Problems with the Side3 card in Atari 400

[magnusfalkirk]

As the titled says I'm having trouble with the SIDE3 cartridge that I recently ordered and received from Vintage Computer. The label on the reverse side of the cartridge says that it is version 3.1 of the Side3. I pictures I've included show my problem. I can get to the screen showing the folders I have, I can get to the screen showing the folders in the xex folder but the other pictures show what the screen looka like when I try to open a folder n the xex folder, try to open the rom folder and when I try to open the atr folder. Any help or clues as to what is goung wrong will be greatly appreciated.

 

I have tried 2 different SD cards and 2 different microSD cards, all with the same results. Kind of frustrating.

[Beeblebrox]

Remember you are running the SIDE3 beta firmware there which is being tested (the caveat for using it is that it potentially has errors hence why in testing phase and shouldn't really be sold with the hardware just yet).

 

Best download the current non beta version from here and run the sideloader firmwarr Flash from the root directory of the sdcard whilst in the Loader:

 

https://atari8.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/SIDE3_Loader_0.47.zip

 

See here also:https://atari8.co.uk/firmware/side3/

 

It is also worth noting that you are running a new memory module in there I believe, which gives you the extended ram (1088). May well be with the beta there is some issue running with that. 

 

Try with the known non beta firmware for the SIDE3.1 and see if you have the same issues. 

 

 

[Peri Noid]

I don't think Side3 was supposed to work on a 400. Hhow much RAM do you have? I think, @candle and @flashjazzcatcould shed some light here. 

[reifsnyderb]

He has a 1056 board and the 400 will run the Side3 with a 1056 board.  There is 48k base memory plus 1,008k Extended memory.

[flashjazzcat]

8 minutes ago, Peri Noid said:

I don't think Side3 was supposed to work on a 400. Hhow much RAM do you have? I think, @candle and @flashjazzcatcould shed some light here. 

Correct, it wasn't, and it's not because of RAM requirements, etc (the loader will run in 48K and should work with the 400/800 OS).

 

In any case, the crashes seen in the pictures appear to be bus timing related, most probably resulting in ROM banking errors (since the newest loader runs the entire filesystem driver in ROM).

Edited November 14, 2022 by flashjazzcat

[flashjazzcat]

8 minutes ago, Beeblebrox said:

Remember you are running the SIDE3 beta firmware there which is being tested (the caveat for using it is that it potentially has errors hence why in testing phase and shouldn't really be sold with the hardware just yet).

It is sold on the hardware now that licensing agreements were reached. It's such a significant step up from its predecessor that the vendor could not resist, beta or not.

Edited November 14, 2022 by flashjazzcat

[Beeblebrox]

7 minutes ago, flashjazzcat said:

It is sold on the hardware now that licensing agreements were reached. It's such a significant step up from its predecessor that the vendor could not resist, beta or not.

Ah I didn't know that. Cool. 

 

So given the OP has the memory module from reifsnyderb in place for this 400, if he installs the non beta (3.1 friendly) sideloader firmware might that be worth a shot? 

[magnusfalkirk]

Downloaded the older sideloader firmware from the link #Beeblebrox sent. how exactly do I go about flashing that to the Side3. Don't want to sound totally ignorant but being new to Atari, been using Apple ][/Macs since 1981, rather be safe than sorry.

Edited November 15, 2022 by magnusfalkirk

[magnusfalkirk]

Unzipped the older firmware and put it on an SD card, put it in the Side3 and turned on the computer. Launched the firmware xex and answered yes to flashing the firmware. It went through and at the end said the firmware had been replace, then told me to push any key to restart. Restarted and it came up with memo pad. Shut it off and tried again, several times, and it just brings up memo pad. Changed the switch and SpartaDOS X 4.49g is still there, of clourse, but it seems I somehow wiped out the sideloader, even though it claimed the older firmware was installed. Now what do I do?

[flashjazzcat]

Just run the flasher with the X command from the SDX command line over SIO.

 

Older loader may or may not work better for entirely unpredictable reasons. As mentioned: the issues seen indicate instability rather than software bugs.

[magnusfalkirk]

My SIO port isn't working. I have an S-Drive Max that I bought to use with the SIO port and after plugging it in, and using external power, I tried load an image into D1, which it showed on the S-Drive Max screen as loading, but nothing showed up on the computer. When I had the 1056lk card installed -^Crossbow^- found 3 of the pins in the SIO port bent. 

 

That was why I got the Side3 cartridge, so I could still run xex files and rom files. but at the moment can't do anything. Is there any way to flash the firmware without having to use the SIO port or am I just screwed?

[flashjazzcat]

The machine seems to be a bit cursed at the moment. I can think.of no easy way to recover the loader with only SDX and no serial IO. Perhaps it should be made clearer at the point of sale that SIDE3 is designed for XL/XE machines, and that if it does work in a 400 or 800, it's by happy accident. Not that the problems you've encountered have never been seen on an XL or XE, mind you.

[magnusfalkirk]

Great so I basically have a card that only SpartaDOS X works on with the sideloader now being screwed and no way to fix it. I guess I need to read through the pdf on SpartaDOS X version 4.49 to see if there is any way I can still use the cartridge to run the rom and xex file I want to be able to play. Unless of course I want to fork out the money for another Side3.

[+Stephen]

2 hours ago, magnusfalkirk said:

Great so I basically have a card that only SpartaDOS X works on with the sideloader now being screwed and no way to fix it. I guess I need to read through the pdf on SpartaDOS X version 4.49 to see if there is any way I can still use the cartridge to run the rom and xex file I want to be able to play. Unless of course I want to fork out the money for another Side3.

PM sent.

[flashjazzcat]

Attempting to flash anything on a system which looks like that might be classed as misadventure.

[magnusfalkirk]

Well I had the good fortune of having a member here reach out and suggest he might be able to fix the Side3 for me. Heard from him yesterday that he was able to fix it and installed the 0.47 firmware. So tomorrow he'll be sending it back. I don't expect to get it until Fri or Sat, with Thurs being Thanksgiving. I have and SD card ready to go with the Atari 400/800 software from the Nexus Community build. If it still won't work in the 400 I'll just use it in the Atari 800XL that I bought through eBay last week and will get on Tues.