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

[Audronic]

Thanks i will be looking forward to the Release.


Ray

Livre estouuuuu, livre estouuuuuuuuu... ehem  , sorry by the long long long delay, i am finishing the semester AT LAST (the conference/workshop about  data mining,  my python workshop and sharing/helping in the success of a friend project), i need to install my CPCs for fixing the last bug, TotO found a funny bug in the makedir function and it should be released. As always, only a few days more...

[SyX]

Does this mean we cannot have ramdrive and xmass?

In the actual beta both softwares patch the system in the same places, because that, one needs to change for compatibility with the other one. And in this moment I am more happy with the fat than the ram disc.

But as always depends in the feedback, I have not received any message asking about the ram disc and since I am using the xmass, I am not using the ram disc.

But after xmass, I am going to be far away of making tools, my day work is going the big data/data mining world and I want to make fun things in the very small moments of free time that I got (remember I only have worked in z80 less than a week in the last two years, and that time was focused in xmass).

It is time of finishing all the game projects!!!

[CraigsBar]

In the actual beta both softwares patch the system in the same places, because that, one needs to change for compatibility with the other one. And in this moment I am more happy with the fat than the ram disc.

But as always depends in the feedback, I have not received any message asking about the ram disc and since I am using the xmass, I am not using the ram disc.

But after xmass, I am going to be far away of making tools, my day work is going the big data/data mining world and I want to make fun things in the very small moments of free time that I got (remember I only have worked in z80 less than a week in the last two years, and that time was focused in xmass).

It is time of finishing all the game projects!!!

Makes sense, thanks for the detailed answer I guess with high speed DOM access, the ram disc is kinda unnecessary anyway. Oh, is anyone working on cp/m support?

[SyX]

Oh, is anyone working on cp/m support?

Or even better, is anybody porting the PCW cp/m to CPC? Because, the cpc one lacks of the nice driver system that the pcw has, and it would be so easy and nice to give support to the HD or other expansion as the minibooster.

[TFM]

Just a question... is there somewhere the source code of the PcW CP/M Plus? (I only got it for CPC, and the lord knows where this disc is ....  ).

[||C|-|E||]

Actually, if there was a way to use X-MASS as a hard drive in CP/M it would be really great for adventure games like mine, that would load much faster 

[CraigsBar]

Not to mention protect CPM and supercalc (obviously)

[TFM]

Actually, if there was a way to use X-MASS as a hard drive in CP/M it would be really great for adventure games like mine, that would load much faster 

Meanwhile you can use the RAM disc for CP/M Plus. 

[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.

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...

Now I have tested an adaptor with CF-card uncuccessfully, too. The CPC6128 didn't boot at power on and the screen shows only a green screen (GT65). Same behavior as if the ROM is disabled. (No additional extensions or ROMs, only the CPC6128, the X-Mass and a ribbon cable) 

@TotO: Did you observe the same manner at your tests with CF? 

I saw another remarkable behavior of my CPC when mounting the X-MASS to the CPC without DOM or CF.
The CPC didn't boot as before with CF card inserted.
Afterwards I mounted the DOM on the X-MASS and all worked again properly.

I wonder if someone would tell me why the CPC hangs at power on with a "naked" X-MASS board connected.
The X-Mass board is controlled by normal I/O ports. I think, that AMSDOS doesn't access to these ports at boot up. Why should it hang ??   

Best regards
netmercer

[TotO]

Because the X-MASS force the CPC to RESET while its DOM is not initialized.
If the CF don't answer to the X-MASS (because incompatible), the CPC will not boot.

[netmercer]

Thank you. I see ...
In which way recognises the X-Mass the correct initialisation of the DOM?
Is there a special pin or something like this?

Best regards
netmercer

[TotO]

It is not a simple check to f*ck the world to use DOM instead of CF... But a state machine process. 
SLC Disk On Module are reliable industrial "SSD" IDE devices that allow to handle 8-bit ATA mode, like a real hard drive.

When the CPC is powered ON, the X-MASS force /RESET and use the CPC DATA bus to configure the DOM.
It is why, the X-MASS board design is far less complex than a Symbiface II IDE interface, for the same result.

