Breakthrough for the ao486 core announced - Cache

[NightShadowPT]

My MiSTer OS is from April 29, I didn't dare to update it for fear of bricking it. Is an OS update required?

Yes, you need to update.

[IAmParadox]

I need help. I've updated Main and the ao486 core to try the new features, but it doesn't work at all for me:

- The monitor goes to sleep mode.
- On the MiSTer, all three LEDs go off and the Reset (or any other) button does nothing. Pressing Ctrl+Shift+Alt+AltGr does nothing either.
- I can however still access the MiSTer via SSH, so I can type in 'reboot' and regain control.

Some settings (I can give more if necessary, I just didn't want to make the post too big):

Code: Select all

forced_scandoubler=1
composite_sync=0
vga_scaler=1
vscale_mode=0
dvi_mode=0
video_mode=8
vsync_adjust=1
video_mode_ntsc=8
video_mode_pal=9

Edit: Actually the previous ao486 core (from May 10) is not working either, so this isn't really new. I have to go back to the April 21 release.

My MiSTer OS is from April 29, I didn't dare to update it for fear of bricking it. Is an OS update required?

I don't know if this will fix all of your problems, but, for me, to fix the out of sync issues, I had to change
vsync_adjust=1
to
vsync_adjust=0
I have one HDMI TV that worked, no problem, but, the second one, had issues with 70Hz mode, and, changing this value, fixed it, here, and some other places that were having sync issues.

[pgimeno]

Updating the OS didn't help. I'm now on OS v200618 and main v200814 and the same is still happening.

After more digging, I've realized that Main is terminating (crashing, most likely). That explains the symptoms.

Before executing ao486:

Code: Select all

/root# pidof MiSTer
1208
/root# 

After executing ao486:

Code: Select all

/root# pidof MiSTer
/root# 

As I noted in an edit to the previous post, this is happening in the previous version too (ao486_200511.rbf) so it's not really a new issue. It works fine with ao486_200421.rbf.

Any clue as to what could be making Main crash?

Update: Both images were corrupted. I re-downloaded them and it started to work. Sorry for the noise.

[thorr]

After trying to make the new core work with my SVGA monitor, I found the trick was to set direct_video=0. Then, I put these in my .ini:
[ao486]
direct_video=0
vga_scaler=0
vsync_adjust=2
vscale_mode=0
video_mode=1600,64,192,304,1200,1,3,46 ; 1600x1200x60Hz

Doom works with these settings, but the sound still breaks up and when holding the right mouse button to move around (after changing it to move forward in the setup.exe), the gun fires off on its own occasionally (left mouse button).

Second Reality still doesn't work.

Cache 43 worked much better for me (probably along with a slightly older MiSTer main file than the official latest one). It works with Direct Video and I don't have the sound and other problems.

EDIT: Changing my config.sys to this fixed Second Reality:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DOS=HIGH,UMB
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE 28000 RAM D=64 X=A000=C7FF FRAME=C800 I=D000-EFFF

After more testing with Cache43, I also have choppy sound in Doom (shareware version) and my left mouse occasionally fires when I don't tell it to. I don't know if it is a crappy mouse or a bug. So basically, the major difference between 43 and the official core, is the official core doesn't work with direct video in Doom Shareware. The official core does work with Second Reality with directvideo.

[dano]

Any of the sega titles able to run on DOS?

VF1/2,HotD, OR VR?

[NightShadowPT]

Any of the sega titles able to run on DOS?

VF1/2,HotD, OR VR?

See that "Pentium" sticker on top of the image you just posted?

You have your answer

[ZigZag]

Any of the sega titles able to run on DOS?

VF1/2,HotD, OR VR?

See that "Pentium" sticker on top of the image you just posted?

You have your answer

They may very well run on DOS even if they need a Pentium. They probably won't run though, at least not playable, on ao486 !

[IAmParadox]

Any of the sega titles able to run on DOS?

VF1/2,HotD, OR VR?

See that "Pentium" sticker on top of the image you just posted?

You have your answer

They may very well run on DOS even if they need a Pentium. They probably won't run though, at least not playable, on ao486 !

More importantly, see that MMX sticker? definite no.

