Compukit UK101 core

[EeDee]

That's weird...

I have also been comparing compatibility with the emulator, and on the whole I think the core holds up pretty well. There are a couple of games that don't work, like Caterpillar and Ridge Cruiser, and I'd really like to understand why.

I did find an Invaders game that will only load under Synmon, which the core doesn't have, and it got me wondering whether the older monitor might be more compatible with some games, like MonUK on the UK101.

D.

EDIT: Ridge Cruiser behaves in exactly the same way on the emulator as it does on the core, when the emulator is set to C2P. It seems to be a C1P exclusive and therefore won't run on the core.

Core holds up very well! There is no doubt you're doing a great job.
May be asking a bit much here but, under the "aid testing" guise, could the below be added?
Three resolutions 32x32(L), 64x16(M) and 64x64(H)
And a selection of ROMs from old to new? Syn600, MonUK and Wemon added possibly?

[EeDee]

I have also been comparing compatibility with the emulator, and on the whole I think the core holds up pretty well. There are a couple of games that don't work, like Caterpillar and Ridge Cruiser, and I'd really like to understand why.

I did find an Invaders game that will only load under Synmon, which the core doesn't have, and it got me wondering whether the older monitor might be more compatible with some games, like MonUK on the UK101.

I've tried to load Pacdude in OSI mode but it stops at the title screen (It does the same on WinOSI). If I then, via the OSD, choose UK101 mode it continues to play.
I'd like to test Ridgecruiser further but don't have the Modes I'd need. Does it work in OSI mode with SYN600?

[danielb]

I have also been comparing compatibility with the emulator, and on the whole I think the core holds up pretty well. There are a couple of games that don't work, like Caterpillar and Ridge Cruiser, and I'd really like to understand why.

I did find an Invaders game that will only load under Synmon, which the core doesn't have, and it got me wondering whether the older monitor might be more compatible with some games, like MonUK on the UK101.

I've tried to load Pacdude in OSI mode but it stops at the title screen (It does the same on WinOSI). If I then, via the OSD, choose UK101 mode it continues to play.
I'd like to test Ridgecruiser further but don't have the Modes I'd need. Does it work in OSI mode with SYN600?

Hi,

I found that you can get Pacdude running by pressing "1" at the title screen.

I was only able to get Ridgecruiser running by selecting C1P mode on WinOSI. In all the other modes at crashes in a variety on entertaining ways.

Meanwhile, I am trying to get Synmon1 running on the core. It shows a solitary "H" on the screen and then freezes, which I believe indicates it is trying to show the H/D/M prompt. I think this means it is trying to run from the wrong address, but as yet I am not entirely sure what to do about it, or what address it is supposed to run from. I hope I don't have to cut it up into 256 byte slices and reorder them...

D.

EDIT: After a bit of a faff, I now have the correct Synmon C/W/M prompt. Still some way to go but definitely progress…

[EeDee]

I notice on WinOSI that SYNMON doesn't work and that you require SYN600. Is that right?

[EeDee]

From CEGMON manual
"To save on cost, OSI's SYNMON 2K monitor chip actually contains monitors for several different machines , and only a meagre 3/4K is used for each type"
Any use?

[danielb]

From CEGMON manual
"To save on cost, OSI's SYNMON 2K monitor chip actually contains monitors for several different machines , and only a meagre 3/4K is used for each type"
Any use?

Hi, yes I've found the information on how the Synmon ROM is mapped. Like so many things on this computer, you couldn't make it up. So far, I've been able to get the correct prompt, but either it's freezing or the keyboard isn't working. I'm pretty sure it does actually work on WinOSI.

I've given up on it for now until I can find more information on how to make it work.

D.

[EeDee]

Hi, yes I've found the information on how the Synmon ROM is mapped. Like so many things on this computer, you couldn't make it up. So far, I've been able to get the correct prompt, but either it's freezing or the keyboard isn't working. I'm pretty sure it does actually work on WinOSI.

I've given up on it for now until I can find more information on how to make it work.

D.

Understood
I presume you mean this info...

Screenshot_20211023-101355.jpg (545.91 KiB) Viewed 9219 times

[danielb]

Yes, also here: https://osiweb.org/misc/OSI_ROM_routines.txt

D.

[danielb]

I managed to get Wemon working.

Seems to work, but so far, I have been unable to load machine code games using it, but the emulator behaves in exactly the same way...

D.

[EeDee]

Yes, also here: https://osiweb.org/misc/OSI_ROM_routines.txt

D.

Here any help?... http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/pe ... uperboard/

I managed to get Wemon working.

Seems to work, but so far, I have been unable to load machine code games using it, but the emulator behaves in exactly the same way...

D.

Good progress though...

[danielb]

I got Synmon600 to run. For the C2 and C4, it's identical to Synmon1, according to: https://www.osiweb.org/software.html.

For some reason, Asteroids runs perfectly under Synmon.

As for Wemon, either it's really buggy, or it is equally badly set up on the core and the emulator. Lots of stuff doesn't work on either of them.

The next release will have both the new monitors. Still some work to do, so it will be a while.

D.

[EeDee]

I got Synmon600 to run. For the C2 and C4, it's identical to Synmon1, according to: https://www.osiweb.org/software.html.

For some reason, Asteroids runs perfectly under Synmon.

As for Wemon, either it's really buggy, or it is equally badly set up on the core and the emulator. Lots of stuff doesn't work on either of them.

The next release will have both the new monitors. Still some work to do, so it will be a while.

D.

Good work. I wanted to test some software with SYNMON but was unable.
Looking forward to your next release

[danielb]

Hi all,

I pushed the new version with the two new monitor ROMs; Wemon for UK101 and Synmon for OSI.

