DOS for CPC6128

[RobertM]

Hi all,
          I am looking for a Disk Operating System that will work with an IDE drive or something that could easily be modified.

I want it to have the BASIC commands like cat - run - save.

I will be using a file system that is directly compatible with windows like FAT/FAT16/FAT32 - most probably FAT32.

I saw some info on ACMEDOS and it looks like a good candidate but I don't know where it comes from - if I'm allowed to use / modify it.

I can't see to find any Amstrad DOS ROMS - when I search I find only more modern stuff.

Is there a place where these things are hidden? 

I want to use Compact Flash in XTA LBA mode (often called true IDE or 8 bit IDE). I works via 8 or so registers that can just map into the CPC6128s IO map.

I don't want to go fiddling with the CPCs internals. Can I use the expansion bus to unmap / override / disable the internal ROM so that the same addressing space can be used for an external ROM?

Obviously I am new to this and any help would be appreciated.

[RobertM]

Oh and one other thing ...

If I have extra commands loaded so that I can run / save to IDE (and catalog) ... which I assume would be via RSX or TSR or whatever Amstrad calls them ... My question is - will these extensions be lost with a Control-Shift-Escape reset and have to be reloaded or will they survive

I am asking because I was thinking of loading the RSXs from disk instead of ROM.

[PulkoMandy]

There is currently no such thing available for the CPC. The only ways to use hard disks are:
- SymbOS, a Windows-95 like operatig system for the CPC, with support for the Symbiface 2 and X-Mass (both IDE based) (uses FAT)
- FutureOS, an OS with a less familiar GUI and support for the same devices (not sure which filesystem is used?)
- BonnyDOS, an expansion ROM which allows to use these same devices in AMSDOS but with a custom filesystem.
The sourcecode for any of these 3 is not available, which means the only way to get them working with other devices is: either make your device compatible with the two above, or  disassemble the tools and patch the sector access routines.


Yes, RSXs are lost on ctrl-shift-esc which is why an expansion ROM is a good idea.


ACMEDOS will be the ROM you are looking for, it will allow to use the X-Mass from BASIC with the usual command and using the FAT filesystem. But his author has not published it yet, so the only thing you can do is wait for it.

[RobertM]

Ok, Thanks PulkoMandy

And thanks to everyone else who has helped on other thread as i have been thrashing out the options.

Unfortunately, waiting is not and option for me if I want to achieve this.

So at this point I am going to call the assessment phase compete as I now view this as a "DoAble" thing.

The hardware resource gathering phase is also complete as I started ordering things from China to cover my options early as shipping takes time. This phase is at least complete for a hardware prototype.

So the next phase is building the hardware and that will be a challenge as I can only make single sided boards here. I do however have adapters for the highest pin density parts.

After that I will need to do the software and there are some challenges there as described below. I am hoping that the sections of Soft968 that relate to RSX's is available online. I lost my copy of Soft968 a long long time ago and when I looked online there were sections missing.

The major challenge now is that I can't plug hardware into an emulator and I can't get any devolved software from my PC to the Amstrad.

To solve this first problem I will have to write a BASIC program to read PulkoMandy's SD card setup and copy it to disk.

Little steps first!

Thanks all.

[rpalmer]

hello everyone,

No one mentions HDOS, which can have drivers to support new media like the SD.

HDOS can support FAT16/31 File systems.

rpalmer

[rpalmer]

I also forgot HDOS has 2 ROMs, the Main ROM to support file systems and a drivers ROM to support devices.

[Audronic]

@rpalmer


Do you have a link to the Roms Please


Ray

[rpalmer]

The version HDOS released is currently 1.0.
I have developed HDOS-32 which has enhancements to allow for bigger partitions, but is still under development.
There is a known bug in V1.0, which I fixed for HDOS-32.
I will re-visit HDOS-32 so that the bug fix is for version 1.0.

Note:

Although HDOS says it supports SF-II, I dont have one and so cannot verify it is does work as the code supplied appear to not work in WinAPE.
The driver source files are included and can be modified if others have the knowledge to make it work.

Rpalmer

[Kris]

Does HDos support the X-Mass or not ?

[rpalmer]

Sadly not. It also has no support for the Alberio interface as I have no details of either.

rpalmer

[TotO]

Great work! 

If it is supposed to work with the SF-II IDE, I don't see why it will not work with X-MASS.

[Kris]

Great work! 

If it is supposed to work with the SF-II IDE, I don't see why it will not work with X-MASS.

It was the reason of my question 
I will made some tests this evening and keep you posted here

[Munchausen]

hello everyone,

No one mentions HDOS, which can have drivers to support new media like the SD.

