AMSTEST Source and Program versions

[atrax27407]

Here is the complete set of source code and program files from the very beginning (AMSTEST1) from Shawn Baron's initial release through the revisions and updates that myself and Bruce Harrison did over the years. The current version is AMSTEST4. Enjoy!

AMSTEST.dsk

[MikeV]

On 5/15/2020 at 12:17 PM, atrax27407 said:

Here is the complete set of source code and program files from the very beginning (AMSTEST1) from Shawn Baron's initial release through the revisions and updates that myself and Bruce Harrison did over the years. The current version is AMSTEST4. Enjoy!

AMSTEST.dsk 180 kB · 13 downloads

Thank you for the post. How difficult would it be to extend the SAMS testing sequence to (the theoretical) 4 MB size?

[atrax27407]

Since I have published the source, anyone who wants to do it - go ahead. At the present time, however, there is no 4 MB SAMS card available to test it on. 

[+RXB]

Well theoretically if the first byte is page number >00 to >FF for 256 pages or 1 meg then wish we could go whole hog second byte is 256 banks of 1 meg or 2.5 Gig.

[+jedimatt42]

12 hours ago, MikeV said:

Thank you for the post. How difficult would it be to extend the SAMS testing sequence to (the theoretical) 4 MB size?

In theory, my memory test will exercise a 16MB SAMS... I think SDD99 was threatening to provide 16MB SAMS

 

https://github.com/jedimatt42/ti994a-32kmemtest/blob/f825dfcf76234ed408e54fd356f7e80b6f16fbb7/main.c#L220

 

https://github.com/jedimatt42/ti994a-32kmemtest/releases

[MikeV]

11 hours ago, jedimatt42 said:

In theory, my memory test will exercise a 16MB SAMS... I think SDD99 was threatening to provide 16MB SAMS

 

https://github.com/jedimatt42/ti994a-32kmemtest/blob/f825dfcf76234ed408e54fd356f7e80b6f16fbb7/main.c#L220

 

https://github.com/jedimatt42/ti994a-32kmemtest/releases

Hey guys: I was unaware that no SAMS card larger than 1MB had ever been built. For some reason I thought there were (at least) prototypes. Nice to know that it is theoretically possible to test them. Thanks.

[+RXB]

I can add more support for RXB SAMS easy, just start making cards with 4Meg or 16Meg or 32Meg or 64Meg or 128Meg or 256Meg......

[+FALCOR4]

On 5/26/2020 at 6:00 AM, atrax27407 said:

Since I have published the source, anyone who wants to do it - go ahead. At the present time, however, there is no 4 MB SAMS card available to test it on. 

I have a proto 4M SAMS from Ksarul that I'm working on which is the extension of the 1M board.  Once we find and fix a peculiar issue with it I'm sure he'll begin making them available if interested.  The one I have in my possession, in particular, has battery backed RAM just for fun. ?

 

It would be nice to have a routine to test it, if that's doable. or else I have to slog my way through it in other ways.

[+jedimatt42]

47 minutes ago, FALCOR4 said:

I have a proto 4M SAMS from Ksarul that I'm working on which is the extension of the 1M board.  Once we find and fix a peculiar issue with it I'm sure he'll begin making them available if interested.  The one I have in my possession, in particular, has battery backed RAM just for fun. ?

 

It would be nice to have a routine to test it, if that's doable. or else I have to slog my way through it in other ways.

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/306841-amstest-source-and-program-versions/?do=findComment&comment=4548142

[+TheBF]

6 hours ago, FALCOR4 said:

I have a proto 4M SAMS from Ksarul that I'm working on which is the extension of the 1M board.  Once we find and fix a peculiar issue with it I'm sure he'll begin making them available if interested.  The one I have in my possession, in particular, has battery backed RAM just for fun. ?

 

It would be nice to have a routine to test it, if that's doable. or else I have to slog my way through it in other ways.

Would something like this be useful?  I can zip it up with and have it auto load if you want.

It lets you set a pattern in the command line which fills a 4k buffer with that pattern.

Then it fills 64k chunks of memory with that pattern and then compares the segment to pattern buffer 4K bytes at a time comparing.

 

The only thing I have not figured out is how to test segment zero. I page everything into >3000 but it crashes when I page critical system addresses into SAMS.

 

It's built with a toolkit of routines so I can configure it pretty easily. 

It can be used like an old fashioned debugger to set memory and dump memory as well.

At the moment it protects from going beyond segment 15 but that's just me stopping it.

 

Happy to help.

 

 

[+retroclouds]

On 5/27/2020 at 11:01 PM, FALCOR4 said:

I have a proto 4M SAMS from Ksarul that I'm working on which is the extension of the 1M board.  Once we find and fix a peculiar issue with it I'm sure he'll begin making them available if interested.  The one I have in my possession, in particular, has battery backed RAM just for fun. ?

 

It would be nice to have a routine to test it, if that's doable. or else I have to slog my way through it in other ways.

I almost missed this and am very excited about it. Having battery backed RAM opens up a lot of new possibilities.
Truely hope that when the 4M SAMS released this stays an option. Would you mind sharing a picture how the card looks like?

