Amstrad CPC WiFi

[Duke]

What is needed for proper ram expansion emulator? Connect RAMDIS? bigger ram onboard? can the test pins be used to attach something and upgrade these V1.0 boards to whatever you change in a V2.0 for ram expansion? 

RAMDIS is connected, but the way I setup the GPIO's in current M4 board layout, there is no way I can maintain everything at once at the required speed. Second problem is 464/664's where a MREQ hack is required to avoid writing through to mainram, requiring very short ns response time, which would require some xtra logic to do it. Third not enough ram in the MCU (I could maybe provide 96KB with some hacking around).
So in short its not gonna happen with current hw :/

[KaosOverride]

One alternative can be a config param to split the ram for ROM emulation, so to enable 256kb of ram, the ROM slots are reduced to 16?


Also the 6128 special banking that is made with a PAL, has to be hacked at 464/664 bus... 

[Duke]

One alternative can be a config param to split the ram for ROM emulation, so to enable 256kb of ram, the ROM slots are reduced to 16?

Unfortunately the ROM emulation (with exception of the M4 rom) is using FLASHRAM, so it cannot be used as RAM.

[KaosOverride]

Oh, game over

[XeNoMoRPH]

[MiguelSky]

@Duke, I'd like to suggest including |HELP like command if there is enough room in M4 ROM. I think it is not much code. Thanks in advance.

[GUNHED]

It got an !M4HELP 

[Duke]

@Duke, I'd like to suggest including |HELP like command if there is enough room in M4 ROM. I think it is not much code. Thanks in advance.

I suspect you mean like the maxam/utopia |help  (displays all roms), |help,romnum (displays rsx commands for given rom) ?

Sure I can add it, maybe next time around.

[MiguelSky]

Ah! I haven't realized it. It's new in last version but it seems only to work with M4 ROM. There is no description in the manual... Yes, this kind of RSX but with parameter to show other ROMs. Thanks, Duke

[Duke]

Btw. noone used the |SNA rsx yet ?

-It's quite cool, if you have a game or demo that for some reason wont run on M4, you can load it up an emulator and make a snapshot and load it on M4.
I finally got to re-see NWC's unique demo using this method, I tried to use the buildin image-writer several times on the real machine to make the floppies, but it would always complain about some read error and abort (my 3" discs suck!).
Now I could load it in WinApe and do a snapshot of the parts I wanted to see on the real machine.

[XeNoMoRPH]

Btw. noone used the |SNA rsx yet ?

-It's quite cool, if you have a game or demo that for some reason wont run on M4, you can load it up an emulator and make a snapshot and load it on M4.
I finally got to re-see NWC's unique demo using this method, I tried to use the buildin image-writer several times on the real machine to make the floppies, but it would always complain about some read error and abort (my 3" discs suck!).
Now I could load it in WinApe and do a snapshot of the parts I wanted to see on the real machine.

Unknown command .. ? 

[Duke]

Unknown command .. ? 

Download latest firmware from here: http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/M4FIRM_v202.zip
Unpack the files to root of SD card.

You cannot use |upgrade to get the real v2.0.2 if you used the betas.. The server just checks the version number, therefore when using beta's you need to manually put them on the microSD card.

[XeNoMoRPH]

Sorry . now |SNA rsx works .. but in this case SNA from R-Type Remake 128 , Doesn't work. 

EDIT : if i take SNAPSHOT in game .. i can play then with M4 Board .. but when game access disk to finish or start to load another level crash hehe

[Duke]

EDIT : if i take SNAPSHOT in game .. i can play then with M4 Board .. but when game access disk to finish or start to load another level crash hehe

Yes that's the downside, you only get a instant grab of whats going on right now, if it later does reloading from disc or tape it will fail.

[Joseman]

Btw. noone used the |SNA rsx yet ?

I'm working this days on 2 games to bring them to the M4 / Mass storages, soon more news i hope.

[opticpow]

Hi @duke


I attempted to do an |upgrade last night on my m4 (was running 1.0.1 i believe) and it appeared to work correctly. It returned that it upgraded to 2.0.2 and said that I needed to reboot the m4 which I did using the reset button on the m4 card.