[Solskogen]

Second Reality still doesn't work.

I got it to work. What happens when you run it?

[Schyz]

Any of the sega titles able to run on DOS?

As far as I remember those games were for Windows 95.

[Chris23235]

Virtua Fighter 2 was a Win95 game, surprisingly enough it doesn't seem to need a 3D-Card to work, but at least a P90. It used MMX.

[RealLarry]

Second Reality still doesn't work.

I got it to work. What happens when you run it?

Same here...2nd Reality is just running fine (along with other fine demos).

[Solskogen]

Acme 303 (https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=44) does not.

[thorr]

Second Reality still doesn't work.

I got it to work. What happens when you run it?

Thanks. I posted a bit later that I got it to work by editing my config.sys and changing the EMM386 line. I think I had something else there after it was working previoiusly and I broke it. The main problem I am having now is with direct video turned on and trying to run Doom shareware. Also, I noticed changing the CPU speed affects the video quality on the the VGA monitor.

[Cebion]

So did anyone create an excel comptatilbity list with comments yet?

[Caldor]

So did anyone create an excel comptatilbity list with comments yet?

Oh yeah, good idea. I have started one here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Its set to anyone with the link can edit it, so I will make a backup now and then, but I think there is a revision history on it as well.

[thorr]

Thanks! I added a comment to Doom.

[Chris23235]

I added some games too.

[robng15]

So did anyone create an excel comptatilbity list with comments yet?

Oh yeah, good idea. I have started one here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Its set to anyone with the link can edit it, so I will make a backup now and then, but I think there is a revision history on it as well.

Theme Park works under DOS 6.22 using shsucdx to mount the CD. SimCity 2000 works on DOS and Win95.

[jordi]

cache43 looks to have broken keyboard input. Doing a 'keyb sp' does not fix it.
I didn't updated again the Mister file, I'm not sure if it's required again.

Fixed this just going into settings and configuring again the ao486. I guess there some weirdness in my ao486 configuration that self-fixed reconfiguring it.

[jordi]

So did anyone create an excel comptatilbity list with comments yet?

Oh yeah, good idea. I have started one here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Its set to anyone with the link can edit it, so I will make a backup now and then, but I think there is a revision history on it as well.

I fixed some games thanks to this spreadsheet! great. I added some games.

Not sure if it's a clue, but after patching with
sb -r GAME.exe

The games that crashed now don't crash but show (on dos/32A):
"real mode interrupt vector has been modified: INT 00h"
"real mode interrupt vector has been modified: INT 1Fh"
"real mode interrupt vector has been modified: INT 22h"

[sibbi]

Hi,

First of all, excellent work on the core by FPGAzumSpass, Sorgelig and many others, thanks guys, it's really appreciated

I'm glad to find that my Win95 installation is way faster after these changes, that started me on another mission to install Win98SE on the Mister.

I got pretty far without issue, all the way to the hardware detection phase. On launching it would crash pretty consistently either just before building the driver database or during the building. Slowing the CPU speed down to 30 Mhz helped me get a little further but it would still crash during the non plug-and-play hardware detection. I then tried turning off all the caches but still couldn't get it through the detection phase.

Has anyone successfully installed Win98SE on their MiSTer and has some tips and tricks for me?

[Caldor]

I have always kept having some issues installing Win98SE. I have one where I set it up with PCem on my PC emulating a PC similar to AO486, but it has audio problems. I have won that I managed to install fully on the AO486, but it is unable to install Daemon Tools. The installation itself went without problems though. I think if I take that Win98SE installation and use PCem to install Daemon Tools on it, it might be the best working on of them so far.

But Windows 95 OSR25 is the Windows that works best for me so far with this core.

[ZigZag]

I have always kept having some issues installing Win98SE. I have one where I set it up with PCem on my PC emulating a PC similar to AO486, but it has audio problems. I have won that I managed to install fully on the AO486, but it is unable to install Daemon Tools. The installation itself went without problems though. I think if I take that Win98SE installation and use PCem to install Daemon Tools on it, it might be the best working on of them so far.

But Windows 95 OSR25 is the Windows that works best for me so far with this core.

