New SIDE3 Loader Testing and Development Thread

[Beeblebrox]

7 minutes ago, Wilheim said:

Hi! I have a SIDE3 cartridge, but I have a lot of CAR images that doesn't work. I supposed to have the JED updated to version 1.3 and SIDE3 loader 0.69

 

Many Atarimax images goes to the memory test routine and others simply crashs.

 

I have a U1MB with FJC firmware, with the 74LS08 glue logic chip replaced with 74F08 installed.

 

What troubleshooting should I do?

1. Do you have the SIDE3 plugin flashed to the U1MB?
2. Can you confirm if you have a SIDE3 or a SIDE3.1 cart
3. Can you list the CAR's that crash as well as list a few that are working for you? 

Upload a CAR file that crashes here and others can try it.

 

 

[Wilheim]

32 minutes ago, flashjazzcat said:

If you already have JED 1.3 and Loader 0.69, we can be sure that any loader and JED bugs concerning AtariMax images are fixed. I guess post some of the problem images here so that I can check them, and if they work, then you have further stability or data transfer issues to troubleshoot.

 

Just as an example, I attach this Atarimax conversion.

 

Also, many XEXs don't load as well or they are buggy. Attached is another file just as an example.

 

They both work on my setup with the Ultimate Cart.

IK RCX - Atarimax.car Dr. Mario comprimido v2.xex

[Wilheim]

1 hour ago, Beeblebrox said:

1. Do you have the SIDE3 plugin flashed to the U1MB?
2. Can you confirm if you have a SIDE3 or a SIDE3.1 cart
3. Can you list the CAR's that crash as well as list a few that are working for you? 

Upload a CAR file that crashes here and others can try it.

 

 

1. Yes

2. It's supposed to be 3.1, how can I confirm it?

3. There are many examples, I just attached some 2 examples above.

 

Thank you!

[flashjazzcat]

7 minutes ago, Wilheim said:

It's supposed to be 3.1, how can I confirm it?

The loader's info page tells you.

[Wilheim]

Got it!

[flashjazzcat]

XEX works without problems here, but the AtariMax CAR image appears to have issues disabling the ROM at $A000-BFFF. It writes to $D5FF to turn itself off, so would require 'hard emulation' to be enabled anyway (since the control registers otherwise reside at $D5fx), but it's not entirely clear why even that isn't working.

 

EDIT: Re-checked Space Harrier here (another AtariMax 8Mbit image) and ROM disabling doesn't work via $D5FF there either (testing in the Altirra debugger, since Space Harrier itself works fine), even with 'hard emulation' enabled (although writing to - say - $D580 disables the ROM), so either I'm misremembering the intended capabilities of 'hard emulation' here, or there's a bug in the implementation.

 

Please feel free to upload any more non-working titles. It's the only way we can get stuff fixed (that's fixable, anyway).

Edited June 26, 2023 by flashjazzcat

[Wilheim]

6 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

XEX works without problems here, but the AtariMax CAR image appears to have issues disabling the ROM at $A000-BFFF. It writes to $D5FF to turn itself off, so would require 'hard emulation' to be enabled anyway (since the control registers otherwise reside at $D5fx), but it's not entirely clear why even that isn't working.

 

EDIT: Re-checked Space Harrier here (another AtariMax 8Mbit image) and ROM disabling doesn't work via $D5FF there either (testing in the Altirra debugger, since Space Harrier itself works fine), even with 'hard emulation' enabled (although writing to - say - $D580 disables the ROM), so either I'm misremembering the intended capabilities of 'hard emulation' here, or there's a bug in the implementation.

 

Please feel free to upload any more non-working titles. It's the only way we can get stuff fixed (that's fixable, anyway).

I could finally make the XEX files work! I have to disable PBI BIOS, Hard disks, and so on...

Regarding about International Karate RCX, let's hope we'll have a fix soon. In the meantime, I made a workaround on the image to make it "SIDE3 friendly". Here's the image CAR file.

