BJL and EEPROM in cart

[krupkaj]

Hi!

 

I am playing with uploader. And now I discover that I found that I am erased the EEPROM memory in cartridge which I had in Jag when I was trying the uploader. What I could do wrong?

 

BTW how exactly uploading works? Do I need to strart uploading from jaguar first (by pressing A button). Or just startiing uploader application from computer is enough?

[Thunderbird]

Hi!

 

I am playing with uploader. And now I discover that I found that I am erased the EEPROM memory in cartridge which I had in Jag when I was trying the uploader. What I could do wrong?

 

BTW how exactly uploading works? Do I need to strart uploading from jaguar first (by pressing A button). Or just startiing uploader application from computer is enough?

 

I believe the documentation with the loader warns you that the uploaded could erase the EEPROM contents.

[krupkaj]

I believe the documentation with the loader warns you that the uploaded could erase the EEPROM contents.

 

Unfortunetally not. I have ST-0797 archive and inside that is not documentation for uploader - there is only how-to-modify Jaguar. Beside that I have C sources for Linux uploader (which I am porting to Atari) and there is not any warning too.

 

Nothing happens, but I want to know what I did wrong.

[Matthias]

Hello!

 

I believe the documentation with the loader warns you that the uploaded could erase the EEPROM contents.

 

Unfortunetally not. I have ST-0797 archive and inside that is not documentation for uploader - there is only how-to-modify Jaguar. Beside that I have C sources for Linux uploader (which I am porting to Atari) and there is not any warning too.

 

I'm not sure if there is really a "Erase E2prom"-command implemented in the BJL. And although it happens to me quite often that i send files to the

Jag without initializing the Jag for it (Either by pressing FireA or by omitting the -n command line argument) i never lost the content of a E2prom.

What i have seen is "DUMPING E2prom" or something similar on the screen, but again: nothing that has hurt my card-content.

 

Have you looked into the documentation of the BJL-Debugger?

I would expect that a "Erase E2prom" command would be listed there.

 

Nothing happens, but I want to know what I did wrong.

 

Either be sure to press FireA before a 8bit-upload or

omitt the "-n" commandline argument:

jag_lo -8 test.jag

 

Matthias

[Stone]

Matthias: Of course it's not documented, it's a bug

 

I think I did mention this a little while ago (while dicussing BJL cables), and it's certainly a problem I've experienced before. If you don't press 'A' (or 'C', though why you'd use 4bit upload I have no idea...) before starting the transfer, 'Dumping EEPROM' does indeed appear on the screen, at the same time that the contents of it are scrambled. Using the cart again afterwards runs the initialisation check on the EEPROM, which detects a checksum error and deletes all content.

 

I lost a final race PDR save like this

 

Best solution is to keep only the JagCD plugged in to the Jag, and remove carts from the pass-through connector once you're finished with them. A hassle, but worth it for the added bonus of not mangling your saves.

 

I do wonder whether it would be much extra effort to check the Jag is ready to recieve data first of all - the connection is bidirectional, right? Is that what you meant by not using the '-n' command-line switch? If so, it's never worked for me...the program counter increments but the checksum is very slightly out between the Jag and PC, so it won't execute. Unless I should be uploading from the title screen when omitting '-n'...

 

Stone

[Thunderbird]

I believe the documentation with the loader warns you that the uploaded could erase the EEPROM contents.

 

Unfortunetally not. I have ST-0797 archive and inside that is not documentation for uploader - there is only how-to-modify Jaguar. Beside that I have C sources for Linux uploader (which I am porting to Atari) and there is not any warning too.

 

Nothing happens, but I want to know what I did wrong.

 

 

I know other people have reported this in the past, so from the looks of it then this is a known issue. I guess all you must do to prevent it is to make sure you prepare the Jag to receive before uploading.

 

OR....

 

Just buy some useless cart on Ebay and use it in the slot when using BJL. I got Cybermorph for $1.25 a while ago. It cost more to ship it to me!

[Matthias]

Hi Stone!

 

Matthias: Of course it's not documented, it's a bug

 

I think I did mention this a little while ago (while dicussing BJL cables), and it's certainly a problem I've experienced before. If you don't press 'A' (or 'C', though why you'd use 4bit upload I have no idea...) before starting the transfer, 'Dumping EEPROM' does indeed appear on the screen, at the same time that the contents of it are scrambled. Using the cart again afterwards runs the initialisation check on the EEPROM, which detects a checksum error and deletes all content.

 

Have you ever told Bastian about this behaviour?

You can't expect people reading all discussions on every discussionboard in the world.

 

Best solution is to keep only the JagCD plugged in to the Jag, and remove carts from the pass-through connector once you're finished with them. A hassle, but worth it for the added bonus of not mangling your saves.

 

Either do this or you use (as Thunderbird mentioned later) a card you don't care too much about. I'm using a Cybermorph-card with out

the game-proms but with a socket fo the E2prom for example.

 

I do wonder whether it would be much extra effort to check the Jag is ready to recieve data first of all - the connection is bidirectional, right? Is that what you meant by not using the '-n' command-line switch? If so, it's never worked for me...the program counter increments but the checksum is very slightly out between the Jag and PC, so it won't execute. Unless I should be uploading from the title screen when omitting '-n'...

 

Ok, i think i make it a bit more clear (at least i try to do so):

You can:

I) Tell the Jag that an upload will occur:

Step 1: Press Fire A (for a 8bit-upload) in the BJL-menu.

Step 2: Issue a command including "-n" in the DOS-box looking like this:

jag_lo -n -8 test.jag

 

II) Surprise the Jag with an upload

Step 1: Make sure that the Jag shows the BJL-menu screen.

Step 2: Issue a command without the "-n" in the DOS-box looking like this:

jag_lo -8 test.jag

 

Hope this was understandable

Matthias

[Stone]

Hi Matthias!

 

Have you ever told Bastian about this behaviour?

You can't expect people reading all discussions on every discussionboard in the world.

No...I thought he'd stop working on BJL (ie what's out now was the final version). It was from 1997, after all

 

Either do this or you use (as Thunderbird mentioned later) a card you don't care too much about. I'm using a Cybermorph-card with out the game-proms but with a socket fo the E2prom for example.

I could do that, but the only cart I *really* don't care about is stopping dust from getting in the cart slot of my other Jag.

 

Ok, i think i make it a bit more clear (at least i try to do so):

You can:

I) Tell the Jag that an upload will occur:

OK.

 

II) Surprise the Jag with an upload

Step 1: Make sure that the Jag shows the BJL-menu screen.

Step 2: Issue a command without the "-n" in the DOS-box looking like this:

           jag_lo -8 test.jag

 

Ahhhh! Whenever I used loader without the '-n' I was trying to use it with the actual loader screen. That would be why it didn't work Thanks for that. Maybe I should add it to the BJL FAQ...seems there's no documentation for any of this stuff around

 

Stone