X-MASS, a mass-storage expansion for all CPC.

[CraigsBar]

My definition is easy. The Z80 is the core. As long as the expansion is just enhancing the capabilities of the Z80, ie: The Z80 is still the core of the system, doing the majority of the computing, using the internal RAM and just pushing data to a chip / device that makes use of it, then it's fine. As soon as the CPC becomes just a keyboard/media extension to an external core, then it's "out of bounds" for me. There are expansions for other 8-bit systems that seriously cross this border, the 8-bit computer is literally just a keyboard for an almost stand-alone system. This isn't pushing the boundaries of the 8-bit computer, it's demoting it to an input device.

Bryce.

agreed. you have defined my thoughts exactly.

[Prodatron]

My definition is easy. The Z80 is the core. As long as the expansion is just enhancing the capabilities of the Z80, ie: The Z80 is still the core of the system, doing the majority of the computing, using the internal RAM and just pushing data to a chip / device that makes use of it, then it's fine. As soon as the CPC becomes just a keyboard/media extension to an external core, then it's "out of bounds" for me. There are expansions for other 8-bit systems that seriously cross this border, the 8-bit computer is literally just a keyboard for an almost stand-alone system. This isn't pushing the boundaries of the 8-bit computer, it's demoting it to an input device.

Bryce, I agree, this is really easy and no rocket science at all. It is probably exactly what Joseman, Munchhausen and me mentioned, too.
From a NoRecess interview in 2012: "But you shouldn't mix it up with these beasts like the CMD SuperCPU for the C64, which transmutes the C64 machine into a stupid zombie graphic/keyboard-terminal, while all the work and intelligence is now done by the expansion card."
I think, that the difference is really clear.

[ZbyniuR]

To CPC can be connected some microcontroller with a power much greater than Z80 and sound/video cards to display movies better quality, but for what?
You can put your MP3 player inside of CPC and played music through built-in speaker, what would did a good first impression. But as someone asks if any parts of CPC participates in this play, and I can say power supply, and good impression disappears.

Just like someone to show you Chameleon 64. Which is faster than rocket and can emulate ZX 128K. WOW Impressive! But that doesn't mean C64 can do that. Yuck. That's cheating, and good impression disappear.

My motivation to asking for about video on CPC is - I would like surprise fans of other platforms what Amstrad can do. Such as it was then in 80's, if only hard drives were not so expensive.

If this mean all we can do is only 8 fps, and 6 kHz sound, Ok, I can live with that. Because I don't need one more device that plays music and videos. I just would like to impress fans of other platforms.

[Joseman]

CMD SuperCPU for the C64, which transmutes the C64 machine into a stupid zombie graphic/keyboard-terminal, while all the work and intelligence is now done by the expansion card."

In this case I think that there is an inverse situation, a computer: CMD SuperCPU with an "'unexpansion card'" that is the C64 with his ugly keyboard 

[Joseman]

You can put your MP3 player inside of CPC and played music through built-in speaker, what would did a good first impression. But as someone asks if any parts of CPC participates in this play, and I can say power supply, and good impression disappears.

But you can't deny that an expansion mp3 card + symbos + symamp, where you can choose the playlist, the volume, skip one track, repeat the track, load the mp3 from hdd to the mp3 card, even make a screen saver where you can put a nice demo effect + the title of the song, the artist, etc... the CPC is clearly participating on this process, it's pretty cool and pretty impressive only this way!

take off the PC soundcard (creative, realtek...) and let the PC with their original soundcard: pc speaker, let we see what kind of sound emerge from it! 

[Bryce]

Bryce, I agree, this is really easy and no rocket science at all. It is probably exactly what Joseman, Munchhausen and me mentioned, too.
From a NoRecess interview in 2012: "But you shouldn't mix it up with these beasts like the CMD SuperCPU for the C64, which transmutes the C64 machine into a stupid zombie graphic/keyboard-terminal, while all the work and intelligence is now done by the expansion card."
I think, that the difference is really clear.

That's exactly the device I was referring to

Bryce.

[TFM]

Oh, well.... what's about the CPC-Booster then?!?

[Munchausen]

 

[TotO]

Oh, well.... what's about the CPC-Booster then?!?

It is something like boderline. 

[Bryce]

Na, the booster is ok. It's doesn't take over from the Z80, it just handles the data the Z80 sends it.

Bryce.

[TFM]

Na, the booster is ok. It's doesn't take over from the Z80, it just handles the data the Z80 sends it.

Bryce.

Nah, it can reset the CPC and with the 'right' program on the ATmel it 'could' take over the CPC.
I agree with TotO here. Well, the CPC-Booster is somehow accepted though.    I really like this device anyway, just wished that I had more time to dedicate to it. Even got a Atmel programmer, then my only PC which can connect to the programmer died. Thank's Amstrad our CPC's have a way longer half life.

Now back to the X-MASS... I can't wait to dedicate way more time to it. 

EDIT: [nb]This is one of these days I think about coding a virus for CPC ... and Anti-Virus software too.  [/nb]

[netmercer]

Hello,
I want to use a "CF-Card to 44pin IDE Adapter" together with the X-Mass. My intent is to replace the DOM with this adapter. Is there someone in the CPC community, which did this before or is able to recommend a specific adapter, which fits into the X-Mass?
I have already disconnected the DOM and I saw, that the entry pilot of the DOM was rubbed away. A marking on the PCB reads "Warning: Pins are inverted".
Now I'm confused about the position of pin 1 or pin 20 (keypin) of the IDE - connector at the X-Mass.
Can someone explain ?