[netmercer]

Hi,
it's marvellous. I have found a CF card, which works together with X-Mass and 44-pin IDE Adaptor. See the pictures below.
[attach=2]

[attach=3]

If I understood TotO's declarations aright, then X-Mass isn't a GIDE Interface. Rather, X-Mass is forcing the IDE device into 8-Bit data transfer mode during power on. Therefor the FLASH memory has to support this 8-Bit mode, otherwise it won't work. This 8-Bit mode at power on is perhaps the reason why it works like a GIDE for Symbos.

First sign of life with CP/M:
[attach=4]

(source code of "cfinfo" comes from german PROF-80 homepage with modified I/O access for 16-Bit port adress)

Best regards
netmercer

[TotO]

Exactly. As said, the X-MASS set the DOM to work in 8bit mode.
The Symbiface II have to handle some buffers to translate the 16bit to 2x8bit data instead.
At end, SymbOS see exactly the same thing, a 8bit bus sending 8Bit data.

If your CF is able to support this mode, like a real harddrive, yes it work.

[Munchausen]

@TotO I saw this comment on a blog[nb]http://www.waveguide.se/?article=8-bit-compact-flash-interface[/nb]:

what I saw in your source code is that you first select the mode and drive (write $E0 to UNIT register) and then set the feature (1 to the FEATURE register) and then the command ($EF set feature to the command register). As it seams many CF-Cards will not work when you change the order (1 to FEATURE, $E0 to UNIT and $EF to COMMAND register). So your source code solved quit a lot of issues

And this one:

It took me some trial and error before I got it right also. I suspect that changing mode via REG6 in mid-flight is a bit shaky. I read somewhere that the SET FEATURE command should be issued directly after every FEATURE written. The documentation I've found so far is also pretty vague about the 8-bit mode. Perhaps it's not even supported on all cards. It would not surprise me. I have used only SanDisk (4GB and 8GB) and Kingston (2GB) and they have all worked fine so far.

I don't know if it can help improve CF compatibility for the X-MASS (or maybe your code already does the right order) but anyway just a thought.

[TotO]

Thank you for your post. 
I will see what is possible to do next for peoples wanting to use compatible CF.
The first goal is to fix the X-MASS ROM bugs to make it properly working under BASIC for everyone.

[CraigsBar]

Thank you for your post. 
I will see what is possible to do next for peoples wanting to use compatible CF.
The first goal is to fix the X-MASS ROM bugs to make it properly working under BASIC for everyone.

Great news. We are all patiently waiting for the X-Mass ROM.

[angelcaio]

After intall and format with BonnyDos it's possible to reformat with Acmedos?

[||C|-|E||]

Meanwhile you can use the RAM disc for CP/M Plus. 

The only problem is that the game does not fit inside! 

[TotO]

After intall and format with BonnyDos it's possible to reformat with Acmedos?

Yes, it will be.
Today, the main problem is that SymbOS not allow to format drives.

[angelcaio]

then, formating first with bdos i can use bdos.  But  formating  later with acmedos, i can use SymbOS?

[TotO]

Yes. Formated by ACMEDOS will allow to reuse SymbOS.

[Fessor]

Is there a Copy-Tool that works with BDOS for easy filecopy from Tape to X-MASS?

Tried some ROMs:
Locksmith: Files on X-Mass are safed as plain ASCII (Amsdos header get lost) and the Filename is also changed that it contains now a drive-letter. "IKARI.BIN" -> "A:IKARI.BIN"
Utopia does it only slightly better, as the filename is unchanged, but is also stored as plain ASCII.
JLCopy will only save to real disc drives.
AMSBACKUP - I don't know how to start the operation, but i fear it also works only with real disc drives...


(6128, X-MASS, X-MEM)

[TFM]

The problem is here the BDOS, the other 'COPY' ROMs use standard file-I/O and they work with all other DOS. The best is to be patient and wait for ACMEDOS. 

[Fessor]

Its hard to be patient after experiencing the loading time of a game. (between 2 to 3 seconds for star strike 3d)
That makes hungry for more... (for games on the x-mass, not for loading time )
(It took more time to type the commands to start the game than the loading time of the game itself)

(and after going the manual way, loaded the files the classic way into memory and saved them from basic)