Marius Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 There are some stock ROM images a few posts back (on the pigwa server IIRC). They will probably get you out of trouble. I've been "lucky" enough to have a 1200XL here which exhibited stability issues which showed up with both the old and new BIOS. While the old BIOS showed screen corruption and was unable to reliably hold settings, the new BIOS menu totally blew up. Whatever: the hardware wasn't working, and once it was fixed everything was fine. As you know, I have an excellent solution for this type of hardware problems: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemiel Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Hammer for my precious Atari? No way! With newest Bios I got hang on info tab. Arrow keys do not work anymore... (saving profile still do not work ofc.) Something bad on screen shows also. Behaviour differs when this tab/page is reached from left or right side. Maybe my precious needs a doctor. Or maybe U1MB only. But will time for it maybe next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 Definitely a hammer candidate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) A hammer is never the answer! I mean, not with an Atari anyway. Edited March 11, 2016 by Panther Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 I tend to agree regarding the Atari itself, but with third-party upgrades... that's a different matter, as one dear departed internal MyIDE I will attest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I tend to agree regarding the Atari itself, but with third-party upgrades... that's a different matter, as one dear departed internal MyIDE I will attest. Still, a hammer is generally not the answer. Now a good solid broadsword on the other hand... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fujidude Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Sulfuric acid... very satisfying. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Molten salt. Gets the job done every time. DON'T try this at home! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MacRorie Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Quick note, what is the most current version of the Incognito BIOS update and where might I find it? If it is 0.49 then it is in the thread I and I am good. If not, inquiring minds want to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Quick note, what is the most current version of the Incognito BIOS update and where might I find it? If it is 0.49 then it is in the thread I and I am good. If not, inquiring minds want to know! It does appear that 0.49 is the most recent beta release, along with the PBI version 1.5.5b (there were two releases labeled 1.5.5 that were different so I labeled the second one b). We're waiting for flashjazzcat to catch up to the U1MB versions for the Incognito, but he seems to have decided to take on half a million projects at once... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MacRorie Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 It does appear that 0.49 is the most recent beta release, along with the PBI version 1.5.5b (there were two releases labeled 1.5.5 that were different so I labeled the second one b). We're waiting for flashjazzcat to catch up to the U1MB versions for the Incognito, but he seems to have decided to take on half a million projects at once... Thanks! Now.... How does one go about updating the CLPD on an Incognito that seems to have never been installed. Ever. (SDX 4.45b is installed.). I *think* I need to do the updates via a serial device and I should be okay. Am considering jumping from where it is to the new beta bios, but do not want to give it heart failure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 We're waiting for flashjazzcat to catch up to the U1MB versions for the Incognito, but he seems to have decided to take on half a million projects at once... The Satanic 1200XL started playing up again yesterday just as I was buttoning up the case for dispatch so it appears my spare time will be in contention for a while yet. My website server decided to go tits-up at the same time but fortunately everything's back up again. Assuming my Incognito machine hasn't had a hex put on it, I'll get the BIOS build done this week, finish the documentation, and put release candidates of all the firmware up on the site. Writing plugin developer documentation turned out to be an invaluable exercise, highlighting design flaws, redundancy, etc. So naturally I've gone back and redesigned certain things... hopefully without introducing new bugs. Thanks! Now.... How does one go about updating the CLPD on an Incognito that seems to have never been installed. Ever. (SDX 4.45b is installed.). I *think* I need to do the updates via a serial device and I should be okay. Am considering jumping from where it is to the new beta bios, but do not want to give it heart failure! You'll need a suitable Xilinx JTAG cable. Unfortunately I have no clue where you might purchase one with the correct pinout, but if you have a look around the forum there may be some clues. The procedure is identical to a U1MB CPLD update (although using a different .JED file, of course). I use a programming cable connected to the parallel port of the PC, which necessitated installation of said parallel port via a PCI-E card since the motherboard didn't have one. Certainly that out of the way first before updating the BIOS. