MiSTer FPGA Forum

New Computer core

Many thanks, I will give this one a try for sure. There were so many computers in the first boom phase of the 1980s. It's really fun to be able to try them all on one device.

This one is really special: The SV-328 is the design on which the MSX standard was based. http://www.samdal.com/svhistory.htm

tontonkaloun wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:50 pm New Computer core

That's great, many thanks for that!

My HDMI screen does not look like it synchronizing: MISTer freshly booted I get some white bands white and some smaller with some color scrolling rapidly. If I start another core before I get a black screen or a screen with slowly moving colored bands (small dark blue, large purple, small red, large yellow, small green and large light blue). I tried to PrintScreen it but get a 1 x 1 pixel png. The monitor is in 1080p (60Hz).

Interesting, are there plans to get this into Main?

Which folder names should be used for games/roms ?

tontonkaloun wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:50 pm New Computer core

Nice! What VDP code are you using?

I commissioned a decap of the 9918A in order to provide hopefully enough material for people who could make sense of it (that excludes me) to study the fine details of the chip, in order to make an accurate replica.

https://siliconpr0n.org/archive/doku.ph ... tms9918anl

I also got quite some information from someone. Unfortunately I can't publish everything I got. https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/hard ... ent-399865

I also wrote a test for MSX to check some software-detectable fine-grained behaviours of the chip. The MSX1 core by Fabio Belavenuto can't run it; the official MSX core reports significant differences. The OpenMSX software emulator results differ from the real machines, but not so much as the core. https://codeberg.org/pgimeno/vdptest . The test is specific for MSX, in that it depends on MSX instruction timings, assuming M1 wait states. I don't know if the SV-328 has the same timings as the MSX. If so, maybe it can be run in this core.

virtuali wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:00 pm Which folder names should be used for games/roms ?

SV328 worked for me.

PUt the .rom file in that directory and name it 'boot.rom'

zakk4223 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:05 am ...
PUt the .rom file in that directory and name it 'boot.rom'

Who would have thought about that? The zip contains only 2 files Svi328_20210413.rbf and Svi328.rom, no readme.
Thanks, now I get a real screen with SV extended BASIC version 1.1, much better than my previous try.

You can follow that core from here: http://www.retrowiki.es/viewtopic.php?f=109&t=200036887

That's a testing release. New version with corrected timmings and fixes will be posted soon.
Also a testing release for SiDi.

Regards, ron-.

WOOOAAAA! That came out of nowhere!!! Awesome! I'm super happy with this.

The SVI-328 was my second computer after my VIC-20. All the hardware and software was on sale at the time. I had the computer, super expander, 64K expansion, centronics interface, floppy interface and drive, Coleco adapter and graphics tablet.

Sold most of it when I got my Amiga, but still have the super expander, Coleco interface, MSX interface, floppy drive (if it still works) and a few games. Bought a boxed 328 again years ago.

I wrote a lot of software for it, like a very extensive drawing application, a 3D modeling and animation application (wireframe) and a workbench-like desktop that worked with the tablet. Gave all that away when I sold the machine, sadly.

I see a lot (if not most) of the software I can find for this is .cas. Is there a way to load those into this core?

zakk4223 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:33 am I see a lot (if not most) of the software I can find for this is .cas. Is there a way to load those into this core?

I have lots of cas files as well, I used to mostly have tapes for it. I only have a few cartridge files.

@LamerDeluxe, interresting, do you have the list of gaming contents can used with all expansions available ?
Thanks !

wark91 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 9:39 am @LamerDeluxe, interresting, do you have the list of gaming contents can used with all expansions available ?
Thanks !

I don't think any of the games used the memory expansion, that was probably meant for the serious applications. Not sure if the CP/M support could use it. The drawing application I made used the 64K memory expansion, it had to use bank switching to be able to do that.

As for the tablet, it came with its own drawing software. That software wasn't very good, which prompted me to write my own, which had filtering to reduce jitter and detection for when you accidentally rested your hand on it.

As far as I know, the Coleco Vision adapter supports all games but the MSX adapter doesn't, I don't know if there is a list of what is supported. That last one is an odd one, I didn't get it to work, because I didn't have a manual. I recently realized I can now just download that so I might see if it works.

The ToSec collection has most games in it. I have a file called 'SVI-3x8_new_rom.zip' that contains a few extra cartridge roms.

Thanks for those informations !

new release of the core

tontonkaloun wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:52 pm new release of the core

Very cool. Can we get this into the mister repo, let me know your github id and I can get your permissions.

alanswx wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:43 pm

tontonkaloun wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:52 pm new release of the core

Very cool. Can we get this into the mister repo, let me know your github id and I can get your permissions.

Hello,

There is a misunderstanding,
It"s not me who develops this Core.
I just share !! :

"....Here is the first public release so that you can get practice with the Spectravideo 328

From the hand of RetroVader (Yo_Me) and NeuroRulez who have been the fine tuners !!!!..."

Latest Core Version of today.... by now...

Ay Chip exchanged for the Jotego AY JT49.

F8 -> Break Key

Vdp configured as PAL chip.
Some keys are missing, numeric pad, and so...

Test and report!!

PD : Just a little intro to the core... It starts as a Proof of Concept of transform a Coleco Core as a SVI-328... So starting from the coleco core, SVI-328 info and schematics... that's the result.

pgimeno wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:35 pm Nice! What VDP code are you using?

It comes from the Coleco Mister Core.

Is there any chance that this core will support cas files? There does not seem to be many cartridge roms around but cas files are plentyfull.
I tested the first update of the day and will test the second one later this evening.
Thanks for your work.

There is an interesting tool allowing MSX roms to run on SVI328 but it only produces CAS files. It also looks like the boot rom has to be replaced by the one provided.
https://www.msx.org/downloads/utilities ... loader-svi

jca wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:32 pm Is there any chance that this core will support cas files? There does not seem to be many cartridge roms around but cas files are plentyfull.
I tested the first update of the day and will test the second one later this evening.
Thanks for your work.

I will take a look. I cannot promise, but will try.
Meanwhile you can convert it to wav.

jca wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:53 pm There is an interesting tool allowing MSX roms to run on SVI328 but it only produces CAS files. It also looks like the boot rom has to be replaced by the one provided.
https://www.msx.org/downloads/utilities ... loader-svi

Very interesting. Thank You!!

I started to test the latest version. First impression: with the new sound chip the sound volume is way down, at the limit of audibility.
I have only very few roms which limit the testing possible. You mentioned converting cas to wav, but how do you load them?
The addition of a floppy would also allow running CP/M.
But only the loading of cas would be a big plus as I have only 5 bin and a bunch of cas.

jca wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:03 pm I started to test the latest version. First impression: with the new sound chip the sound volume is way down, at the limit of audibility.
I have only very few roms which limit the testing possible. You mentioned converting cas to wav, but how do you load them?
The addition of a floppy would also allow running CP/M.
But only the loading of cas would be a big plus as I have only 5 bin and a bunch of cas.

Although the memory is expanded to the maximum, for this you would have to implement the bus, implement the disk controller and a crtc6845 as an 80-column card.

Personally for CP/M, I prefer to use Rememotech (Memotech MTX), are not so different computers

We're using MaxDuino with option -b13 for TSX play.

jca wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:03 pmI have only very few roms which limit the testing possible. You mentioned converting cas to wav, but how do you load them?

I guess this means it supports the ADC in board. I should try this.

Yes, it supports tape audio in.

I suspected something like that but as I did not see anything related to ADC in the menu I was wondering.
Note: I do not have the audio in jack so I have no idea of what you have to do in the menu to load the file.
I think I have to jerry rig something to try.