Uploading didn’t work Solution: Using chrome it had access to the usb port to upload, firefox didn’t work
The program didn’t compile, faulty or zero size hex file. Solution: Wrong Maqueen library was in the examples (After changing, needed version update also, see below)
Not everything is in Dutch (I like English, but this is for the boy), maqueen V2 needed a lot of translation. (So we joined https://crowdin.com/project/makecode/nl to help translating the libraries)
Apparently my AI camera can be connected to this robot!
The board seems to be a X Golden Board, except for the missing logo on the motherboard.
Downloaded pcxtbios and compiled the eproms native in linux. So i don´t have to use dosbox any more. https://github.com/virtualxt/pcxtbios
cd pcxtbios
edit make_linux.sh if needed
./make_linux.sh
and you should end up with
eproms/27512/basicfc.rom
eproms/27512/basicf8.rom
eproms/27512/basicf6.rom
eproms/27512/pcxtbios.rom
eproms/27512/basicfa.rom
eproms/27128/basicfc.rom
eproms/27128/basicf8.rom
eproms/27128/basicf6.rom
eproms/27128/pcxtbios.rom
eproms/27128/basicfa.rom
eproms/27256/basicfc.rom
eproms/27256/basicf8.rom
eproms/27256/basicf6.rom
eproms/27256/pcxtbios.rom
eproms/27256/basicfa.rom
eproms/ibmxt/u18.rom
eproms/ibmxt/u19.rom
eproms/2764/basicfc.rom
eproms/2764/basicf8.rom
eproms/2764/basicf6.rom
eproms/2764/pcxtbios.rom
eproms/2764/basicfa.rom
I didn’t have enough 28C64, but the 28C256 has the same pinout. It just lacks A14 and A13
So I flashed the compiled ROMs for basic to different Eeproms
When selling a large part of my computer collection I kept a few odd pieces.
Amongst those was a 8088 DIY machine.
It is a 50PTX3 motherboard with a 8088 compatible CPU
Power light (Not LED) and connected to power adaptor, not motherboard
Reset button??? not connected
Power switch
Mid center, 5v gnd and 12v
5.25″ drive not connected
Bottom
Tested the power adapter first, a nice 5V and 12V. Then I plugged the power in the Motherboard add plugged a test ISA card in the slot. After turning the machine on I saw the Address leds flashing
A NEC D70108C from 1984, which is 8088 pin compatible with Intel 8088 but faster, and has some extra functionality. The empty socket is for the 8087 Co-processor.
Nec V20 versus 8088
Everything pretty dirty
Rom 2764 (8Kb) and a disconnected speaker wire.
Adding an 8bit Isa hercules/CGA card.
It starts! .. But there is no Floppy controller (yet)
I’ve dumped the Bios to a file and used a hexeditor to play around. So that’s why there is a bad checksum.
Installing a ZIF socket (Zero Insertion Force) to make things easier to modify.
Burned GlaBios on the Eprom and now I can continue to play around.
So why? Why this all ..
I want to play around with old 8088 assembly code again, but not as I did before using a Dos machine, but hardcoded into Eproms. I’ve got 8 banks for ROMs and the source code for GlaBios is available.
In the past Edk and me wrote a boot demo, so it was not utilizing Ms-Dos functions. Maybe i can get some graphical and sound stuff working straight from the Bios.
Some commands:
# Dump the bios to file
minipro -w original.rom -p AT2764A@DIP28
xxd and hexdump to view the dump
I've used ghex to alter the ROM
# Write a new bios to a 28C64 (same Eeprom i've used for the C64 Cartridges)
minipro -w /home/henri/Downloads/MYROM -p AT28C64
I was planning to disassemble the Phoenix Bios, but it’s quite hard to differentiate between code and data, there are no named pointers and you have to interpret every line of code.
So GlaBios it is ..
First code to look at:
This is after the whole post reset.
There is a reset pointer at ffff:fffe
Which points to the bootstrap routine, which ends in below machine code.
I'm going to plug my own code over here.