D.

[danielb]

- I'm not sure if this is a bug. I noticed this after watching a YT video linked below. After you press C then A for Memory Size you should get a message that says "This is the COMPUKIT UK101" On the MiSTer "is is the COMPUKIT UK101" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD844aXw9z8 Around :35

Hi, I am resurrecting this post because I checked this on the WinOSI emulator, and it behaves in exactly the same way as the core.

Either this is how the real hardware worked, or the core and the emulator are both equally messed up.

The Easter egg works fine in OSI mode.

D.

[EeDee]

Nice job as usual. Thanks for the update

[EeDee]

While in UK101 mode I can't select low resolution for some Monitors as that selection is greyed out

[danielb]

While in UK101 mode I can't select low resolution for some Monitors as that selection is greyed out

I know. I have a fix for that which I will push tomorrow. Meanwhile, select Cegmon, low-res, and then the monitor that you want.

D

[EeDee]

I know. I have a fix for that which I will push tomorrow. Meanwhile, select Cegmon, low-res, and then the monitor that you want.

D

Ah okay. Thanks

[danielb]

I pushed a new version with fixed resolution selection.

Getting the menu right is one of the most difficult parts of the whole project. This version actually has a separate monitor menu for each machine type, but only displays one at a time, and lots of conditions for greying out of menu items.

Please let me know if there are any more bugs.

D.

[EeDee]

Hi and thanks for the update.
Thought you'd want to know that I've noticed the same problem with screen resolution greying out. Also on starting the core if I cycle through Monitor the second time around upon reaching WEMON I get WEMON's 6502 register status (see image). When I Reset, via OSD, the selected monitor starts up okay

[danielb]

That's how it's supposed to work (or at least, how I intended it to work). MonUK02 and Wemon only work in low resolution. When you select them, low resolution is selected for you automatically and the menu item is greyed out. When you select the other monitors, the resolution menu is reenabled.

In any case, always reset after selecting a new monitor or machine type. The machine is not usable until you do so.

D.

[EeDee]

[/quote]

I pushed a new version with fixed resolution selection.

Getting the menu right is one of the most difficult parts of the whole project. This version actually has a separate monitor menu for each machine type, but only displays one at a time, and lots of conditions for greying out of menu items.

Please let me know if there are any more bugs.

D.

That's how it's supposed to work (or at least, how I intended it to work). MonUK02 and Wemon only work in low resolution. When you select them, low resolution is selected for you automatically and the menu item is greyed out. When you select the other monitors, the resolution menu is reenabled.

In any case, always reset after selecting a new monitor or machine type. The machine is not usable until you do so.

D.

Your earlier post is clearer to me now, as well as comments in other posts.
Thanks

[danielb]

Hi all,

Here is a new test version with variable memory sizes. You can switch between 4K,8K,32K and the maximum 41K.

D.

[EeDee]

Hi all,

Here is a new test version with variable memory sizes. You can switch between 4K,8K,32K and the maximum 41K.

D.

This is great! I'm trying it now. Thank you

[danielb]

Hi all,

Here is a new test version with variable memory sizes. You can switch between 4K,8K,32K and the maximum 41K.

D.

This is great! I'm trying it now. Thank you

Could you try this version too? The first one was a little overengineered, which resulted in an unnecessarily large core. This one should behave in exactly the same way as the first.

Tks,

D.

[EeDee]

Could you try this version too? The first one was a little overengineered, which resulted in an unnecessarily large core. This one should behave in exactly the same way as the first.

Tks,

D.

Seems to be working in exactly the same way.
I've set it up to start as an unexpanded UK101. Very good!

[danielb]

Fun fact: it seems that if you tell the system at startup that it has memory of a certain size, it will believe you and not bother counting it. Therefore you can tell a 4K system that it has 8K, and all will be well until it actually tries to access memory that it doesn't have. "PRINT FRE(0)" will give wrong results based on the amount of memory that you specified.

You can test this by setting the system to 40K, and comparing how long startup takes if you specify a memory size (e.g. 41000 bytes), and if you don't.

The emulator behaves in the same way, so I assume that the real computer does too

D.

[EeDee]

Is anyone able to make the Hardware (video) section of article in the link a little clearer?
"The Superboard featured a 24 by 24 character display (yes, only 24 characters across) held in 1K memory mapped from $D000 to $D3FF. It was arranged in memory as 32*32 characters however not all are visible."
http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/pe ... uperboard/

[jca]

Further in the link you provided:
Although the video RAM could store 1024 characters and the actual video RAM was mapped as 32 lines of 32 characters, the actual display was 24 characters across by 24 lines – peripheral characters were not visible and used as a ‘guard band’ to prevent off-screen characters.

[EeDee]

Fun fact: it seems that if you tell the system at startup that it has memory of a certain size, it will believe you and not bother counting it. Therefore you can tell a 4K system that it has 8K, and all will be well until it actually tries to access memory that it doesn't have. "PRINT FRE(0)" will give wrong results based on the amount of memory that you specified.

You can test this by setting the system to 40K, and comparing how long startup takes if you specify a memory size (e.g. 41000 bytes), and if you don't.

The emulator behaves in the same way, so I assume that the real computer does too

D.

Oh yes!

You can go right up to 63999 before you get an error message. Always takes it's 769 bytes though.

No fun facts from me I'm afraid but noticed of WinOSI that, although it has no 24x24 setting, it boots up a 24x24 screen when using SYN600 rom, even though resolution is set at 32x32. Also the emulator skips the screen full of characters but you can just about catch it.

Daniel, just a thought but, have you tried loading RidgeCruiser with SYNMON at a 24x24 screen resolution?