Amstrad CPC WiFi

[00WReX]

Yes, I initially wondered how this would work as well.

But after testing, I have found it really useful because I am lazy.

If you type a wildcard that has many matches, it simply picks the first match.


e.g. In my /games/arcade directory there is a game called 'ARKANIUM' as well as a few versions of 'ARKANOID'.

So a |cd,"ark* will go to the ARKANIUM folder as it is the first match.

And because I am lazy, I like that I can type |cd,"brian*  instead of |cd,"Brian Bloodaxe"


And the second item you mentioned produces an 'Unknown Directory' error, as expected.

Cheers,
Shane

[00WReX]

Here is an observation (not that I see it as a problem).
The directory path only shows the short name if a wildcard is used.

example:

Using the full name, the path also shows the full name...

|cd,"Activator"

Cat

Drive A:/games/arcade/Activator


but if I use the wildcard, only the short name is displayed...

|cd,"Activ*"

Cat

Drive A:/games/arcade/ACTIVA"1

Cheers,
Shane

[Maniac]

If you type a wildcard that has many matches, it simply picks the first match.

If I remember correctly this is how the C64 works with filenames and wildcards. Certainly the case with some of the system carts I've used in the past and worked very well - just not how a PC does it!

[Munchausen]

If I remember correctly this is how the C64 works with filenames and wildcards. Certainly the case with some of the system carts I've used in the past and worked very well - just not how a PC does it!

linux/unix/bsd/mac os default shells all do it that way. Maybe it's just windows that doesn't (though I haven't tried it there)...

[gm03]

Hi, how to buy this m4 board ? thx

[Duke]

Hi, how to buy this m4 board ? thx

PM sent. For others just send me PM with your email address, lead time is some weeks as I only buy small quantities of components these days.

[Duke]

And another beta for M4 Board is ready.

V1.1.0 - Beta 7. - Download http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/M4FIRM_v110b7.zip
Many under the hood fixes to cas* functions (thanks @SOS for bug reporting!), to mention some:
- CAS_IN_CHAR behavoiur to match AMSDOS
- CAS_OUT_DIRECT now supports header manipulation on CAS_OUT_CLOSE.
- CAS_OUT_CHAR now internally buffered and behaviour very close to AMSDOS (not using workbuf, not sure if there's a point?).
- CAS_CATALOG now spits out correctly formatted data to workbuf aswell.
- CAT/DIR displays ASCII art correctly (from DSK images, ok I tested two!)
- And the ever lasting ESC dir issue, tested it properly this time (Thanks again @00WReX for feedback).

Please report if anything stops working, it is some rather crucial changes.
 I have done a lot of testing this time, but can easily have missed something.

In particular programs that load and save data, should work much better now.
Ie. I can run OCP Art Studio from a sub directory on the microSD and load/save/cat files. It's a good idea to run such things from a sub folder as the amount of entries can be too much for some programs (the max. amount the 2k buffer can hold is 146 entries, but thats a lot more than a standard disc).

[HAL 6128]

Thanks for it. But somehow the game "Defence" from Shining doesn't start anymore. It hangs during loading screen before the speech will start.

[Duke]

Thanks for it. But somehow the game "Defence" from Shining doesn't start anymore. It hangs during loading screen before the speech will start.

Thanks for the feedback.
Can you try upgrading again, I updated the download shortly after with another fix  - Defence for M4 boots here atleast.

[00WReX]

Thanks Duke...

- And the ever lasting ESC dir issue, tested it properly this time

Seems to be perfect now 

No other issues noticed so far and yes, 'Defence' is working fine for me too.

Cheers,
Shane

[HAL 6128]

Hi, Defence is starting (sometimes) but not perfect. I mean the speech intro after the loading screen is somehow interrupted (some delays), sometimes is freezes completely.
If I arrive to the main screen and I want to choose a level and start the game it freezes. Strange?!


Downgrading to version 110b5 work perfectly again. I assume it has something to do with the way how the speech data is stored or loaded, or the way you changed CAS_IN_CHAR??

[Duke]

Hi, Defence is starting (sometimes) but not perfect. I mean the speech intro after the loading screen is somehow interrupted (some delays), sometimes is freezes completely.
If I arrive to the main screen and I want to choose a level and start the game it freezes. Strange?!


Downgrading to version 110b5 work perfectly again. I assume it has something to do with the way how the speech data is stored or loaded, or the way you changed CAS_IN_CHAR??

Yes very strange indeed. I have now tested both Defence V1.0.0 and V1.0.2 several times on CPC6128+ with M4 as rom6 and rom7, it works perfectly each time, including reading my save.
What CPC + config are you using? -Then I'll try that, thanks.

[HAL 6128]

Hi Duke,
it's a regular CPC 6128 (don't know the exact version yet) connected with a MotherX4, X-MEM (ROM deactivated) and the X4 Board.
ROM configuration:
FW3.16 in slot 1
M4 in slot 6
Orgams slot 10-12
SymbOS slot 14,29,30,31
Cheers,
HAL6128

[dragon]

One thing. Is  possible made the cpc load .png images from the web?


