ST536 STE EDITION

All about the ST536 030 ST booster.
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Badwolf
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

Post by Badwolf »

exxos wrote: 20 May 2025 23:08
Badwolf wrote: 20 May 2025 22:52 ....Any scope for a register with your new big CPLD, though?
Possible yes...

So turn off cache, MMU, TTram... and at which point one has to question why have the accelerator at that point :) Might as well fit the V1 STE booster at that point I guess :P
Well, I suspect you're being facetious, but if not: the booster isn't switchable back to a 'default' mode. We can't revert to on-board ROM either. So in lieu of that, the best that can be done is to disable some of the more incompatible aspects for when people might want to run a game or two.

Sure, a switch (or switches) coming out the back is one option (which was my approach with DFB1), but your board is a bit more polished than mine, hence the idea that you could simply boot from cold in normal configuration and run a program to toggle certain hardware things which would be remembered until power off (or the program is run again).

TT-RAM might not need to be one of those as I misdiagnosed it in the first place, but for the cost of one register, why not? Heck could even have slow mode and no onboard ROM options I had on DFB1 if you were so minded. Might be very useful for the present debugging too.

I could probably hack to you together a simple text-based configuration tool if it'd help.

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DFB1 Open source 50MHz 030 and TT-RAM accelerator for the Falcon
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

Post by Badwolf »

PhilC wrote: 21 May 2025 10:18 Do you really need to speed up the rom access? I use maprom usually. BTW, am sure on the Amiga that the PLD used to copy the rom to fast ram, so may be worth pinching that code?
I have often needled @exxos for his ROM speed obsession. ;)

I do think it's unneeded for the most part as most accelerator users will soft load large chunks of the OS and almost always the VDI anyway.

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DFB1 Open source 50MHz 030 and TT-RAM accelerator for the Falcon
Smalliermouse ST-optimised USB mouse adapter based on SmallyMouse2
FrontBench The Frontier: Elite 2 intro as a benchmark
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

Post by exxos »

@Badwolf yeah a "turn booster off" to retain some backwards compatibility makes sense. A register can be done no problem. Just need to get it all stable first :)
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

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M'eh!

It crashed several times all at once!!

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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

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Fast-ROM attempt 67million...

A round and round she goes,where she stops, nobody knows, but probably around five passes :lol:

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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

Post by PhilC »

Are you sure its not a dodgy CPU?
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

Post by exxos »

PhilC wrote: 21 May 2025 19:41 Are you sure its not a dodgy CPU?
Dunno... works fine without fast rom...
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

Post by PhilC »

I'd maybe try swapping it? I've had some odd stuff when I was doing the TF536s with dodgy CPUs
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

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PhilC wrote: 21 May 2025 19:47 I'd maybe try swapping it? I've had some odd stuff when I was doing the TF536s with dodgy CPUs
I get the same issues on 2 boards though.
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Re: ST536 STE EDITION

Post by PhilC »

exxos wrote: 21 May 2025 19:50
PhilC wrote: 21 May 2025 19:47 I'd maybe try swapping it? I've had some odd stuff when I was doing the TF536s with dodgy CPUs
I get the same issues on 2 boards though.
Oh I thought it was just Steve;s one playing up still?
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.

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