New (alt) BIOS for Ultimate 1MB/Incognito

[w1k]

i cant..

atari is death

[Smokeless Joe]

How do I enable BASIC in the Options screen of the new SIDE Loader? In the default loader it was something like the Option key, but none of the function keys seem to do the trick.

 

My system: 1200XL with U1MB and SIDE2.

 

Thanks,

 

-Joe

[flashjazzcat]

How do I enable BASIC in the Options screen of the new SIDE Loader? In the default loader it was something like the Option key, but none of the function keys seem to do the trick.

 

I haven't gotten around to activating the BASIC toggle on the settings page yet. I can do so today, and add the Option key override as well if needed.

[morelenmir]

Is there a PC tool to combine the separate pieces of the Ultimate1MB ROM; the main BIOS, the PBI BIOS and the SIDELoader in to a single gestalt which the TL866CS can flash whole to the CMOS?

 

I am currently using uFlash in Altirra to produce a finished ROM which is then saved to disk from the 'Firmware' dialogue as a file. However I would like to dispense with the emulator if possible.

 

Also, could you tell me the part number of the flash chip the Ultimate1MB and SIDE2 use? I would like to buy two or three spares to hold in reserve in case the unfortunate bricking ever happens again.

[flashjazzcat]

There are a couple of PC-based editors (here and here), but apparently nothing which doesn't choke on the new firmware. For stock firmware they work well, however. I'd recommend the SST 39SF040 as a replacement PLCC flash ROM.

 

BTW: Got the BASIC toggle working, but then thought I might as well let the loader run BASIC programs as well, so I'll upload a new version once that's working.

Edited January 2, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[fujidude]

 

BTW: Got the BASIC toggle working, but then thought I might as well let the loader run BASIC programs as well, so I'll upload a new version once that's working.

 

[AtariGeezer]

Is there a PC tool to combine the separate pieces of the Ultimate1MB ROM; the main BIOS, the PBI BIOS and the SIDELoader in to a single gestalt which the TL866CS can flash whole to the CMOS?

 

I am currently using uFlash in Altirra to produce a finished ROM which is then saved to disk from the 'Firmware' dialogue as a file. However I would like to dispense with the emulator if possible.

 

Also, could you tell me the part number of the flash chip the Ultimate1MB and SIDE2 use? I would like to buy two or three spares to hold in reserve in case the unfortunate bricking ever happens again.

As FJC pointed out, TheRomGenerator works with ROMs prior to his update as they now use different signatures, signature llocation and size of some of the updated ROMs. However, the version of TRG I'm currently working on does allow loading of these new updates and will be released when my new flasher is completed

 

Edit: Or I might release it as soon as I complete the Saving of Individual ROM files to an ATR instead of one 512k image. You can still add a flasher of your choosing that will be saved to the ATR as well...

Edited January 3, 2016 by AtariGeezer

[Roydea6]

BTW: Got the BASIC toggle working, but then thought I might as well let the loader run BASIC programs as well, so I'll upload a new version once that's working.

I was recently wondering if an XEX loader will be made available like the ones done by Candle's Fat32 loaders. Or is the one created by Candle still current also..

[flashjazzcat]

I was recently wondering if an XEX loader will be made available like the ones done by Candle's Fat32 loaders. Or is the one created by Candle still current also..

 

I released one on page fourteen of this thread a couple of weeks ago. That's what's being discussed at the moment.

[Roydea6]

A Command Line loader.. Loader.xex..

[flashjazzcat]

Ah - I see. Yes, I'll compile a stand-alone version after I finish the BASIC stuff.

Edited January 3, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[flashjazzcat]

Here's a version of the loader which allows BASIC to be (persistently) toggled for XEXs and ATRs. I've included everything in the archive here in case people have missed the prior updates. The 1.5.2 PBI update includes a small fix for clearing the BASIC disable flag.

 

Ultimate 1MB Beta BIOS.zip

 

The loader now lists BASIC (*.BAS) files which can be run by hitting return. Ensure the Ultimate's active BASIC slot is occupied by either stock Atari BASIC or Altirra BASIC. The feature hasn't been extensively tested, but there isn't much to go wrong since BASIC is tricked into executing a RUN "D:FILENAME.BAS" command in the usual manner, and the program is loaded using the CIO FAT driver. You can get a directory of the FAT in Altirra BASIC with "DIR", although sector counts are sometimes off by one (forgot to fix that).

