HDCPM - boot and run CP/M plus from hard disk

[d_kef]

@ikonsgr you use a realy old version of HDCPM. Please download and test the latest one v1.11 from the HDCPM wiki page. Also use the CP/M disk images from the "Other downloads" section, as they contain a system file that doesn't check for the 6128 ROM.
Let me know if it works.

@Gryzor please remove the old releases files from the first post and also the sentence "Latest release: v1.05 July 2022". They're really misleading.

d_kef

Done.

There are still a couple of files left.

d_kef

[Gryzor]

@ikonsgr you use a realy old version of HDCPM. Please download and test the latest one v1.11 from the HDCPM wiki page. Also use the CP/M disk images from the "Other downloads" section, as they contain a system file that doesn't check for the 6128 ROM.
Let me know if it works.

@Gryzor please remove the old releases files from the first post and also the sentence "Latest release: v1.05 July 2022". They're really misleading.

d_kef

Done.

There are still a couple of files left.

d_kef

You didn't tell me to delete them all. Please be more specific next time. Should I remove them all now?

[d_kef]

@ikonsgr you use a realy old version of HDCPM. Please download and test the latest one v1.11 from the HDCPM wiki page. Also use the CP/M disk images from the "Other downloads" section, as they contain a system file that doesn't check for the 6128 ROM.
Let me know if it works.

@Gryzor please remove the old releases files from the first post and also the sentence "Latest release: v1.05 July 2022". They're really misleading.

d_kef

Done.

There are still a couple of files left.

d_kef

You didn't tell me to delete them all. Please be more specific next time. Should I remove them all now?

Obviously I wasn't very clear. Yes please delete them all. They are old files. All new files are now in the wiki page.
Many thanks.

d_kef

[pollito]

@ikonsgr can I trade my old ULIfAC board in for a C3 one? 

[ikonsgr]

@ikonsgr can I trade my old ULIfAC board in for a C3 one? 

 Well, i suppose you can sell the old ULIfAC board to get the new one 
Currently, the only working board, is the prototype development board shown in the photo (with the raster and a bunch of chips, wires etc).
As this was quite an extensive modification of ULIfAC board (new ic's  were added, others were modified),  it will take some time until the new board will be available.   

[pollito]

@ikonsgr can I trade my old ULIfAC board in for a C3 one? 

 Well, i suppose you can sell the old ULIfAC board to get the new one 
Currently, the only working board, is the prototype development board shown in the photo (with the raster and a bunch of chips, wires etc).
As this was quite an extensive modification of ULIfAC board (new ic's  were added, others were modified),  it will take some time until the new board will be available.   

I was only messing around and will be using my ULIfAC in my second CPC when (if?) I get it up and running!

The C3 will be a great upgrade for 464 users in future. However, I found that when using HDCPM with a 464 even with a Revaldinho RAM expansion in C3 mode, and the 6128 ROMs present, that I got the same error as you about the program not working in this environment (see page 8 of this thread). It wasn't until @d_kef updated HDCPM with the Dk'Tronics patched version of CPM3SEMI.EMS that it would boot. Now it works with or without C3 mode enabled.

This means that 464 owners of the existing ULIfAC should be able to run the latest version of HDCPM without any issue. I will test it this weekend if I have time.

[ikonsgr]

The C3 will be a great upgrade for 464 users in future. However, I found that when using HDCPM with a 464 even with a Revaldinho RAM expansion in C3 mode, and the 6128 ROMs present, that I got the same error as you about the program not working in this environment (see page 8 of this thread). It wasn't until @d_kef updated HDCPM with the Dk'Tronics patched version of CPM3SEMI.EMS that it would boot. Now it works with or without C3 mode enabled.

This means that 464 owners of the existing ULIfAC should be able to run the latest version of HDCPM without any issue. I will test it this weekend if I have time.

