FIRMWARE 3.1 / Lower ROM / Megaflash

[CraigsBar]

Thank you for the wiki update. I will not forget for the next time! 
(for information, I got two lower boards that I no more use... Need an EPROM flasher to update them)

Really, How big are they, and woudl you mind selling one to me? I was hoping a small board lower rom flash card would be made to bring the Symbiface up to the same level as the x-mem, but as I have a programmer and about 200 x 27c128 and a similar number of 27c256 chips here having to programm a few is no biggy LOL.




Let me know what you want for one, and wwe may be able to do some business

[Bryce]

Thank you for the wiki update. I will not forget for the next time! 
(for information, I got two lower boards that I no more use... Need an EPROM flasher to update them)

When I designed the LowerROM, there wasn't as much activity in ROM Firmware "hacking" as there is now. I didn't envisage so many OSs, so making it writable wasn't a priority. Maybe it was the hardware that motivated the firmware hacking?

Bryce.

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTEC 8000X mit Tapatalk 2.

[00WReX]

Hi TotO, I would also be interested in one of your Lower ROM boards.

I am planning to order an X-Mass & X-Mem, so maybe it could be included in the one payment (and also the one postage cost).

Also what I have done with my lower ROM board is replace the UV EPROM with a Winbond W27C512 EEPROM.
I have a cheap UV eraser, but it is so much easier/quicker simply reprogramming when required and not having to go through
a 10 minute erase.

cheers,
Shane

[Gryzor]

Thanks for updating the wiki entry, @00WReX !


@Bryce : time for v2?

[TotO]

The x-mem do it.

[Bryce]

Thanks for updating the wiki entry, @00WReX !


@Bryce : time for v2?

As TotO says. No point really, it's already covered.

Bryce.

[TFM]

When I designed the LowerROM, there wasn't as much activity in ROM Firmware "hacking" as there is now. I didn't envisage so many OSs, so making it writable wasn't a priority. Maybe it was the hardware that motivated the firmware hacking?

Absolutely!    As soon as there is new hardware people will use it. But of course nobody writes software for non existing hardware.    The LowerROM was the needed breakthrough to show new ways. 

[darkhalf]

Bringing up an old thread here


I've recently acquired a CPC6128 again but find some information on the Wiki/Forums lost or missing. Top of this thread attaches 3.12 and 3.15 in posts following?


Dukes M4 board talks about FW316 but no references to it
https://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/m4info.txt


Forum post here has the FW316 version for people (like me) who have been trying to find it
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/applications/(m4board-xmem)-can-m4-rom-be-installed-on-the-xmem/msg198015/#msg198015

Edit: FW316UK32.ROM displays as FW3.16-EN in the top banner. Version ID at 0x25A7 needs to be updated from '16' to '32''

cheers
Matt

[TotO]

The FirmWare 3.1x was designed for the X-MEM and compatible boards.

- FW312.ROM is deprecated
- FW315.ROM is for X-MEM (optional RAM Drive if extra memory available)
- FW316.ROM if sor X-MEM + X-MASS (no RAM Drive)

About the filenames:
UK, FR, ES is the keyboard keymap.
16, 32 is the number of ROM initialised at boot.

In example, FW315UK32.ROM is Firmware 3.15 for UK QWERTY keyboards and init 32 ROM (512K) during the boot.
I have updated my Internet hosting last week and I have to upload again the files soon, but the address is: http://centpourcent.net

By the way, all the files are available at www.cpc-power.com

Thank you.

[darkhalf]

Thanks for the quick reply and explanation. I'm running what hardware I can get hold of at the moment

The FW316 software was mentioned on the M4 page, but google only came up with results on these forums
http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/m4info.txt

So it works with initialising all the 32 ROM files on my machine using the M4. I had read on another thread here, it was better to run this firmware than use the booster ROM

I managed to get this one working on the M4 board with a revaldinhos 1024MB RAM module (detected as 512MB + 64MB in FW316, but full memory detected in other memory test software)

https://github.com/revaldinho/cpc_ram_expansion/wiki/'Old-School'-CPC6128-512KB-and-1MB-RAM-Expansion-Cards

One interesting quirk I found was that Sweevos world would start in Mode 2. That game seems to reset and reinitialise the ROMs I think.

Apart from that all seems to work fine

[TotO]

In fact, using this Firmware version allow to not waste a slot with a "booster ROM".
Next the commodity to have the CRTC and Memory (up to 512K standard port) displayed in MODE 2.
On FW316 you can press the "1" KEY at boot to start in MODE 1 if required for your games.

[GUNHED]

I have updated my Internet hosting last week and I have to upload again the files soon, but the address is: http://centpourcent.net

X-MASS and X-MEM links seem to be broken.

[TotO]

Yes, I will have to upload again the files since I have changed the website hosting but you can found them at cpc-power for waiting. Thank you.