer 2011

- freezer: fix 'FMS', 'FME', 'FMD' debugger commands. Set number of
  tracks (40), sides (1) and sectors per track high byte (0) in
  percom block and clear directory sectors after formatting

- flasher: add "Program Freezer software" option to quickly
  program FREEZER.ROM to banks 120-127 (Freezer 2011) or
  banks 56-63 (Freezer 2005)

- cartemu: update MyPicoDos to 4.06F final version

- cartemu: fix shift+insert in preset edit mode to recall last
  loaded entry name

- update highspeed SIO code to 1.31

BTW: the current 3.11 beta software versions also work on the older 2005 and 2011 Freezer models.

 

so long,

 

Hias

[+MrFish]

5 hours ago, HiassofT said:

One difference of the new Panos Freezer that might not be too obvious is that it uses a different flash chip than the previous versions. This chip has a smaller internal block size (4k instead of 64k), which is a good thing as it allows you to separately reflash each 8k bank and you no longer need to worry about the previous 64k restriction.

 

Good info; thanks for the update about the improvement.

 

[Blues76]

Can this still be purchased?

[+MrFish]

27 minutes ago, Blues76 said:

Can this still be purchased?

Yes, just post in this thread: Atari Freezer 2011 Declare Interest Thread

 

[Blues76]

34 minutes ago, MrFish said:

Yes, just post in this thread: Atari Freezer 2011 Declare Interest Thread

 

Can you PM instructions (did I miss it ? Maybe I didn’t read the whole post — sorry )

[+MrFish]

4 minutes ago, Blues76 said:

Can you PM instructions (did I miss it ? Maybe I didn’t read the whole post — sorry )

No problem (btw, I'm not the one selling them, I just own one).

 

The way things are currently operating is that anyone interested in purchasing a Turbo Freezer 2011 right now, just needs to state so by posting in the "Declare Interest" thread and state how many of the devices they would like. The one producing them (Panos) will then contact them by PM and give the necessary instructions for making the purchase.

 

As of the last statement by Panos (the producer): The final cost is 85$ plus 12$ shipping cost tracked.

 

My device took about 2 weeks to arrive from Greece after payment was made.

 

[Blues76]

44 minutes ago, MrFish said:

No problem (btw, I'm not the one selling them, I just own one).

 

The way things are currently operating is that anyone interested in purchasing a Turbo Freezer 2011 right now, just needs to state so by posting in the "Declare Interest" thread and state how many of the devices they would like. The one producing them (Panos) will then contact them by PM and give the necessary instructions for making the purchase.

 

As of the last statement by Panos (the producer): The final cost is 85$ plus 12$ shipping cost tracked.

 

My device took about 2 weeks to arrive from Greece after payment was made.

 

Thank you. 

 

yes, I’m interested in 1. 

[+MrFish]

19 minutes ago, Blues76 said:

Thank you. 

 

yes, I’m interested in 1. 

 

You're welcome; but I guess I wasn't clear enough.

 

You need to post that information in this thread: Atari Freezer 2011 Declare Interest Thread

 

Edited October 18, 2020 by MrFish

[Blues76]

On 10/17/2020 at 9:10 PM, MrFish said:

 

You're welcome; but I guess I wasn't clear enough.

 

You need to post that information in this thread: Atari Freezer 2011 Declare Interest Thread

 

Thanks — It was my fault for not reading carefully. I know did post in the right thread. Thanks a lot!!!