cpc 6128 roms 1 to 31 and 32 to 64

[caver99]

is there any software out there that can see a list of all the roms from 1 to 64.
i have read that only programs in rom can be used in hi rom slots, where as the rsx ones are in lo slots.
there are lots of programs that would suit being in rom that could hide in the upper 32 out the way.

[GUNHED]

You can store pretty much anything in ROMs. However for the native OS the ROM need to be initialized to be accessible by RSX. With the Firmware 3.15 or the ROM-Booster the ROMs 31 to 0 get initialized (in that order). Regular CPC6128 initializes 15 to 0 and the CPC464 only 7 down to 0.

For FutureOS an expansion ROM can have any number between 0 and 255. So it's better to use higher numbers to save space for firmware-compatible ROMs.

Right now I don't remember software looking into 32-63. 

[caver99]

so im guessing it will only be the future os rom manager to see the higher ones.

[GUNHED]

so im guessing it will only be the future os rom manager to see the higher ones.

Only ROMs 0 to 31 currently. But I intend to support 32 to 63 too one day. However nobody did ask for that feature till today. The only expansion I know to support 32-63 is probably Tot0's Y-MEM. But if you have a need for ROM support of 32-63, please let me know, and I will add that feature more quick. 

The other ROM software afaIk does support 0-31 too. 

[caver99]

The flash golden also has a jumper to set it to 32-60instead of the lower set.

[Bryce]

I don't really see the point of making it possible to initialise so many ROMs. Most ROMs need to reserve some base memory, so even at 32 ROMs the CPC can start to become very limited due to the lack of free memory. Being able to move the assigned ROM numbers, ie: Using ROM number 32 to 64 instead of 0 to 32 or whatever can make sense in some situations (on a plus mainly), but being able to initialise 128 ROMs at the same time doesn't really have any advantages. Or am I misunderstanding the goal here?

Bryce.

[caver99]

the goal is to have the programs in rom and only initialize them when i want to use them , say futureos or protext or something have the not used all the time in the high set and the commonly used one in the lo set.
i have 64 rom slots available to be as wellas512k ram and hard drive and usb just having a play and seeing what's do able with it all.
if its not doable why did amstrad build it in to the system.

if it's no possible to do then there's not a problem at all.

[Richard_Lloyd]

@caver99 

Hi, I've been working on something similar. This has been discussed before in the following thread.

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/rom-initialisation/msg210605/#msg210605

If you do assembler it will help. Just in the process of getting my head round the code.........

[GUNHED]

The flash golden also has a jumper to set it to 32-60instead of the lower set.

Thanks for the information. It's a tiny card, I didn't see it. 

[GUNHED]

I don't really see the point of making it possible to initialise so many ROMs. Most ROMs need to reserve some base memory, so even at 32 ROMs the CPC can start to become very limited due to the lack of free memory. Being able to move the assigned ROM numbers, ie: Using ROM number 32 to 64 instead of 0 to 32 or whatever can make sense in some situations (on a plus mainly), but being able to initialise 128 ROMs at the same time doesn't really have any advantages. Or am I misunderstanding the goal here?

Bryce.

If you want to use a ROM providing new RSX commands it will reserve one 4 little bit per ROM. So even using 64 ROMs (which all get initialized) you will only loose 256 bytes.
The fact that some expansion ROMs reserve more bytes is depending on them, but not the firmware. Some of my ROMs take exactly 0 (zero) bytes from the OS. It's all doable.

IMO the sense of using ROMs is simpel: Switch your CPC on, enter a command to launch an application - and that's it.

Thanks to software like Softbrenner from the Inicrons any kind of program (up to 31 KB) can be put in ROM (even compressed if you like).

[GUNHED]

the goal is to have the programs in rom and only initialize them when i want to use them , say futureos or protext or something have the not used all the time in the high set and the commonly used one in the lo set.
i have 64 rom slots available to be as wellas512k ram and hard drive and usb just having a play and seeing what's do able with it all.
if its not doable why did amstrad build it in to the system.

if it's no possible to do then there's not a problem at all.

To switch ROMs off or on there are to main ways:
1. Invert the first byte of a ROM (&C000) at park / unpark (deactivate / activate) it.
2. Use commands like !ROMON,x,y,z or !ROMOFF,x,y,z to selectively switch ROMs on or off.

In addition one can use a ROM which redefines the keys. I my case this is for example for 'f1':
!ROMON,1,3,6,10 (RDOS, MAXAM, XDDOS, FutureOS).
Using key definitions make every thing super simple: Switch the CPC on, press the desired 'f' key and it will switch on what you need. (And such a ROM can even list the 'f' key occupancy).

All you can imagine you can do with the CPC.