MiSTer FPGA Forum

Hello Everyone,
I own several 5"1/4 that I was using when I was at school on my Tandy 1000HX, they are called EuroProf software.
They are educational software relatively well done (unfortunately they are only in French)

Anyway, in a preservation aim, I dumped them to several 360kb disk images.
I then wanted to run them on my Mister and I faced to one issue with some screens (I guess the 640x200)
I run them on my real Tandy 1000 and also the images on 86BOX w/o any issue.

I do not know if I can share the disk images here but at least here are some pictures showing the issue.

This is the screen that I have on my real Tandy or on 86Box,

This is the screen that I have with the PCXT core

The other screens (which seem to be lowres) are fine on the PCXT core (same as on the Tandy or 86Box)
Below is under 86box

Below in with the Mister

For information those programs are running with the Tandy basic (the one coming from the dos tandy or supplied on the disks)

I imagine that it won't be easy to debug w/o having my disk images. I'm willing to share it/them of course but only if I'm allowed to.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Curious, I'll take a look at it when I can. Can you try just in case with a previous version of the core, before the CRTC module was changed?

thank you @spark2k06,
Sure will try this evening and will keep you posted.

spark2k06 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:50 pm

Curious, I'll take a look at it when I can. Can you try just in case with a previous version of the core, before the CRTC module was changed?

Just tried with the 20/01/2023 revision and still same issue.

kathleen wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:57 pm

spark2k06 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:50 pm

Curious, I'll take a look at it when I can. Can you try just in case with a previous version of the core, before the CRTC module was changed?

Just tried with the 20/01/2023 revision and still same issue.

Thank you, please provide me with the image privately and as soon as I have some time I'll take a look to see if I can find out something.

spark2k06 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 5:15 am

kathleen wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:57 pm

spark2k06 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:50 pm

Curious, I'll take a look at it when I can. Can you try just in case with a previous version of the core, before the CRTC module was changed?

Just tried with the 20/01/2023 revision and still same issue.

Thank you, please provide me with the image privately and as soon as I have some time I'll take a look to see if I can find out something.

Thank you so much in advance.
PM sent

This is due to the version of the Tandy BIOS used. For compatibility, the core requires version 1.01.00 but the software you are talking about uses something it doesn't have... however, try version 1.03.00 and you will see that it works:

http://retrograde.inf.ua/tandyroms.htm

For this software you can use this version, but you will see many incompatibilities if you try to use this ROM with the core on a regular basis.

thank you @spark2k06,

I've just tried with the 1.03.00 Bios and I do confirm that the programs work with this Bios on my side as well.
Unfortunately not really usable on a long term as you mentioned for incompatibilities concerns with other apps/games.

It's a shame than not only one Bios can run everything. But at least it is good to have the option to change the Bios once needed for dedicated software.

kathleen wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 5:51 pm

thank you @spark2k06,

I've just tried with the 1.03.00 Bios and I do confirm that the programs work with this Bios on my side as well.
Unfortunately not really usable on a long term as you mentioned for incompatibilities concerns with other apps/games.

It's a shame than not only one Bios can run everything. But at least it is good to have the option to change the Bios once needed for dedicated software.

Think that this core was thought from the beginning for PCXT, the compatibility with Tandy 1000 consider it a gift

spark2k06 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 6:07 pm

Think that this core was thought from the beginning for PCXT, the compatibility with Tandy 1000 consider it a gift

And it is a wonderful gift !

kathleen wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 5:51 pm

I've just tried with the 1.03.00 Bios and I do confirm that the programs work with this Bios on my side as well.
Unfortunately not really usable on a long term as you mentioned for incompatibilities concerns with other apps/games.

Maybe we should add a note to the core readme to say which software need a specific BIOS version?
(or link to a text file / google sheet with the info, to keep it easier to update)

Definitely only for power users, but it would be handy to have the info centralized.

Very good idea @Newsdee,

Is there already a shared spreadsheet listing the apps/games which are or aren't working under the core ? Or has it to be created ?