Compukit UK101 core

EeDee
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

danielb wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:02 am I'll take a look at it. I haven't tried it for a very long time.
Thanks
Is that how it feels? :-D
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

EeDee wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:16 am
danielb wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 10:02 am I'll take a look at it. I haven't tried it for a very long time.
Thanks
Is that how it feels? :-D
Relatively speaking...

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Here's a little progress update:

I have not been working on the core quite as intensively as before. It is quite functional and I have other stuff that needs attention.

However, I have been continuing to faff about with the video. In my latest development version, the scandoubler works properly, and I have been testing it with a VGA screen. This works, but a lot of the left hand side of the display is off the screen.

I am actually wondering if this is how it is supposed to work - Cegmon originally started lines at the 14th character, and some software, like Mon2UK, an Invaders game, and Scramble, are perfectly centered on the screen and no characters are missing.

I believe my my video code is generating the right number of pixels at the right refresh rates.

Other projects have developed specific VGA output devices to use the UK101 on VGA, like the one I used on very early versions of the core. Mine is based on Grant Searles original design. The early versions work perfectly on VGA, but look horrible because of the glitched character set.

In this case, HDMI, where you can see all of the characters, would be the exception, rather than the rule.

Does anyone happen to know how this should work?

Thanks,

D.
EeDee
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

danielb wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:50 am .....

Does anyone happen to know how this should work?

Thanks,

D.
I don't, sorry :-( @RedskullDC maybe?
I just wondered whether knowing that SAVE stopped working when multiple baud rate was added might help
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RedskullDC
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by RedskullDC »

Hi Danielb, et al.
danielb wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:50 am Here's a little progress update:

I have not been working on the core quite as intensively as before. It is quite functional and I have other stuff that needs attention.

However, I have been continuing to faff about with the video. In my latest development version, the scandoubler works properly, and I have been testing it with a VGA screen. This works, but a lot of the left hand side of the display is off the screen.
....
Which machine type, screen mode is causing you grief?

Current code in your repository is displaying fine for me on all modes (that I tried).
I only use the HDMI output , not the VGA port.

Cheers,
Red
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

RedskullDC wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:54 pm Hi Danielb, et al.
danielb wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:50 am Here's a little progress update:

I have not been working on the core quite as intensively as before. It is quite functional and I have other stuff that needs attention.

However, I have been continuing to faff about with the video. In my latest development version, the scandoubler works properly, and I have been testing it with a VGA screen. This works, but a lot of the left hand side of the display is off the screen.
....
Which machine type, screen mode is causing you grief?

Current code in your repository is displaying fine for me on all modes (that I tried).
I only use the HDMI output , not the VGA port.

Cheers,
Red
Hi,

HDMI output works fine in all modes. In my latest unreleased version, I got the scandoubler to work properly too, unlike in the released version.

I have been testing the core on a VGA monitor recently, and only the 48 and 24 column modes work properly (24-column mode is not in the released version).

This seems to reflect the exact real-world performance of the UK101 and OSI superboard.

I can't find any useful parameters governing the way the MiSTer outputs to VGA. The screen reports 800x600 resolution, so some upscaling is obviously happening somewhere, but I can't find any way to control it.

Actual resolutions, BTW are 512x256 for 48 and 64-column modes, 256x256 for 32-column modes, and 192x192 for 24-column modes.

64-column VGA works fine using the very early versions of the core, which had a specific VGA video "card", which did all of the scaling and timing by itself, but produced ugly output with glitched characters.


Thanks,

Daniel
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Hi,

I just pushed a new official version.

This one has the fixed Scandoubler code, and also a rearranged menu.

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

danielb wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 10:00 am Hi,

I just pushed a new official version.

This one has the fixed Scandoubler code, and also a rearranged menu.

D.
Nice to see the improvements are still coming. Thanks.
I'm still holding out for a Saving via UART fix ;-)
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

EeDee wrote: Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:37 am
danielb wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 10:00 am Hi,

I just pushed a new official version.

This one has the fixed Scandoubler code, and also a rearranged menu.

D.
Nice to see the improvements are still coming. Thanks.
I'm still holding out for a Saving via UART fix ;-)
I will definitely take a look at that soon...

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

danielb wrote: Mon Nov 15, 2021 2:51 pm
I will definitely take a look at that soon...

D.
Thanks
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Just a little update: I'm working on a new mode, for the OSI C1P.

I have had some moderate success, but it will be a while before it is ready for testing.

D.

PS. I will also take a look at saving over UART :)
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

danielb wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 4:39 pm Just a little update: I'm working on a new mode, for the OSI C1P.

I have had some moderate success, but it will be a while before it is ready for testing.

D.

PS. I will also take a look at saving over UART :)
Sounds interesting
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

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Deleted for now.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Sorry. Deleted again.
I wish there was some way to delete a post in this forum.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Hi,

C1P mode now appears to be working, at least partially. It took me a while to work out the different screen addressing mode, hence the two deleted messages from yesterday.

Anyway, we now have Ridge Cruiser, and also a new C1P-specific monitor, which I don't recognise. I "borrowed" it from the WinOSI source code package, where it is called Eprom2C1. It appears to work. Does anyone recognise it? I also have a version of Cegmon which is supposed to work.