 

International Karate RCX2 - SIDE3 patched.car

[flashjazzcat]

9 hours ago, Wilheim said:

I could finally make the XEX files work! I have to disable PBI BIOS, Hard disks, and so on...

You don't have to do this, and I didn't have to do this to make the other XEX you posted work. If you have to disable the PBI BIOS/HDD just to load an XEX, there is something seriously wrong.

 

Thanks for the patched IK. I haven't read about this yet, so will go away and do so.

[flashjazzcat]

IK issue was caused by a bug in 'Hard emulation' (register lock) mode, which is required for this particular title. You must disable the PBI HDD in U1MB (HSIO may be left on) first, enable 'Hard emulation', and then IK works without any patches in the fixed version of the loader:

 

s3loader.xex

 

I was trolled a bit by the fact the bug fix doesn't work in Altirra, but it does work fine on real hardware (with either v1 or v2 versions of IK from the other thread). The need for the SIDE3 register lock (which necessitates pressing of the cart reset button to get out of emulation mode and back into the loader, even if U1MB is present) would be avoided by writing to an address between $D580 and $D5EF to disable the cart ROM (rather than $D5FF as IK currently does).

[Wilheim]

3 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

You don't have to do this, and I didn't have to do this to make the other XEX you posted work. If you have to disable the PBI BIOS/HDD just to load an XEX, there is something seriously wrong.

 

Thanks for the patched IK. I haven't read about this yet, so will go away and do so.

Maybe I overreacted on the settings. I’ll take a look into it.

[_The Doctor__]

Both cases turned out to be true and a fix can be had in more than one way. We all react, and I wouldn't say it's over reacting. The cartridge will be the better for it. What's really cool is the mysteries were actually tracked down and solved!

[flashjazzcat]

4 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

We all react, and I wouldn't say it's over reacting.

I think by 'overreacted', Wilheim simply means he turned off more things than he needed to when attempting to troubleshoot the XEX.

 

[Beeblebrox]

1 hour ago, flashjazzcat said:

I think by 'overreacted', Wilheim simply means he turned off more things than he needed to when attempting to troubleshoot the XEX.

 

Yup that's how I read what Wilheim meant.

[flashjazzcat]

On 6/27/2023 at 1:05 PM, flashjazzcat said:

I was trolled a bit by the fact the bug fix doesn't work in Altirra

Correction: the bug fix does work in Altirra; thanks to Avery for testing IK with the fixed loader and demonstrating that I had a PEBCAK issue.

[Wilheim]

@flashjazzcat have you considered bringing support to avf files? Is it possible?

[flashjazzcat]

19 minutes ago, Wilheim said:

@flashjazzcat have you considered bringing support to avf files? Is it possible?

I do intend to provide video playback support. Had to take a little break from ongoing loader development owing to work and personal commitments recently, but I'll be resuming soon.

[+x=usr(1536)]

I'm just going to stop writing things until I've had a chance to wake up.  This is now my second post of the day to be self-deleted due to sleep deprivation causing DUUURRRRRR.  Ugh.

[Wilheim]

@flashjazzcat are you supporting 2M and 4M megacart images? I think it could a nice feature.

[w1k]

On 6/27/2023 at 2:05 PM, flashjazzcat said:

IK issue was caused by a bug in 'Hard emulation' (register lock) mode, which is required for this particular title. You must disable the PBI HDD in U1MB (HSIO may be left on) first, enable 'Hard emulation', and then IK works without any patches in the fixed version of the loader:

 

s3loader.xex 82.36 kB · 22 downloads

 

I was trolled a bit by the fact the bug fix doesn't work in Altirra, but it does work fine on real hardware (with either v1 or v2 versions of IK from the other thread). The need for the SIDE3 register lock (which necessitates pressing of the cart reset button to get out of emulation mode and back into the loader, even if U1MB is present) would be avoided by writing to an address between $D580 and $D5EF to disable the cart ROM (rather than $D5FF as IK currently does).

this version helps me with instability of side 3, many thanks