Oh Happy Day - I got my 464plus back (From Bryce) today

[CraigsBar]

Hi Guys & Gals.


Today is a happy day indeed. This morning I went to my local post office to collect a parcel that the postie was unable to deliver on Thursday. As expected this was my 464plus returned from @Bryce.


The mods completed are as follows


1. the extra 64k ram to bring it up to 6128plus spec
2. Floppy interface for disc loading as well as tape
3. Both floppy connectors brought outside the case on the same ribbon cable so drive switching is possible.
4. fit an internal ABBA switch to swap drives over.


All these were completed and initial testing this morning proved satisfactory, except one minor issue whereby both of my 3.5 inch drives were either A: or B: but not one or each.


So I powered everything off any headed over to Dublin for our planned trip to Ikea, and to meet up with Bryce, since he was in Ireland today, for some pub-grub and a pint. Discussion needless to say turned around to my drive issue. As expected he know the solution, both my external drives were (and are) configured as DS1 and therefore will operate on the same lines. One of the drives is set with a Solder Bridge that is nearly impossible to get access to and is therefore almost unmodifiable, the other has Jumpers.


Perfect I thought, rejumper the drive as DS0 and retest, unfortunately when jumpered to DS0 this drive has no life at all, so I guess there is a fault on the drive somewhere. Not to be outdone I jumpered my HxC as DS0 and connected this and one of the 2 drives. Bingo! everything works. I have a working ABBA switch, 128k and 2 floppy devices. I am more than happy with this setup.


The Jumperable 3.5 inch drive is now therefore reset to DS1 and attached to my 6128 plus as drive B: this machine has my a STS Copymod so can be used to duplicate just about anything and therefore is quite useful to have 2 drives. The HxC will now stay on my 464plus with x-mem, minibooster and PlayCity.


I think my 464plus has just become the best cpc machine I could ever want. A HUGE thank you to Bryce for his time and skills, I am damn sure I could not achieve this without him. It was also a pleasure to meet up with him today and great to put a face to the name.


Overall a bloody good day.

[seanb]

Fantastic.
hope you get lots of use out of it.
I'm picking up my 464+ tomoz and my amstrad collection will be complete  (well apart from a 664 but they are too damn expensive) but it won't be half the machine yours is 

[TFM]

Oh, let me ask a question. And I hope that I don't get thrown stones at me. But.. does a 464 Plus actually work with FutureOS? I ask because I don't know if it can do RAM config. &C3.

[CraigsBar]

Yes it does. At least on mine now. But I obviously cannot check in stock config.

[CPC_Fan]

That's excellent news Craig. Bryce must be pleased for you as well.

[CraigsBar]

It is awesome. This morning I was playing r type 128, bumpy arcade fantasy, arachnophobia and sub hunter. The last one loaded from tape. Everything works perfectly.

[MacDeath]

So now it is a nice properly moded 4128PLUS+...

You may also try RickDangerous128+ and Barbarian128.




Wish the CPC464s had those empty slots to fill with Extra RAM and FDC.

[TFM]

Yes it does. At least on mine now. But I obviously cannot check in stock config.

Ah great to know. So the 464 Plus has actually the same banking than the CPC6128 / 6128 Plus. 

[Bryce]

Hi Craig,
Glad everything is working as you wanted and great that we got to squeeze in a Pint too Always good to put a face to a name.

@TFM : Yes this mod makes the 464+ into a true 6128+ as they both use the same ASIC, the functions just need to activated.

Bryce.

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTEC 8000X mit Tapatalk 2.

[gerald]

@TFM : Yes this mod makes the 464+ into a true 6128+ as they both use the same ASIC, the functions just need to activated.

I am not sure you are talking about the same thing. My understanding is that TFM wants to know if a 464 plus without modification supports C3 mode like a 6128 (CPC or plus). I've always assumed that this is the case, but I do not have any 464 plus to check.
Anyone with a 464 plus and XMEM in 6128 mode can test with futureOS or just Pacman?

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTEC 8000X mit Tapatalk 2.

Any way to patch this 

[Prodatron]

I am not sure you are talking about the same thing. My understanding is that TFM wants to know if a 464 plus without modification supports C3 mode like a 6128 (CPC or plus). I've always assumed that this is the case, but I do not have any 464 plus to check.

If I understand Bryce correctly, it should work with any 464+ (with memory extension), as on the Plus machines the ASIC is responsible for the banking, and both the 464+ and 6128+ have the same ASIC.

[gerald]

If I understand Bryce correctly, it should work with any 464+ (with memory extension), as on the Plus machines the ASIC is responsible for the banking, and both the 464+ and 6128+ have the same ASIC.

Sharing the same ASIC does not mean they behave the same way. 464, 6128 and GX4000 have different configuration links that make them behave as expected.
The 464 with pre-ASIC does not support C3 mode, in fact it behave like a regular 464 despite sharing the same chips as the 6128 pre-ASIC.

A confirmation from a genuine 464 plus is welcome.

[sigh]

Are the rom chips on the 464+ the same on the 6128+?

I know that the CPC464 has a different rom chip to the CPC 6128 (bigger memory)

[CraigsBar]

Are the rom chips on the 464+ the same on the 6128+?

I know that the CPC464 has a different rom chip to the CPC 6128 (bigger memory)

The only Rom differences between the Cpc 464 and the Cpc 6128 is the basic version 1.0in the 464 and version 1.1 in the 664 and 6128 and the obvious addition of amsdos in the disk machines, although this is a separate Rom. In the plus machines the Roms are combined into a single Rom chip in the burning rubber cart, so are identical for both machines. No rom differences exist for the extra ram at all in any machine.