 

The last catalogued partition - be it the APT or any of the FATs on the card - is now remembered until the card is hot-swapped or the geometry of the MBR partition table changes. This means the loader will start up showing the APT or whichever FAT you last had open.

 

Aside from this, there are some small cosmetic improvements to the loader (such as commas and semi-colons now descending correctly), and CTRL+RETURN now spins the screen colour in the opposite direction, echoing behaviour of the main BIOS. Anything I add now requires shrinkage of existing code and is therefore ponderous work, but hopefully it's just bug fixes and usability enhancements from here on in.

 

If you already have PBI BIOS 1.5 installed, remove the SIDE/SIDE2 cart and disable the PBI feature via BIOS setup before flashing. As already written, PBI 1.5 had a bug which risked failed flashes with the SIDE cart attached. This bug is fixed by the 1.5.1 and 1.5.2 updates.

Edited January 3, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[greblus]

It works great and last selected device is preserved by the loader . Thank you FJC.

[+MacRorie]

I took the plunge on this tonight (this morning? today? whatever.) and am very pleased. I mean, I knew it would be good, but this is just so nicely done. SO MANY OPTIONS! and toggles and and and


ahem

I managed to get everything back to working order without RTFM, so that is a nod toward the clarity of the menus. The only thing I would like to ask is: I recall reading that in order to install the GOS, the SDX portion of the ROM had to decrease? Is this correct? Not? In simple terms: How do I get the GOS?

 

BTW, I think the new SiDE loader works so much more intuitively now. Just oh so very nice.

 

Thank you FJC, thank you!

[flashjazzcat]

Thanks for the feedback. The BIOS/Loader turned into an eight month project so it's good to know it was worthwhile.

 

The SDX shrinkage thing is difficult at the moment, since the publicly available version of the SDX Imaging tool does not yet support resizing of SDX ROM images. I have a version here (which I am forbidden from sharing) which does the resizing, but even then the implementation is not yet quite perfected (I'm assured it will work correctly in the next version of the imaging tool). Of course I can prepare ROMs which will get the job done in the meantime, and since I'm aiming to upload everything to my website tonight I'll include suitable 192KB SDX builds as well (plus GOS binaries, of course).

 

Aside from resizing SDX, you should use Options->Set SDX size in UFLASH to tell the BIOS which size of SDX ROM to expect. 192KB will activate the GOS option in the setup menu, while 256/320KB will grey it out (it was technically always possible to use a 320KB SDX image, but now its availability is somewhat formalised). UFLASH will write the revised SDX ROM size to the BIOS metadata area and UFLASH in turn will then derive the size of the SDX slot from the metadata in ROM until it is changed again.

 

This may sound more complicated than it actually is in practice, but I'll document it all in the coming weeks (along with the metadata structure and the information required for writing BIOS plug-ins). Ironically the main reason (aside from the dedicated HDD sub-menu) for writing the new BIOS was this formal sharing of bootable ROM space between SDX and the GOS, but now - eight months later - the facility is buried in the list of other new stuff.

[morelenmir]

A TL866CS has finally arrived in the post, so I shall reflash the corrupt CMOS with the newest BIOS versions. In order to do this I am assembling a completed ROM image by flashing the Altirra emulation and then saving the resulting 'Ultimate1MB' BIOS to disk. I will use the standalone TL866CS to write this file on to the CMOS chip. Hopefully all will go well this time.

 

As a matter of interest I have uploaded the bad flash; the current contents of the non-working ROM before I write over it.

 

Update:

 

Success!!!

 

To my great surprize the little device worked and my A8 now boots again. To be honest I am very impressed with the TL866CS. It feels extremely solid and the software appears to be regularly updated to keep pace with new CMOS chips. It simply works - and I did not expect that it would at all. I genuinely recommend everyone get hold of one, if only to avoid the rather frustrating Christmas period I had without a working machine. Certainly if they intend to keep pace with the newest BIOS releases in safety. For what it is worth this is the listing I bought from, although it was about £6 cheaper at the time: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181940841914. Good seller though with good communication.

botched U1MB flash.BIN

[flashjazzcat]

Glad you got things working again.

