ULIfAC:Usb Mass storage,WiFi, 512KB Ram/32XROM Board/256K Ram+16X Rom Board!

[ikonsgr]

For technical help, please head over to

this thread

  ULtimate Interface for Amstrad CPC (a.k.a. ULIfAC), is an evolution of USIfAC II board, now offering  many new amazing features:

-    512Kb Ram Expansion
-    32X Rom Board
-    256Kb Ram Expansion + 16X ROM board
-    Convert instantly a CPC 464 to a CPC 6128 using a simple RSX Command!
-    Many new RSX commands, including instant loading of File manager, Diagnostic tool, Parados, text/ascii file viewer and other

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New RSX commands include:

• |FM:Loads file manager
• |FSM: Loads file size manager (same as above, but it also shows size of each file, but it's slower than File manager)
• |6128: Loads CPC 6128 Firmware ROM, Basic 1.1 ROM, AMSDOS/PARADOS Rom (depending on the emulation mode selection, using |DOS RSX command), and resets Amstrad to DUAL RAM/ROM mode. This command practically converts any CPC464 to CPC6128 with 256Kb extra RAM!
• |PARA: Loads parados rom and reset Amstrad to dual RAM/ROM mode. Use this instead of |464 if you want to have faster access of large parados dsk images.
• |MROM,"filename",X: Loads a rom from usb stick to rom slot X and activates it (e.g. after reset in 32X ROM mode or DUAL RAM/ROM mode the specific rom slot will be initialized). 'X' can be 0-31 for 32X ROM BOARD mode, or 0-15 for dual RAM/ROM mode.NOTE:Roms must be in standard 16KB (e.g. 16384 bytes) binary form, no extra headers should exist. If the rom you want to use include header (e.g. it will have 16.512 bytes size),you can use this this nice and free hex editor to remove the first 128bytes of header.
• |ROM: Loads the configuration utility for setting up rom mode, roms, enable lower rom etc.|TYPE,"file": Displays on screen ascii/text files. For larger texts, use SPACE to pause printing.
• |DIA: Loads the Amstrad CPC diagnostic utility where you can check & test  RAM/ROMS/KEYBOARD/JOY etc

Here you can find the User's Guide and any future updates.

Prices are:

• ULIfAC Board:33 Euros
• Edge connector Ribbon cable: 4 Euros
• Centronics connector Ribbon cable: 5 Euros
• Registered/tracked postage: 7 Euros

Anyone interested, please contact here

Firmware Updates:

Rev.2 (15/7/2023): Download from here- Added a Great new feature: Automatic loading of Roms upon cold booting!You can find all the details in "Automatic mounting of Roms upon cold booting" section,of the revised User Guide (v2)

[JankyComps]

My UlifAC has arrived! 

One question regarding the 5v external power supply.

Is it required for all usage, or can I use some functions without?

I recall someone discussing an external supply on the USIfAC II thread, but I can't remember what it was for?

I've had a dig around the manual, but other than the diagram, I can't see a reference to it. 

I'm guessing it's Centre +. I can look at buying/ making a splitter cable if necessary.

My 6128 is going through a keyboard retr0brite session at the moment, so I'm not in a super rush 

Cheers!

[mdal]

Just received the new board and start learning its functions!!! 

I printed the case as described in the relevant topic  USIfAC II:Convert a PC or USB stick to Amstrad HDD,access dsk's,and many more! (cpcwiki.eu) from the thingiverse repository (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4974135) board doesn't seem to exactly fit 

Do you have similar results?

[ikonsgr]

My UlifAC has arrived!
One question regarding the 5v external power supply.
Is it required for all usage, or can I use some functions without?
I recall someone discussing an external supply on the USIfAC II thread, but I can't remember what it was for?
I've had a dig around the manual, but other than the diagram, I can't see a reference to it.
I'm guessing it's Centre +. I can look at buying/ making a splitter cable if necessary.
My 6128 is going through a keyboard retr0brite session at the moment, so I'm not in a super rush 
Cheers!

Normally you don't need external power, board get supply from Amstrad's expansion port directly. But, if you have multiple boards, or use an esp8266 wifi module (which draws quite a lot current) and Amstrad's power supply (especially the old ones, inside monitors) can't supply the required power, then you have an alternative to use the external supply connector, in which case you MUST remove the cap from internal power supply jumper next to power connector.