I observed that European tv broadcasters used all the same software. Each Page of teletext in the web is simply a .npg  each Page have a www+number Page asocciated.


If cpc can load images from web, these are the best becase in origin they are 8bit type.

[Duke]

@HAL 6128 Thanks, will try to replicate that setup some time this weekend.

One thing. Is  possible made the cpc load .png images from the web?

It's possible to download them, but would need to unpack & decode and re-encode to CPC screen format. If they are too heavy I cannot have them in the limited M4 memory, unless it could be done on the fly somehow.

[dragon]

@HAL 6128 Thanks, will try to replicate that setup some time this weekend.
It's possible to download them, but would need to unpack & decode and re-encode to CPC screen format. If they are too heavy I cannot have them in the limited M4 memory, unless it could be done on the fly somehow.

mmm, the teletext images are around 8kb with big graphics  most time < that this. Not sure if its heavy for m4 or not. I can only asume the rest of the www world > that these.

[Prodatron]

Do you have an url with these PNGs?
Since I implemented the deflate algorythm in UNZIP for SymbOS SymShell one big step is already done for loading and viewing PNG images on the Amstrad.
Source codes here:
http://www.symbos.de/appinfo.htm?00008
Good thing about PNG is, that most features are "optional", not "critical", so maybe it's not too hard to develop a PNG viewer (they already did JPEG viewers for the MSX, which is probably quite harder).

[dragon]

Sure, teletext of public channel here for example.

http://www.rtve.es/television/teletexto/

Looking source code of the web de direction is:

http://www.rtve.es/tve/teletexto/100/100_0001.htm

That is in reality: witouth html code around.

http://www.rtve.es/tve/teletexto/100/100_0001.png

101 for example is : http://www.rtve.es/tve/teletexto/100/101_0001.png

or 100/b is http://www.rtve.es/tve/teletexto/100/100_0002.png

And all other pages equal very easy to index all

And another channel better languaje for you, same software

http://teletext.orf.at/

http://teletext.orf.at/100/100_0001.png


 

[Prodatron]

The size of the files is really ok (about 8KB) though you will have to convert it for the CPC on the fly (the uncompressed originals are still quite large).
The main question is, if people would like to use this or not

[dragon]

Well, cpcwiki uses png images too in the news  . Better to sell png.



http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:ImperialMahjong.png


Msx have advantage to pictures with the 256 colours. O Don,t know he can load jpegs lol.

[Prodatron]

Msx have advantage to pictures with the 256 colours. O Don,t know he can load jpegs lol.

IIRC they are even using the highcolour mode of the MSX2+/TurboR for displaying JPEGs (19268 colours!).

[WildW]

Got my M4 board this week, very nice indeed 

Sorry if this has been asked before (this is a really long thread) - does anyone have any tips for improving compatibility? I've tried various DSK files (many that I've been using with emulators for ages) and lots of them have failed to work correctly on a real CPC. Mostly I've been able to eventually find alternate versions that do work, but some games just refuse to work. I can't find a working Laser Squad at all!    Mostly games that fail to work just freeze up halfway through loading and never get further. Others finish with some fancy screen corruption.

I have a 464, which I can believe may be some of the issue. As recommended I've moved the M4 rom to sit in slot 7 instead of the default 6. Anyone have any other bright ideas?

[Duke]

Got my M4 board this week, very nice indeed 

Sorry if this has been asked before (this is a really long thread) - does anyone have any tips for improving compatibility? I've tried various DSK files (many that I've been using with emulators for ages) and lots of them have failed to work correctly on a real CPC. Mostly I've been able to eventually find alternate versions that do work, but some games just refuse to work. I can't find a working Laser Squad at all!    Mostly games that fail to work just freeze up halfway through loading and never get further. Others finish with some fancy screen corruption.

I have a 464, which I can believe may be some of the issue. As recommended I've moved the M4 rom to sit in slot 7 instead of the default 6. Anyone have any other bright ideas?

If set at rom 7 (and of course 128KB ram ideally) you are at best compatiblity, if some games don't work that should work, I am interetested to see them. Ie. your games with screen corruption, maybe a bug in my code that can be fixed.
Otherwise, you have to ensure the dsk's use regular filesystem and not raw FDC commands.

@MiguelSky has compiled a CD of cracked games, that work very well with M4. Here:
 http://www.amstrad.es/cpcgamescd/NVG_CPCLoader_Games_Collection.zip
Other good sources:
http://cpccrackers.free.fr/Downloads/
http://cngsoft.no-ip.org/cpc_lzx.htm
and of course:
http://www.cpc-power.com  (go after cracked version if possible).

As for lasersquad the only proper cracked version I found was for 128KB ram

[KaosOverride]

Is there any .DSK to real floppy writer which uses AMSDOS/CAS for reading the .DSK and raw data to the 765 controller so it can work with the CPC WiFi board??

[HAL 6128]

DskDump in the SymbOS package writes DSK to real floppys. I use it very often together with M4. But I don't know if it uses AMSDOS/CAS for reading?