Breakthrough for the ao486 core announced - Cache

[Newsdee]

You can't build an RBF of this core with the lite version of Quartus, because it uses one proprietary IP component.

You can, however, transfer the SOF to the FPGA from Quartus using a Mini USB cable.

[breiztiger]

@newsdee with standard version you can ? do you need some special addon ?

[Beeble]

On wich Version did Warcraft run? tried it on 16 & 17, but it gets stuck in the Blizzard Splashscreen

[bbond007]

On wich Version did Warcraft run? tried it on 16 & 17, but it gets stuck in the Blizzard Splashscreen

For me it gets stuck on that same screen with the mainstream version of ao486.

[Jayde Six]

For me Warcraft has run on all versions including the main release, my Warcraft is patched to the latest official version as it's the gog release of it. I don't think they messed with the game itself since they just bundle it with dosbox.

[IAmParadox]

I am wondering, does the speed switcher also affect the speed the SDRAM runs? If I leave it at 90, I get random illegal access faults in most apps in win95, if I change it to 100 (even with MSDOS) it just completely freezes, if I drop it to 56, no more crashes, although, it seems to temporarily freeze a lot. The reason I ask, is the SDRAM module I have, passes Memcheck at 140, but, at 150 and 160, it gets errors, (Yes, I understand why) so, I'm thinking the speed changes also cause the core to use higher SDRAM speeds. I also have to say, that the official core (which runs at 90, afaik) doesn't cause the faults, as far as I could tell, anyway.

[Beeble]

I used the Floppy Images on Archive.org

I own warcraft (and every follow up + expansion plus console releases) , but I haven´t owned a 3,5" Floppy since ages.

Does Doesbox have specific meomory settings for warcraft? (xms / ems) ?

[Newsdee]

@newsdee with standard version you can ? do you need some special addon ?

No add-on needed. You need to use a mini USB cable and connect it to the USB Blaster port (see layout page in the below):
https://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page ... 6&PartNo=3

After that, there are instructions on how to do it in the DE10 manual (pdf in the site above, look at the "JTAG programming part)). I did it with the menu core on, but it took me 2-3 tries before everything worked.

[breiztiger]

thanks i'll try that

[FPGAzumSpass]

I am wondering, does the speed switcher also affect the speed the SDRAM runs?

To make the answer short: Ao486 uses no SDRam.

[IAmParadox]

I am wondering, does the speed switcher also affect the speed the SDRAM runs?

To make the answer short: Ao486 uses no SDRam.

oh, I thought it did, so, what would cause the issues I have?

[JUNKER Seed]

I haven’t been able to test out the latest builds, so I’m not sure but is there/will there be support for multiple configurations (like Minimig’s startup and other configurations)?

[Jayde Six]

Does Doesbox have specific meomory settings for warcraft? (xms / ems) ?

Dosbox enables xms,ems and umb for warcraft

[bbond007]

For me Warcraft has run on all versions including the main release, my Warcraft is patched to the latest official version as it's the gog release of it. I don't think they messed with the game itself since they just bundle it with dosbox.

Yes, the GOG version worked 100% for me... My MT-32 worked perfectly for audio too. Thanks!

[Chris23235]

I haven’t been able to test out the latest builds, so I’m not sure but is there/will there be support for multiple configurations (like Minimig’s startup and other configurations)?

So far the only configuration settings within the core are clockspeed and mounted images, so multiple configuration settings aren't needed.
All other settings like enabling EMS are done within the configuration files on the disks/HDDs, here you can use config files that allow you to choose multiple configurations (e.g. EMS on/off, XMS on/off, etc.).

[Emubastard]

Tried to install Star Trek judgement rights with dos 6.22 and got the following error.

[ZigZag]

Tried to install Star Trek judgement rights with dos 6.22 and got the following error.

Needs SVGA I think (ST25 didn't as far as I know).

[ericgus09]

After the CPU work, the video controller could use a lot of love too..

[IAmParadox]

I haven’t been able to test out the latest builds, so I’m not sure but is there/will there be support for multiple configurations (like Minimig’s startup and other configurations)?

So far the only configuration settings within the core are clockspeed and mounted images, so multiple configuration settings aren't needed.
All other settings like enabling EMS are done within the configuration files on the disks/HDDs, here you can use config files that allow you to choose multiple configurations (e.g. EMS on/off, XMS on/off, etc.).

It seems like you either haven't used the Amiga core, or, haven't used it efficiently, or, maybe you don't understand his question. In the Amiga core, you can use multiple configs for setting CPU type and speed, memory allocation, and what hard drive(s) to use, for a specific config, so, for AO486, even though there is only one CPU, and no way to change the amount of memory to assign (YET), it would still be handy to have one config that attaches my DOS HDD, one for my DOS HDD and my DOS games HDD, another for my Win95 HDD, one for my Win98 HDD.... etc.

