Turgen System 8.8.x Adventures

[baktra]

For those who would dare testing with own files, there is turgen.jar from GIT. With that turgen.jar, you can create your own Self-Extractors for testing, with limitations, of course.

 

1. Create project items for Turbo 2000, Turbo 2000 - Kilobyte blocks, or Omicron Turbo as usual

2. Select the project items in the project

3. Navigate to Tools>Special>Create Turbo 2000 SFX.

 

A dialog with minimum controls appears.

1. Enter the output directory (Enter manually, browsing doesn't work yet)

2. Click the CREATE SFX button

3. Watch the report

4. Test the generated SFXs

 

I've successfully generated and tested an SFX for the file version of the Commando game (Turbo 2000, ChainLoading). Since the game is huge (requires 320 KB), I've got 4 self-extractors in total.

 

There were some changes in the SFX skeleton too

- COLDST is set to 1, so you can escape from the SFX

- If multiple SFXs were generated for one input file, then each SFX displays a sequence number: 000-999

 

Before release, there are still some missing functions. I will work on them.

1. Selecting the output directory using the Browse... button

2. Support for the remaining two naming styles. These naming styles will be more friendly for loading from DOSes

3. Running the SFX creation in a separate thread (so that the UI is not blocked as it is now)

 

 

Edited January 4 by baktra
typos

[baktra]

One more turgen.jar for today. To be continued

• The Browse... button works.
• Drastically increased performance, hundreds of SFXes processed in a few seconds.
• The SFX creation is not blocking the UI, running in a separate thread.
• Summary report - Display number of SFXes created and failed.

[baktra]

Todays's turgen.jar for Turbo 2000 SFX

• Better report on processed items
• The naming styles now work
• Documentation is ready

So far, nothing should be missing.

 

 

[baktra]

Another tugen.jar for Turbo 2000 SFX.

Maximum supported block size has increased to 45,500 bytes. If you have .xex files with longer segments, try compressing them with Super Packer.

 

Attaching a few simple SFXes.

Awaiting test results from volunteers (older SFXes or the attached ones)

 

The source code of the SFX skeleton is also available.

 

177_polarpierre.xex 045_cavelord.xex 080_firebug.xex

Edited January 8 by baktra

[w1k]

works very good

 

[baktra]

TURGEN 9.2.8. The Genie is out of the bottle.

 

Video:

 

 

 

Edited January 9 by baktra

[Chri O.]

I got a question about (CHAOS SYSTEM) Turbo 6000.

I cannot generate file type "Compatible binary file" it's always complaining about something so the only choice is "binary file" this however I have no clue how to get this running without cartridge. 

 

Funny part is yesterday I managed to translate standard b600 Centipede game on real Hardware using Turbo Star 6000 which appears to be a Polish TURBO6000 clone and I can load this with your (chaosloader.xex) loader posted on page 2 of this thread.

 

Here is the game and all the TURBO6000 loaders.

T6000 loaders.zip

You can actually get this running on Altirra emulator make sure in configuration systems cassette tab you select [invert turbo data] check mark.

Edited January 9 by Chri O.
typo

[Chri O.]

I guess just to keep this complete I might as well upload all the TURBO STAR 6000 files.

turbo_star_6000.zip

[w1k]

q-ros will be good to implemented, or TURBO DNM

qros.zip

[baktra]

49 minutes ago, Chri O. said:

I got a question about (CHAOS SYSTEM) Turbo 6000.

I cannot generate file type "Compatible binary file" it's always complaining about something so the only choice is "binary file" this however I have no clue how to get this running without cartridge. 

 

Funny part is yesterday I managed to translate standard b600 Centipede game on real Hardware using Turbo Star 6000 which appears to be a Polish TURBO6000 clone and I can load this with your (chaosloader.xex) loader posted on page 2 of this thread.

 

Here is the game and all the TURBO6000 loaders.

T6000 loaders.zip 3.13 MB · 1 download

You can actually get this running on Altirra emulator make sure in configuration systems cassette tab you select [invert turbo data] check mark.

As a stop gap measure, you can use the recent innovation in TURGEN 9.2.8. For Turbo 6000, you can prepend the loader as a tape boot file.