[+FALCOR4]

8 hours ago, retroclouds said:

I almost missed this and am very excited about it. Having battery backed RAM opens up a lot of new possibilities.
Truely hope that when the 4M SAMS released this stays an option. Would you mind sharing a picture how the card looks like?

Here you go.  Looks like the 1M card with a couple extra ICs.  The two memory ICs contain the batteries for backup if you choose to use those instead of conventional SRAMs.  You can get 512K versions of those for the existing 1M card as well (fact check me Ksarul).  This version card is configurable as 1M or 4M.  

 

 

[+jedimatt42]

On 5/26/2020 at 4:05 PM, jedimatt42 said:

In theory, my memory test will exercise a 16MB SAMS... I think SDD99 was threatening to provide 16MB SAMS

 

https://github.com/jedimatt42/ti994a-32kmemtest/blob/f825dfcf76234ed408e54fd356f7e80b6f16fbb7/main.c#L220

 

https://github.com/jedimatt42/ti994a-32kmemtest/releases

 

The source repository is named ___32kmemtest, but it auto detects if the memory is Foundation, Myarc, SAMS 128K to 16Meg, and standard 32k. 

 

I'd love to know what it _actually_ reports on a greater than 1Meg SAMS... the file in releases, is an 8k cartridge ROM, so it operates from ROM and scratchpad only.. 

[+retroclouds]

15 hours ago, FALCOR4 said:

Here you go.  Looks like the 1M card with a couple extra ICs.  The two memory ICs contain the batteries for backup if you choose to use those instead of conventional SRAMs.  You can get 512K versions of those for the existing 1M card as well (fact check me Ksarul).  This version card is configurable as 1M or 4M.  

 

 

Yes, that’s a beauty for sure. The possibilities are endless. If only it could map the DSR space >4000 as well.

With the ROS source code out there you could possibly even turn it into a HRD ramdisk. 

 

So where did you get the DALLAS SRAM’s ? Are they still available?

 

 

 

 

[+FALCOR4]

7 hours ago, retroclouds said:

 

So where did you get the DALLAS SRAM’s ? Are they still available?

 

 

 

 

Hmmm, IIRC, I got them off of Ebay quite a while ago.  They're still listed there as coming from China and are a bit pricey.  Someone might have a better source for them?

[+Ksarul]

The best prices I've seen on the Dallas chips is in the $21 to $26 range. The 512K chip pinout is identical to the normal 512K SRAM chips, so yes, they should work on the 1M board too. One note on chips coming from China here: about 75% of the chips they are selling do NOT have the original top surface or labeling. This could be because they opened them up to put new batteries inside, but this could also just be an attempt to put a newer date code on them. Most of them should work as a standard SRAM though, which is really all I cared about when I bought mine, as these are just about the only 2M chips still available that use 5V and come in DIP format.

[MikeV]

On 5/30/2020 at 1:02 PM, jedimatt42 said:

 

The source repository is named ___32kmemtest, but it auto detects if the memory is Foundation, Myarc, SAMS 128K to 16Meg, and standard 32k. 

 

I'd love to know what it _actually_ reports on a greater than 1Meg SAMS... the file in releases, is an 8k cartridge ROM, so it operates from ROM and scratchpad only.. 

It's a nifty program. Nice to have it all work from the FinalGrom. I somehow managed to download an earlier version last week (it's a talent) with the Foundation result. If at some point you would like to borrow a CorComp to test with, let me know. But there may not be enough memory left in the 8K space. Thank you for letting us know about the program.

[+jedimatt42]

2 hours ago, MikeV said:

It's a nifty program. Nice to have it all work from the FinalGrom. I somehow managed to download an earlier version last week (it's a talent) with the Foundation result. If at some point you would like to borrow a CorComp to test with, let me know. But there may not be enough memory left in the 8K space. Thank you for letting us know about the program.

I should delete the older releases I suppose... (edit: Done)

 

Using this to test some still-born SAMS at ArcadeShopper's, we found that bad SAMS cards may report as different kinds of cards... Detection can easily fail if the address bus or data bus is in poor physical condition.

 

Edit: I checked, there is 3.5K of the 8K in the ROM still free.  

Edited June 1, 2020 by jedimatt42
updated info

[MikeV]

On 6/1/2020 at 10:42 AM, jedimatt42 said:

 

Edit: I checked, there is 3.5K of the 8K in the ROM still free.  

CorComp offer holds (when you time permits). I can send it via ArcadeShopper as I have a console for repair and some other items as well.

 

Forgot to mention the CorComp has an internal test option. Do not know if this would be of use?

Edited June 2, 2020 by MikeV
Forgot something.

[+jedimatt42]

3 hours ago, MikeV said:

CorComp offer holds (when you time permits). I can send it via ArcadeShopper as I have a console for repair and some other items as well.

 

Forgot to mention the CorComp has an internal test option. Do not know if this would be of use?

 

From Corcomp's documentation, as a memory card, it is just a 32k card. I don't see any documentation for how to use it for program memory... 

