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Altirra 2.60 released


phaeron

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Less drama, more code.

 

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.70-test17.zip

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.70-test17-src.zip

 

Fixes CR/LF setting not saving on modem devices, fixes a warm reset problem with SpartaDOS 3.x and AltirraOS, fixes a regression in cassette tapes, handles switching stereo on/off dynamically better, and moves SoundBoard into the devices tree. Also has a lot of unrelated reorganization under the hood, so let me know if something else broke.

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Less drama, more code.

 

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.70-test17.zip

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.70-test17-src.zip

 

Fixes CR/LF setting not saving on modem devices, fixes a warm reset problem with SpartaDOS 3.x and AltirraOS, fixes a regression in cassette tapes, handles switching stereo on/off dynamically better, and moves SoundBoard into the devices tree. Also has a lot of unrelated reorganization under the hood, so let me know if something else broke.

 

I'm not able to edit the settings for my "H:" device with this version. The settings dialogue fails to come up.

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Same here, can setup initially if you did not have a H: device but after that no setting box when you press settings..

 

Edit: The settings button simply does not work for many devices..

Edited by Mclaneinc
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Try now:

 

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.70-test18.zip

http://www.virtualdub.org/beta/Altirra-2.70-test18-src.zip

 

Never bothered to disable the Settings button for devices that didn't have settings, but went ahead and did it now while I was checking all the devices, and also added double-click-to-configure. Also fixed a crash when bringing up BlackBox emulation due to something I'd added to the PIA code.

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I know my Space Station Multiplication program is never going to be of much appeal to the retro computer crowd so it's nice that it's been useful weeding out a few bugs in Altirra Basic... I just ran it with the current release and it is showing a new issue. The program uses Plots and Drawto's to show the numbers in the display window on the main screen and there are pixels missing on some of the characters. I'm guessing it's the Drawto routine at fault. I'll attach the program disk again so you don't have to dig through previous posts to find it.

 

Bob

Space Station Multiplication.atr

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This appears to be a compatibility issue with AltirraOS, not ATBasic -- it's as expected on the XL/XE OS. When originally reimplementing OS line drawing routine, I thought to myself, could there be a program out there that depends the exact pixels drawn by a line that goes exactly between pixels?

$2271: 190 REM TWO{1B} {end $227A}
$227A: 200 PLOT X,Y: DRAWTO X+2,Y: DRAWTO X+2,Y+5: DRAWTO X,Y+4: DRAWTO X,Y+8: DRAWTO X+2,Y+8: PLOT X,Y+1: PLOT X+1,Y+1 {end $22FD}
$22FD: 210 PLOT X+1,Y+5: PLOT X,Y+9: DRAWTO X+2,Y+9: RETURN  {end $233D}
$233D: 250 PLOT X,Y: DRAWTO X+2,Y: DRAWTO X+2,Y+4: DRAWTO X,Y+4: DRAWTO X,Y+8: DRAWTO X+2,Y+8: GOTO 50 {end $23A6}

Why, yes, in fact. :(

 

The DRAWTO from X+2,Y+5 to X,Y+4 is the problem -- this is a line draw two left and one up, so the location of the middle pixel is undefined by geometry and by BASIC. The problem is that the BASIC program is expecting this to draw X+1,Y+4 instead of X+1,Y+5. I'll have to see if I can tweak the line drawing routine to better match. Fortunately, Atari did at least document their algorithm in pseudocode in the OS Manual. Any other questionable coding practices in your program that you'd like to surface? :-D

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LOL, so sorry about that report. This one doesn't fall into the questionable coding practice category. It was definitely a bug in my code that the Atari line draw routine masked. I would have caught/fixed the code had the Atari OS drawto routine not hidden the bug. Sorry for that bug report. I didn't even realize I had the Altirra OS selected when I ran the program either or I would have added that to my post. I hate making extra work for you. Well, we're at a tie now, I've now reported 2 real bugs and 2 questionable programming issues while running my program with AT Basic. Maybe I better stop reporting now. I'd hate to end up with a losing record. Better to end in a tie ;-)

Bob

Edited by bfollett
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Discrepancy in Star Raiders display. The emulation doesn't have the scanning dots while in hyperspace and while displaying the galactic chart. The original hardware, IIRC, will have the cursor/marker scan across the chart if you engage hyperspace and remain in galactic chart mode. The cursor/market scans in a diagonal fashion. Probably to simulate ending up in a random position. To properly arrive at a sector you need to be using the front cockpit view. It helps to set up for a big jump from the left side to the right side, thus giving you time to see the effect.

 

Emulation doesn't display those flashing dots.

 

 

Never mind. The wife pointed out that happens only in Pilot, Warrior, Commander skill levels. Must not make bug reports while drunk. Especially from the New Horizons Pluto flyby party. All is well.!.!.!.!

