Incognito No BIOS? Error 138?

[trannus_aran]

Hi, I followed along with the lotharek and fjc instructions on the website and video respectively, but appear to have some sort of issue. CF card or no, the result is the same: any DOS command results in "138 Device does not respond"

 

I also notice there's no BIOS in the startup, but ofc the system recognizes the RTC and SpartaDosX instance, so I'm not sure where exactly the problem lies. Any help would be very much appreciated!

[Beeblebrox]

@trannus_aran

 

 So you have the very old original Candle firmware so you won't get the FJC bios spashscreen. Presumably you haven't flashed the Incognito with FJC's latest firmware, etc via the  Ufllash.xex utility?  Or perhaps you have and it didn't take (Unlikley, you re more likely to brick it). (If you look at the date of the SpartaDosX installtion you have it's 2012.)

 

Can you outline exactly what you have done after the hardware install side?

 

Incidentally what happens when you hold down the Atari symbol key when you swtich on the machine? It should go into the Candle BIOS. (Candle wrote the original firmware/BIOS, and in recent years FJC's firmware has been the goto.)

 

Also the reason you get a 138 error in SpartadosX is that your CF card doesn't have an APT (Atari partition table) partition configured.  Without it or with the CF removed you will get an error.

 

I can signpost you to various things and tell you what you need to do but if you could confirm all of the above that would be helpful as I need to know what you have done so far re the firmware.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[flashjazzcat]

Firmware and manual: https://atari8.co.uk/firmware/incognito/

 

General instructions on preparing the CF card: https://atari8.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/APT-Software-Manual-8th-Edition.pdf

 

[trannus_aran]

Thank you, @Beeblebrox and @flashjazzcat !

 

So that's definitely it, I'm on a very old/original bios, but I'm not sure where to go from here to format the CF card. I tried to use FDISK as listed in the manual you'd left, FJC, but presumably it's not on this version? I assume I can't just format the disk with an atari format on linux with gparted, yeah? My only other option I can see is that the original SpartaDos (not SDX) FORMAT is still there, but it won't accept any letter I've tried. Though admittedly I'm not familiar with the process on SD or SDX, relative to linux. The photos below show where I'm at now. Thank you again for your help! Presumably once this drive is formatted, I can put the uflash.xex on it to update to your newest firmware?

[Beeblebrox]

@trannus_aran

 

OK so I see where the confusion is. For now forget fdsik and partitioning an apt. At this stage we just need to get the fjc firmware flashed.

 

So here you don't need to have uflash.xex on an apt formated partition. You can simply run it from the cf fat32 partition itself. 

 

I do it a slightly different way in I use an SIO2PC and PC software called Respeqt from to mount a firmware.atr image which contains the rom files and UFLASH in it via RespeQt on my pc laptop, then you boot into SpartaDos X and initiate uflash from there. However I presume you haven't got an SIO2PC?

 

If you have let me know. I find it much easier to do it this way. 

 

Incidentally with this SIO2PC method I only flash one complete 512k rom file (incog.rom), which differs slightly from the cf method detailed below. You can also flash incog.rom but I'd stick to the method outlined below with the 3 rom files.

Personally I always prefer flashing the Incognito and also u1mb with SIO2PC rather than from cf and or Sdcards.

 

Anyways, I digress... as such onto the cf method. 

 

You'll be running uflash.xex directly from the incognito'S loader menu itself. (I've not done that in a long time). 

 

Importantly do you have a cf to Usb card reader/adpater for your pc? You'll need one in order to copy the files to the cf in the first instance. 

 

OK, I've taken and tweaked the FJC's manual instructions from the link below). Tweaked because the instructions cover flashing generally and including for where you also can already have a previous fjc firmware installed and are just updating it to the latest. I am trying to avoid confusing you as you are starting from the basis of having the old candle firmware, thus some of the references to menu settings present in fjc firmwares do not apply. 

..

