Projects and Stuff

Blogs & guides and tales of woo by forum members.
Post Reply
User avatar
PaulJ
Posts: 1568
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:14 am
Location: USA

Projects and Stuff

Post by PaulJ »

Well as RJ has done I thought I'd add a new topic were I can post concerning my on going projects of which I two, getting @cmorley 's eprom emulator running in a mega and getting my MakerGear M2e running.

Initially I have had some success getting the EPE running with the LightingST board using its $e00000 decode signal. Initially it wouldn't boot until I moved the 0-7, $fc0000 tap on the main board from pin 20 on u9 or u10. So I moved the tap to U12 pin 2 which eliminated 1 gate delay and it allowed TOS 2.06 to boot via the eprom emulator. This resulted in two issues, first this was a decode signal that contain address 0-7 which is required to boot but it only covers 1/3 of the address area $fc0000-$ffffff so tos1.01/1.04 and diagrom wouldn't boot. Also I had random crashes as the machine warmed up.

So I removed the LightingST and went to Exxos's IDE board which fully constructs from the address the decode signal that covers 0-7,$fc0000, and $e00000-E3ffff. I removed the eprom from the board and soldered a wire on the 27c4096 socket pin 22 which I use select the EPE. The random crashes are gone and I will try some $fc0000 images later on to insure they now work.

IMG_2442 copy.jpg
IMG_2442 copy.jpg (737.56 KiB) Viewed 8277 times
My second project the MakerGear has stalled. Wife said don't stink the house up!!! So as I was looking into how bad the smell could be I came across some alarming threads where people are getting sick using these machines so in short I'm planning on building a sealed inclosure that I can purge outdoors when the print finishes. Also I understand that the enclosure solves a number of print issues that one encounters when printing in open air. So it will remain a cat haven for awhile.
IMG_2441 copy.jpg
IMG_2441 copy.jpg (454.46 KiB) Viewed 8277 times
User avatar
PaulJ
Posts: 1568
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:14 am
Location: USA

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by PaulJ »

Quick question for a Netusbee expert, tried it in my mega4 with multiple supplies.. no joy.. put it in an H4 and it works with the supply I tried in the mega 4. Anyone have any insight into why it works in some machines and not others. It doesn't even get to xboot, just a white screen and hung?
User avatar
stephen_usher
Posts: 5580
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by stephen_usher »

I'd love to know myself.

My results are:

520STM, both 520STFMs, 520STE (standard PSU): Work.
520STE (Exxos PSU), TT030: Not work.

'Scoping the bus on the TT the signals from the TT look nice and crisp. 'Scoping the signals from the 520STFM and they're horridly non-square. It's as if the NetUSBee only works with bad signals from the machine.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
User avatar
exxos
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 23499
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:19 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by exxos »

As said before, its likely the sip bus pull ups which need changing.
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
User avatar
stephen_usher
Posts: 5580
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by stephen_usher »

I tried putting pull-ups on the NetUSBee and it made no difference.

Also, it's on the machines which have ropey data and address lines that the device works, the ones where the data and address lines are crisp and clean that it doesn't.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
User avatar
PaulJ
Posts: 1568
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:14 am
Location: USA

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by PaulJ »

All the data and address lines on the H4 look exceptionally clean and the netusbee work fine there. The mega 4 lines are quite noisy compared to the H4 and it doesn't work. If it were a noise thing I would expect it to work to some point but have loads of errors. It also works fine on the falcon. The netusbee appears to be sensitive to noise or something. The supply that didn't work in the mega works fine in the H4.
User avatar
exxos
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 23499
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:19 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by exxos »

So basically conflicting results above then :lol: :roll:

@stephen_usher Simply putting the pullups on the netusbee wasn't I suggested :)
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
User avatar
PaulJ
Posts: 1568
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:14 am
Location: USA

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by PaulJ »

exxos wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:19 pm So basically conflicting results above then :lol: :roll:

@stephen_usher Simply putting the pullups on the netusbee wasn't I suggested :)
@exxos , is kinda a canundrom, I'm thinking it chokes right up front when it checks the cartridge port. Just a white screen. All other carts work fine? My money is on the netusbee having some weird sensitivity. Have a lot of irons in the fire but may investigate this further down the road. :coffee:
User avatar
exxos
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 23499
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:19 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by exxos »

PaulJ wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:18 pm My money is on the netusbee having some weird sensitivity.
It could just be something bad with it... Or just something iffy on that that particular one maybe ? You would need a second netusbee To prove that though.

But also don't forget these machines are barely working out of the factory, a slightly different load on some signal at the wrong time can cause all sorts of oddness. Extra load on the cartridge port in signal terms, or even signals being processed, is enough to destabilise a seemingly unrelated signal elsewhere on the motherboard.

This is why I say right from the start to change the SIL's and do the most basic fixes before trying to diagnose something. Basically all the known fixes are in the tweaks and fixes section for various machines.. So you should at least do those fixes first, it may well fix your problem, if it does not, then either your netusbee be is faulty, or your machine has a as yet unfound issue.. As to if it is a common issue or just a issue with your machine is another matter.. Some motherboards can behave better than others, I don't recall if you mentioned your board type or not, but generally the 70789's are good.
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
User avatar
PaulJ
Posts: 1568
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:14 am
Location: USA

Re: Projects and Stuff

Post by PaulJ »

exxos wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:28 pm
PaulJ wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:18 pm My money is on the netusbee having some weird sensitivity.
It could just be something bad with it... Or just something iffy on that that particular one maybe ? You would need a second netusbee To prove that though.

But also don't forget these machines are barely working out of the factory, a slightly different load on some signal at the wrong time can cause all sorts of oddness. Extra load on the cartridge port in signal terms, or even signals being processed, is enough to destabilise a seemingly unrelated signal elsewhere on the motherboard.

This is why I say right from the start to change the SIL's and do the most basic fixes before trying to diagnose something. Basically all the known fixes are in the tweaks and fixes section for various machines.. So you should at least do those fixes first, it may well fix your problem, if it does not, then either your netusbee be is faulty, or your machine has a as yet unfound issue.. As to if it is a common issue or just a issue with your machine is another matter.. Some motherboards can behave better than others, I don't recall if you mentioned your board type or not, but generally the 70789's are good.
Ya the netusbee was purchased for the falcon and it works their, the mega has all the SIL's changed as recommended, recapped etc. Just surprised its such a hard failure at boot. It does have the eprom simulator in it so I'll try it with a normal eprom in your IDE board.
Post Reply

Return to “MEMBER BLOGS”