Re: N8 - Software

[lynchaj <lyn...@yahoo.com>]

Hi!  Thanks!  During the initial build and test, Bob and John were
able to get the PS/2 keyboard to work as well as the AY-3-8910 and
VDP.  John has a demonstration of the original board booting in VDP 40
column mode (neat!) with a POST in the BIOS.  It is very cool and
there is a video posted.  As I recall Bob even got a basic MSX game
running at least partially.

I suggest a similar approach for the N8 to leverage John's BIOS image
and the work Douglas did with SDCC.  Merge the various components and
threads into a single BIOS image and the build on Dan's MSX
compatibility BIOS.  It won't ever be 100% hardware compatible
although I think it will come close.

There were a whole bunch of games that Dan and Sergio were able to run
using the SBC V2 and the SCG board.  I think we should be able to get
at least that level of compatibility for a usable gaming system.

Very great work all around!  What's left is a "round up" of all the
various bits into an integrated BIOS ROM image.  We are very close,
IMO, especially if Dan is becoming more available to tweak his MSX
CBIOS.  Yeah!

Thanks and have a nice day!

Andrew Lynch

On Jul 19, 8:53 pm, "Dan Werner" <danwe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hey Sergey,
>
> I have the beginnings of a MSX bios with an integrated monitor and basic
> interpreter, but I have not had much time to work on it.   The idea is not
> lost just delayed a bit!
>
> Dan Werner
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: n8...@googlegroups.com [mailto:n8...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
>
> Sergey
> Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 4:10 AM
> To: N8VEM
> Subject: [N8VEM: 10611] N8 - Software
>
> Hi,
>
> I finished building the board (pictures:http://picasaweb.google.com/skiselev/N8),
> and did some smoke tests. So far no magic smoke had escaped any components
> :-) But I suspect I need to reverse the LM317. I also measured some
> parameters (whatever I could to measure with simple multimeter / frequency
> meter).
>
> The next step would be running some software, and actually testing the
> hardware. It would be very useful if someone can compose a software / ROM
> images manual. I am pretty sure that there is a lot of information scattered
> across this mailing list, but for new builders (like me) it will be really
> helpful to have everything in one place.
>
> Few questions I have so far:
> 1. There is a CPM 2.2 image in N8 Software folder. For whatever reason it is
> configured to use either 6.144 MHz or 12.288 MHz CPU clock instead of
> recommended 18.432 MHz (that I have).
>    a. Why CPU clock for this image is different from recommended? If
> 18.432 is still considered the standard clock, lets have a ROM image for it.
> I understand that some developers might want to use a different CPU clock,
> but it shouldn't be much problem with compiling and uploading both standard
> and non-standard clock images.
>    b. Where do I change UART frequency divider so it will work with
> 18.432 MHz crystal.
>    c. The image is built for 1MB EPROM. How do I change it / recompile it
> for smaller EPROM/flash?
> 2. I assume that after applying power (if everything is assembled
> correctly) the CPM 2.2 image will start and print something to the serial
> port (the first serial port or the second one?), is that correct?
> 3. I was under impression that people were able to run MSX-compatible BIOS
> on N8 prototype... was I dreaming or it is really happened? And if it really
> works, there can I find MSX-compatible BIOS image?
> 4. What test programs should I run to test:
>    a. Sound
>    b. Video
>    c. Both serial ports
>    d. Joystick ports. BTW, a schematics for MSX joysticks would be very
> helpful. If i remember correctly it something like 6 buttons, and no
> potentiometers (like in IBM joysticks)
>    e. Anything else? Floppy, IDE, SD card, RTC, memory backup?
>
> Thanks,
> Sergey
>
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