exxos's DFB1 trials

[Steve]

@exxos How is it possible that you don't own a NetUSBee? Then you could do USB transfer or even FTP transfer. And it works on all ST's & Falcons etc, it's too useful not to own.

[stephen_usher]

@exxos How is it possible that you don't own a NetUSBee? Then you could do USB transfer or even FTP transfer. And it works on all ST's & Falcons etc, it's too useful not to own.

"Works on all STs and Falcons"*

*except the ones it doesn't. e.g. my TT and an STFM I have if I install the Exxos PSU. :-)

Anyway, I won't hijack the thread.

@exxos just tell us when we can throw money in your direction. ;-)

[Badwolf]

@exxos Cool bananas.

The firmware supports 64 and 128MB SDRAM. I can't remember what you've spec'd. One of the jumpers needs to be set if you've got 128MB on board.*

Yes, I've had better luck with the 0.9 version of MAPROM/FASTRAM, but MAPROM will stop mapping rom after a soft reboot. Not got to the bottom of making the new version work yet.

50MHz FPU is impressive. What did you do to make the 50MHz CPU work?

Bravo zulu.

BW


* has occurred to me that if you're only going to be offering one configuration, you may as well hard code the ram size and save the jumper for something else

[exxos]

Yeah NetUSB seems to fickle to bother with. Plus I can never seem to get anything Atari related networked to my pc. I gave up with cosmoex and ethernet. I can't get the SD card to work on falcon and pc. After all that I just always give up and go back to floppies.

I do have a zip drive, but I'd probably need a SCSI card for my pc.. as it's a Ryzen motherboard I doubt I'm going to fine a card which will fit.

I need to get the SD ide card working.. but it's finding time as always to undlessly throw time at all these problems.

[exxos]

The firmware supports 64 and 128MB SDRAM. I can't remember what you've spec'd. One of the jumpers needs to be set if you've got 128MB on board.*

These ares I used.

https://www.mouser.co.uk/c/?q=870-IS42S16320D-7TL

Half recall we had a conversation about this a few weeks ago.. Yes I think it should be 128MB and fixed most likely.

Yes, I've had better luck with the 0.9 version of MAPROM/FASTRAM, but MAPROM will stop mapping rom after a soft reboot. Not got to the bottom of making the new version work yet.

Does it work after a cold reset ? that could be fiddled in firmware to do that.

What did you do to make the 50MHz CPU work?

Nothing, I just tried a different CPU :lol:

Though it does beg the question why those CPUs don't work in the DFB1 when they did in the TF536. I even heated them up for 30 seconds with my gas soldering iron during testing. If any failed during that time they simply got binned. I will get a better "feel" of whats going on when I test more CPUs out. Hopefully that one CPU is not the only one which works at 50MHz!

[Badwolf]

These ares I used.
https://www.mouser.co.uk/c/?q=870-IS42S16320D-7TL
Half recall we had a conversation about this a few weeks ago.. Yes I think it should be 128MB and fixed most likely.

We did. And true to form I've forgotten the outcome :P

OK, for 128 you need to close the second jumper from the left. In the firmware this is known as OPTION1.

To hard-code it, change the berr_ram line from:

Code: Select all

wire berr_ram = OPTION1 ? A[26:24] != 3'b101 : A[27:24] != 4'b1001; // 128MB / 64 switch

to

Code: Select all

wire berr_ram = A[27:24] != 4'b1001; // 128MB

(written without testing, obvs)

This then leaves you OPTION1 to play with.

Yes, I've had better luck with the 0.9 version of MAPROM/FASTRAM, but MAPROM will stop mapping rom after a soft reboot. Not got to the bottom of making the new version work yet.

Does it work after a cold reset ? that could be fiddled in firmware to do that.

Yes, but plenty of things rely on a warm reset. Complaints if you step on their toes.

What did you do to make the 50MHz CPU work?

Nothing, I just tried a different CPU :lol:
Though it does beg the question why those CPUs don't work in the DFB1 when they did in the TF536. I even heated them up for 30 seconds with my gas soldering iron during testing. If any failed during that time they simply got binned. I will get a better "feel" of whats going on when I test more CPUs out. Hopefully that one CPU is not the only one which works at 50MHz!

Mmm. Could be some chips are happy with my slow cycle and some aren't. Improved clock logic would help in a number of ways, I reckon.

BW

[Rustynutt]

Yeah NetUSB seems to fickle to bother with. Plus I can never seem to get anything Atari related networked to my pc. I gave up with cosmoex and ethernet. I can't get the SD card to work on falcon and pc. After all that I just always give up and go back to floppies.

I do have a zip drive, but I'd probably need a SCSI card for my pc.. as it's a Ryzen motherboard I doubt I'm going to fine a card which will fit.

I need to get the SD ide card working.. but it's finding time as always to undlessly throw time at all these problems.

Don't know what a Ryzen is, came across another SCSI card the other day. I can dig it out if you want.

Have a couple SCSI CF readers too. There's an "Accent" I'd donate to the cause. I put a multi card SCSI reader in an old EZ135 case, mostly use it now.
The rotary knob it testy.
Has to be last in the chain, obviously.

KIMG1273~2.jpg

KIMG1272~2.jpg

[Steve]

You know, on the PC side you don't need SCSI, just a USB zip drive.

[exxos]

I dug out my zip drive and it is a PATA interface. My original hard drive was SCSI which I used on my falcon. Though I think I use that to physically unplug the drive and plug it into my PC years ago. I will have a play around with the IDE card again when I have time. Stupid problems like this tend to end up being problems with the Falcon itself which I end up diagnosing for months :roll:

Only just got home and turned on the booster is to have some weird reset issues now :shrug: I assume it only happens when the machine is "cold"

IMG_0737.JPG

@Badwolf There is some notes in your code mentioning problems with EMUTOS starting up ?

Disabling the flash seems to alleviate the problem..

Hmm.. so power up it fails, but pressing reset button works.. so maybe the reset caps on my falcon need fixing.. but never had any issues with the MB ROM...

EDIT:

So alt-ram was flashing during reset, so ive added XAS in that (need to test its not broke anything yet) also added resetblock into the rom_decode and that seems to have fixed the problem.. need to do more tests yet..

EDIT2:

Had to remove XAS from ttram , some reason it was getting stuck after loading HD11.

Oddly though with reset block in the rom_decode term, it boots up fine and alt-ram isn't flashing during reset now :shrug:

TL;DR
Reset issue fixed....

[exxos]

Started testing some FPUs out. May take a while because I have a full reel :lol: :roll:

Some will pass at 50MHz, some will only pass at 40MHz. I guess this could be similar to the CPU's where only the " cream of the crop" will both work at 50MHz.

IMG_0738.JPG

Also see this topic for assistance required for hacking the FPU test program.. viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1700&p=102273#p102273