USSLoad real hardware *.uss state save file loader v2.0

[Toni Wilen]

Another not-totally-UAE project from me:

UAE state save file (*.uss) loader designed for real hardware.

Available from aminet. http://aminet.net/util/misc/ussload.lha

It can load following state files:

- Common OCS/ECS 68000 A500 configurations. Chip RAM, "Slow" RAM and Fast RAM supported.
- Basic A1200 68020 configuration. "Slow" RAM and Fast RAM is also supported.

More information in included readme.

[kolla]

This is super interesting - so the idea is that one save a state in WinUAE, and then revive the session not just in UAE, but also on real equivalent hardware? Is it also possible to make state dump on real hardware? Is "suspend" now possible?

[juen]

wow! just wow!

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by kolla

This is super interesting - so the idea is that one save a state in WinUAE, and then revive the session not just in UAE, but also on real equivalent hardware? Is it also possible to make state dump on real hardware? Is "suspend" now possible?

Possible but it isn't that simple: many important custom registers are write-only.

Contents are impossible to read without extra hardware that at least snoops CPU writes to custom registers (Action Replay does this). This still leaves copper writes undetected (which was used to confuse Action Replay by some tricky programs), it can be also snooped but required signals are only available inside the machine, edge connector does not have them. CIAs also have some write-only registers.

Even with extra hardware it isn't that useful because you can't access hard disks (unless you implement HD driver, filesystem handler and everything in your freezer code..). Floppy disks are slow and have limited space. Compression is also relatively slow.

[juen]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Possible but it isn't that simple: many important custom registers are write-only.

Contents are impossible to read without extra hardware that at least snoops CPU writes to custom registers (Action Replay does this). This still leaves copper writes undetected (which was used to confuse Action Replay by some tricky programs), it can be also snooped but required signals are only available inside the machine, edge connector does not have them. CIAs also have some write-only registers.

Even with extra hardware it isn't that useful because you can't access hard disks (unless you implement HD driver, filesystem handler and everything in your freezer code..). Floppy disks are slow and have limited space. Compression is also relatively slow.

but maybe it is possible to make save file on real Amiga and load it with UAE?

[Toni Wilen]

It makes no difference. If you can't read important registers, you can't restore it, UAE or not.

[Toni Wilen]

v2.0 released.

New features:

- MMU based memory and Map ROM support (68030, 68040 and 68060)
- GVP MapROM support added. GVP A530 and most A2000 and A3000 GVP boards.
- Blizzard 1230 MKI/II/III/IV, 1240, 1260 MapROM support added.
- ACA1233n MapROM support added, in both 68030 and 68EC020 modes.
- ACA123x 128M model MapROM support fixed.
- Switch off all floppy drive motors before memory decompression.
- Fixed crash if 68020 or 68030 state file was loaded and CPU was
68040 or 68060.
- Fixed uncompressed state file support.
- Attempt to load rom image files from current directory if rom
image file is not found from DEVS:Kickstarts.
- 68040 and 68060 state files supported (MMU registers are not restored)
- FPU state file support added.
- Pause mode. Restores state, enables display, waits for mouse button.
- Nofloppy option, do not initialize or seek floppy drives.
- HRTMon support. If HRTMon is installed, NMI vector is automatically
set to HRTMon entry point.
- Compatibility improved.

EDIT: MMU based memory mapping means if statefile requires RAM type that your system does not have (or is smaller), for example "slow ram", MMU is automatically used to create missing memory space virtually. Obviously this does not work very well if reason is lack of chip ram.


Moderators: please update title

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Moderators: please update title

Done Toni

[thairacerjp]

Hi Toni and thanks for this nice program, i wanted to test it and it gave me an issue, i know it's a beta version but if you have a advice i will be glad , i have tested on reeshoot-r game, saving on winuae with basic configuration 68020 and after i have tried with 68030 winuae configuration cause my CD32 have TF330 extension but i have this error message :

i saw on youtube someone tested with pinball Fantasies AGA working, may be some games have memory restriction.......

