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Author Topic: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.  (Read 147818 times)

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Offline TFM

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #400 on: 17:38, 05 November 14 »
Ok, I'm a hardware novice.  :(  What do they fight for?  :-X
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Offline Bryce

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #401 on: 22:55, 05 November 14 »
Quote from: TFM on 17:38, 05 November 14
Ok, I'm a hardware novice.  :(  What do they fight for?  :-X

The right to be 0 or 1.

Bryce
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Offline MaV

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #402 on: 00:02, 06 November 14 »
Interestingly enough, the Z80 does the same on the chip die:
Ken Shirriff's blog: Down to the silicon: how the Z80's registers are
Ken Shirriff's blog: Down to the silicon: how the Z80's registers are
Read: How the registers are implemented in silicon

Also, the foot note states that this is common practice:
Ken Shirriff's blog: Down to the silicon: how the Z80's registers are
Ken Shirriff's blog: Down to the silicon: how the Z80's registers are

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Offline awergh

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #403 on: 14:20, 06 November 14 »
So my X-MEM arrived  ;D unfortunately I am limited to tape games for the moment because I have no way of attaching both the DDI and X-MEM yet. Edgegrinder and Shinobi work so all is good but I noticed that Switchblade wouldn't work with the X-MEM plugged in and instead the tape would just stop without the intro showing up.

Also how many games are there that take advantage of 128k but are also on tape?
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Offline Carnivius

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #404 on: 14:21, 06 November 14 »
Quote from: awergh on 14:20, 06 November 14
I noticed that Switchblade wouldn't work with the X-MEM plugged in and instead the tape would just stop without the intro showing up.

Is this true?  That's one of the games I wanted extra memory for (to have the awesome music). 
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Offline CraigsBar

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #405 on: 15:07, 06 November 14 »
Quote from: Carnivac on 14:21, 06 November 14
Is this true?  That's one of the games I wanted extra memory for (to have the awesome music).
I'll check this tonight on my 464plus and x-mem.
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Offline TFM

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #406 on: 17:47, 06 November 14 »
Turn off the new firmware and give it another try. Also becareful with 464 and 6128 selection.


X-MEM itself can NOT have any negative impact on games, because it just provides space in RAM and ROM.
it's about what you put in ROM and how this works with other stuff.



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Online Ast

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #407 on: 19:24, 06 November 14 »
Quote from: Carnivac on 14:21, 06 November 14
Is this true?  That's one of the games I wanted extra memory for (to have the awesome music).
You can ear this fabulous music in this demo


Hope you'll enjoy it.
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Offline CraigsBar

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #408 on: 20:36, 06 November 14 »
Well my Cpc 6128 with x-mem just loaded switchblade from tape perfectly. The 464plus failed with or without the x-mem. I guess you use the cart version there! Damn these plus machines are far more tape sensitive that the old generation.
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Offline TFM

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #409 on: 22:36, 06 November 14 »
Well, I may remember wrong. But it runs on my 6128 Plus from Disc at least.

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Offline CraigsBar

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #410 on: 22:49, 06 November 14 »
Quote from: TFM on 22:36, 06 November 14
Well, I may remember wrong. But it runs on my 6128 Plus from Disc at least.
yeah, Same here. It seems to be that the plus machines have far less flexability on the quality of the audio signal from the tape. The same tapes work fine on my cpc 6128 but are far more temperamental on the plus machines (Either my 464+ or 6128+).


Breaking Baud for example will load and run perfectly from my home made tape and the radioshack voice recorder, but the same tape recorder, and tape on my 6128+ will fail 99% of the time.


commercially duplicated tapes work fine on all machines but it seems that the plus machines are less forgiving somehow.


CDT's load from a car adaptor from either my Mac or Android tablet/Phone. so I guess perhaps the volume level or background noise that is always present on self recorded tapes is part of the problem


Craig

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Offline awergh

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #411 on: 22:52, 06 November 14 »
Well I had it set to 464 and to boot from CPC when I tried to load switchblade from tape on my 464. Might have another look when I get home.
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Offline CraigsBar

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #412 on: 22:54, 06 November 14 »
Quote from: awergh on 22:52, 06 November 14
Well I had it set to 464 and to boot from CPC when I tried to load switchblade from tape on my 464. Might have another look when I get home.
As FW 3.15 has no Tape support in order to load from tape you will NEED to boot from the CPC Firmware.
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Offline TFM

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #413 on: 23:08, 06 November 14 »
Exactly. Especially if a game may use routines out of the firmware directly.

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Offline EamonShoot

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #414 on: 01:00, 17 November 14 »
Please excuse my ignorance here, but I have a couple of newbie questions I hope this great community can help me with:

1. Can you let me know where I can get an X-MEM floppy disk image from? Mine was working OK but now has many read errors - it isn't my drive as this has recently been replaced with a new 3.5" one and other discs are working fine. I can't find one on the support page of the centpourcent website.

2. I have installed PARADOS.ROM in ROM position 6 and this seems to show up fine in MONITOR, plus typing |HELP,6 shows the RSX commands ok. However, how do I get ParaDos to actually run/work when I boot the machine? If I type |DRIVE I just get BAD COMMAND. In fact, how do you get any ROM (e.g a game) to run once it has been installed in a ROM slot?

