Breakthrough for the ao486 core announced - Cache

[IAmParadox]

My new system should be here, in a few days, I can't wait to get back to actually testing the new cache versions. I hope my new system doesn't have the same issues as the old one...

[Shamus]

I am a bit reluctant to ask but since there are several posts on specific games in this thread I would like to know if somebody has tried the Incredible Machine Series (TIM, TIM2), yet? The graphics/sound requirements are rather low (16 color VGA), however I do not manage to get an image (black screen likewise when started from Win95 or DOS). When I switch from the running game to Windows95 using the Windows key I see a brief flash of the game screen. Any help is appreciated.

[Caldor]

I am a bit reluctant to ask but since there are several posts on specific games in this thread I would like to know if somebody has tried the Incredible Machine Series (TIM, TIM2), yet? The graphics/sound requirements are rather low (16 color VGA), however I do not manage to get an image (black screen likewise when started from Win95 or DOS). When I switch from the running game to Windows95 using the Windows key I see a brief flash of the game screen. Any help is appreciated.

I have this problem with the TIM 2 demo, but TIM 1 works for me. Is it the TIM 2 demo you are trying? Or TIM 2? With the TIM 2 demo I can hear the games audio, but the screen is black. I can call up the overlay, but the screen is just black.

[Shamus]

It's TIM 1 that I am trying but I get what you describe for the TIM 2 demo: audio is playing yet screen is black.

[Schyz]

It's TIM 1 that I am trying but I get what you describe for the TIM 2 demo: audio is playing yet screen is black.

Are you using VGA-out?

[Shamus]

I am using DVI-out. TIM behaves quite special as most other DOS games work just fine.

[Caldor]

It's TIM 1 that I am trying but I get what you describe for the TIM 2 demo: audio is playing yet screen is black.

Are you using VGA-out?

For me its happening using HDMI but only for the TIM 2 demo, so I think there must be something different about my version of TIM 1 since it works. Maybe my version is older than Shamus' version. I am guessing it has to do with an newer version since the demo of TIM 2 has the problem and not my version of TIM 1.

[deepthaw]

What software are people using to modify .VHD files to add files to them? 7-Zip can open but not change them for me.

[ZigZag]

What software are people using to modify .VHD files to add files to them? 7-Zip can open but not change them for me.

You can mount a VHD in Windows using "Disk Manager". Just assign it a letter & you should be able to r/w whatever you want.

[IAmParadox]

What software are people using to modify .VHD files to add files to them? 7-Zip can open but not change them for me.

I mount mine in lxde, right on the mister, itself, or, on windows, using disk mangement.

[Cebion]

You can also use misterfs to create a new drive with a shared folder. It is working although we have no setup guide at this moment

[Caldor]

In my Windows 10 I just double click a VHD and it is mounted as a drive... if its not a part of Windows 10 by standard, I guess I found a shell extension for it

[Newsdee]

I use ImDisk to mount VHDs on Win10... seems to work better than the default handling:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/imdisk-toolkit/

[lroby74]

I use ImDisk to mount VHDs on Win10... seems to work better than the default handling:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/imdisk-toolkit/

I am using ImDisk too, a lot IMHO better than Windows 10 standard handling
(I use it for .IMG files too)

[IAmParadox]

If you plan to use anything before win95 (like MSDOS 6.22, possibly, freedos, too, I haven't tested, yet), you will need to format the vhd with a boot disk, for that OS, on the MiSTer, before mounting it in Windows, because the version of FAT16 used to format FAT16 drives in Windows 10, for example, is a newer version, and, MSDOS 6.22 will not recognize the drive. Win9x will recognize it, but, if you are using Win9x, you really should be using FAT32. You can also avoid this problem by using MSDOS 7.x which is the DOS Win9x runs on. Follow the following directions:

https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000132.htm

[Jayde Six]

Are the beta cores assigning a joystick even when one is not connected?

I'm trying to run a game that I'm pretty sure has keyboard support but it goes to a joystick calibration screen that I cant get past. I've tried hooking up a "joystick" (8bitdo m30 - bluetooth) and it doesn't register button presses no matter what mode it's set to (2btn / 4btn / gravis). Tested in Doom and it picks up the joystick fine.

[softtest9]

Did you try disabling the joystick in the core settings? If it's enabled in the settings, then I think that yes, a joystick will be assigned even if you didn't connect one. To me this makes sense since it allows controllers to be hotswappable.

[Jayde Six]

Did you try disabling the joystick in the core settings? If it's enabled in the settings, then I think that yes, a joystick will be assigned even if you didn't connect one. To me this makes sense since it allows controllers to be hotswappable.

That would be great. I must have missed it, just saw the 2/4/gravis toggle. I'll have to take another look, thanks.

[deepthaw]

You can also use misterfs to create a new drive with a shared folder. It is working although we have no setup guide at this moment

Intriguing. I think I'll tinker with this in particular this weekend. (I share almost everything with my MiSTer via the network because I don't like fiddling with the sdcard.)

