uIEC/SD now available (fwd)

RobertBe · Post by **RobertBe** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:04 pm

nbla000 wrote:The current EasyLoad+ version is fully compatible with uIEC if you disable Turbo first, before to load a file from uIEC you just need to press F5 to disable turbo, that's all.

Oh, I must upgrade Eslapion's Ultimate Expander which has an older version of EasyLoad on it.

Gotta dig it out,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
Fresno Commodore User Group
CommVEx v5 info - http://www.commodore.ca/forum and click on ComVEX

brain · Post by **brain** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:02 am

nbla000 wrote:
My next fix just allows to load files from uIEC or any other not supported drive even if Turbo is enabled by using standard kernal routines of course.

It might be easier for you to just add in SJLOAD code, which would allow you to use any JiffyDOS equipped drive, including uIEC/SD2IEC

Jim

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:41 am

brain wrote:It might be easier for you to just add in SJLOAD code, which would allow you to use any JiffyDOS equipped drive, including uIEC/SD2IEC

So your idea is that EasyLoad must implement JiffyDOS commands for this kind of drives...

But if someone has the JiffyDOS both in the drive and the Vic, he may fastload items from uIEC or any other JiffyDrive using EasyLoad by disabling internal fastload first (just press F5 once, that's all)

Someone with JiffyDos on the Vic, may test EasyLoad+ with uIEC or any other JiffyDrive ?

RobertBe wrote:Oh, I must upgrade Eslapion's Ultimate Expander which has an older version of EasyLoad on it.

I suggest you to order a Mega-Cart

I've the Ultimate Expander with EasyLoad+ but to work with switches is not so handy for me.
Using the Mega-Cart, you just need to hold one Vic key on boot to select a Vic Memory configuration or automatically start with EasyLoad.
See the Boot-Keys page from the Mega-Cart site for further info about:
http://www.mega-cart.com/boot-keys/

brain · Post by **brain** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:15 pm

nbla000 wrote: So your idea is that EasyLoad must implement JiffyDOS commands for this kind of drives...

No, I'm just suggesting that if you need to add code to EasyLoad to turn off the code for sd2iec, it might make more sense to simply grab SJLOAD (which implements the JiffyDOS protocol) and simply use it in your code. It senses it's presence by a line change on DATA while the CLOCK is low, so it's easy to bypass it on drives that don't support JiffyDOS.

brain · Post by **brain** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:59 am

RobertBe wrote:Jim Brain's SD2IEC/SD (and possibly the SD2IEC/CF-IDE).

If or when you do demo, I'd recommend referring to my units as uIEC. Although people probably can figure it all out, I think Shadowolf might feel slighted to have some other card using his naming.

I know, everyone, it's a bit confusing, but there is a primer:

The DOS is called sd2iec (all lowercase and a bit misnamed now that it also support flash and IDE/CF, but it is what it is)

The HW is called MMC2IEC, SD2EC (all caps) or uIEC.

Jim

RobertBe · Post by **RobertBe** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:12 am

brain wrote:If or when you do demo, I'd recommend referring to my units as uIEC. Although people probably can figure it all out, I think Shadowolf might feel slighted to have some other card using his naming.

Heh, no problem, Jim. Though your uIEC (o.k., uIEC/SD) did not make it for today's FCUG meeting, I will show it off at the Feb. 21 TOGA meeting. Though ostensibly an Amiga group, they appreciate 8-bit Commodore computers, many of them are gamers, and many are employed in the electronics industries of the Silicon Valley.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
http://www.sccaners.org/

brain · Post by **brain** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:39 am

Yeah, that sucks, I mailed it special on Wednesday afternoon so it'd get there Saturday (3 day priority mail flat rate), but USPS calls is "approximate delivery" for a reason, I guess.

How did the NKC demo go?

Jim

RobertBe · Post by **RobertBe** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:59 am

brain wrote:How did the NKC demo go?

We barely got into it -- just enough time to describe it and take photos of the mainboard and daughterboard. However, for the upcoming TOGA meeting and the March 8 SCCAN and March 15 FCUG meetings, I'll give it the full run-through, alongside with your uIEC. A showdown! The TOGA and SCCAN members can be vocal in what they like and don't like; to capture their reactions, I might videotape them or audio-record what they have to say. Then I could take their quotes and write a report on the showdown.

I just took a count of the estimated attendance of all the shows/meetings I will be attending this year. I'll be showing off and demonstrating the uIEC and SD2IEC to nearly 1,100 people!

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
http://www.sccaners.org/

RobertBe · Post by **RobertBe** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:04 am

RobertBe wrote:
brain wrote:How did the NKC demo go?
We barely got into it -- just enough time to describe it and take photos of the mainboard and daughterboard. However, for the upcoming TOGA meeting and the March 8 SCCAN and March 15 FCUG meetings, I'll give it the full run-through, alongside with your uIEC. A showdown! The TOGA and SCCAN members can be vocal in what they like and don't like; to capture their reactions, I might videotape them or audio-record what they have to say. Then I could take their quotes and write a report on the showdown.

I just took a count of the estimated attendance of all the shows/meetings I will be attending this year. I'll be showing off and demonstrating the uIEC and SD2IEC to about 1,100 people!

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
Southern California Commodore/Amiga Network
http://www.sccaners.org/

brain · Post by **brain** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:46 pm

Would you all be so kind as to move the non-technical portion of this discussion to another thread?

If nothing else, it makes it easier for me to follow and answer the technical questions.

Jim

RobertBe · Post by **RobertBe** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:55 pm

Jim, the uIEC/SD came in the mail today. I'll be trying it out in the next few hours.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
CommVEx v5 info - http://www.commodore.ca/forum and click on ComVEX

brain · Post by **brain** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:53 pm

I'm on IRC NEWNet as _brain_ if you have issues.

Jim

RobertBe · Post by **RobertBe** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:17 am

brain wrote:I'm on IRC NEWNet as _brain_ if you have issues.

If you are speaking of the server Newnet, that is a very big area, Jim, with many channels. Come on over to the non-flaming #acug chat on irc.eskimo.com

That's where I hang out,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
CommVEx v5 info -- http://www.commodore.ca/forum and click on ComVEX.

brain · Post by **brain** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:46 pm

RobertBe wrote: If you are speaking of the server Newnet, that is a very big area, Jim, with many channels.

I meant that if one needs help, just do:

Code: Select all

/msg _brain_ I need help

From anywhere in NEWNet (irc.eskimo.com included). It'll private msg me in there, which is far better than hoping I'll see it in a channel.

Jim

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:55 pm

I received my three uIEC/SD interfaces today. Frankly, so far I have only tested it in C64 mode. I will try it with VIC-20 another day. It took me a while to locate SJLOAD but it was a great improvement for me as a Jiffy-less user.

Since there is source code out there, perhaps I can help implementing the protocol into EasyLoad. At least it should be possible to port the SJLOAD command itself to VIC-20, preferrably with a DOS wedge with active code in BLK5.

Update: Gee, I only had to mention the two surplus units, and immediately two people expressed their interest in buying one. Get one while they last!