Amstrad CPC WiFi

[ayasystems]

I have problems with the last beta firmware....


When I change ROM number (m4rm) and push the button Set the checkbox labeled as "m4en" is saved as blank always.


As you can see in the sorce code the submit buttons are out of FORM TAG.


Regards!

[pelrun]

Urgh, still having issues with my M4.


Any attempt to use a lower rom fails catastrophically - it basically never boots completely, and there's all sorts of graphical corruption and half-successful attempts at displaying the boot screen or just blank blue, and invariably constant reboots. If I connect the M4 directly to the CPC I find I can get it to fairly reliably boot if I've got a finger on the PB1/RD pin (yay body capacitance). Removing the finger sends it back into reboot hell again. I've reworked the connector without any noticable change to the behaviour. Turning the lower rom off lets it boot, but it's probably just because the M4 isn't using the bus as much.


The X-MEM gives me a stable system if I use it to do the lower rom replacement, even if it's right at the back of the MotherX4.

[Duke]

@ayasystems
Thanks for the feedback, will look into when I have time to do the next update

@pelrun
What CPC & which firmware are you using for M4?

Maybe your M4 board is faulty. You are welcome to send it back so I can check it up or send you a replacement.

[arnoldemu]

@Duke: could it be the Z80?
@pelrun: Which Z80 do you have?

[pelrun]

I'm running a 6128 with v2.0.3, although I had 2.0.4 beta on it before I tried a few older firmwares with the same result and just |upgraded back to the latest release.


The Z80's an ST Z8400AB1, datecode 8904.


(I've had it since '86, but it got repaired once when I blew the 8255 and AY with a static discharge through the joystick port. I guess they just swapped the whole board out. Also explains why it was booting up as "Amstrad" when I *know* it originally was "Awa".)

[gaos74]

Hi guys

Totally noob here having purchased a  CPC 6128 off ebay.

I already ordered a M4 board from Duke because this project is so innovative!

I am reading this thread and I am now at page 30 (151 to go).

Some questions:

- What are the limitations in the terms of images compatibility compared with a Gotek/Hxc setup?
- Will I be able to save games as I would when using a 3" disk?
- Do I understand correct that it will not work without Internet connection? I will not be able to play games when I am out of wifi range?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Duke]

- What are the limitations in the terms of images compatibility compared with a Gotek/Hxc setup?

Games that use direct disc I/O (ie. copyprotected games) will not work. You will need to find cracked versions of those.

- Will I be able to save games as I would when using a 3" disk?

You can save directly to the microSD as if it was a disk. You cannot save into a .DSK image yet.

- Do I understand correct that it will not work without Internet connection? I will not be able to play games when I am out of wifi range?

No, you don't need to use the WiFi connection. It is not needed if you only want to use the microSD or rom board.

[ayasystems]

What is the last firmware released?


As i can see at http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/m4info.txt the last release is [size=78%]M4FIRM_v204b6.zip   [/size]


But there are a [/size]http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/M4FIRM_v204b7.zip[size=78%] b7 file!!




Where I can find an updated change log and know what is the last release?




Regards!!

[Duke]

http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/M4FIRM_v204b7.zip is latest (v2.0.4 beta 7)

Sorry forgot to update m4info.txt

Only 1 fix (the other for craig didn't work).
You can download files again via the webinterface by clicking on them.

Work is keeping me too busy atm. to dig deeper into some of the issues that needs to be taken care of by the next update.
So it will probably be a while...

What is the last firmware released?


As i can see at http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/m4info.txt the last release is [size=78%]M4FIRM_v204b6.zip   [/size]


But there are a http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/M4FIRM_v204b7.zip[size=78%] b7 file!!




Where I can find an updated change log and know what is the last release?




Regards!!
[/size]

[ayasystems]

Í will update the wiki




Regards

[dragon]

I have a problem with my m4 i can't connect it to the router or the mobile access point, always return me no ap found no  matter what name i put. And sometime the plus not boot with it fitted.

i view the blue light of wifi go one little when cpc power up, but then it go off.

[Duke]

I have a problem with my m4 i can't connect it to the router or the mobile access point, always return me no ap found no  matter what name i put. And sometime the plus not boot with it fitted.

i view the blue light of wifi go one little when cpc power up, but then it go off.

