New (alt) BIOS for Ultimate 1MB/Incognito

[flashjazzcat]

how i can flash new LOADER to SIDE II ?

 

 

Disable SDX and PBI on U1MB (if present), boot SDX from SIDE2, type CAR:, and run UFLASH from loader. SIDE2 will auto-detect.

[w1k]

i dont have u1mb..

[w1k]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Hytcw92GE

[flashjazzcat]

i dont have u1mb..

 

So what kind of RAM upgrade do you have (if any), and how much RAM is available on the machine? A little information is more useful than a series of videos. UFLASH loads ROM images into extended RAM, ergo you need at least enough extended RAM to accommodate the image you're flashing.

 

If you have no extended RAM, use the ATR flasher I provided with the previous update on my website. You can open up the ATR in Altirra and replace the ROM with the one from a few posts back in this thread.

[w1k]

i have 320kb.. maybe thats problem.. but uflash going unstable - first video..

thanks

[flashjazzcat]

Yes, I've seen that crash happen before in the same circumstances: user tries to flash cart with SIDE switch in the loader position, which blocks the SDX portion of the chip. This won't succeed anyway, although a graceful exit would be preferable.

 

As for the RAM issue and the lock-up in the second video, it's easy to see what's happening there too. SDX is occupying one bank of extended RAM, and this final bank is overwritten by the final 16KB chunk of the SIDE ROM image.

 

So, if I were you I'd get some more RAM or use the SDX ATR flasher I provided.

[w1k]

yes.. but that ROM contains sload110 ?

[flashjazzcat]

And? You copy SLOAD110.ROM into the ATR, replacing SLOAD108.ROM.

 

I've done it for you:

 

side2ld.atr

[w1k]

thanks:) i flashing now..

 

btw i tryed open that file with makeATR, but not working..

[flashjazzcat]

btw i tryed open that file with makeATR, but not working..

 

Works in Altirra's Disk Explorer, which was also used to create it.

[w1k]

wow.. thanks

[Neo-Rio]

Just tried the 110 loader out.

 

The joystick is misbehaving. What's going on?

Seems like I can't move the cursor up and down a list without holding down the firebutton?

Urgh. Do not like.

[flashjazzcat]

Just tried the 110 loader out.

 

The joystick is misbehaving. What's going on?

Seems like I can't move the cursor up and down a list without holding down the firebutton?

Urgh. Do not like.

Thanks for the issue report. Fixed:

 

Loader_v.1.11.zip

 

I'd forgotten to update the codes in the joystick table to reflect the changes to the keyboard I was asked to make the other day. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

EDIT: this version also allows un-grouping of subdirectory names, enabling searching the folder tree using the speed-search (i.e. hit "M" and Return to open your "M" games folder if there's nothing but folders in the list). This replaces reverse-alpha sort, but if you still want all the folders grouped together, just leave "Group folders" enabled.

Edited August 10, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[Neo-Rio]

No worries. All good now.

[morelenmir]

One interesting issue I have found. I attached the Lotharek-stereo tonight for the first time since I got a new Ultimate1MB. I have everything wired up correctly (I am pretty sure!) and do get sound. However when I go in to the BIOS screen I see the 'Stereo POKEY' entry is set to 'Enabled' and the focus bar will not stop at that setting, jumping down from 'System time' to 'Covox' and the entry itself is greyed out. Moreover the LED I have attached via pin-headers and a DuPont plug to the Lotharek-stereo in order to show if it is enabled remains unlit. However the BIOS information reports 'Audio hardware' as 'Stereo' and as mentioned I do indeed get sound through the onboard 'Monitor' port, although I do not yet have a stereo output set up to test if I really am getting a separated right and left channel.

[flashjazzcat]

This cropped up a couple of times already in the thread and isn't a software issue. It's a sign that the BIOS is unable to toggle the second Pokey chip for whatever reason (usually an installation issue). The fact stereo is detected means the second Pokey is "always on", so I'm afraid you need to check the wiring. Search this thread for possible solutions as well.

[morelenmir]

To be honest there isn't a lot of wiring involved - 'A4' and 'Bell' (GTIA legs 38 and 15 respectively), 'M0' on the U1MB and GND and +5V for the uSwitch. They all check out for continuity and if I disconnect the first pair entirely I get no sound. Also, looking at the earlier reports of a similar issue a lot of the focus was on the uSwitch - either the real article from Lotharek or a homemade equivalent. When I switch on I get the green LED glowing on the thing, so there is obviously power present and at the right polarity. So I think one or more of the actual components on the uSwitch itself are dodgy. Given the Lotharek-stereo it is connected to is a survivor of the 'great power calamity of January 2016' and that it is wired directly to the supply then I suspect some part of it was toasted along with the other bits on my old XL.

