USIfAC II:Convert a PC or USB stick to Amstrad HDD,access dsk's,and many more!

[Fran123]

Ok,i just finish the |SIZE command and add it to a new firmware rev. 6d: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kurhjh7loyktytu/18f47q10_6d.zip?dl=0
Usage is very simple: |SIZE,"filename" will give you the size of file in Kb. It supports file sizes from 1k up to 16Mb. For smaller sizes will show:'<1K'
Memory address &A920-&A924 (most significant decimal digit first) holds the size in ascii decimal form, if anyone wants to use it in a program.

Is it possible to retrieve the size in bytes instead of kilobytes?

[ikonsgr]

Is it possible to retrieve the size in bytes instead of kilobytes?

 Done! Now size is shown directly in bytes 
Mem address @a000 holds the number of bytes in ascii decimal form (&a000 has the less significant decimal digit)

[issalig]

I am thinking about doing a memory dump and save it into .sna.

Would it be possible to do it with USIFAC2?
My idea is to wire a button to RE1 which is the only free pin and from GCB read the entire memory and registers but I need to read more about sna. (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Multiface_II#How_did_it_work.3F)

[Mark_wllms]

I think you would also need to monitor ports to track eg the CRTC state, which is what multiface is doing before activated. Not sure USIFAC capable of doing that.

I am thinking about doing a memory dump and save it into .sna.

Would it be possible to do it with USIFAC2?
My idea is to wire a button to RE1 which is the only free pin and from GCB read the entire memory and registers but I need to read more about sna. (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Multiface_II#How_did_it_work.3F)

[ikonsgr]

I am thinking about doing a memory dump and save it into .sna.
Would it be possible to do it with USIFAC2?
My idea is to wire a button to RE1 which is the only free pin and from GCB read the entire memory and registers but I need to read more about sna. (https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Multiface_II#How_did_it_work.3F)

When i first involved with snapshot file handling,i thought to use NMI to manage the writing of a snapshot. Unfortunately, taking a snapshot is not so easy task. Apart from memory dump, you need to know the exact values of all CPU registers, GA registers, 8255 I/O Registers, CRT6845 Controller registers, along with current state and selection of upper/lower rom, and RAM configuration.
In order to know all of the above information, you need to constantly watch and record "on the fly", several ports that write values to various registers,control  ROM selection,RAM configuration etc. Unfortunately, this is something that can't be handled by the rather limited abilities of Configurable Logic Cells of a PIC MCU, and probably require the use of a CPLD (or a "monster" MCU like the 32bit Cortex M4 used in M4 board).
Nevertheless, if you need to take only a memory dump at a specific time, you could do it the way you described (actually this is how i implement dsk swap button, pressing it ,pauses Amstrad momentariliy,  activates main USIFAC code, and after checking of serial port, FDC port, Rom selection  port etc, it finally checks if pin RE3 is low or high, and executes the disk image swap code    )

[d_kef]

Last week I was trying to do some tests for the new HDCPM version that will support USIfAC only to find out that my USIfAC II was having troubles working together with my ROM board. |USB was working but CAT or |CAT was resulting in CPC freezing.
I thought that there was something wrong with the ROM board and not having much time I decided to leave it for  another day.
Today I saw that there was a new firmware and I thought I'd give it a try.
To my surprise everything works perfectly with version 6d. I even managed to test (successfully) the new HDCPM drivers.

Thanks ikonsgr

d_kef

[ikonsgr]

@d_kef  You mean that soon we will be able to use CP/M plus with USIfAC II? 

[Fran123]

Last week I was trying to do some tests for the new HDCPM version that will support USIfAC only to find out that my USIfAC II was having troubles working together with my ROM board. |USB was working but CAT or |CAT was resulting in CPC freezing.
I thought that there was something wrong with the ROM board and not having much time I decided to leave it for  another day.
Today I saw that there was a new firmware and I thought I'd give it a try.
To my surprise everything works perfectly with version 6d. I even managed to test (successfully) the new HDCPM drivers.

Thanks ikonsgr

d_kef

6b firmware was very unstable, at least for me

[d_kef]

@d_kef  You mean that soon we will be able to use CP/M plus with USIfAC II? 

Sooner than you think...

d_kef

[Fran123]

@d_kef  You mean that soon we will be able to use CP/M plus with USIfAC II? 

Sooner than you think...

d_kef

It would be possible to put CPM in Usifac instead the games?

[d_kef]

It would be possible to put CPM in Usifac instead the games?

No.
You can have your games AND CP/M Plus together in the same USB pen drive and use them at will.

d_kef

[eto]

You can have your games AND CP/M Plus together in the same USB pen drive and use them at will.

There are 3 games in the USIFAC ROM. Fran123's request was to replace that with a CP/M ROM.

[d_kef]

You can have your games AND CP/M Plus together in the same USB pen drive and use them at will.

There are 3 games in the USIFAC ROM. Fran123's request was to replace that with a CP/M ROM.

That's a question for @ikonsgr then.
HDCPM don't do that.

d_kef

[Fran123]

I asked because in 

a CPM hard disk bootloader appears.

[d_kef]

I asked because in

a CPM hard disk bootloader appears.

Well HDCPM's code is just under 9K long but it's up to ikonsgr to say if it is possible to replace one or more games with it.
Normally you need a ROM board to install it.

d_kef

[zhulien]

are any more usifac 2's going to be made?

[Fran123]

anyone have update to version 6d?

I get a lot of problems, my CPC gets crazy, I wrote twice the firmware.

[Fran123]

anyone have update to version 6d?

I get a lot of problems, my CPC gets crazy, I wrote twice the firmware.

sorry, bad connection

[ikonsgr]

are any more usifac 2's going to be made?

Yes, give me a note at: ikonsgr745@hotmail.com

[ikonsgr]

Well HDCPM's code is just under 9K long but it's up to ikonsgr to say if it is possible to replace one or more games with it.
Normally you need a ROM board to install it.
d_kef

If this code is an exacutable binary from specific memory address, then i suppose i can add the code into PIC's flash memory and use it with a simple RSX command (as with the 3 build-in games). But if code requires to be in rom, i'm afraid you must use a rom board for it.

[d_kef]

If this code is an exacutable binary from specific memory address, then i suppose i can add the code into PIC's flash memory and use it with a simple RSX command (as with the 3 build-in games). But if code requires to be in rom, i'm afraid you must use a rom board for it.

ROM board it is then!

d_kef

[Fran123]

About format:

I suggest a command like |format,"<drive>","<format>"

<drive> = A|B
<format> = S|D  (system|data)

And writing |format,"A","D" you format the disc in drive A with Data format, and when it finish return to command line.
That way, it's more ccmmand line style.

Now, you write |format and the program ask you the drive and format, and when it finish ask you again and you can't stop the program.

[eto]

About format:

Oh I like that! 

Or even better: if you add the options, then it doesn't ask. And if there are no options, it asks.

Returning to BASIC should be possible. I have modified the original source to return to BASIC when pressing ESC instead of A or B.

[GUNHED]

New commands should be compatible to already existing DOS imho. Here the Dobbertin X-DDOS has the most intuitive and meaningful syntax.

[eto]

New commands should be compatible to already existing DOS imho. Here the Dobbertin X-DDOS has the most intuitive and meaningful syntax.

I would agree if that is 1) a standard on the CPC (means, all or most DOS already use the same command+parameters) and 2) if it would be documented. The Wiki page for X-DDOS has the ROMs but no documentation. Google has also lots of links to the ROM but also no link to a documentation.