exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum

@JezC if you can, do the DAC fix first as the image you'll get otherwise won't help when trying to see if its working or not. I thjnk it was a mostly black image

Ok, @PhilC thanks for the warning...but I might see if I can see anything on the display to give some indication of whether anything is actually running or not...

Other than the keyboard & PSU, it's only the custom chips that I have seen running in an actual ST up to this point: all the other components I'm using are new/pulls including the 27C4096 EPROM (not an OTP part) and that has an untried (by me) image (thanks @rubber_jonnie for supplying that) which is the first 27C4096 I've programmed on my TL866 with a modified PLCC to DIP carrier!

So, if I see enough to know it's got some way through the booting process, that would give me a lot more confidence in the assembly & devices fitted (not to mention the fixes I have tried to implement).

You never know...it might get as far as the desktop :lol:

you could always connect the serial up?

PhilC wrote: 11 Jun 2020 17:07 you could always connect the serial up?

Possibly...but I don't yet have a ROM with DiagROM or similar programmed to fit internally & none to connect externally (and no cartridge port fitted yet even if I did have) :lol:

I'll give it a very brief try in a moment & report back...then I know whether to erase & program up another EPROM with DiagROM or do the DAC mod when I can...

Well, to quote a work colleague...."Fook Mui" (he claims it's his favourite oriental meal <cough>)

I saw a flickering screen with moments of a stable video image to confirm it's TOS 1.04 + 4M ST RAM...then occasional glimpses of the familiar green desktop (and that wonderful animated colour Fuji logo)!

:yay: :yay2: :dualthumbup: :cheer: :excited: :cheers:

Oh, and not forgetting
:girldance: :girldance: :girldance:

So, better sort out that DAC mod & some way to connect & power a floppy or Gotek...and then see if that fixes the video flicker or if I've got to delve deeper to sort that out.

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Yaaay

:girldance: :girldance: :girldance:

...and while out walking the dog in the rain...my brain finally started working... :shock:

So, after feeding the animals (the furry kind, not the kids) I sloped off to the study & dug out my external floppy drive (which is sporting a Gotek drive at present), swapped the jumpers to make the external drive act as drive A (thanks @exxos - a wonderful feature that!).

After a few moments sorting out the cables etc. I now have my first H4 booting from the floppy drive & it can run sysinfo & even GB6 (running at the moment).

Results will follow at some point soon (I can't find the correct base comparison for an 8MHz STFM with TOS 1.04 & no blitter etc. yet, though I know it's been posted on the forum somewhere... :shrug: ).

But that counts as a good result for me: even without the DAC patch I've got a good bright (almost too bright!) colour image from this board so I will have to fire up some game or other to really test it - after the GB6 test has completed...

Here we go...first image is to show it's actually the H4 connected up to the monitor (for any doubting Thomas' out there...) while the second shows the GB6 results against a TOS 2.06 + Blitter system...and the jaunty angle is there to trigger anyone with worse OCD than I have! :lol: Now all I need is a nice beverage to celebrate! :logo: :cheers:

JezC wrote: 11 Jun 2020 23:03 Now all I need is a nice beverage to celebrate! :logo: :cheers:

@JezC - PM me with your details and I'll send you an H4 mug for your beverage :)