BAWarp disk imager - Page 5

prowler · 18 January 2009, 01:33

Hi BlueAchenar,

Before I test the new version, here is a quick report of what happened with the previous one, FWIW:

When I first ran the program, after copying it to my HD, it froze the system once more. But then I noticed that I had left my 720k PC-formatted disk in the floppy drive instead of replacing it with the Amiga-formatted one.

So, after I had removed the PC floppy disk and reset the Amiga, I put the Amiga-formatted floppy in and tried again...

This time it actually got further than before and printed out "reading from track xxx" or something similar, then up popped a requester asking me to wait for disk activity to finish, and then the machine appeared to reboot.
Next, a Guru screen appeared and mentioned a software failure, but this disappeared before I was able to note down the code. And then finally, the machine did reboot. But there was still no image file created.

These events happened quite quickly, so I wasn't able to not down anything of much value.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 01:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi BlueAchenar,

Before I test the new version, here is a quick report of what happened with the previous one, FWIW:

When I first ran the program, after copying it to my HD, it froze the system once more. But then I noticed that I had left my 720k PC-formatted disk in the floppy drive instead of replacing it with the Amiga-formatted one.

So, after I had removed the PC floppy disk and reset the Amiga, I put the Amiga-formatted floppy in and tried again...

This time it actually got further than before and printed out "reading from track xxx" or something similar, then up popped a requester asking me to wait for disk activity to finish, and then the machine appeared to reboot.
Next, a Guru screen appeared and mentioned a software failure, but this disappeared before I was able to note down the code. And then finally, the machine did reboot. But there was still no image file created.

These events happened quite quickly, so I wasn't able to not down anything of much value.

As I thought. The OS is interfering.

prowler · 18 January 2009, 01:46

The latest version behaves in exactly the same way as the last version, except that it might just get a little bit further before the requester pops up. The two choices offered by the requester are 'suspend' and 'reboot', but before I get a chance to click on 'suspend' to write down what has happened so far, the machine appears to reboot anyway, before the Guru screen appears, and then it actually does reboot.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 01:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

The latest version behaves in exactly the same way as the last version, except that it might just get a little bit further before the requester pops up. The two choices offered by the requester are 'suspend' and 'reboot', but before I get a chance to click on 'suspend' to write down what has happened so far, the machine appears to reboot anyway, before the Guru screen appears, and then it actually does reboot.

You're getting farther than me it seems. Here it gets stuck at reading. It's maybe because my drive is a Panasonic.

The good news is. You have already successfully read track zero and the program succeeded in slowing the drive to 150RPM.

New one. This one uses color codes for debugging. I'm searching for my USB<->CF Adapter to test it.

prowler · 18 January 2009, 02:15

Sorry, this version behaves in just the same way as the last. Unfortunately, it is impossible to click the 'suspend' button on the requester, because the mouse already does not respond at this point. There does actually seem to be two extra lines of type which appear after the "moving head to track 0" line - one which says "reading track xxx" or some such thing, and then another line which mentions heads or tracks or sectors possibly and the number 81 (???) - I'm really only guessing, it all happens so fast.

More good news. My machine seems to be able to recover better from these crashes or reboots now. With the earlier versions I had the impression that my FDC hadn't fully recovered from the experience when I reset the Amiga. It really is getting better in some ways at least...

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 02:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

Sorry, this version behaves in just the same way as the last. Unfortunately, it is impossible to click the 'suspend' button on the requester, because the mouse already does not respond at this point. There does actually seem to be two extra lines of type which appear after the "moving head to track 0" line - one which says "reading track xxx" or some such thing, and then another line which mentions heads or tracks or sectors possibly and the number 81 (???) - I'm really only guessing, it all happens so fast.

More good news. My machine seems to be able to recover better from these crashes or reboots now. With the earlier versions I had the impression that my FDC hadn't fully recovered from the experience when I reset the Amiga. It really is getting better in some ways at least...

I got mine to behave the same as yours. I'm working on it.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 02:43

Looks like the compiler is doing stuff it shouldn't in the CIAA interrupt handler. That's why the program crashes. How do I exactly fix that, I don't know.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 04:54

The only way I got the program not to crash was to leave the OS on. Not surprisingly it is giving absurd RPM speeds (< 40), due to multitasking.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 05:20

New version. Attempts to completely kill the OS while reading. It's time to get some sleep for me.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 14:56

I'm doing what I should have done from the start. Moving the motor control routines to a new program and testing only those.

prowler · 18 January 2009, 15:07

Hi BlueAchenar, I'm back again!

While your'e testing the motor control routines, I'll download the latest version of BAWarp above and give it a test...

Let's hope for some better luck today.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi BlueAchenar, I'm back again!

While your'e testing the motor control routines, I'll download the latest version of BAWarp above and give it a test...

Let's hope for some better luck today.

I've tested it. Same problem.

I probably need to resource X-Copy or something and see how come that doesn't crash.

prowler · 18 January 2009, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

I've tested it. Same problem.

I probably need to resource X-Copy or something and see how come that doesn't crash.

