U1MB, Incognito, SIDE2, SIDE3, 1088XEL/XLD Firmware 4.0 Released

[Jacques]

2 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

Please try this and let me know if the issue is reliably fixed:

 

s3loader.xex 66.01 kB · 4 downloads

 

Complete list of changes:

• 'Mounts' menu corruption after 'Undo mounts'
• Logic of arrow keys in list controls and drive number editor reversed to conform to U1MB main BIOS
• 'Memory full' error after starting Loader from SDX (via 'CAR') fixed (caused by RAMTOP being set to $80 by CAR command; this is now ignored)

The glitch after unmounting ATR is gone, thank you!

[Level42]

Feature suggestion: (as always I’m not hindered by any decent programming skills or in-depth knowledge about U1MB): would be sweet to be able to change the “Device #” labels and setting names.

 

so I’d change “Device 3 (s0)” to “AntiX” and “Disabled” to “NTSC” and “Enabled” to “PAL”.

 

I know you don’t like AntiX but if other people hook up something else it would be a great help to remind on what port is what (especially if you use more than one) and what it’s doing….

 

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Level42

[Level42]

Stupid question time: the U1MB manual states there’s a jumper to set XEGS on U1MB, can’t seem to find that though? 

[flashjazzcat]

6 minutes ago, Level42 said:

would be sweet to be able to change the “Device #” labels and setting names.

This is done via plugins. The generic labels are only there as placeholders. You can write your own if you can digest the developer documentation and disseminate the plugin source code, or if you have something specific in mind, I can code something up.

4 minutes ago, Level42 said:

the U1MB manual states there’s a jumper to set XEGS on U1MB, can’t seem to find that though? 

Short P3.

[Jacques]

Just FYI: the issue of green led staying on when using SDX is somehow gone by itself and doesn't happen anymore with either of two SD cards I'm using.

Weird, but good

 

EDIT:

On used 4GB GoodRam SD card I'm mostly getting ERROR 144 when trying to mount ATRs, everything else is working completely fine.

Is the card too slow, or maybe reformatting FAT32 with specific sector size would help? (already tried 4096 and 512b).

Edited July 17, 2021 by Jacques

[Level42]

12 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

This is done via plugins. The generic labels are only there as placeholders. You can write your own if you can digest the developer documentation and disseminate the plugin source code, or if you have something specific in mind, I can code something up.

Short P3.

It's just a matter of renaming the labels I guess..... anyway not a big thing but "nice to have". I did have a look at the development docs, I can understand the main ideas but my knowledge of assembly is not that great. I guess it would only require changing some ASCII texts ?.

About switching to XEGS (I remember being able to use it on my previous U1MB (the one I killed by accident) so I guess I did set the jumper there): is there any reason to not do this on a 600XL ?

[flashjazzcat]

24 minutes ago, Level42 said:

It's just a matter of renaming the labels I guess..... anyway not a big thing but "nice to have". I did have a look at the development docs, I can understand the main ideas but my knowledge of assembly is not that great. I guess it would only require changing some ASCII texts ?.

There's really no point in having extraneous settings in the firmware menus, so it would be better to design something specifically for the hardware installed in the machine. In your screenshot, you appear to have the Sophia 2 plugin installed, and no Sophia 2 hardware in the machine. I guess you also have stereo Pokey. If you want a plugin for Stereo Pokey and ANTIX, I can make one for you. Let me know what other devices need support (VBXE, SIDE2, SIDE3, etc).

26 minutes ago, Level42 said:

About switching to XEGS (I remember being able to use it on my previous U1MB (the one I killed by accident) so I guess I did set the jumper there): is there any reason to not do this on a 600XL ?

Absolutely none that I'm aware of.

[Mazzspeed]

FJC, just a quick question if I may?

 

In relation to the PoP cart images, as you know (assuming you remember - I know you're busy) the only image that works for me is the SiC image. The SiC image works perfectly, the other two don't even try to boot - They just go to a black screen.

 

You tested my exact images and they work fine on your machine. I also know they work fine on other people's machine's, and I have no problems with any other item of software loaded via either SDX, booted directly via RespeQt, or loaded via the SIDE Loader. I can't see any issue with my own setup.