Just received the new board and start learning its functions!!! 
I printed the case as described in the relevant topic  USIfAC II:Convert a PC or USB stick to Amstrad HDD,access dsk's,and many more! (cpcwiki.eu) from the thingiverse repository (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4974135) board doesn't seem to exactly fit 
Do you have similar results?

Well, that's because 3D case is for USIfAC II not for ULIfAC, which has quite larger board.
If anyone designed a case for ULIfAC please share it here.

[mdal]

Just received the new board and start learning its functions!!! 

I printed the case as described in the relevant topic  USIfAC II:Convert a PC or USB stick to Amstrad HDD,access dsk's,and many more! (cpcwiki.eu) from the thingiverse repository (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4974135) board doesn't seem to exactly fit 

Do you have similar results?

Sorry, my bad, I have posted to the wrong thread. My board is the USIfAC II not the ULIfAC.
I will repost on USIfAC II issues thread. 

[GUNHED]

Ah, 16x 16 KB ROM plus 16x 16 KB expansion RAM at the same time - excellent! 

[PPZ]

Just received the new board and start learning its functions!!! 

I printed the case as described in the relevant topic  USIfAC II:Convert a PC or USB stick to Amstrad HDD,access dsk's,and many more! (cpcwiki.eu) from the thingiverse repository (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4974135) board doesn't seem to exactly fit 

Do you have similar results?

I will upload to the thingiverse updated case for the USIFAC II which matches better new boards. 

[Aidan]

Recieved mine a little while ago. Looking forward to getting to grips with it 

[charger73]

received mine. i'm very happy:
my favorite rom list works:

• maxam
• protext
• hdcpm with 2 x big drives

i dont need more now 

[JankyComps]

I'm having a great time with my ULIfAC on my CPC 6128! 
Starting to record content for my TikTok channel with it 

One thing I'm struggling with is running Orion Prime via the four .dsk image positions.

I can allocate each image fine. And the SMG command confirms their locations. 

To run the first image I use FM or FSM and navigate to the .dsk. The ULIfAC enables FDC and I can run the first disc. 

The opening sequence runs perfectly. But when I'm prompted to change discs, the CPC can't seem to detect it.

As a comparison/ process of elimination, I can confirm that the same dsk images on the same USB stick run fine in my DDI5 on my 464. In fact, the game is quite forgiving if I accidentally load the wrong disk. It's happy to wait for me to move back and forth.
I presume that the this should also be the case with the ULIfAC and the way it cycles when the "image swap" button is pressed.

I'm wondering if it's something to do with the fact that the ULIfAC knows to enable FDC for the the first image because I manually select it in FM/FSM?

I'm guessing I need to do something prior to running the first dsk, so that the ULIfAC runs FDC for each image 🤔 

Or perhaps by running the first image via the FSM command I'm somehow disassociating the first image from the rest?

Does the GoTek in the DDI5 unpack the files automatically? 

I got the dsk images from CPC power. I select the images with the help of SHIFT and COPY (because my UK keyboard has no tilde key). 

[ikonsgr]

@JankyComps just use the single dsk image of orion prime  (that's the good thing about having a real low level 765 Floppy Disk Controller emulation  ) and no more need for disk swap ;-)
I've tested it with USIfAC II (and ULIfAC on Amstrad CPC 464) and works perfect, i could also save/load games without problems. In fact i played it for quite a few hours

[Audronic]

Hi John

ULIfAC Concern

I wanted to add a Protext rom to the ULIFAC
BUT it is unable to do this ?

I have tried this on 4 various CPCs (Non Plus) which have various power supplies and the edge connectors are VERRY Clean

I have used the following command (also trying various rom numbers)

|MROM,"PROTEXTH.ROM",3   ALSO TRIED 6 8 9 ETC

If I then type |P. The computer informs me "UNKNOWN COMMAND"

If I use |ROM then it indicates that EG; Rom 3 is enabled ?

If I turn the Power off and then type |ROM then Rom3 is shown as OFF

Where do I go from here ??

Thank

Keep Safe

Ray

[charger73]

have you switched on the ROM with |sw or ROM/RAM button after loading the ROM?

