Acorn Electron "View Sheet" ROM cartridge

[00WReX]

I have a "View Sheet" ROM cartridge that I think has a strange issue, but before I go into details I was wondering if anyone else has this ROM.
My setup in an Acorn Electron with a plus 1 expansion and the "View Sheet" ROM.

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

I have that cartridge for my Electron/Plus 1 aswell. I bought it to use the PCB for other ROMs, but the Viewsheet ROM is still installed at the moment.

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Thanks for the reply Bryce.

Just wondering if you have tried the ROM.

I just picked one up from the UK and it almost appears brand new (the box, instruction booklet, and function card that you sit above the keyboard).
Anyway, my issue is that it does not properly go into "sheet" mode, and according to the manual I'm doing things correctly (not that there's much to it).

This is my 1 and only cartridge and the only way to test my plus 1 that I have had for around 8 months and have never used it, so not sure if the Plus one is OK or the cartridge.

OK so I insert the cartridge and power up the Electron and the "View Sheet" boot screen appears straight away...so far so good.

At this point you are in "Command" mode.
According to the manual you simply press "Escape" to toggle between "Command" mode & "Sheet" mode.
I press escape and it appears to go to "Sheet" mode, but the rows do no fully populate & the "Command" prompt is present.

Maybe I can show it better in a couple of pictures.

I have cleaned all the contacts on the ROM cartridge & Electron expansion connector as well as removed & re-inserted both the plus 1 & cartridge multiple times (all with the power off) to ensure that the contacts are good but the cartridge behaviour has remained the same from the very 1st plugin.

Viewsheet  on initial boot
[attachimg=1]
Toggle to sheet mode but only 1 row and the command prompt remains and cannot populate any cells
[attachimg=2]
Using the *HELP the Electron can see the Plus 1 ROM and the View Sheet ROM as you would expect
[attachimg=3]
It looks the goods, but unsure if the Plus 1 or cartridge are OK...
[attachimg=4]

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

It looks like you are in screen mode 6. Viewsheet works in 80 column mode. Type "mode 3" and hit enter and then restart viewsheet.

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Sorry, forgot to mention that I tried mode 3 but the result is the same.

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

Really? Did the text look different, ie: like mode 2 on a CPC?

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Yes, it went into 80 column text mode but the command prompt still remained (just like the screenshot I posted but with more columns).
Also forgot to mention, I tried the cartridge in both slots on the Plus 1 with the result being the same.

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

That is strange. I doubt the Plus 1 or cartridge is broken. Has the plus one got the original ROM installed inside or has this been changed?

Maybe TheCorfiot can help you further when he comes online.

Bryce.

[00WReX]

Honestly I'm not sure if the ROM is the original or not.
But the first thing I did after playing around with the cartridge for half an hour (cleaning contacts etc) was to pull the Plus 1 apart and look inside.
Initially I thought it looked like the ROM had been swapped and the ROM chip is also a couple of pins less than the socket it is in.
But the little bit of info I could find seemed to indicate this was normal for the standard ROM.
It looks like the *HELP also indicates a normal ROM.

This is the ROM...I did pull it out and re-seat it as well.

[attachimg=1]

Cheers,
Shane

[Bryce]

Yup, that looks like the original ROM.

Bryce.

[00WReX]

And I know I keep saying "I forgot to mention"  but the one last thing is that I have 2 Electron computers (one is a issue 2 mainboard the other an issue 6).
Anyway, same result on both Electrons.

Cheers,
Shane

[00WReX]

Just tried it all again...but the same result.
Here is the mode 3 screenshot.
I typed the *HELP to show it is still in "Command" mode...

[attachimg=1]

Cheers,
Shane

[TheCorfiot]

Will try Viewsheet on my Master128 and get back to you my friend....

TC