SymbOS for the Enterprise 128

[Prodatron]

Since a few days I am working on the Enterprise port of SymbOS. The Enterprise 64/128 is probably quite well-known in the Amstrad scene, as it has some similarities to the CPC. So this time it took only one week to get SymbOS running on its 4th supported Z80 platform:



Yes, beside the grey colours it looks like the CPC version 

What's missing are the low level sector read/write routines, but these can probably be taken from the MSX, as they have a similiar FDC. SymbOS EP will support up to 1MB (the EP can be officially extended up to 4MB), and it is planned to support an actual produced SD card interface as well as the "BoxSoft" mouse standard interface for the EP.

[Munchausen]

This is awesome! I guess I need to see if the enterprise I bought some time ago can actually be repaired!


BTW, I guess it will support colours? And the HxC?

[Prodatron]

This is awesome! I guess I need to see if the enterprise I bought some time ago can actually be repaired!
BTW, I guess it will support colours? And the HxC?

Haha, yes, I choosed the grey colours only to be different to the CPC version (the Enterprise has 256 colours = more shades of grey, too, so I just tried this) I will try a nicer palette soon.
HxC direct SD card access will be included, too. All SymbOS ports with the exception of the MSX (where the HxC doesn't make any sense) will get the new HxC direct access support in the 3.0 release.
Do you have an EXDOS card? It's currently possible to order an SD card interface in Hungary. And in the UK you can currently order internal memory expansions (512K and 1024K) for a low price.

CU,
Prodatron

[Ygdrazil]

Awsome... 


Congratz!


Time to get my Enterprise up from the basement, and take it for a spin!


Already been on it since midday getting my NC200 running Fuzix..


BTW. Whats the next platform that will see a SymbOS port?


Regards
/Ygdrazil

Since a few days I am working on the Enterprise port of SymbOS. The Enterprise 64/128 is probably quite well-known in the Amstrad scene, as it has some similarities to the CPC. So this time it took only one week to get SymbOS running on its 4th supported Z80 platform:



Yes, beside the grey colours it looks like the CPC version 

What's missing are the low level sector read/write routines, but these can probably be taken from the MSX, as they have a similiar FDC. SymbOS EP will support up to 1MB (the EP can be officially extended up to 4MB), and it is planned to support an actual produced SD card interface as well as the "BoxSoft" mouse standard interface for the EP.

[Prodatron]

BTW, I guess it will support colours?

This doesn't look so murky anymore:


Thanks to the Nick graphic chip you can define different colours for the task bar and the rest of the screen without using hardware tricks.

@Ygdrazil: Good that you prepare your NC200, the next platform for a port will probably this one (screen routines have already been done some years ago)

[Ygdrazil]

Heh ... That's great news, portable SymbOS fun.


Just out of curiosity... will SymbOS for the NC200 support the discdrive??


Because I have been looking for the documentation of the NC200 discdrive for ages without any luck...


Regards,
Ygdrazil

This doesn't look so murky anymore:


Thanks to the Nick graphic chip you can define different colours for the task bar and the rest of the screen without using hardware tricks.

@Ygdrazil: Good that you prepare your NC200, the next platform for a port will probably this one (screen routines have already been done some years ago)

[Prodatron]

Heh ... That's great news, portable SymbOS fun.

it's the special "SymbOS Mobile" version 

Just out of curiosity... will SymbOS for the NC200 support the discdrive??
Because I have been looking for the documentation of the NC200 discdrive for ages without any luck...

I hope to be able to support the discdrive. Currently I have no idea what controller they used. Isn't it the good old 765? Anyway the port is planned not before a 3.1 release, and that's probably mid/end 2015. It seems that there is no good emulator existing, but maybe I didn't search deep enough.

[MacDeath]

The enterprise is the sort of cousin that most CPC user would like to have as well.
Not quite a clone but way closer to CPC than Speccies I guess.

To port on it may not be too difficult for you I guess.
Nice to see the extra colours bar feature... could it be implemented as well on the Amstad PLUS, along Hardsprite pointer ? 
it is good to try a specific default palette for each machines so it differentiate versions  a bit better on screenshots.

Must be fun to use SymbOS with the side built-in joystick.


Do they have easily available ROMboards or RAM boards on those ?

I remember SymbOS being quite short on a 6128PLUS, I had to remove the desktop to launch anything lol.
Goes better with X-MEM BTW.

[CraigsBar]

I'd love to see the plus palette return to symbos. It looked wonderful while it existed in v1. Please please please find a way to bring it back

[Prodatron]

The enterprise is the sort of cousin that most CPC user would like to have as well.
Not quite a clone but way closer to CPC than Speccies I guess.

To port on it may not be too difficult for you I guess.

Yes, IMHO the Enterprise is somewhere between the CPC (lower end) and the MSX2 (higher end). This port was a mixture of CPC (screen) and MSX/PCW elements (kernel), so there was not much new stuff to do (some device manager coding), only to arrange everything in the EPs' special way, learn how the hardware is beeing used, ports, memory areas, and how to use the EX(D)OS operating system for developing the boot loader.