[Audronic]

@charger73 

Thanks for that it was not mentioned in the Guide
I will have a look Tomorrow (Thursday)

Thanks

Keep Safe

Ray

[GUNHED]

A small guide inside the manual for such a task would be great! 

[JankyComps]

@JankyComps just use the single dsk image of orion prime  (that's the good thing about having a real low level 765 Floppy Disk Controller emulation  ) and no more need for disk swap ;-)
I've tested it with USIfAC II (and ULIfAC on Amstrad CPC 464) and works perfect, i could also save/load games without problems. In fact i played it for quite a few hours 

That's brilliant! Thank you 

It would also be cool to know what I'm doing wrong with the dsk images for other multi disc games.

I was also curious to see if I could load my game save from playing on my CPC464 + DDI5. I was a good few hours into Orion Prime, but my 464 setup is in a separate location. 

[ikonsgr]

@ankyComps, you must mount the dsk image slots with the appropriate files, using rsx commands |MG, |MG2, |MG3 and |MG4. After that, you can cyclic select image (1->2->3->4->1 etc), by pressing the "dsk swap" button. You can also use |SMG command to see contents of the the 4 slots and the currently selected.

[ikonsgr]

@charger73

Thanks for that it was not mentioned in the Guide
I will have a look Tomorrow (Thursday)

 Well,i suppose i took it for granted that you must swap to rom/dual mode in order for the roms to be activated 

[Audronic]

@ikonsgr

Ok I am getting tired of trying to set this thing up ?

The |SW comes back with the machine Crashing ?
Thats wonderfull

If I Press the RAM/ROM switch Then The Machine Crashes.

Is there some way to do a master reset ?

Not Happy

Ray

[Takis Kalatzis]

received mine. i'm very happy:
my favorite rom list works:

• maxam
• protext
• hdcpm with 2 x big drives

i dont need more now 

Hi, charger73

Did you face any problems while installing HDCPM in ULIFAC? 

In my case, after creating the image file, I executed "IDIS" to be able to run CPM from Disk, loaded the HDMGR utility, but in the "Log Disk" screen, my Image is not shown at all, so I cannot proceed further.

Any feedback will be welcomed,

Takis

[charger73]

Hi Takis

I checked the site:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/HDCPM
 
Please download the ROM:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/b/b1/Hdcpm106.dsk
Copy the HDCPM.ROM to the USB stick (root) (For example with the Filemanager in WinAPE)
 
Please download the Diskimages here:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/4/4a/CPMDSK01%2602.zip
CPMDSK01.IMG
CPMDISK02.IMG
Copy them to the USB Stick  (root directory)
(you even can make a copy of the image files to 03 and 04)
On the CPC I plugged the rom in slot 9 with ¦MROM,"HDCPM.ROM",9
Activate it with ¦SW
start the CPM with ¦HDCPM

Good luck and best regards
Tobie

[ikonsgr]

@ikonsgr

Ok I am getting tired of trying to set this thing up ?

The |SW comes back with the machine Crashing ?
Thats wonderfull

If I Press the RAM/ROM switch Then The Machine Crashes.

Is there some way to do a master reset ?

Not Happy

Ray

Can you please post to this thread? It's the thread for technical support & problem report about USIfAC/ULIfAC.

[Audronic]

Hi John

I am still awaiting an answer ?

Can you put a link to the PIC Files for the ULIFAC PLEASE

Ray

[Takis Kalatzis]

Hi Takis

I checked the site:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/HDCPM
 
Please download the ROM:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/b/b1/Hdcpm106.dsk
Copy the HDCPM.ROM to the USB stick (root) (For example with the Filemanager in WinAPE)
 
Please download the Diskimages here:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/4/4a/CPMDSK01%2602.zip
CPMDSK01.IMG
CPMDISK02.IMG
Copy them to the USB Stick  (root directory)
(you even can make a copy of the image files to 03 and 04)
On the CPC I plugged the rom in slot 9 with ¦MROM,"HDCPM.ROM",9
Activate it with ¦SW
start the CPM with ¦HDCPM

Good luck and best regards
Tobie

Hi Tobie,

While booting with  ¦HDCPM, I get the message that CPMDSK01 file is fragmented. Did you face any similar message?

Best regards,

Takis

[charger73]

Hi Takis

No, i have no Messages like that.

Please try with my HD CPM Image files... copy them to the Stick and reboot.

Tobie