 

I only mention the other memory cards, because they are program memory like the SAMS. and people kept posting that they wished they had a sams test, after I posted 'here you go, a sams test' that should do what they stated they wished for... 

 

I don't want to detract from this SAMS thread any more... If someone in another thread can share the docs for how to page corcomp memory, I'd compulsively include it, but I'd rather write theoretical code from spec and ship that over the internet for you to test, than take shipment of your memory card.  Maybe if the specs surface we can also compel emulation of it over in the Mame thread. 

[+arcadeshopper]

4 hours ago, jedimatt42 said:

 

From Corcomp's documentation, as a memory card, it is just a 32k card. I don't see any documentation for how to use it for program memory... 

 

I only mention the other memory cards, because they are program memory like the SAMS. and people kept posting that they wished they had a sams test, after I posted 'here you go, a sams test' that should do what they stated they wished for... 

 

I don't want to detract from this SAMS thread any more... If someone in another thread can share the docs for how to page corcomp memory, I'd compulsively include it, but I'd rather write theoretical code from spec and ship that over the internet for you to test, than take shipment of your memory card.  Maybe if the specs surface we can also compel emulation of it over in the Mame thread. 

corcomp had a 128 and 512k card also.. both were basically ramdisks without battery backup to compete with myarc's 128/512k cards. 

 

Greg

[+RXB]

16 hours ago, arcadeshopper said:

corcomp had a 128 and 512k card also.. both were basically ramdisks without battery backup to compete with myarc's 128/512k cards. 

 

Greg

I had the Corcomp 512K RAMDISK, it was super fast, faster then the Myarc 512K RAMDISK.

I think due to less DSR overhead as a slow down.

 

[+FALCOR4]

On 5/27/2020 at 2:49 PM, jedimatt42 said:

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/306841-amstest-source-and-program-versions/?do=findComment&comment=4548142

Thanks!  Pretty nifty program!  I used it on a 1M board but I'm still waiting on a few parts for the 4M board.  I will report back to you once I get a chance to use it on the 4M.

[+RXB]

How are the pages set up in the bigger 4Meg card?

Current RXB docs say this:

                                                             PAGE SAMS1
                              SAMS MAPPER
     ******************************************************************
        The SAMS card has tons of documents as to its function and use.
       So to re-explain these docs would be pointless. Read the docs or
       find some, sorry but the RXB package is already huge.
 
     In PASS mode the mapper register setup is equivalent to:
 
     mapper address  mapper  page num            address range
     --------------  ------  --------            -------------
      HEX     Dec            HEX  Dec             memory area
      ---     ---            ---  ---             -----------
     >4004 = 16388 is MR02 = >02 = 02 points to >2000 - >2FFF range
     >4006 = 16390 is MR03 = >03 = 03 points to >3000 - >3FFF range
 
     >4014 = 16404 is MR10 = >0A = 10 points to >A000 - >AFFF range
     >4016 = 16406 is MR11 = >0B = 11 points to >B000 - >BFFF range
     >4018 = 16408 is MR12 = >0C = 12 points to >C000 - >CFFF range
     >401A = 16410 is MR13 = >0D = 13 points to >D000 - >DFFF range
     >401C = 16412 is MR14 = >0E = 14 points to >E000 - >EFFF range
     >401E = 16414 is MR15 = >0F = 15 points to >F000 - >FFFF range
 
     (MR=Mapper Register)
 
     In MAP mode the mapper register setup is equivalent to: EXAMPLE1
 
     mapper address  mapper  page num            address range
     --------------  ------  --------            -------------
      HEX     Dec            HEX  Dec             memory area
      ---     ---            ---  ---             -----------
     >4004 = 16388 is MR02 = >10 = 16 points to >2000 - >2FFF range
     >4006 = 16390 is MR03 = >11 = 17 points to >3000 - >3FFF range
 
     >4014 = 16404 is MR10 = >12 = 18 points to >A000 - >AFFF range
     >4016 = 16406 is MR11 = >13 = 19 points to >B000 - >BFFF range
     >4018 = 16408 is MR12 = >14 = 20 points to >C000 - >CFFF range
     >401A = 16410 is MR13 = >15 = 21 points to >D000 - >DFFF range
     >401C = 16412 is MR14 = >16 = 22 points to >E000 - >EFFF range
     >401E = 16414 is MR15 = >17 = 23 points to >F000 - >FFFF range
 
     (MR=Mapper Register)

[MikeV]

On 6/2/2020 at 3:56 PM, jedimatt42 said:

 

From Corcomp's documentation, as a memory card, it is just a 32k card. I don't see any documentation for how to use it for program memory... 

 

I only mention the other memory cards, because they are program memory like the SAMS. and people kept posting that they wished they had a sams test, after I posted 'here you go, a sams test' that should do what they stated they wished for... 

 

I don't want to detract from this SAMS thread any more... If someone in another thread can share the docs for how to page corcomp memory, I'd compulsively include it, but I'd rather write theoretical code from spec and ship that over the internet for you to test, than take shipment of your memory card.  Maybe if the specs surface we can also compel emulation of it over in the Mame thread. 

Makes sense, thanks. CorComp never did deliver on the software (as advertised) to use the extra memory.