(https://atari8.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Ultimate-1MB-Incognito-and-1088XEL-U1MB-Firmware-Manual.pdf) 

 

Make sure the following settings are set in candle BIOS and are saved (press 'S' in menu after selection is made to save) :

• Extended memory is 1088k
• System is stock os
• Disable ‘SIDE Hardware’
• Make sure SpartDOSx is enabled. 

 

Next download the firmware here as fjc posted the other day:

https://atari8.co.uk/firmware/incognito/

 

You want to be unzipping the rom rom folder contents to the root of your cf card. This can then be read later when you are using the uflash software. 

 

Updating with the SIDE XEX Loader (this is built into the incognito... (We'll actually it's got a Side2 loader built in technically) 

 

You can update the firmware using the SIDE loader by placing UFLASH.XEX and the ROM files on a FAT 
partition on your Compact Flash card.

Incognito
1. (this step 1 part relates to if you are flashing from an existing fjc firmware... which you aren't) Ensure that XL/XE mode is selected, SDX is enabled and RAM size is set to ‘1088K RAMBO’.
2. Place UFLASH.XEX and have the rom files on the FAT partition of your CF card, and plug the 
card into your Incognito’s card slot.
3. Turn on the Atari while holding down the ‘L’ key to run the SIDE XEX Loader.
4. (this step relates to if you have FJC's firmware also, so ignore) If already using the new SIDE loader, make sure that ‘FAT FMS’ is set to ‘Enabled’ in the Options menu.
5. In the FAT directory listing, navigate to ‘UFLASH.XEX’ and press Return to run it.
6. If your hardware is not automatically detected by UFLASH, do not proceed.
7. Assuming the hardware is detected, navigate to the ‘Main BIOS’ entry and press Return.
8. From the resulting file list where you should see the rom files you unzipped, select ‘IBIOS.ROM’ and press Return.

9. Press Return again to confirm the flash.
10. Repeat the above process for the ‘Loader’ entry (selecting ‘ILOADER.ROM’) and the ‘PBI 
BIOS’ entry (choosing ‘IPBI.ROM’), in that order.
11. Power-cycle the machine when the operation is complete.
12. If updating from the original Candle firmware, you will immediately be sent to the 
configuration menu (with the message ‘Profile 1 reset’), where you should set the system 
clock and make any other adjustments as you wish, before saving the new configuration and 
rebooting the machine by pressing ‘B’

 

Warning.. You can brick the incognito whist flashing. Never power off or reset whilst flashing the firmware. It can sometimes just fail, like with any programming of firmwares. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen. I have unbricked many incognitos/u1mb so can help in that respect if you are in the UK or you can do this yourself with a T48 programmer. Anyways, fingers crossed. 

 

If you have any reservations at any stage or are unclear, best not to flash. Come back and either myself or someone else can help. It can be confusing first time round. 

 

I can actually do a few screenshot later on with my own incognito with the cf method and post them if that helps. 

 

Gotta fly, work calls. 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[flashjazzcat]

2 hours ago, Beeblebrox said:

You can also flash incog.rom but I'd stick to the method outlined below with the 3 rom files.

The only point I would add is that since there's an eleven year old build of SDX on the stock firmware boards, and since the high-speed patched XL/XE OS is totally redundant with the new firmware, the user might want to flash the 512K file in order to update everything in one fell swoop (subject to the bricking caveats you mention, although a BIOS flash failure will brick the board just as hard as a full chip erase and flash).

 

Regarding firmware update failures: this generally indicates an issue with system bus stability or the storage device/media. I say this having updated literally hundreds of U1MB/Incognito machines with UFLASH using SIO2PC, CF card, SIDE, etc, and the one out of a hundred times something went wrong, it was because of an issue with the hardware which required attention before the system could be pronounced working anyway. YMMV, of course.

Edited April 26, 2023 by flashjazzcat

[Beeblebrox]

Thanks @flashjazzcat. Yup, I prefer using the full 512k incog.rom also over the 3 x separate rom files. 

