AMSDAP - Amstrad MSx aDAPter - connecting any MSX I/O hardware to the CPC

[Prodatron]

Do you see you the content of the M4 SD card, if you click...
Startmenu -> Run -> Browse
?
It seems, that you didn't copy the /SYMBOS folder and the SYMBOS.INI / SYMG9K.INI file to the SD card?

[poulette73]

Well, I'm only using below files from (SymbOS-CPC-G9K) folder downloaded from http://www.symbos.de/download.htm
So, no C:/SYMBOS folder etc..

OK, good with this, so you can use RUN"SYM to start Operarting System.

But.. you need both to unzip "SymbOS-CPC-MassStorage.zip" to use and run SymbOS on RSF3/M4 storage...
Because you need C:/SYMBOS folder and contents too.. (apps, games, settings, etc).

[dodogildo]

But.. you need both to unzip "SymbOS-CPC-MassStorage.zip" to use and run SymbOS on RSF3/M4 storage...
Because you need C:/SYMBOS folder and contents too.. (apps, games, settings, etc).

I also tried this but it didn't work either unless I duplicated SYMBOS.INI and renamed it to SYMG9K.INI,
Now I'm seeing progress, thanks to @Prodatron and your help. Here:



BTW, there are some ugly lines above icon labels, I don't know why.

[Prodatron]

Ops, I just recognized, that the V9990 version is not included in the full pre-installed package of the 3.1 release.

Hope to be able to release 4.0 end of this month, that will fix this.

As you copied the SYMBOS.INI to SYMG9K.INI you will have some weird settings for the 16 colour mode of the V9990. You can fix these with the control panel, but maybe it's more easy to get an original SYMG9K.INI from someone with a full installation. I will see, if I can make another package during the next days, or maybe someone else can make a ZIP?

[poulette73]

@dodogildo : try this zip  

Extract the 3 files (SYMG9K , SYMG9K.INI , SYMG9K.BIN) in root directory.
Then start SymbOS with RUN"SYMG9K" command.

Tell us if it's good, if you see SymbOS on second monitor connected with V9990 card.

[dodogildo]

Extract the 3 files (SYMG9K , SYMG9K.INI , SYMG9K.BIN) in root directory.

Yes it worked- Thank you! 

Now I'm looking fwd for the next version of SymbOS, with all its G9K parts intact in a complete package, hihi 

[poulette73]

Glad to hear !! Congratulations 

[Prodatron]

Great news, @dodogildo !
Thanks a lot for your help, @poulette73 !

[gflorez]

At last I had some time and  the aim to open again the TRH9000.

I have modified the logic to work exactly the same than the GFX-NINE one............. with exactly the same results.....

But then I have thought: if..... if it is only a matter of voltage levels?... because every computer I use have a different PSU , and the TRH900 works on ones but not on others.

And effectively, it seems that the TRH9000 works perfectly with 5,52 volts from the PSU I have for the CPC 6128+(Regulated MeanWell), but not with the common 5,02 volts that give some other PSUs. I don't know the exact level when it starts to work, but I imagine that about >5,1 volts.

So suddenly, mystery solved. And easy to be fixed.

[dodogildo]

Hmm that's curious because I just tried with 6v on CPC 6128 but TRH9000 didn't kick in.

[gflorez]

I don't feel like reversing the modifications done to test the issue....

1- Removed HC chips for LS chips
2- Removed LS chips for HCT chips
3- Rearranged the logic to mimic Sunrise way.

And yesterday I shortened the two inductors on the power lines(digital/analogic) as a desperate try...

On the other side..... 6v is a very risky level, I think.

Maybe later I will do a test to exactly measure the threshold voltage where the cartridge starts to be detected on my PCW or on my 6128+.

[gflorez]

This time, with enough tests done, I can say that the PSU and voltage level and blah blah blah had nothing to do with the issue.

Now you can spit, ridicule and laugh at me....

This has happened to me before, I am excessively confident with the EDGE connectors, while they are almost all times the guilty ones, like the butler....

Today I have started to power the TRH9000 from 5v upwards, but arriving to 5,52v and beyond  it still was refusing to react and prove that my latest theory was right....

Inexplicable... Then I have disconnected an re-connected every plug in the adapter and it has started to gloriously work...

Guess what? Then I slowly have returned to 5v and it has endured steadily.

So I have wasted more than a month thinking on why the HCT chips didn't work.

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

[gflorez]

Just in case any of you or your handyman friend dare to make the modifications, I will put here some recommendations.

Localise the 74HC138 and 74HC32 on the PCB. My TRH9000 version is v1.7, the one with SVideo and composite connectors at the side of the Dsub 15 pin connector. The chips are at the rear side, very near to the EDGE connector. I have seen pictures of other versions, and on all of them the chips are at the back side, but on different places.

Better destroy the two chips than damage the valuable PCB. Cut carefully all the legs while securely fasten the chip with a finger. The legs can then be easily removed one by one once the encapsulation is out of the PCB.

Once the two footprints are clean of surplus tin, put the new HCT chips on place(pay attention to the position of the dot or the stripe on the chips and their footprints) and try to solder two diagonal legs before continue. If you are not satisfied with the position you always can melt the tin on one leg and turn slightly the chip. The best results are using a fine point iron and 0,5mm tin.

Then continue soldering each individual leg with care to not touch the adjacent ones or add excessive tin. It is matter of rhythm and short touches, because you don't want to add excessive heat to the leg and damage the track or the chip itself...

In the case that two legs get joined by the tin, not all is lost. There are specialised tin suckers or cooper soldering mesh to remove the tin. But again remember, don't add excessive heat to the legs.

Maybe you also want to make the modification in the logic. At this moment I can't say if it was necessary or not... but is while you install the 74HCT32 chip when it is very easy to be done.

Just to re-assure, I don't know if all the TRH9000 versions use the chip 74HCT32 exactly the same, but we can check that. Look again at the TRH9000 schematics:



Put your tester in continuity mode and check in the 74HC32 footprint if pins 1-13 and 2-12 give continuity. Use this real pin-out instead:


If there is a match, before soldering the 74HTC32 chip, slightly bend up pins 12 and 13 together and leave them unsoldered. Solder all the rest of the legs like is explained above. Then prepare a short wire, and solder it from pin 3 to lifted pins 12 and 13 joined. 

Pins 12 and 13 must not touch their footprints on the PCB.