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Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 18:55
by beel1
So sorry again, the .o was not attached... I'm repacking this correctly
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 18:58
by beel1
beel1 wrote: 18 May 2020 15:19
The attached little software should gather enough data to make a virtual dongle that will pass initial Avalon dongle check, according to what does this version of Avalon:
https://atarimusic.exxosforum.co.uk/foru ... f=23&t=807
Run it with the dongle connected, this will produce a ~1kB .txt log file. It may be a bit slow on a floppy, I haven't tested it on real hardware, and for my work on Synthworks I used M-Disk :D
(The version of Avalon on Steinberg FTP crashes with 4 bombs BTW:
ftp://ftp.steinberg.net/Archives/Atari/avalon/ :cussing: )
Now that should be good
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 20:18
by troed
Unfortunately this excercise has come to a screeching halt :( After seeing your program produce 64 0's (except after 4000 and 8000 which were 8) I suddenly realized I haven't actually tried starting Avalon on the real STE with the cartridge plugged in.
"No key found"
Turning the computer off and removing the cartridge (it's been there for hours since I've had the computer on and been away) I realize it's blistering hot - to the point of me being able to hear the metal contracting as it's cooling off.
After having cleaned everything up, redone all solders and measured for shorts I think sadly I'll need to accept that this cartridge isn't working. I don't even know if it ever was while in my possession - this was the first time I actually tried running the program. FWIW, 200 Ohm resistance between +5V and GND.
However. When I started the thread I only had the idea that this should be a viable method of cloning Steinberg cartridges for use in emulators. You already having succeeded (I don't actually think people in the A-F thread understood your posts!) proves that it's possible. Now we just need to find working cartridges to dump, and come up with a plugin scheme for the emulators. I'll happily implement it in Hatari.
I'm out of cartridges though :(
/Troed
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 22:27
by troed
JezC wrote: 17 May 2020 10:14
This is all sounding very positive!
If it would help - I have Synthworks dongles for the Yamaha DX & Korg M1 (as well as Cubase 3 & Avalon) so I might be able to set them up with my synths & compare operation with & without a dongle?
It may take a period of time to get the results but happy to help where/when time allows.
It would help if you could run the program beel1 posted with your Avalon key, and post the created txt file here. That way I can verify the method of making clones available to emulators.
(Also, if the code Steinberg used is this similar between products we might even be able to produce "dump" programs for each software suite those who have cartridges can use to extract the values needed)
I'm trying to source new cartridge(s) in the meantime.
/Troed
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 22:37
by JezC
@troed Ok - will try to do that tomorrow if I can.
Is it worth trying it with my two Steinberg Synthworks cartridges as well?
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 22:38
by beel1
What a pity! This is so sad :(
Let's hope @JezC's dongle is OK
Guys in the AF topic were wondering about dongles that would eventually fail so they were looking for a way to clone them to use on real hardware. I only told them that I was able to simulate one under Steem and I gave pointers about what should work and what should not... and they weren't interested in Synthworks anyway.
Now you have a fried dongle, so at least they were right about the fact that they are not eternal, but still... I'm really sorry for you :(
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 22:43
by troed
beel1 wrote: 18 May 2020 22:38
Now you have a fried dongle, so at least they were right about the fact that they are not eternal, but still... I'm really sorry for you :(
Just a hickup, but irritating. It does give me some incentive to in addition to emulator support also try to produce either a working GAL16V8 replacement or, if the equations cannot be reversed from the data, some MCU based hw clone.
/Troed
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 22:55
by beel1
JezC wrote: 18 May 2020 22:37
@troed Ok - will try to do that tomorrow if I can.
Is it worth trying it with my two Steinberg Synthworks cartridges as well?
Try running Avalon with the dongle first :D
For Synthworks I should run the software in my modified Steem first to get what it is looking for. Avalon for instance:
Code: Select all
************************* Power On ************************
>>> Start Emulation <<<
FA0000 L 000000C0
FA0000 L 01115A0C
FA0000 L 0019AF30
FA0000 L 0003AF24
FA0000 L 00000F18
FA0000 L 000044D4
FA0000 L 0219665C
FB00B4 B 03454CF8 <- Avalon is started, dongle reset
FB0002 W 00000010
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028 <- retained value, all others were discarded
FB00B4 B 00000D60 <- new check
FB0002 W 00000010
FB0002 W 00000028
FB0002 W 00000028
...
Retried 25 times (!) before displaying "No key found"
First colomn is the address accessed, the second is the width (Byte/Word/Long) of the access and the third is the number of CPU cycles between reads. Here §FB00B4 resets the dongle. For Synthworks WS it was $FB00A8...
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 18 May 2020 23:25
by beel1
troed wrote: 18 May 2020 22:43
beel1 wrote: 18 May 2020 22:38
Now you have a fried dongle, so at least they were right about the fact that they are not eternal, but still... I'm really sorry for you :(
Just a hickup, but irritating. It does give me some incentive to in addition to emulator support also try to produce either a working GAL16V8 replacement or, if the equations cannot be reversed from the data, some MCU based hw clone.
/Troed
Speaking of reversed... No offense but... IIRC one time my brother inserted the dongle upside down, it got hot but fortunately it recovered from this... So I need to ask...: is it possible that you put the dongle upside down?
Tomorrow I will check the Gnd-Vcc resistance on mine
Re: Steinberg Avalon cartridge
Posted: 19 May 2020 06:22
by troed
beel1 wrote: 18 May 2020 23:25Speaking of reversed... No offense but... IIRC one time my brother inserted the dongle upside down, it got hot but fortunately it recovered from this... So I need to ask...: is it possible that you put the dongle upside down?
Tomorrow I will check the Gnd-Vcc resistance on mine
Yeah I do think that's what's happened - although by the previous owner. The plastic tabs were already broken on the cartridge and the PCB could've easily been put back upside down. I've tested it in another ST I have and in its current condition it gets hot when put in correctly as well.
/Troed