(See the funny remark about Monster as being displayed in one of above pictures)
;----------------------------------------------------------------------------;
; INT 18 - Unbootable IPL
;----------------------------------------------------------------------------;
; Display a disk boot failure message and wait for a key to cold reboot.
;
; This may be re-vectored to ROM BASIC, if present.
;
; Size: 18 bytes
;----------------------------------------------------------------------------;
INT_18 PROC
ASSUME DS:_BDA_ABS
PRINT_SZ BOOT_FAIL ; print boot failure string
XOR AX, AX ; AH = 0 (wait for key)
MOV DS, AX ; DS = 0000
MOV WARM_FLAG_ABS, AX ; do a cold boot
INT 16H ; wait for key press
JMP BOOT ; reboot
INT_18 ENDP
BOOT ENDP
;----------------------------------------------------------------------------;
;
; END OF BIOS POST/BOOTSTRAP
;
;----------------------------------------------------------------------------;
ASSUME DS:_BDA
STRINGS PROC
;----------------------------------------------------------------------------;
; Banner Strings
;
BANNER_STRINGS PROC
IF POST_GLADOS EQ 1
BOOT_BEGIN DB CR, LF
DB 'Starting GLaDOS...'
NL2_Z DB LF ; two NL's, null term'd
ENDIF
NL_Z DB CR, LF, 0 ; one NL, null term'd
BOOT_FAIL DB 'Disk Boot Fail.'
DB ' You monster.'
NL2_ANY_KEY DB LF
NL_ANY_KEY DB CR, LF
ANY_KEY DB 'Press the Any Key'
DB '...'
Assembly stuff
I’ve got Dosbox installed on my machine.
git clone https://github.com/640-KB/GLaBIOS.git I copied MASM.EXE and LINK.EXE in the GLaBios src directory.
edit make.bat
change MASM GLABIOS; into MASM /DVER_DATE=”05/24/23″ /DARCH_TYPE=”T” /DCPU_TYPE=”V” GLABIOS;
Started drawing a Cassette interface in Kicad. This so i can read back my old cassettes with programs. (And write some new stuff)
I’m planning to buy a small micro cassette player. With schematic below, I’m going to use it as save/load device. But also with the same player, I’m going to convert the tape to a wave file, and try to decode the program using python.
While I’m at it, reading the old manuals, a RS-232 interface would be nice also!
UPDATE 20231016
This is the final version
Information about the 7655A. A eprom WITH IO ports! Amazing piece of history hardware.
JiffyDOS is an enhanced DOS for the C64. The software is programmed onto ROM chips that replace the Kernal ROM chip on the motherboard and the DOS ROM chip in the disk drive. JiffyDOS is intended to provide greater speed, commands and convenience than on stock systems.
The 1541 drive is a computer on its own, using a 6502 and VIA chips. (See other pages) (C64 uses a 6510, that is the same slightly modified version of the 6502) A cool example of the drive being an OS/computer on its own: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zprSxCMlECA
Some notes:
I want to use a larger rom and using the higher address lines as kernal selector. Address line A13 and A14 can be used as selector
There is a schematic out there using runstop at boottime to do de selection of the rom part
Did I misspell kernel? NO (Below from Wikipedia)
The KERNAL was known as kernel inside of Commodore since the PET days, but in 1980 Robert Russell misspelled the word as kernal in his notebooks. When Commodore technical writers Neil Harris and Andy Finkel collected Russell’s notes and used them as the basis for the VIC-20 programmer’s manual, the misspelling followed them along and stuck.
Original Kernal: 901227-03 8-kilobyte 2364 ROM 4K * 8 bits PROM
28C265 = 32K * 8bits
Diffference in ROM size AND there are some other pin placements.
V0.1
Romselect should be /(a15 * a14 * a13) depending on ram/rom switch.
SEL0
SEL1
0
0
rom0
0
1
rom1
1
0
rom2
1
1
rom3
$E000-$FFFF – ROM 57344-65535
KERNAL ROM or RAM area (8192 bytes); depends on the value of bits #0-#2 of the processor port at memory address $0001 $FFFA-$FFFF – hardware vectors
Last week I got my 1.2MB 5.25″ drive. And tested it with the fluxengine. Now i can read old 5.25″ disks again. And convert these to disk images. Amiga/Atari ST/C64 (single side) and my old MSDos disks. (That’s what I’m using, the fluxengine can read many more)
Why single side C64? you ask? Those are flippy disks, that means they are single sided and you flip the disk in the drive to read the other side.
