MiSTer mega STe core with TOS 2.06 modem.cpx getting 2 bombs

[phoenixdownita]

Anyone has any issue with the modem.cpx module for xcontrol on Mega STe core with TOS 2.06?

 

Just having the cpx in the list causes 2 bombs on load … no chace to even see the list … if it’s disabled (cpz) it’s fine and of course normal STe core with other TOS (but even 2.06) is fine or even mega STe with TOS 1.62.

It seems related to the actual TOS 2.06 + mega STe core combo in MiSTer.

 

It is very annoying if by mistake one has the xcontrol as acc instead of prg, but also as prg is a pain … only the modem.cpx has the issue (took the whole shebang from the mega STe language disk and the other cpx work as expected).

 

Likely some imperfection on the mega STe core, I read that those cpx have an init interface api so the failure must be during that phase.

Edited April 28 by phoenixdownita

[TGB1718]

Although mine is an STE with TOS 2.06, not a Mega STE, I've had lots of issues with Xcontrol causing

crashes with various accessories to the point where I just don't use it, I have to find normal .ACC accessories and use them.

[snarkdluG]

Try COPS

[TGB1718]

16 minutes ago, snarkdluG said:

Try COPS

??? 

[snarkdluG]

COPS or ZCONTROL is a substitute for XCONTROL. I'm not saying it's the solution, but you could try it if XCONTROL is crashing. It could of course be the MODEM accessory that is causing the problem. I don't know how the serial port is done or working on MiSTer.

 

EDIT: I read that UART is supported by MiSTer so MODEM accessory shouldn't crash I guess. 

Edited April 28 by snarkdluG

[phoenixdownita]

Zcontrol crashes the same.

As noted normal ste with  TOS 1.62 or 2.06 works, also mega STe with TOS 1.62 works ... it's just mega STe + TOS 2.06 crashing on load of xcontrol/zcontrol if modem.cpx is in the cpx folder.

Edited April 28 by phoenixdownita

[snarkdluG]

Could you try with TOS v2.05 as well?

[Jfcatari]

5 hours ago, phoenixdownita said:

Zcontrol crashes the same.

As noted normal ste with  TOS 1.62 or 2.06 works, also mega STe with TOS 1.62 works ... it's just mega STe + TOS 2.06 crashing on load of xcontrol/zcontrol if modem.cpx is in the cpx folder.

I had issues with the ST core on Mister with xcontrol.  I don't remember which item caused the issue.  Set up xcontrol and slowly add in CPX's one at a time rebooting and testing.

Edited April 28 by Jfcatari

[phoenixdownita]

On 4/28/2024 at 12:40 PM, Jfcatari said:

I had issues with the ST core on Mister with xcontrol.  I don't remember which item caused the issue.  Set up xcontrol and slowly add in CPX's one at a time rebooting and testing.

Modem.cpx, I isolated it … I am hunting for serial.cpx to replace it, hopefully that works (not that I would use it for real on a MiSTer but that’s not the point).

 

[Jfcatari]

I remember there was a serial fix PRG that was loaded in the Auto folder.  I wonder if that is needed to address what you are seeing.   I will check to see what it was called.

 

 

Edited April 30 by Jfcatari

[phoenixdownita]

On 4/30/2024 at 3:37 AM, Jfcatari said:

I remember there was a serial fix PRG that was loaded in the Auto folder.  I wonder if that is needed to address what you are seeing.   I will check to see what it was called.

 

 

Managed to find serial.cpx, same problem with 2 bombs.

May just be a quirk of MSTe mode in MiSTer core under TOS 2.06 … it is what it is no biggie.

[phoenixdownita]

On 4/28/2024 at 8:27 AM, snarkdluG said:

Could you try with TOS v2.05 as well?

Done, same issue, tested also SuperTOS 2.06 all the same.

6 hours ago, phoenixdownita said:

Managed to find serial.cpx, same problem with 2 bombs.

May just be a quirk of MSTe mode in MiSTer core under TOS 2.06 … it is what it is no biggie.

Interesting in STEroid mode (which as far as perf go looks identical to me to MegaSTE and also according to GemBench) and TOS 2.06 it works.

So maybe it are the CPXs (both serial and modem) that upon MSTe detection do something different?

 

[via SysInfo I noticed that MSTe mode + TOS 1.62 is not recognized as Mega, the _MCH cookie is set to 00010000 check https://tho-otto.de/hypview/hypview.cgi?url=%2Fhyp%2Fcompend.hyp&charset=UTF-8&index=204 ... not sure if TOS1.62 is supposed to recognize MSTe at all, it's a good 2y too early for that].

[phoenixdownita]

Wonder if the issue is that the mega ste had 3 serial ports instead of 1, maybe MiSTer does not cover for those but the sw probes nonetheless and trips. Just speculation but given STeroid mode works (which seems to be always on 16mhz + turbobus and MegaSTe core is a switchable version of it afaik) that could explain the behavior.

Aside the modem.cpx and serial.cpx I didn’t notice any other issue with the mega ste core, if anything it’s a little faster than a real one due to turbobus which is not a cache and speeds up all ram.