 

Turbo Star is indeed a clone of the Turbo 6000. Its loader can be used to load Turbo 6000 files created by TURGEN. It will also work for the "Binary file" conversion, because the output file begins with a small loader loadable by the original Turbo 6000 or Turbo Star loader. Aka out-of-the box.

 

When it comes to compatible binary load files, the definition of compatible file is in TURGEN's documentation. You will find the examples/test16k.xex shipped with TURGEN compatible.

 

 

[baktra]

39 minutes ago, w1k said:

trq-ros will be good to implemented, or TURBO DNM

qros.zip 8.46 kB · 1 download

To be honest, I cannot make any promises here.  I will try when I have some time to spare. The system never caught momentum and is rather a curiosity.

 

To provide some background information... In the Czechoslovakia of late 1980s, several turbo systems were developed independently in different places (the exchange of information was rather slow - magazines, personal contacts, letters).

 

Some of the systems were worse, some better. Very quickly, Turbo 2000 and its iterations from the Prague's user group (the group was influential) dominated the market. Turbo 2000 might not have been the best in terms of the transfer speed or utility software, but was good enough and was pushed by the most influential groups. Other systems (including Turbo D, EMO, QROS) had minimum market share. But that's not so uncommon story.

 

On the other hand, in Poland, much bigger and more populous country, several systems existed in parallel for several years.

[Chri O.]

5 hours ago, baktra said:

On the other hand, in Poland, much bigger and more populous country, several systems existed in parallel for several years.

🙂

1992-2023 by Michael D. Current, Subject: 3.1.3) What speed upgrades are there for Atari program recorders?

Spoiler

Numerous methods were created for upgrading the (painfully) slow data
transmission speed of the Atari program recorders.  Most of these originated
in regions of the world where program recorders were normally used with the
Atari rather than (extremely expensive) disk drives.

Products/formats are presented in "families".

- CASA Turbo Tape, by CASA (Dutch) (1985)
   o Purely software

- Rambit TurboCharger (1986?)
   o From the UK
   o For: 410, 1010, XC11, Phonemark, XC12
   o Circuit board + conversion utility program on cassette.  
     The software is used to convert standard Atari data cassettes to Rambit
     format cassettes.
   o 3300-3600 bit/s achieved
   o Review (Nov/Dec86): http://www.page6.org/archive/issue_24/page_30.htm

- Turbo 2000, by Jiri Richter (RICO or JRC; Czechoslovakia)
   o Project published in Zpravodaj Atari Klubu -- priloha 11/1987
     See: http://blog.3b2.sk/igi/file.axd?file=2013%2f12%2fTurbo+2000.pdf
   o Software + modification project for XC12
   o Transfer rates flexible; later standardized to 2270 baud
   o Software: Super Turbo cartridge software by RICO (1988)
   o Released later: TT-DOS, a DOS 2.5 clone with high speed tape handler, B:
      - TT-DOS 1.1 (c) 1989 JR Computing (JRC)
      - TT-DOS 1.2 (c) 1989 JR Computing
      - TT-DOS 1.5 (c) 1991 JR Computing
   o Released separately (West Germany): B-TAPE high speed system by Jiri
     Bernasek (BEWESOFT) for use with BW-DOS or SpartaDOS
   o Clone (Poland): AutoTurbo, by Brodaty Software / INFO-CELL

- Hard Turbo, by Computer Center (Poland)
   o Hardware same as Turbo 2000
   o Software loaders distributed on cassette or cartridge

- Turbo 2T06, by Wojciech Zabolotny
   o Published in the magazine IKS 11/1988 pages 4-6, with follow-up
     information published in the next issue 12/1988 page 14 and in
     01/1989 pages 28 and 31.
   o "Cassette Operating System" (L1, L2, WIELOBLOK) software
   o Reviewed in Bajtek 8/89 (compared with AST)
- K.S.O. Turbo 2000
   o Based on Turbo 2T06
   o Separately: K.S.O. Turbo 2000 cartridge project for self assembly
   o Custom formats:
      - "New format" (Turbo 2000F+)
      - Speedy 2700, by *AJEK

