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CPC Plus cartridge replacement : one more

Started by gerald, 16:39, 01 November 14

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Are you interested in buying a 3D-printed case for the cartridge? Hoe many units? (only vote if you want one or more!)

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178 (85.2%)
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25 (12%)
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2 (1%)
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0 (0%)
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0 (0%)
more
4 (1.9%)

Total Members Voted: 209

TFM

Quote from: CraigsBar on 17:44, 25 April 15
is it a direct replacement for amsdos? If so I can knock you one up tonight. Would you like standard fw or 3.15? If it needs amsdos as well then I am not sure how to map a cart position to romslot 6 or lower.


Yes, you can replace the Amsdos directly. Let's use standard firmware, the 3.15 replaces its help command.  :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

CraigsBar

OK, once my little fella goes to bed tonight I'll put it together for you.
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

gerald

Quote from: TFM on 17:29, 25 April 15
Well, sorry for asking again... but... could you do a Cart with X-DDOS 2.10 too? It has this nice !copy command. If not, I try to do it myself ... somehow...  :)
I think the 1st uC  update will be to add ROM image in addtion to  cpr/bin so you can compose your own system configuration :
Something like 00_system.rom, 01_basic.rom, 03_amsdos.rom in a slot, where only the prefix will be checked for rom page selection.

TFM

WoW!!! This is absolutely great new!!! It's then like a ROM box and a Multi-Cart!!!


1000 Likes for that!!!  :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

CraigsBar

Quote from: TFM on 19:25, 25 April 15
WoW!!! This is absolutely great new!!! It's then like a ROM box and a Multi-Cart!!!


1000 Likes for that!!!  :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
ditto.
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

gerald

Quote from: TFM on 19:25, 25 April 15
WoW!!! This is absolutely great new!!! It's then like a ROM box and a Multi-Cart!!!
Err, just remember that the cartridge is mapped to High pages 0x80 to 0x9F. Only system/basic/amsdos are duplicated to Lower0/High0/High7
But one could patch the FW to scan for ROM on 0x80+ pages  ;)

seanb

Quote from: CraigsBar on 09:27, 25 April 15
Hi @arnoldemu


Since your newer version supports less than 40 tracks, woudl it be possible to have one that uses Parados not standard Amsdos and therefore supports up to 80 tracks single sided DataFormat? this will give me much more space to make my planned Dizzy Compilation Cartridge. It woudl be a shame to have tosplit the Adventure games across multiple CPR's.


Craig


[size=78%] [/size]

Oh yes please
Thou shall not question Captain Wrong!

arnoldemu

Quote from: gerald on 19:30, 25 April 15
Err, just remember that the cartridge is mapped to High pages 0x80 to 0x9F. Only system/basic/amsdos are duplicated to Lower0/High0/High7
But one could patch the FW to scan for ROM on 0x80+ pages  ;)
yes, nocart is patched in this way.
It looks at pages 0x81 and 0x82.

I can patch the fw to scan more pages :)
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

TFM

Quote from: gerald on 19:30, 25 April 15
Err, just remember that the cartridge is mapped to High pages 0x80 to 0x9F. Only system/basic/amsdos are duplicated to Lower0/High0/High7
But one could patch the FW to scan for ROM on 0x80+ pages  ;)


Right, just expanding the number of scanned ROMs up to &FF, takes less than 0.1 seconds.  :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

CraigsBar

#634
OK I have been a busy bee this evening and as promised I have a couple of Carts for you.




First up the first build of the Dizzy Compilation. This one is the spin-off games, as these all fit on a standard Data Format disc. All games came from CNG's page, so are nice single file jobbies. the menu is not exactly optimised but it is functional. 3 games work fine, defaulting to Joystick controls when loaded, 2 therefore are not GX Friendly :(


[attach=2]


And Secondly as requested by @TFM , An Plus cart based on the classic OS6128 and Basic 1.1 with XDDOS.


[attach=3]


Both of these are tested on my expanded 464plus and work with no problems. If you want to see my shoddy Basic in the menu, esc twice from the menu screen will drop you to a Mode 2 screen where the menu program can be listed. If you wanna take a look and offer advise on increasing performance then by all means please do.


Hopefully you will find some use for these.


Craig


Edit: Oh Bollicks!!! I have just realised that the Cheat menu on the CNGSoft sources cannot be bypassed without a keyboard. CARP CARP CARP.


OK I'll rebuild the CPR with MF2 dumps of these games once my new MF2 arrives, that way I can set up controls to Joystick too.


Oh well for Plus owners it works as is... for GX4000 owners, as soon as I have my new MF2 I'll sort something (Although it won't be a pretty as the CNGSoft ones as it will have an Anti-Multiface screen and the ugly screen corruption thereafter.




IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

TFM

Thank, but... Well... it... Seems to contain Varados ???  :-X
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

CraigsBar

Quote from: TFM on 03:09, 26 April 15
Thank, but... Well... it... Seems to contain Varados ??? :-X
I don't think so. I just downloaded it again from the link above, and here is what I get in Arnold



NotVarados - YouTube


I guess you have VaraDOS somewhere else in slot 6 or below, or in slot y in a romboard that allows the internal one to be replaced.


Craig

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

Bryce

I think we need a Wiki page where all these conversions are listed and linked, just like the ROMBoard file list.

Bryce.

McKlain


CraigsBar

Quote from: McKlain on 12:13, 26 April 15
So true.
yikes does that mean I have to work out how wiki pages work lol.
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

andycadley

So I finally got around to dusting off my GX and actually trying this out and I must say it really is awesome, even better than I expected! :-)

And seeing my first cart code (a variant on arnoldemu's double scanline SSCR trick) running on real hardware was a genuine treat, especially because the end results don't match WinAPE at all, which just shows that you can't always rely on emulators for development purposes.

It'd definitely be a good idea to collate all these cart conversions somewhere on the wiki, if only because it'll make it easier to track which of them have issues on the GX (even some where you can play the game get stuck if you need to type in a high score entry etc) and these are a nice way of making some CPC title instantly accessible.

Course the real benefits come from bringing some "real" Plus games to cartridge...  ;D

TFM

#641
Quote from: CraigsBar on 10:08, 26 April 15
I don't think so. I just downloaded it again from the link above, and here is what I get in Arnold

I guess you have VaraDOS somewhere else in slot 6 or below, or in slot y in a romboard that allows the internal one to be replaced.

Craig


Well, I used WinApe and told it, anything off than 0 and 7. But I will check again, maybe I had VaraDOS at 7.

EDIT: Yes, everything is fine. I used an emulator to check (no Plus at hand until in two weeks). Everything is fine now.  :)


Quote from: CraigsBar on 13:25, 26 April 15yikes does that mean I have to work out how wiki pages work lol.


No, not you. We got lot's of people without any coding/gfx/sound/hardware skills. It would be a nice way for them to contribute to the community. So leave it to a nice volunteer.  :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

arnoldemu

My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

arnoldemu

Quote from: andycadley on 17:21, 26 April 15
And seeing my first cart code (a variant on arnoldemu's double scanline SSCR trick) running on real hardware was a genuine treat, especially because the end results don't match WinAPE at all, which just shows that you can't always rely on emulators for development purposes.
Did you get it to work on real hardware?
I would like to see the code.

My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

arnoldemu

Quote from: andycadley on 17:21, 26 April 15
Course the real benefits come from bringing some "real" Plus games to cartridge...  ;D
Cart conversion of your Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner that will work on GX4000?? When? :)
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

arnoldemu

Quote from: TFM on 22:00, 25 April 15

Right, just expanding the number of scanned ROMs up to &FF, takes less than 0.1 seconds.  :)
I almost have a tool ready.

So the tool does this:

1. I have hard coded some ROMs and the ROM slot I want them to use.
2. generates a cpr
3. for any "empty" slot it writes BASIC here. This means the patch to the OS is simple and short, and when a "empty" slot is found, BASIC is selected just as it would do on real hardware.

I need to:
1. put in a good patch for OS (scan 0x080->0x091 = OS with 16 roms. just as on cpc6128)
2. clean up the code and release it.

The new cart will ignore expansion roms and so you can have a cart with specific rom configurations.

Give me a few more days of debugging and clean up work.
My games. My Games
My website with coding examples: Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource

CraigsBar

Quote from: arnoldemu on 13:42, 27 April 15
I almost have a tool ready.

So the tool does this:

1. I have hard coded some ROMs and the ROM slot I want them to use.
2. generates a cpr
3. for any "empty" slot it writes BASIC here. This means the patch to the OS is simple and short, and when a "empty" slot is found, BASIC is selected just as it would do on real hardware.

I need to:
1. put in a good patch for OS (scan 0x080->0x091 = OS with 16 roms. just as on cpc6128)
2. clean up the code and release it.

The new cart will ignore expansion roms and so you can have a cart with specific rom configurations.

Give me a few more days of debugging and clean up work.
sounds awesome. And will save me lots of time with cat, copy and split lol.

Craig
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

andycadley

Quote from: arnoldemu on 13:38, 27 April 15
Did you get it to work on real hardware?
I would like to see the code.
The results weren't quite what I was expecting, though it was at least kind of there. I'll give it a check over and do a little more testing to make sure I wasn't just missing something obvious, then stick it somewhere for others to try out.

Quote from: arnoldemu on 13:39, 27 April 15
Cart conversion of your Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner that will work on GX4000?? When? :)

Pretty much has to happen, doesn't it.  :D May take a while, as I'll need to rearrange it a fair bit, but definitely on the list!

TFM

Wasn't there a Plus version of JSW?
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

mr_lou


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