+Larry Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Some Omnimon 800 questions: I have a standard 4K 800 Omnimon board. How did the 8K version differ? Does anyone have docs for the 8K rom version? Was OmniDos (8K) a "switch" version so that the user could select from a 2764 (I think) either Onmimon or RomDos? I've spent a fair amount of time searching, but have not come up with any info except a couple of advertisements. I've read that from experimentation by others that RomDos will run out of a regular Omnimon board. BTW, RomDos is a 3.x version of MyDos, so it lacks some features, but also is slightly faster than 4.x. Last question: did the Omnimon XL/XE have built in a FastChip math pack? If so, is there a hacked version that has the regular math pack? (Some software will not run properly with a fast math pack.) Edit: I found what appears to be the correct docs for 8K Omnimon at Archive.org. It does indeed use a switch to select 4K banks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 80 columns maybe? With the FP, the Newell fastRom is just a 2K replacement so in theory you could have that or stock or switchable. In practice with the retail version I don't know what they offered there. The XL differs in that 8K x 2, 16K and 32K were the factory ROM options (ignoring Basic except 32K XEGS where it was part of that) - so incorporating a switchable FP would need extra hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 13 hours ago, Rybags said: The XL differs in that 8K x 2, 16K and 32K were the factory ROM options (ignoring Basic except 32K XEGS where it was part of that) - so incorporating a switchable FP would need extra hardware. I'm not following you with that part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 The Rom config of XL makes it a bit less versatile vs the 800 in that with the original machines you could just swap out the 2K FP chip where in later machines the FP was buried in the middle of the bigger Rom/s. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 Got it, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 I'd just modify the XL rom with a hex editor (or such). No plans for a "switchable" math pack. I've never seen a piggyback math chip in an 800, and for that matter, unless you've got a program that's really heavy on math, I don't think there is much to be gained. I had a FastChip in my original 800, and generally couldn't even tell it was there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregf Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 I have the 2 original David Young chips marked R and L, which is lower and upper. It indeed had a switch which you had to flip if you used a command on the other bank I couldn't find the board, and all I had was an 800, so I relocated the code from the chips to work in the cartridge space No switches necessary, it just jumps to the other bank if it doesn't find the command. It was great having Omnimon again. I bought a blank cartridge from Bruce Carso, and burned two 2532's Later, I lucked out and found an 800XL with the 3 way switch to go from stock, Omnimon OS and Omniview 80. The Omnimon cartridge works better on the 800XL. I.E. I can break into a running program Select/reset goes to OmnimonXL, and option/reset goes to OmnimonL It works on an 800 also, but not as well If anyone is interested in the files, I'll upload them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 Absolutely interested! Do you recall what the 800 board looked like, say as compared to the regular 4K board? Space is so limited on the 800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregf Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Sorry, it was a long time ago, and I just don't remember. I looked everywhere and couldn't find my board Luckily, I saved the roms Here is an 8k file you can use with Altirra. I'll split it in 2 for the separate files for burning to 2532's I made it work like a basic cartridge. When you boot up, it loads dos and stops at OMNIMONL You can hit b for boot, and it finishes loading dos to the menu OMNI8l.bin OMNI8H.bin OMNI8K.bin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 Thanks! Are the two 4K images original or modified? I'm not clear on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregf Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 These are the modified ones. The low runs at A000-$AFFF, and the high runs at $B000-$BFFF 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregf Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 14 hours ago, Larry said: Thanks! Are the two 4K images original or modified? I'm not clear on that. Here is the original 8k chip that I worked off of. OMNI8KOR.BIN 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.