Why can’t the fluxengine read those?
There is only one sensor in my drive.
Reading side 2 without turning the disk won’t work, the sectors are in reverse! (Maybe there is a trick to read in reverse? Fluxengine is reading and decoding raw disk sectors, but i have to read into this)
Note: The 1541 Drive for the commodore’s is a complete 6502 computer with 2x 6522 VIA and ram/rom chips! (2016-15 2K x 8 bit Static RAM / 27128 16kb x 8)
I started printing the bottom, no problem there. But because of the large size of bottom and top. (Both about a day of printing) I had to change the filament. But I didn’t have a good look at what I took! Below is what you get when printing PLA and switch to PETG!
Temperatures for PLA: Tool: 200 and bed 50 Temperatures for PETG: Tool: 240 and bed 70
So 12 hours printing and I had to start again.
I could not remove the knob, else I would have removed the beige front and spray painted this black.
Make an initial cell the current cell
mark it as visited
While there are unvisited cells
If the current cell has any neighbours
which have not been visited
Choose randomly one of the unvisited neighbours
Push the current cell to the stack
Mark wall hole
Make the chosen cell the current cell
mark it as visited
Else if stack is not empty
Pop a cell from the stack
Make it the current cell
This is my implementation of backtracking
The displaymatrix function is a implementation of different led mappings
Still have to decide where to place endpoint … At 8,8 or at first stack pop? Maybe both?
Code
#include <WEMOS_Matrix_LED.h>
#include <StackArray.h>
int directions[4]{};
int notalldone = 1;
int tmpx=0;
int tmpy=0;
int x = 1;
int y = 1;
MLED mled(5); //set intensity=5
int maze[8][8] = {
};
int displaymatrix[8][8] = {
{ 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 },
{ 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 },
{16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23},
{24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31},
{32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39},
{40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47},
{48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55},
{56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63}
};
int visitmatrix[10][10] = {
1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,
1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
};
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
randomSeed(analogRead(0));
mazegen();
drawmaze();
}
void mazegen(){
visitmatrix[x][y]=1;
StackArray <int> rowStack;
StackArray <int> colStack;
rowStack.push(x);
colStack.push(y);
while(notalldone == 1){
visitmatrix[x][y]=1;
while(!rowStack.isEmpty()) {
int count=0;
//up
if ( visitmatrix[x-1][y] == 0 ){
directions[count]=1;
count++;
}
//right
if ( visitmatrix[x][y+1] == 0 ){
directions[count]=2;
count++;
}
//down
if ( visitmatrix[x+1][y] == 0 ){
directions[count]=4;
count++;
}
//left
if ( visitmatrix[x][y-1] == 0 ){
directions[count]=8;
count++;
}
// no dir found
if (count == 0 ) {
mled.dot(x-1,y-1);
mled.display();
x = rowStack.pop();
y = colStack.pop();
Serial.println("popping ");
} else {
// count random direction
int dir = directions[random(count)];
Serial.println("push ");
rowStack.push(x);
colStack.push(y);
Serial.print("nr dir : ");
Serial.println(count);
//delay(100);
Serial.println(dir);
// move 1,1 to 0,0
mled.dot(x-1,y-1);
mled.display();
// set direction in maze, dit moet bit set worden
int mybits = maze[x-1][y-1];
int storedir = mybits | dir;
maze[x-1][y-1] = storedir;
if ( dir == 1){
int getup = maze[x-2][y-1];
int storedir = getup | 4;
maze[x-2][y-1] = storedir;
}
if ( dir == 2){
int getup = maze[x-1][y];
int storedir = getup | 8;
maze[x-1][y] = storedir;
}
if ( dir == 4){
int getup = maze[x][y-1];
int storedir = getup | 1;
maze[x][y-1] = storedir;
}
if ( dir == 8){
int getup = maze[x-1][y-2];
int storedir = getup | 2;
maze[x-1][y-2] = storedir;
}
// maze[x-1][y-1] = dir;
//set new square
if (dir == 1){ x--; }
if (dir == 2){ y++; }