[Chris23235]

I used the Minimig core a lot, both core are not comparable.

Maybe someone will implement different configs for different HDDs, but I doubt it. The HDD can be mounted via the menu and then need a restart of the core. It is no difference, if you mount the HDD and reset the core or if you load a config and reset the core.

There won't be Memory settings in the future, because they make no sense on the PC, there is no disadvantage in running the core with maximum memory all the time.

Leaves the CPU frequency setting, but this setting works on the fly, so by putting it in a config, you achieve nothing.

On Minimig and Mistery these configs make perfect sense, at least in my opinion they would be useless on the AO486 core, but as I am no developer, it is not up to me to decide this anyway.

[decod81]

There is something weird with the SoundBlaster or sound implementation on the core.

For example, once you set the right SB parameters, you can enable the music for Supaplex, but at the moment you try to enable the sound effects, it halts the machine.

I rewrote the blaster sound effect routines for supaplex. It now works with mister. You can get it from here:

https://github.com/eigenco/supaplex

Notice that in the menu you use backspace now instead of enter (because there was a kind of bug/conflict with enter when not using a mouse and I also wanted to use the code space of mouse routines for resyncing the music and vertical sync so that occasional smooth scroll jerk on real PC gets eliminated).

[IAmParadox]

I used the Minimig core a lot, both core are not comparable.

Maybe someone will implement different configs for different HDDs, but I doubt it. The HDD can be mounted via the menu and then need a restart of the core. It is no difference, if you mount the HDD and reset the core or if you load a config and reset the core.

There won't be Memory settings in the future, because they make no sense on the PC, there is no disadvantage in running the core with maximum memory all the time.

Leaves the CPU frequency setting, but this setting works on the fly, so by putting it in a config, you achieve nothing.

On Minimig and Mistery these configs make perfect sense, at least in my opinion they would be useless on the AO486 core, but as I am no developer, it is not up to me to decide this anyway.

Everything you said, can be applied to the Amiga core, too, yet, it still has the option of different configs.

What would be nice, is the implementation of USB, maybe limiting it to a single USB port, or, a limited subset of ports, so, it doesn't try to use devices you don't intend to use, such as the actual HDD plugged into the Hub. Transferring files, using an actual flashdrive would be so nice. As would the ability to use a USB drive as the boot drive...

[lroby74]

"There won't be Memory settings in the future, because they make no sense on the PC, there is no disadvantage in running the core with maximum memory all the time."

You're wrong, there are some games (surely Aladdin is one of these) that doesn't works if pc has too much free ram (using EMS that is mandatory on this game), and need to be used a program like eatxms for lower free ram and then launch Aladdin game..

I would like a lot to have in OSD a setting for example : 1mb, 2mb, 4mb, 8mb, 16mb, 32mb, 64mb and 128mb (i know that 486 core use DDR3 ram)

[lroby74]

After the CPU work, the video controller could use a lot of love too..

UniVBE would be a lot of love for VGA card

[Chris23235]

"There won't be Memory settings in the future, because they make no sense on the PC, there is no disadvantage in running the core with maximum memory all the time."

You're wrong, there are some games (surely Aladdin is one of these) that doesn't works if pc has too much free ram (using EMS that is mandatory on this game), and need to be used a program like eatxms for lower free ram and then launch Aladdin game..

I would like a lot to have in OSD a setting for example : 1mb, 2mb, 4mb, 8mb, 16mb, 32mb, 64mb and 128mb (i know that 486 core use DDR3 ram)

If I recall correct, the problem only occurs, when you try to run the game from Windows 9x, under DOS you can set the maximum ammount of EMS on launch. There are multiple useful autoexe.bat/config.sys configurations for different games, but these settings are triggered on an OS level and not on a core level.

[lroby74]

I've tried on past months.. only eatxms helped me to lower freeram and make Aladdin works...

[breiztiger]

perhaps you can also use ems/xmsdsk

link here http://www.bttr-software.de/freesoft/di ... #otherdisk
or here http://www.oldskool.org/guides/oldonnew ... _rd19i.zip

[NML32]

I've tried on past months.. only eatxms helped me to lower freeram and make Aladdin works...

How did you configure eatxms to get Aladdin to run from DOS?

[tontonkaloun]

eatxms 32040 for example !!
you have to adjust according to your available memory

but it seems to me that aladdin also needs ems memory

[NML32]

eatxms 32040 for example !!
you have to adjust according to your available memory

but it seems to me that aladdin also needs ems memory

Thank you, it seems to be loading. I'll play around with it later.