Acorn Electron Core

[jalbarracin]

Great news on this core release! KUDOS to the team

One question : which keyboard key is mapped to "Break"? is it esc?
Control-Esc doesnt reset the machine

Best!

[jalbarracin]

Ok found it! the key for "BREAK" is --> F10
So CTRL-F10 resets the machine and puts it into 40 col mode
Then you need *DCAT
* is mapped to shift ;

[alanswx]

The keyboard seems like a problem. I am open to suggestions and/or help with the documentation.

[Pepeart]

my vhd file doesnt boot, its your vhd booting? I added a few games and no luck

[pgimeno]

After looking at the layout of a real Electron, to me the keyboard is perfect.

As for documentation, I'd simply suggest looking at a photo of one such as https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... on_4x3.jpg, and explaining what the COPY, BREAK and arrow keys are mapped to, as the rest should be obvious.

Acorn_Electron_4x3.jpg (1.47 MiB) Viewed 23159 times

[Stoney_Fish]

I took a copy of boot.vhd (157.3Mb) from my BBC Micro folder (working on the MiSTer )

On Ubuntu 21.10

cd /mnt
sudo mkdir vhd

sudo virt-list-filesystems /home/adrian/Image/boot.vhd

sudo guestmount --add /home/adrian/Image/boot.vhd --rw /mnt/vhd/ -m /dev/sda1

Sourced the Electron version of BEEB.MMB
Google search : Acorn Electron BEEB.MMB = Ray Harper - Retro PC

sudo cp BEEB.MMB /mnt/vhd

Copied the boot.vhd to the /games/AcornElectron folder on the MiSTer

Acorn Electron
Electron MMFS SWRAM
Disc number not valid

Crtl-F10

Acorn Electron
Electron MMFS SWRAM
PRES Plus 1
BASIC
> *DCAT

Disc number not valid

Now I'm a bit stuck

[jalbarracin]

What I did was very simple:

Found a BEEB.MMB and renamed to boot.vhd
and then copied to games/AcornElectron

Then CTRL+F10 and then typed *DBOOT 99
and this started ELITE game (in the MMB I found elite was 99)

Best!

[akeley]

What I did was very simple:

Found a BEEB.MMB and renamed to boot.vhd
and then copied to games/AcornElectron

Which one did you use? I did iyt yesterday with this one but only get "card?" upon disk commands.

EDIT: Ok, I believe I have the proper boot.vhd now (thank you, Core Fairy) but I still get the "Card?". Must be something else then, user error most likely?

Is the directory fat/games/Electron/?
Is the * you're using in disk commands the one from pressing shift+" ?

[jalbarracin]

Is the directory fat/games/Electron/?

Not "Electron":
Directory: /media/fat/games/AcornElectron
I remember the "Update All" script created this directory, if you use "Update All" you should have it.

Is the * you're using in disk commands the one from pressing shift+" ?

In my case the star (*) i get by pressing shift+;

[akeley]

Not "Electron":
Directory: /media/fat/games/AcornElectron

That did it! I think my directory was a residue from the old days.

Thanks for the tip, and thanks again to @alansxw for sorting out yet another obscure-but-wonderful machine for us.

[alanswx]

Not "Electron":
Directory: /media/fat/games/AcornElectron

That did it! I think my directory was a residue from the old days.

Thanks for the tip, and thanks again to @alansxw for sorting out yet another obscure-but-wonderful machine for us.

I changed the path to match the Atom.. Sorry!

[Pepeart]

I have tried 3 different keyboards, 2 wired and 1 wireless and I can get the *symbol to come up. shift ; doesnt work, what am I doing wrong?

[alanswx]

I have tried 3 different keyboards, 2 wired and 1 wireless and I can get the *symbol to come up. shift ; doesnt work, what am I doing wrong?

The " key on my keyboard give me a star. Do you have a proper MMC SDCARD image installed as boot.vhd?

[Pepeart]

I have tried 3 different keyboards, 2 wired and 1 wireless and I can get the *symbol to come up. shift ; doesnt work, what am I doing wrong?

The " key on my keyboard give me a star. Do you have a proper MMC SDCARD image installed as boot.vhd?

I believe I do, I am using a beeb file and renamed it boot.vhd

[Pepeart]

I think its my .vhd file, I am going to start from scratch

[spikemorrissey]

In what directory should the .vhd be stored please?
I put in the games/AcornElectron folder but the core can't locate it

[MrDo]

How do I install this core without using update-all?

Edit: apologies, its called AcornElectron!

[spikemorrissey]

I think its my .vhd file, I am going to start from scratch

Did you have any success?

[Pepeart]

I think its my .vhd file, I am going to start from scratch

Did you have any success?

Not the electron, I can run my Atom .vhd but not my electron .vhd

[akeley]

Since I've changed the dir name to "AcornElectron" all the boot.vhds I have work fine now, either via autoboot or Basic *Dcat/*Dboot commands. It might be your self-made .vhd is faulty, try the Elkgames one I mentioned earlier (just change the name to boot.vhd).

[toastboy]

Can anyone help me find the function keys 'f1....f9'.
Not sure I ever used them on a real electron.

There seem to be 2 purposes for the capslock/func key, and in some way it's meant to make the numeric 1...0 keys act as f1...f9.
I've no idea where capslock/func is mapped on this core, and every combination I've tried (alt/tab/crtl/windows/shift/capslock/tab + number key) doesn't seem to work.

[edit] - it's capslock thanks @akeley - on the elksgames vhd, pressing capslock-0 invokes 'f0' keypress and exits the menu.

Next question - the elkgames vhd mentioned above has a prompt to press "f7" for "A-Z", which I think should show games other than the first page which all begin with "A". Pressing capslock-7 doesn't seem to do anything, which is why I thought the F keys didn't work. Anyone know how to change the page of games displayed?

[akeley]

There seem to be 2 purposes for the capslock/func key, and in some way it's meant to make the numeric 1...0 keys act as f1...f9.
I've no idea where capslock/func is mapped on this core, and every combination I've tried (alt/tab/crtl/windows/shift/capslock/tab + number key) doesn't seem to work.

The Caps Lock is the usual Windows one. You have to HOLD it (not toggle) and press 0-9.

[alanswx]

Is it useful to have a load vhd option in the menu?

[spikemorrissey]

Is it useful to have a load vhd option in the menu?

Yes please just like the BBC version would be great

[Pepeart]

Finally got my vhd working, are the marvel text adventures working? I tried FF4, Spiderman and Hulk and It only shows the first screen..

[akeley]

Finally got my vhd working, are the marvel text adventures working? I tried FF4, Spiderman and Hulk and It only shows the first screen..

Hulk & Spiderman are working ok, FF gets stuck in command line. I'm using a vhd from the web.

EDIT: just to say I've tried these games again and Hulk does not always work.

[alanswx]

Does anyone have interest in helping me with the tape support? I am at a loss.. we need to examine the signaltap output, unless I am doing something silly.

[akeley]

Wish I could, but that's well above my pay grade...

[lamarax]

If I could unearth my "Advanced User Guide" copy... oh wait, that was for the BBC micro

Seriously, since you alone have resolved the DFS riddle with the beeb core, I'm sure you will come through with the Elk as well!

Thank you for all you've been doing in preserving those Acorn machines which are dear to me!

Btw; how come the updated beeb core is not yet released inside the main repo?

[alanswx]

I am not sure why Sorg didn't push the new Beeb core. Thanks to SupraDeus I have the tape working on Electron, I need to add the converter to MiSTer main.