Edited by Keatah
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An odd piece of UI logic - or lack - just struck me. Currently when the 'Hardware' item inside the 'System->Hard Disk...' dialogue is set to "SIDE" or "SIDE2" the 'File->Attach Special Cartridge' and 'File->Attach Cartridge' menu items remain enabled. However given the "SIDE#" hardware occupies the cartridge slot then surely these options should be disabled? I don't know why that has never occurred to me before!

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I think Phaeron already stated that he was currently unable to grey out menu options?

 

I think that was sub-menu items or something like that? I don't think there should be a problem in disabling a primary entry. For instance 'File->Detach Cartridge' is greyed until one is inserted.

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Thing is (and I have one right here), if you use a cart extender, there's nothing preventing you using another external cart as well as SIDE2, so pragmatically speaking perhaps it would make sense to leave it be?

 

That's a fair point!

 

In fact its a point that really interests me. I've always been a bit remorseful the "SIDE2" occupies the cartridge slot, so you cannot have both a harddrive and a cartridge running. It was an issue which for a while predisposed me towards the "IDE v2". For instance you might want to save a programme to the CF card rather than a floppy or substitute floppy from one of the more advanced BASICs which are too big to fit on the "Ultimate1MB" BASIC slot. An extender sounds like it toally solves the problem. Is the model you have an eBay'able?

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Unfortunately not. The extra cart slots are just properties of PBI extenders belonging to other parallel devices. Something generic would be a nice little project for someone.

 

I like the flexibility of the emulator, and sometimes even that doesn't go far enough to model every possible extreme real-world situation. For instance, I have a 1200XL here with an internal IDEa on which I can (and do) simultaneously run the Ultimate/SIDE PBI HDD for the purpose of porting information to and from the internal HDD. Fortunately there's no practical reason to do this in the emulator.

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Unfortunately not. The extra cart slots are just properties of PBI extenders belonging to other parallel devices. Something generic would be a nice little project for someone.

 

I like the flexibility of the emulator, and sometimes even that doesn't go far enough to model every possible extreme real-world situation. For instance, I have a 1200XL here with an internal IDEa on which I can (and do) simultaneously run the Ultimate/SIDE PBI HDD for the purpose of porting information to and from the internal HDD. Fortunately there's no practical reason to do this in the emulator.

 

This is obviously not the place to go in to too many details, but it always struck me as a little strange that the "SIDE2" was indeed a cartridge device as it is primarily a harddrive replacement. I would have thought making it a PBI slot-on type deal would be more logical. However I suppose not everyone uses the "SIDE2"+"Ultimate1MB" combination so the PBI driver is not always there. Would it be possible to make a 'SIDE2.5' or whatever which was a PBI slot device dedicated for use with the "Ultimate1MB"?

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SIDE was originally intended just to take advantage of the SDX driver I had written for the similar MyIDE cartridge. The whole PBI emulation thing came later during a Candle light-bulb moment. ;) Using a cart also gets around the differences between the two parallel connector types. It also opens up PBI HDD possibilities for Ataris with no parallel connector. It's also cheaper... the list goes on. A proper ECI/PBI connected HDD with SIDE's aesthetic appeal (rather than a bare PCB bristling with appendages) would be a welcome thing, although this (like IDE Plus 2.0) makes it unnecessary to internally provide the device's math-pack overlay BIOS (as Ultimate does).

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SIDE was originally intended just to take advantage of the SDX driver I had written for the similar MyIDE cartridge. The whole PBI emulation thing came later during a Candle light-bulb moment. ;) Using a cart also gets around the differences between the two parallel connector types. It also opens up PBI HDD possibilities for Ataris with no parallel connector. It's also cheaper... the list goes on. A proper ECI/PBI connected HDD with SIDE's aesthetic appeal (rather than a bare PCB bristling with appendages) would be a welcome thing, although this (like IDE Plus 2.0) makes it unnecessary to internally provide the device's math-pack overlay BIOS (as Ultimate does).

 

It would be nice to have one fully packaged up as authentically as the "SIDE#"s. That unfinished quality was one of the things which finally pushed me away from the "IDE Plus 2.0" and to the "SIDE2". It is a practical thing as well as aesthetic - if the thing is only hanging off a sprung edge-connector, not compliant with the form-factor base of its host and you are then frequently attaching devices to it in turn then there are bound to be problems. You'll probably end up flexing the motherboard to the point you break the traces to the PBI itself over time.

 

If I understand the implications of what you are saying then you would need either an adapter of some kind or two totally distinct versions of 'PBIDE' or whatever it might be called for the XL and XE. Maybe that will come come some day - I hope so. I would certainly buy it! Assuming it was sub £60.

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