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+--- Thread: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard (/thread-745.html)
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - ChickenMan - 14-01-2024
Thanks someone, I can confirm that your code to select the different 4k parts in the NET rom works great. I put the machine code part in the first line of the Basic menu, which was a REM statement and used a USR call to it. All working great, thanks. The first 2 slots has Telcom as per a PR85 and now the next 14 x 4k slots have 14 small 4k games in them and all accessed from Page 4 of my Menu.
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - ChickenMan - 17-01-2024
The correct memory arrived yesterday so now in the process to see what games dont work and to then fix the code/menu. So I have 65 games to test out and still havent filled all the eproms yet.
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - ChickenMan - 26-01-2024
The new RAM fitted and working well. So have been busy writing out a heap of PAK eproms full of games, so far I have PAKA to PAKL full as well as the NET eprom. I've put the SuperPAK board in my Premium PC85. I then setup PAK A and PAK B ( thats PAK0 to PAK15) to be exactly the same as a Premium PC85 using the ROMs we have in the Repository), so if you type in PAK 5 and hit Return you get the original Premium PC85 opening Menu and all options work fully. The spare room on PAKB I filled with some games. I made up a menu in Basic and put it in PAK 6 position on the PAKA eprom. So I turn the Microbee on and it boots to BASIC 5.29e prompt, as per the pictures above. I type in PAK 6 and the Games Menu comes up and there are 4 pages to select the game you wish to play. Page 3 is not full at the moment and Page 4 is for the 14 games in the NET eprom only as they are accessed differently. Do NOT edit line 1 of the Menu as it contains some Machine Code in the REM statement. Edit line 2 if you wish to change the colours of the menu.
Each eprom (PAK) contains 8 x 8k sections which I setup most games to start at the start of each of these 8k section, so looking at them in a Hex Editor, thats at 0000h, 2000h, 4000h, 6000h, 8000h, A000h, C000h & E000h. Thats great for games 8k long, but the good games are much bigger. Outhouse needs 4, Defender, Scavenger & Volcano Hunter needs 3. Others need either 2 or 1 but many only needed 1 1/2. So I have put another small game in the spare space.
I found some games would not work at all, like Apple Panic, Car Race, Droids, Quads, Super Nova and more. I had to modify the code of a couple, like Gridfire & Android NIM to get them to run. Apple Panic appears to run but I get Text and sound only, no graphics. I have no idea how to fix the problem but if anyone does get it to run, please let me know.
The SuperPAK in a Premium main board boots to Basic rather than starting the PC85 menu. But a PAK5 starts the menu and if you turn off the Microbee, and if you have a battery installed on the board, when you power up next time it starts the PC85 menu. From there you can hit Return and move cursor to PAK 6 position to start the main Games Menu. Most games will require you to use ESC Reset to exit the game and you will then need to use PAK 6 to select your next game.
I have also altered PAK A and NET eproms suitable for a non-premium and using PAK 5 brings up the PC85b Menu. I have NOT tested these but see no reason why there should be problems. Any issues though, just ask.
A bit more testing and if all okay I will release a set of eproms for both the Premium and standard PC85 which contain 78 games in the next couple days. You can change them, add to them, but you will also need to modify the Menu file in PAK A also to suit your changes. PAK M, N O & P eproms are still empty and you can make your own and add them into Menu Page 3. If you have any issues there, just ask.
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - ChickenMan - 04-02-2024
I released my set of PAK eproms (14 including NET) for the SuperPAK coreboard if anyone doesnt want to make their own. A set for Premium and standard coreboards. See here for further info -
https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/thread-769.html
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - CheshireNoir - 05-02-2024
Awesome work!
These work quite well. So many ROMs!
John
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - IanMcLean - 08-02-2024
(04-02-2024, 03:24 PM)ChickenMan Wrote: I released my set of PAK eproms (14 including NET) for the SuperPAK coreboard if anyone doesnt want to make their own. A set for Premium and standard coreboards. See here for further info -
https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/thread-769.html
An idea for one of the remaining PAK roms might be a languages ROM, loaded up with EDASM, Disassembler, FORTH, Pascal, etc.
Microworld Pascal I believe is 12K, so the NET ROM would also need to be bank switched to page in the last 4K of Pascal at E000-EFFFH. This would also mean sacrificing one of your 4K NET ROM games unfortunately.
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - ChickenMan - 08-02-2024
I'm sure one of the NET roms can be sacrificed. The others are all 8k so take up one PAK position, so too easy. I've made up a PAK N with -
EDASM
Super Dissassembler 3.0
MicroWorld Forth 1.0
Mytek Forth 1.1
MicroWorld Pascal 1c
Bee 'n' Talk
Ozlogo
Typing Tutor
to fill the eprom up and put them in Menu 4 to select. I sacrificed Target (B&W) as we already have a same game but in colour. Now I need to test it, and all is okay will put it up also with a new PAKA as well as that contains the Menu.
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - CheshireNoir - 08-02-2024
Ooh. I like that. I like that a lot. C'mon Digikey! Deliver my 27C512 EEPROMs.
(I ran out of EEPROMs and have been using UV EPROMS for the last few slots. It's a pain to update them)
John
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - ChickenMan - 09-02-2024
All tested and working. Released here in the new created Folder were the original set of Games roms have been moved to also.
https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/thread-769-post-2588.html#pid2588
RE: PC85 SuperPAK coreboard - IanMcLean - 12-02-2024
(09-02-2024, 03:43 PM)ChickenMan Wrote: All tested and working. Released here in the new created Folder were the original set of Games roms have been moved to also.
https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/thread-769-post-2588.html#pid2588
Thanks for doing this Alan :-)