And obviously you are 100% sure your network settings are correct (ssid, password, ip)?
If so try to update with v2.3 firmware on the microSD, see if it reflashes the ESP without problems.

[dragon]

I have try creating a local nework with my mobile (to no affect the the other devices in my router) to make test.

I put ssid=H
pasword=amstradcpc

And it return me first conecting and latter  ap not found.

ssid=H
pw=amstradcpc
name=AMSTRAD
dhcp=1
ip=192.168.113.106
nm=192.168.113.23
gw=255.255.255.0
dns1=8.8.8.8
dns2=8.8.8.4
tz=2
ntp=ntp.inet.tele.dk

I have update manually the version 2.03 it update, but same result
I have put a parados cartridge without c4cpc and same.
sd works fine.

I format the card and nothing.

[Duke]

You have netmask and gateway swapped. Not that it matters since you are using DHCP.
I haven't tried using a mobile as access point. Is it the same when you try to connect to your Router?

[dragon]

I have donwoload the test firmware,someone suggest it me in telegram. they have solve it after swap gateway.

Finally i can download games from internet.

[merlinkv]

It's possible to use the M4 & X-MEM boards together?

I've tried several times in the past without positive results ... The 6128 starts and works but crashes randomly ....

I'm asking because is very interesting to use the 576K RAM drive ... 

[pelrun]

Have you disabled the ROM on the X-MEM, by moving the "READ ROM" jumper to "NO"? It's necessary, as you can't have both cards trying to supply the same rom numbers (although alternatively you can tell the M4 to start it's roms at 32). You'll also need to set the boot rom switch to CPC.

[DerSchatten]

please, I need any information to the Hardware of the M4 Board for my Webside:

.) how high is the clock frequency of the MCU with which she runs
.) How many RAM have the Board
.) how large is the ROM area

thanks!

[Duke]

.) how high is the clock frequency of the MCU with which she runs
.) How many RAM have the Board
.) how large is the ROM area

168 MHz
192KB RAM
1 MB FLASH

[Fabrizio Radica]

168 MHz
192KB RAM
1 MB FLASH

Uhm... i've a question:
It's possible to expand CPC ram with M4 in the future?

ciao!

[GUNHED]

Yes, with the M7 board, so its thread (somewhere). 

[Joseman]

Hi @Duke

I'm playing with the M4 and the command C_READDIR (asm), i can for now read the entire dir and display its entries, but there is 3 bytes at the start of the dir entry that i don't know what they mean... At the moment I differentiate the folder entries by the ">" char, but what are the rest of the bytes for?

another thing, the format of the dir entry is a little weird, how can i format this entry:

"file               . bin            1k"

to only "file.bin"

Is there any rule to make it easy?

thankyou!!

[Duke]

I'm playing with the M4 and the command C_READDIR (asm), i can for now read the entire dir and display its entries, but there is 3 bytes at the start of the dir entry that i don't know what they mean... At the moment I differentiate the folder entries by the ">" char, but what are the rest of the bytes for?

They echo the command you send + the response size. You can just skip them or use them to validate the reply is proper.

another thing, the format of the dir entry is a little weird, how can i format this entry:

"file               . bin            1k"

to only "file.bin"

Is there any rule to make it easy?

If you send C_READDIR command with an argument, this argument is the max filename length to be returned.
Ie. to display long filenames in mode 2 with |ls,  I use 80 - 4 (for the size). Then filename as displayed in that width.

Also using this option you can avoid the "space" padding
Just set max filename length to 12 if you don't need long filenames, with that option it should not use space padding.

Without an argument it uses 8.3 filenames, formatted similar to AMSDOS.

[Joseman]

BTW how are you programming the M4?

it's a pain to make things blind on winape and then copy to cpc, and see it not working... then again to winape... 

[Duke]

BTW how are you programming the M4?

it's a pain to make things blind on winape and then copy to cpc, and see it not working... then again to winape... 

I use cpcxfer (https://github.com/M4Duke/cpcxfer), takes like <2 secs to transfer and execute on the CPC from the PC
Of course I don't use WinApe for the assembly but sdasz80, so I compile via command line and can just send the binary straight to the CPC and execute it.

It would be nice if one could send it directly from WinApe/Arnold etc. after assembling to test on the real CPC.