OK. Well, I'll see what I can do to find out exactly what's being output to the screen before the program crashes. I think I'll have to take pictures of the TV screen to achieve this. Maximum resolution is 10Mpx - that should let me see the detail!

See you later...

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 15:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

OK. Well, I'll see what I can do to find out exactly what's being output to the screen before the program crashes. I think I'll have to take pictures of the TV screen to achieve this. Maximum resolution is 10Mpx - that should let me see the detail!

See you later...

Don't bother.

I know what it is.

prowler · 18 January 2009, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Don't bother.

I know what it is.

I've heard all this before, mate!

No, seriously, I'm going to try it anyway. When the dinner table is cleared, I'll get the Miggy fired up and capturing those screenshots will give me something else to do with it. (Remember, I'm still testing this new machine.

)

Plus, I'm interested myself in what's being missed on the screen...

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 15:57

Ok. This one attempts only to regulate motor speed which is the vital part of the imager. If this part works correctly everything else will.
If it doesn't crash, you should see the motor light blinking as the program adjusts the motor speed. If it is successful at this it will tell you.

prowler · 18 January 2009, 16:51

Bad news: my camera battery's flat. I've put it on charge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueAchenar

Ok. This one attempts only to regulate motor speed which is the vital part of the imager. If this part works correctly everything else will.
If it doesn't crash, you should see the motor light blinking as the program adjusts the motor speed. If it is successful at this it will tell you.

In the meantime, I'll test the motor speed regulator routines instead...

prowler · 18 January 2009, 17:11

Ok, I've tried the bapwm program using the CLI, with the following result:

Quote:

BAPWM by Blue Achenar (Jan 2009)
(Attempts to stabilize the floppy drive's motor at a given speed using PWM)

Attempting motor speed regulation:

The floppy drive LED does not indicate floppy drive activity at all, and the machine freezes.

BlueAchenar · 18 January 2009, 19:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

Ok, I've tried the bapwm program using the CLI, with the following result:

The floppy drive LED does not indicate floppy drive activity at all, and the machine freezes.

At least it didn't crash with a requester poping up.

mr.vince · 18 January 2009, 19:29

I remember Rich Aplin doing the same for Cyclone years ago. Did never work very well...

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18 January 2009, 01:33	#81
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	Hi BlueAchenar, Before I test the new version, here is a quick report of what happened with the previous one, FWIW: When I first ran the program, after copying it to my HD, it froze the system once more. But then I noticed that I had left my 720k PC-formatted disk in the floppy drive instead of replacing it with the Amiga-formatted one. So, after I had removed the PC floppy disk and reset the Amiga, I put the Amiga-formatted floppy in and tried again... This time it actually got further than before and printed out "reading from track xxx" or something similar, then up popped a requester asking me to wait for disk activity to finish, and then the machine appeared to reboot. Next, a Guru screen appeared and mentioned a software failure, but this disappeared before I was able to note down the code. And then finally, the machine did reboot. But there was still no image file created. These events happened quite quickly, so I wasn't able to not down anything of much value.

18 January 2009, 01:46	#83
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	The latest version behaves in exactly the same way as the last version, except that it might just get a little bit further before the requester pops up. The two choices offered by the requester are 'suspend' and 'reboot', but before I get a chance to click on 'suspend' to write down what has happened so far, the machine appears to reboot anyway, before the Guru screen appears, and then it actually does reboot.

18 January 2009, 02:15	#85
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	Sorry, this version behaves in just the same way as the last. Unfortunately, it is impossible to click the 'suspend' button on the requester, because the mouse already does not respond at this point. There does actually seem to be two extra lines of type which appear after the "moving head to track 0" line - one which says "reading track xxx" or some such thing, and then another line which mentions heads or tracks or sectors possibly and the number 81 (???) - I'm really only guessing, it all happens so fast. More good news. My machine seems to be able to recover better from these crashes or reboots now. With the earlier versions I had the impression that my FDC hadn't fully recovered from the experience when I reset the Amiga. It really is getting better in some ways at least...

18 January 2009, 02:43	#87
BlueAchenar Not dead yet!!! :D Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Aveiro / Portugal Age: 42 Posts: 690	Looks like the compiler is doing stuff it shouldn't in the CIAA interrupt handler. That's why the program crashes. How do I exactly fix that, I don't know.

18 January 2009, 04:54	#88
BlueAchenar Not dead yet!!! :D Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Aveiro / Portugal Age: 42 Posts: 690	The only way I got the program not to crash was to leave the OS on. Not surprisingly it is giving absurd RPM speeds (< 40), due to multitasking.

18 January 2009, 14:56	#90
BlueAchenar Not dead yet!!! :D Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Aveiro / Portugal Age: 42 Posts: 690	I'm doing what I should have done from the start. Moving the motor control routines to a new program and testing only those.

18 January 2009, 15:07	#91
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	Hi BlueAchenar, I'm back again! While your'e testing the motor control routines, I'll download the latest version of BAWarp above and give it a test... Let's hope for some better luck today.

18 January 2009, 19:29	#100
mr.vince Cheesy crust Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hawk's Creek Age: 48 Posts: 1,383	I remember Rich Aplin doing the same for Cyclone years ago. Did never work very well...

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