Anyway. There is a bit of work yet before I can release this, even as a test version, so it will be a while.

D.
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danielb
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Hi,

Here is a new test version.

There are now three machine types: UK101, OSI C2P and OSI C1P.

The last currently only runs Cegmon. Its screen is a 32x32 matrix, of which only the central 24x24 are in use. This is why games written specifically for it won't display properly on other systems.

A few games which didn't work before now run, such as Ridge Cruiser, Night Rider and Pinball.

If anybody would like to give this a try, please let me know if you find any bugs.

Thanks,

Daniel
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Hi,

The new version with the OSI C1P mode is now official. I found and fixed a couple of GUI bugs since I posted the development version.

The OSI C1P, as I understand it, is actually identical to the Superboard II, which is the OSI machine that the Compukit UK101 was based on/ripped off from.

Also, this video gives a good demonstration of the C1P and C4P, which are more or less the two OSI models now contained in the core:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQUhFoB ... rryStewart

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

Hi
Thanks for the update. C1P (Superboard II as you mentioned) is working fine, no problems so far. I can't, however, get anything to load and run in C2P mode. Some programs work okay on WinOSI emulator with CEGMON and all appear to work with SYN600 but I don't seem to be able to get machine code or basic programs to load at all for some reason. What have I missed this time?
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

An ammendum:
OSI Invaders doesn't load on WinOSI either :-)
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Hi,

To run OSI Invaders, go into C2P mode, then do a cold reset and start Basic, then do another reset, press "M" for the monitor, and load it.

This works on the new version of the core, the old version, WinOSI, and, I believe, the original hardware.

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

One question about OSI Invaders.

On WinOSI, the text intro appears to be in 64-column mode, and then it seems to switch to 32 column mode for the game itself.

Could the OSI machines auto switch screen mode?

Also, there appears to have been a C1P version of OSU invaders:

https://trmusson.dreamhosters.com/c1p.html

Unfortunately I get "Access Denied" when I try to download it.


D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by RedskullDC »

Hi Danielb, et al.
danielb wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 7:10 am Could the OSI machines auto switch screen mode?
Yes.

Later models of the C1P had a control register at $D800 which controlled Screenmode, colour, Sound.
See page #77 of:
https://osiweb.org/manuals/C1P_Manual.pdf
That applies to Rev D Superboard, and the Challenger C1P Rev 2 (as far as I know?)

Larger systems: C2,3,4,8 have a similar control register at $DE00.
See page #27 of:
https://osiweb.org/manuals/c4man.pdf

Cheers,
Red
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Thanks. I might have to do something about that... :)

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Another question occurs to me: Did the OSI machines have an external switch of some kind for changing screen mode (analogous to the menu option in the core) or was screen mode only controlled from software?

If the latter is true, then the core should really do the same for accuracy's sake.

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

danielb wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 8:38 pm Hi,

To run OSI Invaders, go into C2P mode, then do a cold reset and start Basic, then do another reset, press "M" for the monitor, and load it.

This works on the new version of the core, the old version, WinOSI, and, I believe, the original hardware.

D.
Thanks. Seeing the instructions everywhere now :oops:
danielb wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 7:10 am
Also, there appears to have been a C1P version of OSU invaders:

https://trmusson.dreamhosters.com/c1p.html

Unfortunately I get "Access Denied" when I try to download it.


D.
Seems you have to request a download

**The problem of getting Caterpillar to run seems to persist**
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

EeDee wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 6:29 pm
Unfortunately I get "Access Denied" when I try to download it.

D.

Seems you have to request a download

**The problem of getting Caterpillar to run seems to persist**
Hi,

Yes, I asked for access to the file.

Caterpillar is the only game that I can think of off-hand that doesn't run. I still have no idea why.

Maybe it peeks or pokes some hardware register that isn't supported in the core ... :shock:

D.
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by EeDee »

danielb wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 7:03 pm
Maybe it peeks or pokes some hardware register that isn't supported in the core ... :shock:

D.
Dunno :-(

I have PRG files. Could PRG also be made loadable?
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

EeDee wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:29 pm
danielb wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 7:03 pm
Maybe it peeks or pokes some hardware register that isn't supported in the core ... :shock:

D.
Dunno :-(

I have PRG files. Could PRG also be made loadable?
No idea. On other systems, prg files are binary files that are injected directly into memory. Could you send me one so I can see what it is?
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by RedskullDC »

Hi Danielb,
danielb wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 6:26 pm Did the OSI machines have an external switch of some kind for changing screen mode (analogous to the menu option in the core) or was screen mode only controlled from software?
In short, no, they didn't.

Some of the aftermarket graphics solutions did however.

Mittendorf HRG was all software.
The CUA Hires board had a manual switch on it I thin, but could be software controlled too.

Cheers,
Red
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Re: Compukit UK101 core

Unread post by danielb »

Thanks,

I think it might be nice to have software control over screen mode. Maybe, for the C2P, I should have "High/Low/Auto", which would be the best of both worlds.

Anyway, I was given access to the C1P version of OSIInvaders. It works very well on the core, and I even fixed it a bit, to get rid of a syntax error in the middle of loading, and to make it autorunning.

I asked if I can distribute the file on the forum, but have not heard back yet.

D.
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