Wow, if there would be a patched cp/m+ version that don't use C3 mode, that would be great indeed, although i'm not sure that this patched version of CPM3SEMI.EMS you mention eliminates the need of C3 mode... In any case, i'vet tested the revised ULIfAC with 6128 roms mounted, and everything still cp/m+ worked great on CPC 464 

[d_kef]

Again, there is no way whatsoever,for CP/M Plus to work without #C3 mode unless you write your own BIOS.
CPM3SEMI.EMS uses the normal Amstrad BIOS v1.0

d_kef

[ikonsgr]

CPM3SEMI.EMS uses the normal Amstrad BIOS v1.0

Does this patch remove the need to have CPC6128 roms you told us earlier?
In anycase, my implementation of C3 mode, doesn't mess with 6128 or any ROMS, as the "patch" i'm using for the c3 mode (= force A15 bit from low to high in order to write internal video ram @C000-&FFFF =>A15=1, when Z80 access &4000-&7FFF memory range=> A15=0,) is deactivated automatically every time "rom enable" signal (=read byte form rom) is active 
When i will have the new board ready, i'll make you a small presentation for the way i finally manage to make the notorious "C3 mode" REALLY work on a CPC 464, it was the most difficult project after the low level emulation of 765 FDC for USIfAC/ULIfAC! And the most difficult part, was the requirement to write on INTERNAL video ram (even if you use a 64k block of the 512k external ram as replacement of internal ram, also known as "shadow ram") , simply because 6845 CRT controller can access ONLY the REAL internal video ram! This results to a very weird phenomenon when using shadow ram, where all read/writes of Z80 to video ram access the "Shadow" internal video ram,  everything looks fine, but in the end, you DONT get the correct screen, simply because  6845 CRT still access independently ONLY the REAL internal video ram!! 

[d_kef]

CP/M Plus uses the printer routines in the lower ROM for sure.
I don't remember if it uses anything else.
It doesn't use the Basic ROM and it certainly doesn't use the AMSDOS ROM which is used exclusively by CP/M 2.2 (and Basic).
I don't know if the routines entry points are the same for all lower ROM versions.
Anyway the only noticeable difference when you use the 464 ROM is that if you run AMSDOS.COM to return to Basic then the 464 will crash because the 464 firmware ROM doesn't know anything about the extra RAM and its paging mechanism so it will not reset to RAM mode #C0 and it will try to start Basic from mode #C3.
That being said, I think that the best practice is to use the 6128 ROMS just in case...

d_kef

[pollito]

Again, there is no way whatsoever,for CP/M Plus to work without #C3 mode unless you write your own BIOS.
CPM3SEMI.EMS uses the normal Amstrad BIOS v1.0

d_kef

HDCPM works fine on my 464 in either DK'Tronics or C3 with a Revaldinho 512K RAM expansion and an M4 card.

DK'Tronics:


C3:


As you can (hopefully) see, in DK'Tronics mode, it has 59K TPA and 444K RAM drive. In C3 mode, it has 59K TPA and a 254K RAM drive. HDCPM rom version is v1.11.

I've tried running AMSDOS.COM in DK mode, and it returns to BASIC fine.

Let me know if you want me to test anything in this mode so we can prove/disprove if it's fully working or not.

[d_kef]

@pollito the Dk'tronics mode in @revaldinho Universal RAM card is #C3 mode compatible as the original Dk'tronics expansion. 
So in both cases you have #C3 mode enabled (switch 2 on)
The shadow RAM (switch 1 on) is used to make #C3 mode "more" compatible wirh certain kind of software (not CP/M Plus)

d_kef

[pollito]

@pollito the Dk'tronics mode in @revaldinho Universal RAM card is #C3 mode compatible as the original Dk'tronics expansion.
So in both cases you have #C3 mode enabled (switch 2 on)
The shadow RAM (switch 1 on) is used to make #C3 mode "more" compatible wirh certain kind of software (not CP/M Plus)

d_kef

Ah okay, I thought that only the Full Shadow mode was C3. I tried in FutureOS mode, with only switch 1 enabled (so switch 2 off), and HDCPM still booted fine, but with all switches off, it resets after showing the C> prompt. Anyway, I stand corrected.