[flashjazzcat]

And the BIN jumper? I don't remember any of the reported issues even being traced to a faulty U-Switch (although memory is vague). In one instance "changing the wiring" fixed it, and in another case the BIN jumper had been misconfigured. Of course there was some discussion regarding mixing of TTL and CMOS signal levels on the board, but I haven't witnessed that manifesting any real-world issues yet.

[morelenmir]

And the BIN jumper? I don't remember any of the reported issues even being traced to a faulty U-Switch (although memory is vague). In one instance "changing the wiring" fixed it, and in another case the BIN jumper had been misconfigured. Of course there was some discussion regarding mixing of TTL and CMOS signal levels on the board, but I haven't witnessed that manifesting any real-world issues yet.

 

Is the BIN the one immediately beside where the control wire comes in from the U1MB? If so then it is in the '1' position.

 

Maybe I am off then - I was sure I remember one of the fellows was having trouble because he was using a homemade equivalent to the uSwitch and it resolved when he bought a genuine article from Lotharek. However, given the U1MB says the Lotharek-stereo is in always on mode and the known-good status LED is not lit then perhaps it is the mod itself that was toast. I will try swapping the POKEY chips over tomorrow to check if that is the damaged part. Fingers crossed!

[flashjazzcat]

That would correlate with my recollection that no U-Switch was yet found to be the culprit.

[morelenmir]

That would correlate with my recollection that no U-Switch was yet found to be the culprit.

 

True enough!!!

 

I've done a bit more tinkering and - critically - mounted another LED. Perhaps the voltage was too low for the first unit, because this ones does indeed light and stays lit just as you describe. So I guess the stereo effect is locked on. No problem really, but a bit niggling its not working as it should.

 

It looks like it was MacRorie back in post #744 that reported his uSwitch wasn't working - with almost identical behaviour to mine; the surface-mount LEDs still light and his actual Lotharek-stereo itself was stuck on too. Interestingly he also suspected it was toasted at some point between reinstalling it and updating the new BIOS with the state-sensing code. I am now convinced my suffered the same fate during the voltage excursion/polarity reversal.

 

As I say, not a big deal but I'll obviously need to get a new uSwitch at some point. Getting it off will be a pig of a job though without ChipQwic!!!

[flashjazzcat]

Well, better to know toggling is not working, thanks to new BIOS.

[morelenmir]

Well, better to know toggling is not working, thanks to new BIOS.

 

Just so! Moreover even when I connected the uSwitch to the 'COVOX' switching pin - whose GUI element is never greyed out and may therefore be set to 'Disabled' at will in the BIOS setup menu - I still could not get the LED to go dark. Clearly something has punched through inside the uSwitch. I suppose it might be worth trying to get the appropriate surface-mount spares as I think Lotharek has fully documented the board, However I would have to repopulate the whole unit since I don't know exactly which component is duff and its probably more than one. The process would be super fiddly and when minimum order totals are tallied up I do not doubt such a project would cost more than the ~£1.80 an entirely new one comes for from Poland. Sadly there is also postage from the continent to consider as well though, so... a definite maybe.

 

Is there anyway I can test the uSwitch if I get it off the Lotharek-stereo board but still wired in to power and the U1MB switching signal?

[flashjazzcat]

The Covox is w/o and has no ID string so is not identifiable in software. That's why I relegated it to "plug-in" status so it can be completely removed if necessary (as can the Stereo option).

 

Fancy taking a photo of your U-Switch installation so we can have a gander? Are you taking VCC and VSS from Pokey 5v and GND pins, or some other location?

 

U-Switch implements a simple analog switch at the Stereo end, so if you want to test whether it's working, you can just measure continuity while toggling the BIN signal.

[morelenmir]

This is were I patch in to the GND and +5V circuit:

 

- The power connections are visible as two right-angled pin-headers beneath the barrel of the push switch.

 

I reused a pair of through-holes which seemed to have been intended by the motherboard designers for some purpose, but were left unpopulated and marked 'C308' - so presumably a capacitor was originally slated for here. I used a multimeter to determine both had continuity to the appropriate rail and measured the roughly +5V potential difference across them of Vcc.

Edited August 17, 2016 by morelenmir