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Front-end for M4 board in ROM

Started by abalore, 20:08, 20 December 18

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abalore


Hi everyone,


For those of you who have a M4 board, I coded a front-end for it in ROM format. File is attached.


The RSX command to run the front-end is: |M4FE


It's done in asm with custom text printing routines, so it's very fast. Immediate to run, browse folders or run games.


It supports up to 2048 files per folder, it supports joystick (two buttons). It remembers the last visited folder when moving back to the previous folder or when resetting the CPC via "CPC RESET" button in the M4. That's useful for reviewing series of games without having to navigate to them every time. To turn your M4 equipped CPC into a game console just put the |M4FE command in the AUTOEXEC.BAS file and run your favorite games using the joystick.


The ROM has been tested on CPC464, CPC6128 and 6128+. If someone has a CPC664 or a 464+ with a M4 I'd be very grateful if he can try it to check if it works.


Comments or suggestions are also welcome.


Greetings,
Abalore



Skunkfish

This sounds great, I'll give it a whirl this weekend.
An expanding array of hardware available at www.cpcstore.co.uk (and issue 4 of CPC Fanzine!)

abalore

Quote from: Skunkfish on 12:14, 21 December 18
This sounds great, I'll give it a whirl this weekend.


Thanks, man! Here is a new version with SNA support.

abalore

Just an update to 1.3 version, changes are:


- Added Text file viewer (Automatically launched when clicking on ASCII files)
- Fixed a compatibility issue that was causing some games to not start


Greetings!

Joseman

Quote from: abalore on 04:04, 23 December 18
Just an update to 1.3 version, changes are:


- Added Text file viewer (Automatically launched when clicking on ASCII files)
- Fixed a compatibility issue that was causing some games to not start


Greetings!
Hi, great program!!
Nice to see the text viewer and the fast printing routines!
Only 2 "bugs" i saw:
-The front end refuse to enter on large directory names like "batman the movie" or "after the war", saying "unknow directory"
-When i enter my games directory that is veeeeery long, and i return to the root, the games still are listed if i scroll down the files!
Nice job keep it goin'!!




abalore

Quote from: Joseman on 10:38, 23 December 18
Hi, great program!!
Nice to see the text viewer and the fast printing routines!
Only 2 "bugs" i saw:
-The front end refuse to enter on large directory names like "batman the movie" or "after the war", saying "unknow directory"
-When i enter my games directory that is veeeeery long, and i return to the root, the games still are listed if i scroll down the files!
Nice job keep it goin'!!


Hi Joseman,


thank you for your feedback. I fixed the bug with many directory entries. Please find the new version attached.


About long directory names, I'll post a fix for that soon.


Thanks again,
Abalore

Joseman

Hi
I'm tweeting right now about this front end.  :)

abalore

Quote from: Joseman on 12:15, 23 December 18
Hi
I'm tweeting right now about this front end.  :)


Hey @Joseman, thanks so much for that. I fixed the issue with long directory names.


Please find the update attached.




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jomicamp

Hi,
in which slot of the M4 virtual ROMBOX do you recommend to load it for the best compatibility? I am using a 6128 plus. Thank you in advance and congrts for the great work!

abalore

Quote from: jomicamp on 23:43, 23 December 18
Hi,
in which slot of the M4 virtual ROMBOX do you recommend to load it for the best compatibility? I am using a 6128 plus. Thank you in advance and congrts for the great work!


Hi jomicamp,


compatibility shouldn't be affected by the slot you install the M4FE ROM in, always you use a slot that is initialised by the system (below 16 with unmodified lower ROM, up to 31 otherwise). In other words, compatibility within M4FE is the same you have for M4 in general, except maybe a couple of games that need the few bytes of the M4FE central RAM footprint. But again, that doesn't depend on the slot used, and will happen with any other installed ROM.


Talking about the M4 in general, the best compatibility is achieved in any configuration that disables the internal disc drive. The configuration I use is:


- Modified lower ROM in slot 31
- M4 ROM in slot 6
- M4FE ROM in slot 2


I'm able to run the vast majority of the games. If you don't need to use your disc drive, I recommend something like this.


Regards,
Abalore

abalore


Hi,

Here is the latest version with support for 64k entries per directory. The directory browsing mechanics has changed a bit, no more directory scroll when reaching the edges, just file up/down within the visible range and page left/right.


Abalore

abalore

And yet another version.


The added feature for this is file search. By pressing S you can search for a file or subdirectory within the current directory. You can enter a full name or a subpart, the search is case insensitive.


Abalore

francouai

A new update once per day!
I like it.
Thanks for this sw, Im going to test it.
--
francois

francouai

I just tried and I'm getting lot of "disc missing" with games or black screen.I was surprised at the beginning to see this very small windows where we can see the directories.Keep it up! very nice software !
Does it works with XMAS card too?
--
francois

abalore

Quote from: francouai on 07:39, 27 December 18
I just tried and I'm getting lot of "disc missing" with games or black screen.I was surprised at the beginning to see this very small windows where we can see the directories.Keep it up! very nice software !
Does it works with XMAS card too?


Hi francouai,


do you have the modified lower ROM installed? It usually fixes the "disc missing" problems.


I don't know what the XMAS card is, can you please send me a link?


By the way, here is a small update that improves the "Search" option


Abalore

francouai

no, I'm still using the stock ROM.let me know where to get it and which slot to install it.
--
francois

abalore


You can download the modified lower ROM from the M4 page

http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/M4_Board


I install it in the slot 31

Kris

Really nice and useful software !
Congrats ;)

abalore

Here is the today's update:


- DSK to Disc transfering feature


Currently limited to 'Data' format, assuming the destination disc has the same format.


Abalore




francouai

I just installed the Modified lower ROM for CPC6128 on slot 31 and M4FE on slot.I tried to load RAmbo3 and Renegade, I'm still getting disc missing on the "real" drive A. :doh: 
--
francois

abalore

Quote from: francouai on 14:32, 27 December 18
I just installed the Modified lower ROM for CPC6128 on slot 31 and M4FE on slot.I tried to load RAmbo3 and Renegade, I'm still getting disc missing on the "real" drive A. :doh:


I confirm both games work here. I attached a screenshot of my setup. Please take a look at the checkboxes and numbers in the upper side too. Also, please try to run the games without M4FE, just plain RUN commands from basic prompt, to check whether it's a M4FE or M4 related problem.




francouai

Nice picture!
It works now, I forgot to check:
Lower-rom Enabled
--
francois

francouai

DSK files works fine.WOW!!!   keep up your software !! :D you should work on the design now..
thanks !  :D
--
francois

villain

Thanks a lot for this really nice ROM. Search function and copy to disc are very useful.

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