Kind regards
netmercer

[TotO]

Hi!

The pins are inverted to allow this little board design possible.
That mean, the DOM is only returned. (front to back and back to front)

I have tested with 2 differents CF unsuccessfully. May be you will be more lucky that I.
By the way, I suggest that you will have to use a ribbon cable to fit and swap pins.

Let me know...

[Audronic]

The ACMEDOS Rom is it near completion. ??


Thanks     Ray

[zhulien]

I was thinking of reply #229... this is what you'd expect a PC without soundcard to sound like (if you don't want to enjoy the whole 8088 demo and skip to the music about 6:28 into it)

and some tech specks
here: [size=78%]http://trixter.oldskool.org/2015/04/07/8088-mph-we-break-all-your-emulators/[/size]


btw... got my CPC hardware yesterday including X-MASS etc... awesome... now to work out where my CPC discs are or how to transfer stuff to my 6128+ from something else.


Julian

[TotO]

The ACMEDOS Rom is it near completion. ??

The first public version of ACMEDOS should come next week. 

[CraigsBar]

The first public version of ACMEDOS should come next week. 

Yippee, I hope my X-mass is back by then

[TFM]

The first public version of ACMEDOS should come next week. 

Great news! Great work SyX! 

[Audronic]

@TotO & @ SyX


Thats good news, Looking forward to it.
Thanks for all the good work.


Ray

[protek]

Great news! Good work you guys! 

[TotO]

From SyX (cpcwiki shoutbox):

The wait is over...
No more code need to be written, only need to be tested and bugs fixed... but my free time returns to negative again
Actually is 5 KBs of code, there is a lot of space for growing up

Works all the usual commands:
LOAD, SAVE, RUN, CLOSEIN, CLOSEOUT, OPENIN, OPENOUT
|ERA/|RM (both are only for files), |MD (makedir), |RD (removedir), |REN(,new_name,old_name)
CAT, |DIR, |D, |HD |DRIVE -> Go Parados tool, |DRIVE,"A" -> A, |DRIVE,"B" -> B, |DRIVE,"D" -> HD |DRIVE,"H" ->HD |DRIVE,"HD" -> HD
|CD,"folder"

The ROM needs to be in a rom number lower than Amsdos/Parados and use the ram between $BE7F - $BEDB (maybe i can save a few bytes or take a few more) and the Amsdos buffers for headers and sector.

DSK mounting will go in the future and the snapshot loader and a few extras more
In the most lazy scenary, the disk mounter would be something so simple as unzip the dsk files in a folder, hehehe
But i need to say, that i continue super busy, i have been coding only 12 days in the last year, and maybe i dont get more z80 time until december, but i hope that we can launch the rom this weekend or next week, after make a few tests.

Another thing is in the future is a COPY RSX for copy files easy from a disk to the hd but everytihng is amsdos compatible
For the system we are the drive number 4 (|D) and this first version is not compatible with the RAM disc, because my RAM disc was a little hack and now i should make a better implementation.

The code will be published in the moment that we reach a more final version, but that it will happen in a more far future.

If there is an amsdos file copier, maybe i could fix it to use the HD. In other case, i need to make the COPY rsx.
Of course, the ROM don't use one byte of expansion RAM, because that it should work in 64 KBs machines.
I want to use the expansion RAMs in future versions, for example for loading files bigger than 64 KBs.  (the code is designed for that)

Other important thing, it's that bad cracks need to be fixed.
If the crack try to access to A drive, it's not going to work, but this is not difficult to fix. And for example, cngsoft cracks works perfectly.
Another reason for a crack not working, it's that the loader try to load a file called "file", but the filename is "file.bin" or "file.bas". In this version, i am very strict about filenames. But the |REN command can fix easily this minor problems.

There is a few amsdos calls not implemented yet, CAS_IN_CHAR and CAS_OUT_CHAR. And the low level amsdos routines for Read/Write sectors and format tracks.
Everything that works fine in a normal CPC with B drive, it will works perfectly in the HD.
The low level amsdos routines can be added easily, but i didn't wanted to open that possibility to delete the disk yet, hehehe.

Another important thing, this first version is FAT16 only... but the next version will be FAT32.
As i only has a X-MASS board, this is the only board supported, other it could work, but for being 64 KBs friendly, i hardcoded all the the disk variables in the code. For bigger drives, it will be possible to use a tool for patching the rom to use different drives.
That is the reason for not supporting partitions, because that needs more ram.

And that is all!
Only ask for a little more patience, let us to test a few days and it will be released.

[TFM]

X-DDOS 2.10 has a nice !COPY RSX command, even working with HD partitions and RAM disc C. Maybe this can be used. Sadly i don't have the source of 2.10, only of 1.something). Gotta look.

[KaosOverride]

Some kind of SyX Commander will be great as a helper resident for those 11Kb free at the rom


Great work SyX and ToTo!!!!

[CraigsBar]

Hmmmm, I am having problems with my replacement x-Mass. Did I remember a special patched release of Symbos for some Xmass Cards that did not play nice with the default one? @Prodatron please confirm I am not going mad!

[TotO]

Yes, you need the patched version now.