8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

In this forum you can write about anything that does not fit in other forums.
This includes generic Oric talkings and things that are totaly unrelated but want to share with people here :)
User avatar
8bit-Dude
Flying Officer
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:33 pm
Location: Japan

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by 8bit-Dude »

Timeout is a Hub related problem. I need to be careful in how I push this update though... If I break the COM between Wifi/Core, then the units already sent will become bricked. I am going to test extensively this morning.

For the Chat issue, it is a Oric side fix (so new disk needed, to come up soon after above). By the way, I am thinking to reduce the refresh rate on Oric side, to reduce the VIA's humming.
User avatar
8bit-Dude
Flying Officer
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:33 pm
Location: Japan

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by 8bit-Dude »

Alright, update is ready!!

I pushed Firmware 0.3 which fixes the Timeout Issue (make sure to update both Wifi and Core).

I have also posted new Discs for the Demos, OS and Slicks, which fix the following issues:
(1) Reduced the refresh rate of Hub to 20 FPS (giving theoretical max. of 5KB/s, e.g. 20*256).
This reduces signifcantly VIA humming in 8bit-OS.
(1) Fixed chat messages repeated over and over in Slicks.
(2) Can now play with the Hub joystick when Online in Slicks.
(3) Line-up Lights have been fixed in Slicks.

Please test the fixes and enjoy. Are you guys up for a game of Slicks online today, at 10am UTC??? :D :D :D
User avatar
Dbug
Site Admin
Posts: 4444
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:00 pm
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by Dbug »

So other people are not surprised:
- When the hub tells you that it is restarting, the message is misleading, it means you have to restart it (ie: unplug/plug)
- When the wifi part tells you it has updated from 0.2 to 0.3, the display still shows 0.2, so restart it and then it will be properly showing 0.3
- Remember to quit the menu/setup mode on the hub, else the Oric will not be able to communicate with the hub ("Init network: Adaptor Error")

I managed to finish a race with Anthony earlier today, I had only one case of timeout, so it worked much better, but for some reason the joystick was not working in the game today (but it did work in the UI, and it worked yesterday), but keyboard controls worked, as well as the chat.
User avatar
ibisum
Wing Commander
Posts: 1645
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:56 am
Location: Vienna, Austria
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by ibisum »

8-bit Dude: do you have a repo we could all be using to submit PR's? I've been sitting here looking at my hub all weekend, wishing I could configure it without a joystick (because we are on lockdown and my Oric peripherals box is in the city...) and I realised I could add this feature to the OS myself, if it were possible, and then send you a PR ..
User avatar
Dbug
Site Admin
Posts: 4444
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:00 pm
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by Dbug »

I was thinking about using the sdcard slot to configure, but in insight, the ideal would be to do that from the host machine :)
Would be awesome to be able to fetch the configuration and update it, from the Oric itself.
User avatar
8bit-Dude
Flying Officer
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:33 pm
Location: Japan

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by 8bit-Dude »

ibisum wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:29 pm 8-bit Dude: do you have a repo we could all be using to submit PR's?
It is all on Github!

HUB Firmware: https://github.com/8bit-Dude/8bit-Hub
UNITY SDK (compiles the Discs): https://github.com/8bit-Dude/8bit-Unity
User avatar
8bit-Dude
Flying Officer
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:33 pm
Location: Japan

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by 8bit-Dude »

Important Announcement: I just updated the DISCS now, to fix how the VIA is addressed.
If you have just seen this message, then re-download: Demos, 8bit-OS and 8bit-Slicks.
The date in-game should read 2020/11/15.
User avatar
8bit-Dude
Flying Officer
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:33 pm
Location: Japan

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by 8bit-Dude »

ibisum wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:29 pm 8-bit Dude: do you have a repo we could all be using to submit PR's?
Here is a quick HOW-TO to setting up Arduino IDE for programming the HUB (Core):

(1) Clone the Repo @ https://github.com/8bit-Dude/8bit-Hub.g ... k/Firmware
(2) Install the Arduino IDE
(3) File > Preferences > Sketchbook Location ---> Set to Firmware Folder
(4) Tools > Board > optiboot-avr (in sketchbook) > Arduino Mega 2560 (Optiboot)
(5) Load Hub-Mega2560.ino
(6) Edit the code, for example these lines:

Code: Select all

    // Override with some defaults
    if (!strlen(ssid) && !strlen(pswd)) {
        strcpy(ssid, "8bit-Unity");
        strcpy(pswd, "0123456789"); 
    }
(7) Connect Hub to PC, then Tools > Port > Select COM number
(8) Upload sketch, and Voila!

If you want to revert to "official" firmware, change "v0.3" to: char megaVersion[5] = "v0.2";
The Hub will offer you to download latest firmware (0.3) next time you boot.

Hoping some people will play around and contribute fixes/improvement!
P.S: File section (for SD card) is only partially implemented ATM.
User avatar
ibisum
Wing Commander
Posts: 1645
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:56 am
Location: Vienna, Austria
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by ibisum »

Cool - thanks for the info. I will poke at this over the next few days and see how far I get.

One thing I will do first, is make the project work in Platform.IO .. I just find it better for tooling management than the Arduino download. This shouldn't impact your using Arduino IDE, though - so don't worry, it won't be a drastic change, just a platformio.ini file, probably, to get things started ..

(Any chance you guys want to lurk on IRC somewhere so we can maybe hack on it together..?)
User avatar
8bit-Dude
Flying Officer
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:33 pm
Location: Japan

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by 8bit-Dude »

How about using this Discord Text-Channel: https://discord.gg/pHC7A6W5
User avatar
ibisum
Wing Commander
Posts: 1645
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:56 am
Location: Vienna, Austria
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by ibisum »

Errgh, I despise Discord. At least on IRC, nobody is farming my data.
User avatar
Dbug
Site Admin
Posts: 4444
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:00 pm
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by Dbug »

The problem with IRC is that by default you don't get the messages you missed, like if you got disconnected, or you don't have a bouncer, etc... you can't share pictures, I rarely got DDC working so sending and receiving files is a pain.

I like IRC, but I would definitely not use that to work between Europe and Japan.
User avatar
ibisum
Wing Commander
Posts: 1645
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:56 am
Location: Vienna, Austria
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by ibisum »

Not really an issue if you're using an IRC network that logs channels, or offers the feature. Still a better option than Discord, which willfully harvests its users data.
User avatar
Dbug
Site Admin
Posts: 4444
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:00 pm
Location: Oslo, Norway
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by Dbug »

Do you have some examples of IRC networks that do that? I'm mostly used to ircnet and freenode.
User avatar
ibisum
Wing Commander
Posts: 1645
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:56 am
Location: Vienna, Austria
Contact:

Re: 8bit-Unity version 0.3.5

Post by ibisum »

Freenode has LogBot that can be turned on for the channel:

https://freenode.logbot.info
Post Reply