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom4728a Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 (edited) You'll need a suitable Xilinx JTAG cable. Unfortunately I have no clue where you might purchase one with the correct pinout, but if you have a look around the forum there may be some clues. The procedure is identical to a U1MB CPLD update (although using a different .JED file, of course). I use a programming cable connected to the parallel port of the PC, which necessitated installation of said parallel port via a PCI-E card since the motherboard didn't have one. Is this the same .JED V2 released back in MID 2013 or is there a more recent one needed before the new BIOS can be flashed? Thank You. Robert Edited March 15, 2016 by venom4728a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MacRorie Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 The Satanic 1200XL started playing up again yesterday just as I was buttoning up the case for dispatch so it appears my spare time will be in contention for a while yet. My website server decided to go tits-up at the same time but fortunately everything's back up again. Assuming my Incognito machine hasn't had a hex put on it, I'll get the BIOS build done this week, finish the documentation, and put release candidates of all the firmware up on the site. These are the times that try retro souls. You'll need a suitable Xilinx JTAG cable. Unfortunately I have no clue where you might purchase one with the correct pinout, but if you have a look around the forum there may be some clues. The procedure is identical to a U1MB CPLD update (although using a different .JED file, of course). I use a programming cable connected to the parallel port of the PC, which necessitated installation of said parallel port via a PCI-E card since the motherboard didn't have one. SPEAKING of trying times . . . I know I was going to have to flash the chip anyway, so I was trying to see how far I could get without yet another sisyphean-retro (redundant?) task appearing before me . . . So, I got the old Side update (from the 2013 thread) to work. and that worked. Then the new version of FLASH could see the Incognito and not give me a "update the CPLD" message, so I thought I was all good. I updated SDX from 4.45a to 4.47 and that worked great. So I pressed my luck and updated the BIOS/Loader/PBI. Power cycled. Seemed to work fine. Needed to turn SDX off and try a physical cartridge (the whole reason I was pushing this damned rock up a hill in the FIRST place!) and that's when things went kinda screwy . . . . Now, the new BIOS screen comes up, but it is locked tight as soon as it does. What's worse is I CAN'T GET OUT OF IT. Every time I turn on the machine, it goes straight to the BIO setup screen and then, of course, locks. So, oh great ones, I plead my case . . again. I have tools. I just need to know what to do or what to read to fix it. Thanks. BTW, if I have to flash the CPLD, I am SURE one of these *must* work, right? (PIC at bottom. It's large, I know it's large, you can see detail at large. If that's a deal-breaker. I attached a small one.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 It locks? You mean the keyboard is unresponsive? The BIOS setup menu will keep appearing until you save the settings, as with the original BIOS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MacRorie Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 It locks? You mean the keyboard is unresponsive? The BIOS setup menu will keep appearing until you save the settings, as with the original BIOS. Sorry, yes, the keyboard is unresponsive. I have tried them all. There also seems to be some graphic corruption in the upper right corner where it seems to be writing to the screen over and over. Will any of those burners works or do I need another? If so, please point me to it. I have a feeling by the time I am done with these projects, I will have an AMAZING electronics library and have learned enough to get another Ph.D. (this time in stuff that actually, you know matters ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle22 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Look at the part number on the socketed flash ROM chip on the Incognito. Look at the software for your burner and see if you can select that part from a list. If you don't have a programmer that does that chip, then the TL-866CS is a good one (Google it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 Sorry, yes, the keyboard is unresponsive. I have tried them all. There also seems to be some graphic corruption in the upper right corner where it seems to be writing to the screen over and over. A sure sign something is seriously wrong hardware-wise. You need to get the Ultimate stabilised before attempting any further upgrades. Believe me: I'm experiencing exactly this with that 1200XL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MacRorie Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Indeed. The