FIRMWARE 3.1 / Lower ROM / Megaflash

[TFM]

With the 32 rom booster in slot 15 all is well however this is a rather 'untidy' solution   

Why do you call it an untidy solution? Do you have any reason? I think this software is well done.

[CraigsBar]

Why do you call it an untidy solution? Do you have any reason? I think this software is well done.

Only untidy because, If I understand correctly, the Lower rom should do it without the need of the booster rom. No biggy I mean 30 rom slots is plenty for anyone isn't it? it's just that using the booster should not be necessary, right, thus releasing slot 15.


The booster rom is excellent and has been in use in my symbiface since the day it arrived, but if the firmware initialises 32 roms by default it should not be neede any more.


Regards


Craig

[TFM]

In a SF2, MegaFlash, any EPROM card you can NOT change the firmware. So you DO need the Booster ROM. And you can fill up the Booster ROM with another 15 KB of software using Softbrenner. So nothing is wasted.


Well, at least it seems you don't intend to smite the Inicron software, maybe I got you wrong there.

[CraigsBar]

In a SF2, MegaFlash, any EPROM card you can NOT change the firmware.

Indeed, But in the 6128+ cartridge I created WITH firmware 3.1, basic and Parados 1.1 as detailled above you can


So my 6128+ now boots with firmware 3.1, and a Symbiface attached, should this not work with all 32 roms without the booster


Regards


Craig

[TFM]

Well, obviously it's not the Booster which can be called 'untidy'. Sorry couldn't resist   Can you make a Cartridge with AMSDOS (0.50 from CPC6128) to check it with that?


Can you check a regular cart on you Plus? I don't see a reason why it shouldn't work honestly.

[SyX]

One question tho. Is anything special needed for the 32 rom initialisation to work, or have I missed something? I have various foreground roms in slots above 15 (DosCopy & Crime, Stylerom etc) on my Symbiface 2 and they appear not to be initialised automatically at boot.

No, you haven't to do anything special, KL_ROM_WALK is fixed to start the initialization in the rom 31 (the address $0327 in the firmware rom has the starting rom number, 31).

[Bryce]

Did you still have booster ROM installed? That might confuse things?

Bryce.

[CraigsBar]

Did you still have booster ROM installed? That might confuse things?

Bryce.

No I removed it. I have now burned a 2nd cart using CPC 6128 Basic 1.1 and AmsDos 0.5


Again roms above 15 are not initialised in the Symbiface2


If I drop in the booster in 15 it works just fine.


Regards


Craig

[TFM]

A double installation of a ROM only uses up additional RAM. You can simulate this by putting the same ROM a couple of times into a ROM-Box.

The problem here is that the initialisation is missing!

[CraigsBar]

A double installation of a ROM only uses up additional RAM. You can simulate this by putting the same ROM a couple of times into a ROM-Box.

The problem here is that the initialisation is missing!

Pardon?


I think I miss something

[TFM]

Me pardon too, missed some posts at time of my post.

[SyX]

Well, it looks that i forget to fix the last check in the rom and only the first 16 roms were initialized.

Thanks to CraigsBar for discovering this bug and for testing the fix in the real machine. I have attached the fixed versions to this message.

PD: These roms reset continuously a few emulators, but work in the real machine.

[CraigsBar]

Attached are the following ZIP files


Patched_Plus_EN_FW31.zip - The Menu patched Plus cart with FW3.1 inserted (English qwerty)
Patched_Plus_FR_FW31.zip - The Menu patched Plus cart with FW3.1 inserted (French azerty)
Classic_FR_Parados_FW31.zip - Classic CPC 6128 Cart (v3) with FW 3.1 & ParaDOS 1.1 inserted (French azerty)
Classic_EN_FW31.zip - Classic CPC 6128 Cart (v3) with FW 3.1 inserted (English qwerty)
Plus_EN_parados_FW31.zip - Plus cart with ParaDOS 1.1 and FW3.1 inserted (English qwerty)


All Archives contain a BIN eprom image for burning and use in a real cartridge, and a CPR for use in Emulation. I have tested all 5 in Mac Arnold and they work just fine.


The first two (Based on the Menu patched Plus cart) have still retained burning Rubber, |game or |jeux work to launch it.


regards


Craig

[CraigsBar]

Well, it looks that i forget to fix the last check in the rom and only the first 16 roms were initialized.

Thanks to CraigsBar for discovering this bug and for testing the fix in the real machine. I have attached the fixed versions to this message.

PD: These roms reset continuously a few emulators, but work in the real machine.

I have so far been unable to get the Spanish rom image to insert correctly into either a Classic or Plus Cart image. I will revisit that if requested, However as I have no need for it for now the attached English and French images should give a good selection of choices.


Regards
Craig

[Kris]

Very great job ! Thanks for these new .CPR files.

[TotO]

Well, it looks that i forget to fix the last check in the rom and only the first 16 roms were initialized.
Thanks to CraigsBar for discovering this bug and for testing the fix in the real machine. I have attached the fixed versions to this message.

Thank you!
The first page was updated with the new files.
16 ROM inits = Standard ROM boards and lazy emulators.
32 ROM inits = Extended ROM boards like the Megaflash.

[CraigsBar]

One last CPR file attached.


Spanish time


Classic_ES_FW31_Parados


Classic Spanish Basic, Firmware 3.1 Spanish, Parados 1.1


Regards


Craig

[Kris]

Hello,

I just burn a real eprom with the parados FR version and it works pefectly, except the ù which become | and it is not useful for french guys with AZERTY layout

For the rest, it is a very good tool into a cartridge:)

[TotO]

it works pefectly, except the ù which become | and it is not useful for french guys with AZERTY layout

Hello,

I suggest you to check again...
The FR layout is fixed to match with the AZERTY keyboard.
The original mapping is wrong and the FW 3.1 fix it.

So,
- The | key print the | char and no more the ù char.
- The ù key print the ù char.
- The ç key print the ç char and no more the \ char.
- The \ key print the \ char.
- The à key print the à char and no more the @ char.
- The @ key print the @ char.
...

[Kris]

Right ! I use an old version to burn the eprom; now all is working fine !
THanks for your post

[TFM]

One last CPR file attached.
...
Classic_ES_FW31_Parados

Hi! Ok, now you will say "Do it Yourself" and you will be right.... I'm just not aquainted to CPR format. However for a real CPC (WinApe wont work with it) it may be good to have a cartridge file with X-DDOS instead of Amsdos. Just my thoughts. Or VaraDOS (that Parados with the patch for Vortex Format).

[CraigsBar]

Hi! Ok, now you will say "Do it Yourself" and you will be right.... I'm just not aquainted to CPR format. However for a real CPC (WinApe wont work with it) it may be good to have a cartridge file with X-DDOS instead of Amsdos. Just my thoughts. Or VaraDOS (that Parados with the patch for Vortex Format).

Sure no worries, Just let me know what languages you would like

Regards

Craig

[TFM]

English

[Kris]

+ Fr please

[CraigsBar]

Ask and you will be rewarded.


Unfortunately I could not get X-DDOS to work once the carts were tested. So the attached have been built with VaraDOS (Taken from the Executioner posting in the ParaDOS and Vortex thread)


Both the CPR and raw BIN files are attached below.