- Atari Super Turbo (AST) (late 1987)
   o Designed by Slawomir Nienaltowski (designer of the SN-360 disk drive),
     sold to Atari Studio (AS; later: Mirage)
   o The first Polish Turbo system
   o Programs stored with AST can be read by Turbo 2000.
   o Originally for the 1010, later released for XC12 and clones.
   o Reviewed in Bajtek 4/89
   o Later version(s) sold with software on cartridge: AST Turbo Cartridge
   o Clones:
      - Atari Turbo Tape (ATT)
      - UM Turbo, by Unerring Masters

- Turbo 2000F, by MUEL (1989) and/or Rawa Soft
   o 6700 baud.  Advertisement: Bajtek 8/1989 p26
   o Can read several other formats including AST, Atari Hard Turbo, Turbo 2000
- TOMS Turbo 2001.
   o Close derivative of Turbo 2000F.  Several versions:
      - Cartridge
      - Cassette
      - Computer ROM
      - TurboDOS 2001 cartridge (with MYDOS 4.50T - TOMS MYDOS ROM version)
   o TOMS OS for Atari XL/XE can also optionally include Turbo 2001

- Turbo 6000 / Schleife '88 (Loop'88)
   o From East Germany, for XC12
   o Chaos System: Turbo 6000 interface + software: Chaos Loader, Chaos Copy
   o 6000 baud
- Turbo Star, by Stach Soft (1989)
   o Based on Turbo 6000
- Turbo Star 6000, by Stach Soft
   o Based on Turbo Star, with improvements
   o Also known as Turbo Star Plus

- Injector / Fast Injektor
   o Hardware (for the XL12) + software 
   o Developed by Pedro P. Caraball Alvarez (Turbo Software, Argentina/Chile)
   o Version 1.0 05/09/88 for Turbo Software, published by M.P.M. S.A. (Chile)
   o Rights sold to Coelsa (official Atari importer in Chile) in 1990.  Coelsa
     would sell many XL12 units with the Fast Injektor preinstalled.
   o 4000 baud
   o http://www.retrogames.cl/injektor.html

- STAC / Super Turbo Auto Corrector 
   o From Argentina by Jorge Cwik (ijor), 1988
   o Purely software, with error recovery
   o Available (sources): http://preview.tinyurl.com/ybrbt8qf

- Iron Turbo (1988)
   o Software only, requires optimally operating XC12, CA12 or XCA12 
- Turbo 2600, from Zaklad Elektroniczny SZOK and Vadim-Soft
   o Software-compatible with Iron Turbo

- SITRE/S.I.T.R.E./"Sistema Inteligente Turbo con Recuperacion de Errores"
   o From Chile by Victor Parada G. (++Vitoco)
   o Purely software.  Primarily a copying tool, but also turbo speed.
   o Version 1.01 March 1989 via SYFCOM, then VCC (Video Compu Club) for 800XL
   o Version 2.01 April 1989 for 130XE
   o Version 1.11 June 1989 (800XL, attempted support for longer programs)
   o Version 3.02 (2015, full support for XL/XE 64KiB to 320KiB)
   o Available: http://www.vitoco.cl/atari/sitre/

- Blizzard Turbo, by Atares  (Poland, 1989)
   o Software v1: Microloader, Turbo KOS, Short KOS, Looking
   o Software v2: KOS+, Blizzard Turbo, Blizzard Copy, 3 Microloaders
   o Available separately: 
      - BIG2 cartridge by KNS Corporation
      - Phoenix cartridge by Hurek (1989)

- Turbo ROM, jointly developed by PLUS and MAPASOFT (Poland) (1991?) 
   o Special software cartridge loader required to read such cassettes
   o Reviewed in Tajemnice_Atari 5/91 

Most of the above upgrades are described in detail at:
http://atariki.krap.pl/index.php/Systemy_turbo

 

[baktra]

I am still onto the self-extracting archives.

My testing indicates that nothing prevents these archives working also for the Lower Silesian Turbo 2000 and Hard Turbo. This will be enabled in the next release. Why is that? The physical block format is the same as Turbo 2000.

 

The self-extractors can work also for other systems, provided I will somehow appropriate their routines for writing a block of data.