Many thanks for your help!

 
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Offline CraigsBar

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #415 on: 01:40, 17 November 14 »
Quote from: EamonShoot on 01:00, 17 November 14
Please excuse my ignorance here, but I have a couple of newbie questions I hope this great community can help me with:

1. Can you let me know where I can get an X-MEM floppy disk image from? Mine was working OK but now has many read errors - it isn't my drive as this has recently been replaced with a new 3.5" one and other discs are working fine. I can't find one on the support page of the centpourcent website.

2. I have installed PARADOS.ROM in ROM position 6 and this seems to show up fine in MONITOR, plus typing |HELP,6 shows the RSX commands ok. However, how do I get ParaDos to actually run/work when I boot the machine? If I type |DRIVE I just get BAD COMMAND. In fact, how do you get any ROM (e.g a game) to run once it has been installed in a ROM slot?

Many thanks for your help!
The Bad Command is because there is a bug in the Expansion rom for the RamDisc. There is a fixed version which TotO provided to me in this thread somewhere. OR if you rerun the install turning off the RamDisc until this new EXT rom is included on the next disc image release then this also fixes it...


On Second thoughts I am sure the guys will not mind me uploading a DSK copy of my XMEM disc that has the fixed EXT rom included. You only need to replace side 1 but both sides are included purly for completeness.


Craig

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Offline EamonShoot

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #416 on: 08:14, 17 November 14 »
Quote from: CraigsBar on 01:40, 17 November 14
The Bad Command is because there is a bug in the Expansion rom for the RamDisc. There is a fixed version which TotO provided to me in this thread somewhere. OR if you rerun the install turning off the RamDisc until this new EXT rom is included on the next disc image release then this also fixes it...


On Second thoughts I am sure the guys will not mind me uploading a DSK copy of my XMEM disc that has the fixed EXT rom included. You only need to replace side 1 but both sides are included purly for completeness.


Craig

Craig - thank you - Parados now appears to be working correctly with your patched disk. I really appreciate your prompt support  :D

Regards
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Offline Fernecho

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #417 on: 13:12, 05 December 14 »
Hi all,

Here I have some photos of the extension that I have for my Amstard CPC 464:

img1

img2

img3

Here detail of the cable  I made, and the extension connector, the DDI-1 Clone is connected to pass through the MotherX4 Main Board

img4

img5

And the Zilog, if i have problems with the z80 of my CPC, but so far i have not noticed any problems.

img6

It is a perfect combination for 464.

Now i ned some binoculars to see the monitor screen  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
« Last Edit: 13:25, 05 December 14 by Fernecho »
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Offline CraigsBar

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #418 on: 13:22, 05 December 14 »
Quote from: Fernecho on 13:12, 05 December 14
Hi all,

Here I have some photos of the extension that I have for my Amstard CPC 464:

img1

img2

img3

Here detail of the cable  I made, and the extension connector, the DDI-1 Clone is connected to pass through the MotherX4 Main Board

img4

img5


http://www.subirimagenes.com/fondosycapturas-img6-9188321.html

It is a perfect combination for 464.
I cannot help but notice 2 missing 'essential' peripherals. You need to get a PlayCity and a minibooster too [emoji6].

Otherwise a sweet collection of boards.
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Offline Fernecho

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #419 on: 13:28, 05 December 14 »
Quote from: CraigsBar on 13:22, 05 December 14
I cannot help but notice 2 missing 'essential' peripherals. You need to get a PlayCity and a minibooster too .

Otherwise a sweet collection of boards.

Is the following in my wishlist.
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Offline TotO

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #420 on: 13:53, 05 December 14 »
Nice pictures! :)
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Offline remax

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #421 on: 22:04, 09 December 14 »
Quote from: TotO on 21:40, 20 October 14
Replacing a clone CPU with an original Zilog not conflict with "how it was", has there was used too.
On 100 X-MEM sold, only 2 peoples got the problem. And it was fixed like that.  :-*

What were the problems ?
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Offline TotO

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #422 on: 23:14, 09 December 14 »
Some clone CPU are to strong to see the /MREQ signal forced by the X-MEM CPLD, so the RAM don't work properly.
That is solved using the orriginal Zilog Z80.
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Offline TFM

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #423 on: 23:51, 09 December 14 »
TotO is right of course, here some illustrations about it...


http://www.zilog.com/captain_zilog/eng_201412/play.html#/Captain%20Zilog/6
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Offline TotO

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Re: X-MEM, a new memory expansion for all CPC.
« Reply #424 on: 16:09, 22 January 15 »
Hey!

Today, I have seen that Chany (NPS) has released a ROM tool for managing the X-MEM ROMs, with a demomaker look!
You can test it from the cpc-rulez link: CPCRULEZ &#9733 APPLICATION &#9733 UTILITAIRES (FREEWARE) &#9733 X-MEM FLASHER
CPCRULEZ &#9733 APPLICATION &#9733 UTILITAIRES (FREEWARE) &#9733 X-MEM FLASHER


« Last Edit: 21:49, 22 January 15 by TotO »
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