HDOS can support FAT16/31 File systems.

rpalmer

I was just going to mention HDOS

[PulkoMandy]

Sadly not. It also has no support for the Alberio interface as I have no details of either.

rpalmer

No details? I provide complete schematics, IO register specifications and an example program for Albireo. I wonder what else I could add?
I'm also available to answer questions if needed.


Shinra Team
http://pulkomandy.tk/drop/albireo/Albireo1.0.pdf

[arnoldemu]

Although HDOS says it supports SF-II, I dont have one and so cannot verify it is does work as the code supplied appear to not work in WinAPE.
The driver source files are included and can be modified if others have the knowledge to make it work.

If I have time at the weekend I can test this on my sf2.

[Ast]

This project seems really great !

[rpalmer]

PulkoMandy,

I have not the chance to work on HDOS for some time as I have been developing the CPC web browser.
The browser development is now at a stage where mass storage is needed. The reason being that the animation /movie capability is not really testable via 'floppy' as it is too slow for 20 frames/second and since the SF-II driver needs work it takes quite a large amount of time to develop everything to work with out issues all at once. I am also looking at audio playback as well and include audio in movies.

I will soon look back at HDOS drivers for development to include XMASS and Albireo.

rpalmer

[RobertM]

I have started laying out the PCB for the Compact FLASH Interface. It's taking a while because I am too lazy to drill holes so I am making footprints for surface mounting though hole parts.

The BOM looks like -

2 x 50 pin headers
1 x 3v3 Voltage Regulator (LDO)
1 x XC9536XL CPLD
2 x 74HC245 bus transceiver (level translator)
1 x 40 pin header (IDE Socket)
1 x Compact FLASH to 40 pin IDE adaptor
1 x 32MB Compact FLASH card (yes only MB)

[RobertM]

Once I have the Compact FLASH interface card, the next hardware will be a ROM board and I have some questions that I am hoping someone has answer for to same be a lot of time.

1) What size is a normal ROM 8k 16k ?
2) It's written here that the CPC addresses up to 16 ROMS, how can it possibly do that with just the signals on the expansion bus???
3) What size are these expansion ROMs?

Here is what I was expecting to put together -

1 x XC9536XL CPLD for address decoding - has registers (36) if needed and can monitor changes to the HAL memory page switcher
1 x Fn huge FLASH chip that can be CPU programmed - I have 1Mb and 2Mb here
x x perhaps some config switches.

no level translators needed ... all 5 Volt parts except CPLD that is 5 Volt Tolerant LVTTL

[PulkoMandy]

Hi,
The ROMs are 16K and the CPC expects the ROM board to recognize a "ROM number" sent to a specific IO port address and store it.


An example board doing this is the RAMCard from Ram7, which I reverse-engineered and provided some explanations on here: Shinra Team

A simpler implementation using Flash-ROM instead of battery-backed RAM is available as:
- The MegaFlash or FlashGordon boards: MegaFlash - CPCWiki / FlashGordon - CPCWiki (very similar designs, but different flash chips used)
- The X-Mem board: X-MEM MX4 Board - Cent Pour Cent which adds to the above a 512K RAM expansion and a few extra things (it can also replace the firmware ROM which is a special case).

For the Ramcard, MegaFlash and FlashGordon, the PCB designs and schematics are available if you really want to build it yourself. Only the ramcard is single-side PCB, however.
For the X-Mem, you can just buy it from the store.

[RobertM]

OK, I am still laying out the PCB. It's hard to do in single sided.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have the prototype finished.

[RobertM]

I got delayed today but I am getting closer to a prototype now.

Everything is surface mount - even the through hole parts like pin headers because I couldn't be bothered drilling so may holes.

[attach=2]

The green lines will be wire links because I am making tis single sided.


Also I haven't forgotten the SD Card, just haven't had time *BUT* I have ordered an SD Wi-Fi card ... that should be interesting to play with!

[Bryce]

Just a warning. Those SMD 2.54mm 50way headers are fine if they are only to be plugged once, but they are terrible if you intend plugging/unplugging the connector regularly, the solder joints fail pretty quickly.

Bryce.

[RobertM]

Hi Bryce,
            I didn't set out to buy all SMD parts. The CPLD and 3v3 regulator are the only genuine SMD parts.

Everything else is just a modified through hole part. The DIP bus transceiver will just be DIP parts that have been squashed (dead bug style).

Here is a pic of a DIP connector -

[attach=2]

It has 0.25" solder lands so I hope it will hold up for a while cos there will be many plug re-plug cycles when I get the inevitable "it doesn't work" fault.

Hopefully it will hold up for long enough so that I can see that it works and move on from a prototype.

[Bryce]

Yup, that's the one. You'll find that the solder joints along those leads will be very prone to cracking from the upward force of unplugging the connector. Just keep an eye on them, in case they are the source of some unexplainable fault. I wouldn't recommend using them on any batch you build to sell, you'll be plagued by returns after a few weeks.

Bryce.