forum.defence-force.org

So we have 5 cases in which a 7C is not working correctly and 2 in which an 8F does.

(My 7C works almost, with some issues, solved when adding an amplibus,a s you know)

It could be interesting to swap the working ULA and the non working and see if things change.

I've created a google form to help create a ULA database:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1v_F0rq ... =send_form



The generated spreadsheet can be see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

The Name/Nickname is only to identify who has incompatible/nonworking ULA.

Dom, I've already entered yours ULA in the DB

Reading through some documents I found a letter where someone talks about an expansion similar to Amplibus that allows for three levels of amplification and has some other useful things like a reset button.
I have found details for the expansion and will post it in the hardware section. I think it is from ThéOric and is called Interface Microdisc.
It says it solves the problem of tapes not loading when a peripheral is attached so I 'm interested in trying this to see if it allows BDDISK to work.

Anyone tried this with the Cumulus ?

I don't this that would help, not even sure that really does something at that time to have 3 buffer in parallel like this

Argggg

That's absolutely normal that we have so much problem with the Oric...


Look at these signals taken on my Oric Atmos with nothing connected:
Phi2:
A12:
D7
A15:

I would say that's nearly a miracle that this computer is working

It's alive !!!

By the way, I will try shortly to provide an update for the Cumulus firmware with a longuer reset period to see it what has been found in, can't remember the thread, that a longer reset pulse may solve.

I will need to guineas pig for the test, I hope to not break any working cumuluse, I have some problem on mine :/ (can't get the was working SD to work currently..)

As I previously wrote, we (jorodr and me) have 2 Cumuluses - both were not working.
I fixed both of them: the first one was with everything burned - I changed all chips and display and it works absolutely perfect!
The second one works very good too not counting the reset problem, which I fixed with simple button - the real problem here is that
the output driver in the Xilinx is broken, but for me it's not worth to replace the chip now.

Else, I verified and can tell that all signals are properly generated (including reset).
Yes, MAP can be optimized to be more close to the specification timings, but this will solve just very rare cases and requires Xilinx reprogramming.

After I analyzed every single detail of the hardware and firmware (pic and xilinx), I found 3 critical problems with current Cumulus - they can't be solved with current hardware.
Now I do some final tests on my 'secret' prototype and I hope in a week to announce something interesting for Oric community...

iss wrote:After I analyzed every single detail of the hardware and firmware (pic and xilinx), I found 3 critical problems with current Cumulus - they can't be solved with current hardware.
Now I do some final tests on my 'secret' prototype and I hope in a week to announce something interesting for Oric community...

Would be interesting to add these informations to the SVN documents for Cumulus, and eventually put there a revised version with the problems fixed.
Looking forward for your announcement

For all of you who have a problem with an oric that does not like the Cumulus, could you check the reference of IC21?

It's the leftmost chip on the row of three just on top of the DRAM

The reference should something like 74xx04, what are the two XX for you?

Godzil wrote:For all of you who have a problem with an oric that does not like the Cumulus, could you check the reference of IC21?
It's the leftmost chip on the row of three just on top of the DRAM
The reference should something like 74xx04, what are the two XX for you?

Here's for two of mine:

Computer ; serial n° ; IC21 ; ULA ; problem with Cumulus
Oric-1 ; 34187 ; DM74LS04N ; CDI-8B 8309 ; Random garbage on screen, characters set affected, hangs at system disc request
Atmos ; 287222 ; DM74LS04N ; CDI 9F 8419 ; Random garbage appearing little by little, sometimes boots with errors (Syntax Error loop).

Question con, si tu appuis sur le clavier tu entends les bips classiques?

Godzil wrote:Question con, si tu appuis sur le clavier tu entends les bips classiques?

Oui sans Cumulus, avec Cumulus alors qu'ils crashent, faudrait que je reteste mais j'en doute...

Without Cumulus yes, the computers run fine.
With Cumulus while computers are crashed, I'd need to test again, but I doubt the keyboard is working...

I ask that (about he key click) because on the Atmos that I received from Steve M, it does not boot correctly with a cumulus attached, but the keyboard still makes its usual noises. I haven't had a screen attached, but I know it wasn't booting because I always use a demo like pushing the envelope because it make some loud noise once started