[deepthaw]

In my Windows 10 I just double click a VHD and it is mounted as a drive... if its not a part of Windows 10 by standard, I guess I found a shell extension for it

I can't get my VHD to mount, but I created it in a pretty crummy way. I ran truncate in Linux to create a blank 512MB file with .vhd extension, then formatted it in MS-DOS 6.22... I've been adding stuff by mounting the vhd in DOSBox and using a mapped drive as an intermediary.

Probably an order of magnitude more work that I need.

[IAmParadox]

Are the beta cores assigning a joystick even when one is not connected?

I'm trying to run a game that I'm pretty sure has keyboard support but it goes to a joystick calibration screen that I cant get past. I've tried hooking up a "joystick" (8bitdo m30 - bluetooth) and it doesn't register button presses no matter what mode it's set to (2btn / 4btn / gravis). Tested in Doom and it picks up the joystick fine.

The keyboard can emulate a joystick, press the scroll lock key.

[breiztiger]

report : 2ndreality doesn't work anymore with last build
(black screen, you can't select config)

last build on it work is cache37

edit : work with cache40

[Caldor]

In my Windows 10 I just double click a VHD and it is mounted as a drive... if its not a part of Windows 10 by standard, I guess I found a shell extension for it

I can't get my VHD to mount, but I created it in a pretty crummy way. I ran truncate in Linux to create a blank 512MB file with .vhd extension, then formatted it in MS-DOS 6.22... I've been adding stuff by mounting the vhd in DOSBox and using a mapped drive as an intermediary.

Probably an order of magnitude more work that I need.

I made some freeware VHDs. One has FreeDOS and a lot of extra FreeDOS software, and there are some images with shareware games for windows and DOS. Also all the files needed to install Daemon Tools or Alcohol 120% in Windows so you can use CD images, even ones with CD audio.

http://dionysus.dk/software/DOS/

[Jayde Six]

The keyboard can emulate a joystick, press the scroll lock key.

Didn't wind up working for me, still stuck at calibration, but I appreciate the help, I also couldn't find any option to disable the joystick. This game just doesn't like the joystick implementation of the core.

[rhester72]

I wish standard analog sticks were still recognized at all - I need my X-Wing! :/ (Yes, I know you can play with a mouse. No, I won't.)

[NightShadowPT]

And as published by FPGAZumSpass on Twitter, here’s the latest (and probably last) performance update due to the optimization of cache:

EemHncoWkAcuL46.png (76.7 KiB) Viewed 9592 times

The work done by all the devs on this one has enabled this core to become almost 4x more performant... thanks for all the hard work. The community appreciates it...

[rsn8887]

yep descent 1/2 crashes dos4gw.

Same with Star Wars TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM.

TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM works for me, even in Hi-Res (the joystick is not recognised, but I didn't manage to get joystick support working in X-Wing or TIE Fighter in any version with any of the Cache versions).

Tie Fighter Colllector's CD 94/95 and X Wing Collector's CD 94/95 works for me. Joystick also works, just do the calibration in the menu with 2 button stick selected and left analog stick mapped in MiSTer.

[Chris23235]

Same with Star Wars TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM.

TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM works for me, even in Hi-Res (the joystick is not recognised, but I didn't manage to get joystick support working in X-Wing or TIE Fighter in any version with any of the Cache versions).

Tie Fighter Colllector's CD 94/95 and X Wing Collector's CD 94/95 works for me. Joystick also works, just do the calibration in the menu with 2 button stick selected and left analog stick mapped in MiSTer.

Can you explain how you do this? Whenever I launch X-Wing or TIE-Fighter (regardless if Floppy or CD version), the game doesn't recognise my Gamepad. I can bring up the callibration screen by pressing ALT+C when the game is running, but here no buttons presses or stick movements are recognised.

[rhester72]

TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM works for me, even in Hi-Res (the joystick is not recognised, but I didn't manage to get joystick support working in X-Wing or TIE Fighter in any version with any of the Cache versions).

Tie Fighter Colllector's CD 94/95 and X Wing Collector's CD 94/95 works for me. Joystick also works, just do the calibration in the menu with 2 button stick selected and left analog stick mapped in MiSTer.

Can you explain how you do this? Whenever I launch X-Wing or TIE-Fighter (regardless if Floppy or CD version), the game doesn't recognise my Gamepad. I can bring up the callibration screen by pressing ALT+C when the game is running, but here no buttons presses or stick movements are recognised.

With the floppy version, I can press a button to get out of the Alt-C calibration screen, but it has no effect. I've tried 2 and 4 button, Gravis (just to see if it did anything), (re)defined the buttons in MiSTer, redefined the buttons in ao486, reset player assignment...nothing helps.

[Goingdown]

With the floppy version, I can press a button to get out of the Alt-C calibration screen, but it has no effect. I've tried 2 and 4 button, Gravis (just to see if it did anything), (re)defined the buttons in MiSTer, redefined the buttons in ao486, reset player assignment...nothing helps.

Have you mapped your controller in menu core? And in ao486 core as well? Does controller work when mapping? And does it work in other cores?