if (dir == 4){ x++; }
if (dir == 8){ y--; }
visitmatrix[x][y]=1;
drawmaze();
}
}
notalldone = 0; //#2
// if found 0 in 10x10 matrix visited, do
for(int checkx=0;checkx<10;checkx++){
for(int checky=0;checky<10;checky++){
if ( visitmatrix[checkx][checky] == 0 ){
tmpx=x;
tmpy=y;
notalldone = 1;
}
}
}
}
rowStack.push(tmpx);
colStack.push(tmpy);
}
void drawmaze(){
Serial.println("Generating done - Drawing");
for(int ledx=0;ledx<8;ledx++)
{
for(int ledy=0;ledy<8;ledy++){
Serial.print(maze[ledx][ledy]);
if ( maze[ledx][ledy] != 0 ) {
mled.dot(ledx,ledy); // draw dot
mled.display();
// delay(50);
}
}
Serial.println("");
}
Serial.println("");
delay(100);
}
void loop() {
}
While doing stuff like, making our home a little greener. Smoking meat. Working on diorama’s and my Escape game. I found time to make this little maze game.
Using an ESP32, mini joystick and a 8×8 led matrix. The objective is to get to the other side of the invisible maze.
It is a blind maze, so you have to figure out the path by trail and error. I found it quite fun and entertaining. (Coline had a hard time finishing the mode 3 maze)
I’ve got 3 settings on the maze: 0 – There is a trail where you have been. 1 – No trail, but only red leds showing walls. 2 – No trail, red reds and a reset to square 0,0 .. so you have to remember the path you previously took.
I’ll add code and schematics tomorrow …
Light blue shows you where you have been
Mode 2 game, reset when hitting a wall
Hitting the end block!
Maze is static at the moment, i’m planning to implement a “Recursive division method” to generate the maze.
Code
#include <Arduino.h>
#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>
// joystick pins
int up=33;
int down=25;
int left=32;
int right=26;
int cursor=32;
// 0 easy = trail // 1 only red walls // 2 = reset to 0.0
int mode=2;
//int trail=32;
int trail=0;
// Which pin on the Arduino is connected to the NeoPixels?
#define LED_PIN 2
// How many NeoPixels are attached to the Arduino?
#define LED_COUNT 64
// Declare our NeoPixel strip object:
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip(LED_COUNT, LED_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
// bits set opening in square
// 2
// -----
// 1 | | 4
// -----
// 0
// so 5 is a passage from left to right (1+4)
int maze[8][8] = {
4,5,3,6,5,5,5,3,
6,5,11,12,5,3,6,9,
14,1,12,5,3,10,12,1,
12,5,5,3,10,12,5,3,
2,6,5,9,14,5,1,10,
10,10,6,5,9,6,5,9,
12,11,10,6,1,10,6,1,
4,9,12,13,5,13,13,1,
};
int displaymatrix[8][8] = {
{ 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 },
{ 15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8 },
{16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23},
{31,30,29,28,27,26,25,24},
{32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39},
{47,46,45,44,43,42,41,40},
{48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55},
{63,62,61,60,59,58,57,56}
};
int x = 0;
int y = 0;
void setup() {
// joy
pinMode(32, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(33, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(25, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(26, INPUT_PULLUP);
// mode set with jumpers
pinMode(34, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(35, INPUT_PULLUP);
Serial.begin(115200);
strip.begin();
strip.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off'
strip.setBrightness(10);
// set begin and end pixel
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, 255);
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[7][7], 0, 255, 0);
strip.show();
//mode select
if (digitalRead(34) == 0) {
mode=0;
if (digitalRead(35) == 0) {
mode=2;
} else {
mode=1;
}
// finish effect
uint32_t Wheel(byte WheelPos) {
WheelPos = 255 - WheelPos;
if(WheelPos < 85) {
return strip.Color(255 - WheelPos * 3, 0, WheelPos * 3);
}
if(WheelPos < 170) {
WheelPos -= 85;
return strip.Color(0, WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3);
}
WheelPos -= 170;
return strip.Color(WheelPos * 3, 255 - WheelPos * 3, 0);
}
// reset to start (mode 2)