 

Therefore, I'm beginning to suspect an SD card issue, my first 2GB SanDisk card wasn't recognized by FDISK at all, but was seen by the SIDE loader - However it was a very old card. This latest Toshiba 32GB card works perfectly with the exception of Atarimax or Megacart images, for instance I can't play the latest FloB teaser as it's an AM image, so it just boots to a black screen. The other odd thing is: If I backup my data, format to FAT16 (currently FAT32), and drag all my data back onto the card, no cart images load at all including SiC images. Swap back to FAT32, SiC images work fine again. XEX's, ATR's and anything else loads fine. I'm all up to date, running the latest updates/firmware/loaders.

 

Therefore, I want to try another SD card: I want it to be fast and I want to try a card that other people have had success with. Can I ask, in your experience, what card's suit this criteria? I just can't think of anything else that could be at fault here?

 

What card do you use?

[flashjazzcat]

I tested the loader with a Sony 8GB Card bought from Sainsbury's before I started branching out and deliberately testing the broadtest possible range of cards. The Sony cards work fine but aren't so fast, having quite high sector request latency (only around 55KB/s reads in RWTEST). Now I use the 32GB SanDisk Ultra 80MB/s card which was actually supplied with the AVG Cart I was sent. This one hits 65KB/s reads in RWTEST.

 

Did you get around to testing the cards with RWCRC, BTW? Not that this need necessarily be completely conclusive, since cart images are read into SRAM using DMA at 1.7MB/s.

 

 

 

[Level42]

11 minutes ago, Mazzspeed said:

FJC, just a quick question if I may?

 

In relation to the PoP cart images, as you know (assuming you remember - I know you're busy) the only image that works for me is the SiC image. The SiC image works perfectly, the other two don't even try to boot - They just go to a black screen.

 

You tested my exact images and they work fine on your machine. I also know they work fine on other people's machine's, and I have no problems with any other item of software loaded via either SDX, booted directly via RespeQt, or loaded via the SIDE Loader. I can't see any issue with my own setup.

 

Therefore, I'm beginning to suspect an SD card issue, my first 2GB SanDisk card wasn't recognized by FDISK at all, but was seen by the SIDE loader - However it was a very old card. This latest Toshiba 32GB card works perfectly with the exception of Atarimax or Megacart images, for instance I can't play the latest FloB teaser as it's an AM image, so it just boots to a black screen. The other odd thing is: If I backup my data, format to FAT16 (currently FAT32), and drag all my data back onto the card, no cart images load at all including SiC images. Swap back to FAT32, SiC images work fine again. XEX's, ATR's and anything else loads fine. I'm all up to date, running the latest updates/firmware/loaders.

 

Therefore, I want to try another SD card: I want it to be fast and I want to try a card that other people have had success with. Can I ask, in your experience, what card's suit this criteria? I just can't think of anything else that could be at fault here?

 

What card do you use?

You are using the wrong version of Flob ! I fell for it too, I downloaded the files from the bottom of Dlob’s website but you should get the VAR version right on top of the page. It works fine with Side3 except of course saving progress. Really hope writes will soon be possible

[Mazzspeed]

12 minutes ago, Level42 said:

You are using the wrong version of Flob ! I fell for it too, I downloaded the files from the bottom of Dlob’s website but you should get the VAR version right on top of the page. It works fine with Side3 except of course saving progress. Really hope writes will soon be possible

You mean the CAR version?

 

I'm pretty sure that's the one I downloaded, from the top of the page. Like all AM images, it just boots to a black screen for me. I wasn't aware there was another version at the bottom of the page? I'll have to have more of a look.

[Mazzspeed]

20 minutes ago, flashjazzcat said:

Did you get around to testing the cards with RWCRC, BTW? Not that this need necessarily be completely conclusive, since cart images are read into SRAM using DMA at 1.7MB/s.

Actually, no I didn't. I'll try this before trying another CF card, thanks for replying FJC.

[flashjazzcat]

14 minutes ago, Level42 said:

Really hope writes will soon be possible

They will: I'm working on this as we speak, and am currently 25,000 lines of source code deep in the SIDE3 loader.

 

[Mazzspeed]

Well, RWCRC checks out fine. So bloody odd?

 

I guess I'll try another SD card.

 

[Level42]

1 hour ago, Mazzspeed said:

You mean the CAR version?

 

I'm pretty sure that's the one I downloaded, from the top of the page. Like all AM images, it just boots to a black screen for me. I wasn't aware there was another version at the bottom of the page? I'll have to have more of a look.

Ah OK than it’s something else .