question is, how do I stabilize the incognito? Will any of the burners allow me to flash the Jed file? If so, is it the correct file? If not, do you have a recommendation? Sorry, if there is somewhere to go to read this, please send me there. Thanks for everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Oh yes... It's an Incognito: sorry. If someone out there has the answer to all these instability issues, then please speak now so I can get the problem machine out if my house. But seriously, if you haven't yet done a CPLD update, there's no chance of having an incompatible JED present. And an old JED won't cause wacky issues such as those you describe. Honestly: the number of U1MB systems supposed to perfectly operational yet in fact harbouring inconspicuous issues waiting to be revealed by new firmware is a little depressing. The grey USB programmer in your photos will allow you to reinstate the stock Incognito ROM if that's what gets things to the point of being able to use the machine. From then, it should be easier to troubleshoot. Edited March 16, 2016 by flashjazzcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Honestly: the number of U1MB systems supposed to perfectly operational yet in fact harbouring inconspicuous issues waiting to be revealed by new firmware is a little depressing. I know this is a bit of an aside, but yeah. It's because of my experiences with my 1200XL's and my U1MB, and now reading your on-going difficulties with that one, that have convinced me to restore both mine to stock condition and just leave my U1MB in an 800XL instead - it's stable in both of mine (*) and just not worth the effort necessary at this point for me. I have more fun doing mods and fixing broken things that I know I will have a reasonable chance of actually fixing, not spending weeks fruitlessly chasing gremlins. (*) At least it was, until I broke a pin off the connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MacRorie Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Oh yes... It's an Incognito: sorry. If someone out there has the answer to all these instability issues, then please speak now so I can get the problem machine out if my house. But seriously, if you haven't yet done a CPLD update, there's no chance of having an incompatible JED present. And an old JED won't cause wacky issues such as those you describe. Honestly: the number of U1MB systems supposed to perfectly operational yet in fact harbouring inconspicuous issues waiting to be revealed by new firmware is a little depressing. The grey USB programmer in your photos will allow you to reinstate the stock Incognito ROM if that's what gets things to the point of being able to use the machine. From then, it should be easier to troubleshoot. Sorry, I know the frustration chasing problems can cause. Maybe not to your depth, but I feel you. On a side note, what would happen if someone, y'know a friend, yeah that's it a friend of mine, flashed a 512k SDX image to the Incognito instead of the 4.47? In my defense, the SDX page SAID to use the Ultimate 512k image. (it says it right there in two little asterix . . ) Would that cause some instability? If after this friend did that he flashed BIOS/LOADER/PBI. Would that cause wackiness? Cause he's thinking (after seeing 192k/256k versions on your site in his err my search for Incognito Roms) that might have something to do with it. That and, of course, I need to figure out how to re-flash the ROMs using the little programmer I have. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I certainly know how frustrating it can be when you install a mod and things start not working properly. I went through it with each of the mods I added to an XE. First I jumped right in and installed a U1MB, SimpleStereo, and VBXE, but when it had problems with things such as cartridges I ended up disconnecting everything and then doing thorough tests before adding the mods one by one. I think that each time I got things working well and then added a new mod, new problems popped up. I ended up having to replace the CPU among other parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 On a side note, what would happen if someone, y'know a friend, yeah that's it a friend of mine, flashed a 512k SDX image to the Incognito instead of the 4.47? In my defense, the SDX page SAID to use the Ultimate 512k image. (it says it right there in two little asterix . . ) Would that cause some instability? If after this friend did that he flashed BIOS/LOADER/PBI. Would that cause wackiness? Cause he's thinking (after seeing 192k/256k versions on your site in his err my search for Incognito Roms) that might have something to do with it. The official SDX ROM for U1MB/Incognito (it's the same ROM) is 256KB long. If you wiped out all 512KB the machine would be unbootable... Bricked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panther Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Are the locations on the Incognito the same order as they appear in the menu? Since he flashed the BIOS, Loader, and PBI, wouldn't he just need to replace the OS ROMs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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