 

While a USB programmer is a worthwhile and recommended investment for anyone who wants to safeguard against bricking, it's worth mentioning again that your specific issue was caused by a reproducible bug in the PBI BIOS which resulted in issues unless flashing was performed immediately after cold power-on (and prior to system reset/OS reboot). PBI 1.5.1 and 1.5.2 fix this problem.

 

In place BIOS flashing naturally happens a lot in the FJC household, and it's been a long time since I had to resort to a USB programmer (the aforementioned bug being reproduced when updating the loader on a flash ROM with 4KB sectors, and therefore recoverable in-situ). Nevertheless, the absence of a failsafe flashing device does (in my experience) tend to trigger flashing issues by means of Sod's Law, so it's well worth buying a programmer.

Edited January 9, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[+Philsan]

Hi Jon.

I am scared of bricking so I haven't flashed yet.

I have a question. My Atari software has very long filenames (name, year, authors, other infos).

In SIDE loader is it possible to see full filename? With text scrolling, key press...

[flashjazzcat]

I have a question. My Atari software has very long filenames (name, year, authors, other infos).

In SIDE loader is it possible to see full filename? With text scrolling, key press...

Currently long filenames are collapsed so they display like: "This is a very lon...ame with an ellipsis.xex". You therefore see the start and end of an exceptionally long name. The entire filename is stored in RAM, however, and I was considering making the whole name scroll left and right automatically when the highlight lands on it. I ran out of code space for the moment, however.

[+Philsan]

POST # 3,000

 

Filename collapse is a good solution. The final part of a filename shows if it is an ATR or a XEX.

But if possible, please make the name scroll automatically when the highlight lands on it.

[flashjazzcat]

I might have a crack at this tonight. Twenty or thirty bytes of code should do it: just need a jiffy timer so the filename shunts along a few times a second then bounces back the other way.

[+DrVenkman]

Scrolling filenames would be fantastic.

[Stormbringer]

ok... I give up.... I tried flashing my new incognito with the ibios.rom. I was able to get it to a local partition (after running fatfs.sys - i think thats what it was)... anyhow, I brought all the files over from the zip in post 348. I renamed uflash.xex to uf.xex, ran that and then tried to update the bios... after I selected the bios file the screen got corrupt at the bottom and appeared to just hang... I thought maybe I need to power cycle... after I did I got just a red screen... im toast, right?

 

I have another incognito but I tried updating that one (got the pbi updated) and I cant get it to recognize the partitions on my cf card... yeah, I know I'm a mess... any way I can fix the one with the newer pbi and then somehow swap the chips out while its running to flash the bad one? use to work with motherboards back in the day...

 

edit: scratch that... tried flashing the second one and that one is down too... Not very intuitive for me so I guess I need to buy a TC866CS kit as well....

Edited January 10, 2016 by Stormbringer

[flashjazzcat]

PBI BIOS and main BIOS are tightly interdependent now, so you won't get far with one and not the other. Can you update the main BIOS on the other machine? Anyway: I guess it's time to buy a USB programmer for the problem board.

 

I'm really amazed by some of these spectacular flashing dramas... I'm really missing out, what with these mundane, event-free updates I'm doing all the time.

[morelenmir]

ok... I give up.... I tried flashing my new incognito with the ibios.rom. I was able to get it to a local partition (after running fatfs.sys - i think thats what it was)... anyhow, I brought all the files over from the zip in post 348. I renamed uflash.xex to uf.xex, ran that and then tried to update the bios... after I selected the bios file the screen got corrupt at the bottom and appeared to just hang... I thought maybe I need to power cycle... after I did I got just a red screen... im toast, right?

 

I have another incognito but I tried updating that one (got the pbi updated) and I cant get it to recognize the partitions on my cf card... yeah, I know I'm a mess... any way I can fix the one with the newer pbi and then somehow swap the chips out while its running to flash the bad one? use to work with motherboards back in the day...

 

That sounds identical to the problem I encountered, right down to the weird graphical glitch. Do you remember if you got a 'systemerror' text message?

 

In regards the standalone flasher - I'm going to name-drop the 'TL866CS' again, especially now I know it can be easily modded into the more capable 'TL866A' version without much difficulty beyond a little bit of soldering to attach an appropriate ICSP socket/header. This is Kyle22's absolutely invaluable thread on the matter if you are interested: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/246355-minipro-tl866-upgrade-instructions/.

 

Incidentally I like your thumbnail - not many people recognize Moorcock's work these days!