[Toni Wilen]

Your config has UAE boot ROM enabled. Your UAE config wasn't basic enough (for example UAE harddrive was enabled or some other UAE expansion)

btw, I am not sure if restore works in CD32 hardware because Akiko interrupts can stay active. Should be relative easy fix.

[thairacerjp]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Your config has UAE boot ROM enabled. Your UAE config wasn't basic enough (for example UAE harddrive was enabled or some other UAE expansion)

btw, I am not sure if restore works in CD32 hardware because Akiko interrupts can stay active. Should be relative easy fix.

thanks for reply, i will do other settings, without hdf file....

[Toni Wilen]

Harddrives are not supported and it is practically impossible to support them without stability problems and major danger of random data loss.

[thairacerjp]

i have done another test with banshee adf files on winuae and tried on CD32 classic "scalos" workbench and same error, do you think i could tried with my other classic workbench who have less residents programs (here i have AsimCDFS 3 on boot).

[DamienD]

I'll quote what Toni has already told you thairacerjp:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Harddrives are not supported and it is practically impossible to support them without stability problems and major danger of random data loss.

Even with WinUAE; you can use save states for floppy disk games but if running from hard drive there are too many things that may change making the save state corrupt...

[Toni Wilen]

Yeah, currently it is only meant to be used with non-expanded configs. Only RAM expansions are supported.

In theory it could "support" harddrives by ignoring UAE HD but it would only mean it would hang or crash when loaded program next attempts to access HD.

Or in worst case corrupt the HD if both original UAE config and config which runs ussload has same hardware HD controller. Obviously I won't allow this to happen, even accidentally.

Only UAE HD would be "safe" because it can't exist in real world

[turrican3]

Hi toni, does it support cdda ? could it ??
It could make amiga 1200 cdda games real !!!
Even if it will support just one possible device "ide" and that's all !!!
Could be the solution on real hardware!!

[Retro1234]

Sorry ive not tried this but if you copied a large amount of Data to Ramon the TF330 setup would savestate work on real hardware?

Sorry for crazy questions.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by turrican3

Hi toni, does it support cdda ? could it ??
It could make amiga 1200 cdda games real !!!
Even if it will support just one possible device "ide" and that's all !!!
Could be the solution on real hardware!!

???

What does a "UAE state save file (*.uss) loader" have to do with somehow myseriously allowing CDDA games to be played on a real A1200?

[turrican3]

Originally Posted by DamienD

???

What does a "UAE state save file (*.uss) loader" have to do with somehow myseriously allowing CDDA games to be played on a real A1200?

If it support the save of the track which was played when you have done the save state, it will relaunch the cdda at the good place and you can play with the cdda music but you have to put your cd with cdda in your cd-rom.
I did it with winuae, with some game with no music.
But i don't know if "UAE state save file (*.uss) loader" support cdda from an ide by exemple, if yes, you could even launch a cd-audio with a simple application your wb and next launch a whdload game, make a save-state.
After launch the save-state, it will launch the game with cdda directly.


On winuae i did this and assigned my joypad buttons with cdtv next track, play, etc and i can launch games with the music i want, it's not perfect but it's better than nothing.
but for it working with "UAE state save file (*.uss) loader" it needs to resume the state of the cd-rom, don't know if it works.
I know that it works with a cd32 or a cdtv (winuae) but does it work on a real a1200 with ide or scsi or else ??? This is why i asked.
An exemple : you launch lotus 2 adf on a cd32, next you launch the cdda, you make a save state. when you run the save state, you have lotus 2 with the music.That's it.
you must say that i never tried with the wb, always with amiga dos.

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

Sorry ive not tried this but if you copied a large amount of Data to Ramon the TF330 setup would savestate work on real hardware?

I don't understand your question but most likely answer is no

Originally Posted by turrican3

Hi toni, does it support cdda ? could it ??
It could make amiga 1200 cdda games real !!!
Even if it will support just one possible device "ide" and that's all !!!
Could be the solution on real hardware!!

No. It does not support any expansions. And it would not make any sense anyway, it can't magically implement extra hardware features.