void reset2start() {
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, 0);
strip.show();
x = 0;
y = 0;
strip.begin();
strip.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off'
strip.setBrightness(10);
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, 255);
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[7][7], 0, 255, 0);
strip.show();
}
// finish effect
void rainbow(uint8_t wait) {
uint16_t i, j;
for(j=0; j<256; j++) {
for(i=0; i<strip.numPixels(); i++) {
strip.setPixelColor(i, Wheel((i+j) & 255));
}
strip.show();
delay(wait);
}
}
void loop() {
int isUp = (bitRead(maze[x][y], 1));
int isRight = (bitRead(maze[x][y], 2));
int isDown = (bitRead(maze[x][y], 3));
int isLeft = (bitRead(maze[x][y], 0));
if (digitalRead(up) == 0) {
if (isUp == 1){
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, trail);
x++;
if ( x > 7) { x=7;}
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, 255);
strip.show();
} else {
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 255, 0, 0);
strip.show();
if (mode == 2){
delay(1000);
reset2start();
}
}
}
if (digitalRead(down) == 0) {
if (isDown == 1){
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, trail);
x--;
if ( x < 0) { x=0;}
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, 255);
strip.show();
} else {
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 255, 0, 0);
strip.show();
if (mode == 2){
delay(1000);
reset2start();
}
}
}
if (digitalRead(left) == 0) {
if (isLeft == 1){
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, trail);
y--;
if ( y < 0) { y=0;}
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, 255);
strip.show();
} else {
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 255, 0, 0);
strip.show();
if (mode == 2){
delay(1000);
reset2start();
}
}
}
if (digitalRead(right) == 0) {
if (isRight == 1){
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, trail);
y++;
if ( y > 7) { y=7;}
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 0, 0, 255);
strip.show();
} else {
strip.setPixelColor(displaymatrix[x][y], 255, 0, 0);
strip.show();
if (mode == 2){
delay(1000);
reset2start();
}
}
}
if (x ==7 && y == 7){
strip.begin();
strip.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off'
rainbow(20);
}
delay(200);
}
When you need a large digital joystick, but only got an analog one. You can use below code to make the joystick act as a digital one.
I’ve played with analog joysticks on digital pins also, it can be done. But it can be buggy, and needs extra code.
Note: The joystick pins are marked with 5V, but when you use a Arduino which can only read till 3.3V using its ADC (Analog Digital Convertors), you can get some weird readings. When moving down and left is reads okay, but up and right react as being connected together! Just try it with 3.3V or use a resistor.
Above shows a ESP32, but below code has Arduino Nano pin names, change accordingly.
CODE
The code gives you a direction only once, you will need to move the stick to the middle position first and then move again.
Below gave me readings between 0 and 1024 (10 bits) Hence the between 350 and 650 for the middle position.
Most will give you a reading between 0 and 4096.
Want to set the resolution yourself?
analogReadResolution(10); // 10 bits
int val1 =0;
int val2 =0;
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop()
{
int sensorValue1 = analogRead(A0);
int sensorValue2 = analogRead(A1);
if (sensorValue1 > 650){
if (val1 == 0){
Serial.print("DOWN");
Serial.println(" ");
val1=1;
}
}
else if (sensorValue1 < 350){
if (val1 == 0){
Serial.print("UP");
Serial.println(" ");
val1=1;
}
}
else if (sensorValue2 > 350 && sensorValue2 < 650){
val1=0;
}
if (sensorValue2 > 650){
if (val2 == 0){
Serial.print("LEFT");
Serial.println(" ");
val2=1;
}
}
else if (sensorValue2 < 350){
if (val2 == 0){
Serial.print("RIGHT");
Serial.println(" ");
val2=1;
}
}
else if (sensorValue2 > 350 && sensorValue2 < 650){
val2=0;
}
delay(100);
}
"If something is worth doing, it's worth overdoing."