[flashjazzcat]

1 hour ago, Mazzspeed said:

So bloody odd?

Well, it means that transfers at ~60KB/s work. But this doesn't necessarily imply that transfers at 1.7MB/s will work just as reliably.

 

Perhaps we need a DMA testing tool as well.

[Mazzspeed]

14 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

Well, it means that transfers at ~60KB/s work. But this doesn't necessarily imply that transfers at 1.7MB/s will work just as reliably.

 

Perhaps we need a DMA testing tool as well.

So I bought a Lexar 32GB SD card in an attempt to do further testing, no dice I'm afraid.

 

Cloned my original SD card using DD under KDE Neon:

 

 

RWTEST on the old Toshiba SD card:

 

 

RWTEST on the new Lexar SD card:

 

 

I'm at a loss, in every other way my setup is perfect. I just cannot load AM or MC cart images, all I get is a black screen.

[Jacques]

23 hours ago, Jacques said:

On used 4GB GoodRam SD card I'm mostly getting ERROR 144 when trying to mount ATRs, everything else is working completely fine.

Is the card too slow, or maybe reformatting FAT32 with specific sector size would help? (already tried 4096 and 512b).

Sorry that I'm quoting myself, but maybe someone had similiar experience with ERROR 144 in loader on certain SD, please?

 

As for speeds in RWTEST it's quite funny to see the differences, since most if not all of the SD cards we use offer speed way beyond ATARI/SIDE capabilities?

[Mazzspeed]

3 minutes ago, Jacques said:

Sorry that I'm quoting myself, but maybe someone had similiar experience with ERROR 144 in loader on certain SD, please?

 

As for speeds in RWTEST it's quite funny to see the differences, since most if not all of the SD cards we use offer speed way beyond ATARI/SIDE capabilities?

I can honestly state I've never experienced an error of any kind from within the loader under any SD card.

[Jacques]

Maybe the GoodRAM is not that good

[Mazzspeed]

1 minute ago, Jacques said:

Maybe the GoodRAM is not that good

Is that a brand of SD card? It sounds like a cross between computer hardware and a tyre!

[Jacques]

Yes, it is. Apparently they were produced in Poland, it's what I learnt only right now

Living in Poland, I thought it was chinese maker like any other

Edited July 18, 2021 by Jacques

[Level42]

For what it's worth, I'm using an old 4GB Sandisk Micro HC SD card in a Kingston Micro SD adapter and it works without any issue.

 

I'm a Mac user and I format the card using the built-in Disk manager to format it to FAT32.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Level42

[Mazzspeed]

5 minutes ago, Level42 said:

For what it's worth, I'm using an old 4GB Sandisk Micro HC SD card in a Kingston Micro SD adapter and it works without any issue.

 

As most will tell, I'm mostly a Linux user. I'm wondering if my SD card isn't unmounting correctly after transferring the CAR images, perhaps there's still data being transferred from the buffer to the CF card? It's hard to tell as my multi card USB adapter has no activity LED.

 

Tomorrow I'll dig out my Windows laptop and try transferring the images from that. It's all I can think of.

 

I swear for a brief moment I had two working images, the AM image and the SiC image, just after FJC provided the loader update resolving the CAR image problem regarding PoP.

[Level42]

14 minutes ago, Mazzspeed said:

As most will tell, I'm mostly a Linux user. I'm wondering if my SD card isn't unmounting correctly after transferring the CAR images, perhaps there's still data being transferred from the buffer to the CF card? It's hard to tell as my multi card USB adapter has no activity LED.

 

Tomorrow I'll dig out my Windows laptop and try transferring the images from that. It's all I can think of.

 

I swear for a brief moment I had two working images, the AM image and the SiC image, just after FJC provided the loader update resolving the CAR image problem regarding PoP.

I'm a Mac user and Linux and OSX aren't that much different. I simply used the OSX built-in disk manger (not sure if that's the correct name in English, I naturally use Dutch as OSX's language) to format the card to FAT32.

After that I simply dragged files onto the card. I downloaded this HUGE file of games from a Polish website, which has a nice alphabetical order. I simply made new a new folder for PoP using OSX's Finder and dragged the downloaded files into that folder. Naturally, before removing the SD card, I "eject" it using the finder's "eject" button next to the device's name and wait until it disappears from the Finder's device list. That's the proper way to remove an SD card. 
Works for me.