After that, the m4 blue & red lights stayed lit and the CPC did not boot.
So I put the SD card in my PC and removed the romslot files & tried again. So no luck.
Next step was to manually put the firmware in the root of the card and this time I was the WIFI led on briefly (I assume loading its firmware?) but still both Red & Blue leds stay on.
Any other steps I should try to get it back up and running?




Optic.

[Duke]

Next step was to manually put the firmware in the root of the card and this time I was the WIFI led on briefly (I assume loading its firmware?) but still both Red & Blue leds stay on.
Any other steps I should try to get it back up and running?

Sounds like it should with latest upgrade. You should let it run for a while and finally only blue led should light up, then its done and ready.

If this fails, try to use this upgrade: www.spinpoint.org/cpc/m4diag2.zip    Unpack to root and powercycle the CPC.

Does it work afterwards, do an |upgrade, if it fails send or paste the report.txt file contents created in root of the microSD

[KaosOverride]

Great! SNA loader is a big new feature. I remember when starting with capriceGP2x it was the only way to load games until I finished the disk and tape loader, and the virtual keyboard.


Some SNA packs where done. Also for the SymbOS SNA loader. Time to rescue them!

[tpenalver]

Hi,



Thank you very much for your work, Duke !!!


Why can it be that some directories of the SD are displayed erroneously inside the cpc but well when I put the SD in a PC or in the mac?

[Duke]

Why can it be that some directories of the SD are displayed erroneously inside the cpc but well when I put the SD in a PC or in the mac?

Do they display wrong when using |LS command too ?  - I haven't noticed it personally, perhaps you can give me names of those directories.
Ie. put the microSD in the PC and open a dos prompt and do dir E: >cat.txt     (or whatever drive letter your PC uses).

[AxelStone]

Question: I've read that actually M4 doesn't support multiload games, this is, once a game is loaded dsk can't be accesed. Does this means that games that makes loads in 64kb systems as Robocop, Target Renegade, etc will not work on 464-664-464+?


Thanks.

[Duke]

Question: I've read that actually M4 doesn't support multiload games, this is, once a game is loaded dsk can't be accesed. Does this means that games that makes loads in 64kb systems as Robocop, Target Renegade, etc will not work on 464-664-464+?

That's incorrect, of course any multiload game that uses systemcalls will work with M4 with the proper configuration. Ie. you can play, Robocop, Gryzor, Prince of Persia, Operation Wolf and tons of other multiload games, without problems. You would have to set M4 rom 7 or use the modified lowerrom for maximum compatilibty.
My estimate is atleast 90% of all games will work, if you use a proper cracked version. Which can be easily found of most games.
If there is any particular game that has much interest and doesn't work on M4, I'd be happy to fix it.

[AxelStone]

That's incorrect, of course any multiload game that uses systemcalls will work with M4 with the proper configuration. Ie. you can play, Robocop, Gryzor, Prince of Persia, Operation Wolf and tons of other multiload games, without problems. You would have to set M4 rom 7 or use the modified lowerrom for maximum compatilibty.
My estimate is atleast 90% of all games will work, if you use a proper cracked version. Which can be easily found of most games.
If there is any particular game that has much interest and doesn't work on M4, I'd be happy to fix it.

Really a great new, thanks! M4 rom 7 means version of the rom, right? so the best way to use M4 is to get fixed version of games in order to use them in any CPC  .

[Duke]

Really a great new, thanks! M4 rom 7 means version of the rom, right? so the best way to use M4 is to get fixed version of games in order to use them in any CPC  .

I meant to get best compatiblity, is to set M4 rom at rom slot 7 (can be done from the web interface). However it cannot be done with all CPC6128's (that don't support overriding rom 7), there you would need to use the modified lowerrom I made.
When downloading games, there is  good resources where you can get a cracked version if a game was protected in some way.

http://www.cpc-power.com/   When you find a game, look for cracked version when downloading, it has it of most games.
http://cpccrackers.free.fr/Downloads/   Lots of good cracks.
http://cngsoft.no-ip.org/cpc_lzx.htm  Great cracked and compressed games
And the games cd from MiguelSky, most I tried works straight up, its generally cracked file versions of the games. Really a good starting point.
So all in all you probably have more than 1000 games working right out of the box.

[AxelStone]

Thanks @Duke, as soon as I try my M4 I'll follow your instructions. I've just returned to CPC world after 30 years "retired", so most of those things are new for me