[baktra]

A picture is better than 1000 words.

 

000_River Raid (1983)(Activision)(US)[a3]_ht_sfx.xex 001_River Raid (1983)(Activision)(US)[a3]_ls_t2000_sfx.xex

Edited January 19 by baktra

[baktra]

Release 9.2.9 is out.

It is a small release, just allows you to make Turbo Self-Extractors for Polish Lower Silesian Turbo 2000 and Hard Turbo.

Edited January 23 by baktra

[baktra]

Bad news. @w1k discovered a bug in the Turbo 2000 Self-extractors.

 

The silence between the first turbo header block and the first turbo data block is too long. This can prevent loading the recorded file using a Universal Turbo loader. Ordinary Turbo 2000 loader works. I will work on a fix for the self-extractor code. Instead of silence between the header and data blocks, there will be a longer pilot tone.

 

The Lower Silesian Turbo and Hard Turbo are not affected.

Edited January 28 by baktra

[baktra]

While dealing with the bug above, I've decided for more radical changes in the Turbo SFXs.

1. The block table now has 5-byte items. The last byte is dedicated to block flags. Two flags are currently in place - "no gap after block" and "elongate pilot tone". More flags might be available in the future.
2. The recording environment (no INTRs, no DMA, Motor ON) is set at the beginning of the recording process and reset at the very end of the recording process. This has two advantages: 1. The recording is not spoiled by motor starts/stops, 2. The screen doesn't flicker after each written block. The screen stays blank until the recording is complete.
3. The SFX creator fixes the bug above.
4. The load address is now $0B80.

Attached are 2 new test files.

 

sfx_ng_diamondz_blockloading.xex sfx_ng_diamondz_expressloading.xex

[w1k]

nope

 

[baktra]

I have some update on the self-extractors.

Firstly, I need to thank @w1k for quick testing.

 

Now, we have a precarious situation. w1k's tests indicate that the files recorded using the self-extractors attached above are not working and cannot be loaded.

I've performed my own tests (see the attached videos) and the files are loading, so I have exactly the opposite results. However, I am not exactly a disinterested party.

 

My setup is simple - Stock Atari XL, PAL, 64 KB RAM, XC12 with a turbo upgrade compatible with Czechoslovak Turbo 2000. I am using JRC's VisiLoader and JRC's Turbo 2000 loader launched from UnoCart. I am launching the SFXes from UnoCart too. The cassette is FOX C60.

 

In this situation, I am looking for disinterested third party testers, who would take the most recent self-extractors and try recording/loading, so we can see where the self-extractors stand.

I am attaching two more extractors for more diverse testing.

 

 

sfx_ng_test16k.xex sfx_ng_ataritenis.xex

[baktra]

Some update on the affair with SFXes. w1k reports that his data recorder might not be in the best shape, which can affect the testing results.

 

In any case, a 3rd party tester is welcome. No need for a video, a statement signed with your own blood is enough 🙂

[baktra]

There is more good news. w1k reports that a third party tester confirms the SFXes work.

The only complaint is a rather short pilot tone for the first header block for Turbo 2000 files. This will be fixed in the final version of the SFX skeleton.

[baktra]

Let us get some more power.

The attached package holds two self-extracting archives that will record games in the Czechoslovak Super Turbo format, with transfer speed of 2725 bps.

Try only when you know that Turbo 2000 SFXes already work for you.

super_turbo_sfx.zip

[baktra]

The Self-Extractor capability is getting somehow monstrous.

If you are wondering what the Composite SFXs will be... In a nutshell, one huge Composite SFX can record a full tape side without user interaction. Provided you have the right equipment - data recorder connected to the computer simultaneously with the device the SFX is loaded from.

[baktra]

There is a sample composite SFX.

It records 4 games to the basic Czechoslovak Turbo 2000 format. I've successfully tested it, loading the SFX from my mighty AVGCART.

 

composite.zip

[w1k]

this software needs more tests with differents xc12/xl12.. i cant load head with single turbo 2000 file, or i have on end BOOT ERROR. tested with xc12 which can normally loads turbo 2000 with many tapes

Edited February 9 by w1k