Install Win98 on MiSTer (copy install CD files to a 2nd VHD). After 1st hardware install reboot go into safemode (press F8 at boot time) and right click "My Computer" icon. Navigate to device manager, select the floppy drive & disable it in H/W profile. Reboot & finish setup. Everything else should work. If you need floppy you can disable 32bit drive caching in filesystem's/troubleshooting, but the OS & HDD will be a bit slower. I recommend disabling Virtual Memory at same time as disabling floppy. With 256mb RAM it's unnecessary, will slow things down and shorten MicroSD lifespan.

[Caldor]

Install Win98 on MiSTer (copy install CD files to a 2nd VHD). After 1st hardware install reboot go into safemode (press F8 at boot time) and right click "My Computer" icon. Navigate to device manager, select the floppy drive & disable it in H/W profile. Reboot & finish setup. Everything else should work. If you need floppy you can disable 32bit drive caching in filesystem's/troubleshooting, but the OS & HDD will be a bit slower. I recommend disabling Virtual Memory at same time as disabling floppy. With 256mb RAM it's unnecessary, will slow things down and shorten MicroSD lifespan.

That is just about how I got Windows 98SE installed, except I did setup virtual memory. I just set it to automatic. I guess maybe I should try just disabling it complete and see how that works given the system does have a large amount of RAM. The problem I have is getting Daemon Tools or similar installed... similar having audio CD support of some kind. That is where with W98SE it seems I might have to take my image to PCem to get that installed, because it has some issues. Disabling floppy is probably also a good idea, I saw that mentioned somewhere before, and it sounds like floppies might still work anyway? Not that floppies seem especially necessary for Windows once you got it up and running.

[sibbi]

Thanks for the Floppy disable trick, I'll try that later tonight!

[ZigZag]

For CD I use "Magicdisc". It's free, no idea if it works with audio CD, can't see why not.

[Caldor]

I am beginning to question the usability of Daemon Tools... it worked for me with Dr. Brain 3 and 4, but Diablo keeps crashing and it uses the CD quite a bit I think, which I am pretty sure is why it has these issues. I think a no-cd crack might make the full version of Diablo run as well as the shareware version. There is overall something strange about drives and disk speeds with the MiSTer. But in DOS CD emulation is working for me, so I am thinking maybe I should stop hoping to be able to use audio CDs or at least if I am not using audio CDs, maybe I should use something much simpler than Daemon Tools. I think the tool I use for DOS also does support Windows, if it has to.

I was trying GTA for Windows and managed to get it running more than I could in DOS, but that only meant getting to the main menu of the game and trying to start a game. But it then crashes at some point after trying to start a game. But what is interesting is the different things I tried for getting it to run, and disabling the virtual disk does help. I tried enabling it and then I could not get GTA into the game menu before it crashed.

[decod81]

I've seen this strange scroll artifacts on 2d games

See right part of the screen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVMoYMJb3hk

It's strange as it only happens on horizontal scrolling.

This is just hw/coding limitation of that era. Video under explains this on NES. Why you see it is simply because your screen doesn't do overscan anymore as CRTs did back in the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfrNnwJrujw

I'd just like to point out that this scrolling issue in ao486 is a bug in it's implementation of vga. It doesn't handle per pixel panning correctly and leaves the final scanline pixels not drawn if per pixel panning is other than 0. It has nothing to do with overscan and it's very different from what happens with nes. If you play the game on a real pc, it works just fine even if you are looking at the regions beyond normal scan limits and you can easily verify that less pixels are actually drawn with ao486 than are drawn on a real pc. This bug can be seen in most ega and vga games which utilize per pixel panning registers for scrolling (like keen 4-6, supaplex and many others). It's easiest to see that too few pixels are drawn with game like supaplex where the scrolling part of the screen is separated with linecomp function that creates the statusbar. Linecomp section is drawn in full all the way to the edge, while simultaneously the scrolling part is clearly not and remain black where the statusbar is not when per pixel panning is other than 0. I'm pretty sure the bug is in vga.v-file.

[rsn8887]

- The Incredible Machine 2 demo doesn't have any picture but I can hear the music.

I have the same problem with Incredible Machine games. The only game that works for me from the series is "The Even More Incredible Machine".