Do they have easily available ROMboards or RAM boards on those ?

Yes, there is the "Saint" from the UK who is currently producing internal Ram expansions:
Internal memory expansion
He currently has new ones available, ask him (or me), if you are interested.

I remember SymbOS being quite short on a 6128PLUS, I had to remove the desktop to launch anything lol.

128K means that now you have about 32K free for loading apps (SymbOS is growing 1.0 provided about 42K like Locomotive Basic ). If there is already a 16K background screen loaded (probably +screen saver +system extensions) there is indeed not much left on 128K.

I'd love to see the plus palette return to symbos. It looked wonderful while it existed in v1. Please please please find a way to bring it back

TBH now when seeing the Enterprise port I really want to have the CPC Plus version back... It's still there but disabled because it crashed with the SYMBiFACE II. Yes, I should have a look at it again!

CU,
Prodatron

[MacDeath]

Sadly I don't own any Enterprise, was just curious.
Also good to check this machine also have access to Extended RAM hardware theses days, because we are never safe from cool CPC megaprods being ported on enterprise after all.


Yes I know, symbOS really needs a lot of RAM.
Still despite being on full ROM I guess.
in what extend does it support applications/tools being put on ROM instead of disks ?

I mean, its not like a 512K ROMboard can't have a few 16Ks banks to spare for such things.

it crashed with the SYMBiFACE II.

what about TotO's cards ?
I have a X-Mem and a MiniBooster on my MotherX4...

[robcfg]

Cool! I guess I need a disk interface for my Enterprise, right?

@Ygdrazil: can you post a Fuzix disk image to run it on the NC200?

[Prodatron]

Cool! I guess I need a disk interface for my Enterprise, right?

Something like this, yes. The EP is like a 464, it doesn't have a floppy disc controller/connector. The original EXDOS cards (=disc interface+controller) are terrible expensive and hard to get today. The EXOS compatible SD card interface is probably the better solution to connect a mass storage to the EP and is currently produced in Hungary.

@MacDeath: SymbOS is not designed for running from ROM. Beside that it has tons of self-modifying code, it should always be bootable on systems without any expansion, too. Roms are only used for booting, not for executing. A "rom disc" would be nice, where (parts of) the 512K rom is used like disc space, which won't get lost if you power off your machine.

[Edoz(MSX)]

Very nice to see!!!

[Sykobee (Briggsy)]

Lovely, and a good bit of software for this hardware, late to the party as it was.

[beaker]

Nice! 

I'll hopefully be getting the SD card interface for my E128 next year, I am on his list

In regards to the MSX2 I am still finding my way around the machine, does SymbOS work with the MegaFlashROM? I bought the model with 512k RAM.

[Prodatron]

Nice! 

I'll hopefully be getting the SD card interface for my E128 next year, I am on his list

In regards to the MSX2 I am still finding my way around the machine, does SymbOS work with the MegaFlashROM? I bought the model with 512k RAM.

Cool that so many here have an Enterprise, too! 
Yes, SymbOS supports the two SD card interfaces of the MegaFlashRomSCC+SD. All other Megaflash compatible devices like this in the OCM, too

[MacDeath]

Is there even a ported version of Locomotice basic 1.1 on Enterprise ?

[Ygdrazil]

Heh..  I don't think Locomotive Basic has ever been ported to the E!

Enterprise has IS Basic which is s a very advanced Basic (but not that speedy) with some unique features!

My personal favorite is of course BBC Basic!...  Build in real Procedures, Assembler - first encountered on the NC100

Is there even a ported version of Locomotice basic 1.1 on Enterprise ?

[Prodatron]

Is there even a ported version of Locomotice basic 1.1 on Enterprise ?

Yes sure
click

and its really working fine

[Ygdrazil]

Hah Clever


It seems to emulate the Locomotive Basic rom!    (My hungarian is a bit rusty)


/Ygdrazil

Yes sure
click

and its really working fine

[SyX]

I hope they have fixed the FILL command, because the last time that i tested during RetroMadrid i got an spectacular crash, hehehe.

Thanks to the Nick graphic chip you can define different colours for the task bar and the rest of the screen without using hardware tricks.

You could use the NMI interrupt in the PlayCity for adding the raster, although i don't know if it's possible in Symbos, but certanly having another palette for the task bar improve the look a lot

[Gryzor]

Damn you Prodatron, you'll have us all (well, all four of us) dragging our Enterprises out of storage to try this out...

btw, I liked the grey version!

[MacDeath]

I guess to redo the firmware can enable full Basic emulation, but some palette limitations when dealing with pure CPC palette as I remember Enterprise can only really choose half of the palette in 16 colours mode.

may be nice to check if NEC PC6601 could also somewhat emulate CPC, sort of same specifications on the paper.

[Trebmint]

I hope they have fixed the FILL command, because the last time that i tested during RetroMadrid i got an spectacular crash, hehehe.
You could use the NMI interrupt in the PlayCity for adding the raster, although i don't know if it's possible in Symbos, but certanly having another palette for the task bar improve the look a lot

Wow that would be cool. I'm going to badger Prodatron until he does this