 

*****

Edit: I've only ever flashed the incognito twice in the last few years using the cf method. Whereas many many times using SIO2PC and RespeQt PC software and the firmware.atr image, (which contains the uflash.xex and incog.rom files). 

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[trannus_aran]

Thank you both very, very much! I'm gonna try this tomorrow then. Sounds like the 512k update is fine for these purposes then? And correct, @Beeblebrox, I don't have an SIO2PC but I do have a CF USB adapter here. Just threw a new FAT32 partition on it and that latest update. I'll keep y'all posted!

[Beeblebrox]

No worries. Where are you based BTW? 

[trannus_aran]

Berkeley! Alright, got the card loaded up, will report back after flash

[trannus_aran]

No dice, fresh FAT32 partition on a SanDisk 32GB CF. Saved 1088XEL, disabled SIDE, enabled SDX, and stock OS.

 

I did note that holding L while booting didn't put me into the SIDE menu, but pressing it while in the Candle BIOS did. In any case, it didn't recognize the card, hmmm. Where should I go from here?

 

 

[Beeblebrox]

So is the cf definitely formatted with fat 32 and the files place on the root?   The cf card is definitely full engaged in the incognito card? 

[trannus_aran]

yep, formatted to FAT32, and the only files on there are incog.rom and uflash.xex, pressed the CF in past the click, pressed L for SIDE menu on the Candle BIOS page. Hmmm. I mean worst case I can make an SIO2USB out of a USB-RS232 and spare SIO cable? Feels like there's gotta be something missing here, though. Thank you again for all your help!

[Beeblebrox]

Can you take a screenshot of the candle bios settings and upload them?

 

It could be that the cf card isn't liked by the incognito. With tbh side3 cart some Sdcard for example have issues iirc. 

[flashjazzcat]

Make sure Windows didn't actually format the card ExFAT. Candle's loader also supports FAT16, incidentally, although this isn't exactly obvious from the error message provided. It's also unclear from the error message whether the problem is that data can't be read from the card or data can be read but isn't in the expected format.

 

Trying another card is a good suggestion as well.

 

[trannus_aran]

Good news! Forgot I'd actually used GNOME Disks instead of GParted, which only specifies "NTFS", "EXT4", and "FAT" options. So I reformatted with GParted for real this time, and we've got a response from the hardware!

 

However, now we've got a new problem, maybe? When I run uflash.exe from the side menu, I get this screen once it loads:

 

Following the "okay" gives the option for incognito in the popup menu. But I didn't proceed, given the warning from @Beeblebrox So where to go from here?

[Beeblebrox]

@trannus_aran

 

OK, can you take a screenshot of your Candle bios screen and upload it? 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[trannus_aran]

1 hour ago, Beeblebrox said:

@trannus_aran

 

OK, can you take a screenshot of your Candle bios screen and upload it? 

Gotcha!

[flashjazzcat]

The very earliest JED had a bug which prevented flashing when UFLASH was launched from the loader. If that's the case here, you'll need to get a Xilinx platform cable or send the board off to be updated. The other possibility is that the BIOS itself is so old it pre-dates anything recognisable by UFLASH.

 

[trannus_aran]

Sounds like, in either case, we've hit the point where some kind of hardware is needed, haha X) I still have the box and foam that the board came in, so mailing it would be pretty easy. I'd slightly prefer that to getting a platform cable (though you know I'd find some project that uses it sooner or later!)

[trannus_aran]

 

 

For reference, this is the board and CF card I'm using, in case this is any indication of age w/r/t firmware

Edited May 2, 2023 by trannus_aran
add description

[Beeblebrox]

8 minutes ago, trannus_aran said:

For reference, this is the card and CF card I'm using, in case this is any indication of age w/r/t firmware

That is exactly the same as my 2023 purchased new incognito, so I'd say that is a new one.