Sonnet 7200 PCI programming

[Hedeon]

Better compatibility with WarpOS achieved yesterday by implementing the CPU-shared signal system with a bit of help from Mr. Jordan. Finally got sound going for FreeSpace and ScummVM WOS (0.7.1). Still some optimization to do as the sound code seems to slow the system down a lot. Sound code is mostly 68K.

I'll post a movie this evening.

Now to get those datatypes going..

[wXR]

@jack-3d Wow that is incredible

@Hedeon/strim You guys are so awesome for continuing to press on with this, I continue to watch your GitHub with delight

[Hedeon]

Originally Posted by Hedeon

I'll post a movie this evening.
.

Well, something came up... I tried to speed up Monkey Island 3 on ScummVM_WOS (and failed) so maybe tonight then.

Regarding MI3. It is stuttering a lot. I thought I had it when I saw that ScummVM allocates CHIP mem which it actually doesn't need (The PPC needs context swtiches to read CHIP memory) and it actually did it a lot (hundreds of times each second). But it is still stuttering after removing all those context switches. I don't even see an improvement. It might still be a scheduler problem. I need to see it run on my 604e.

[AMike]

On a 604/366Mhz MI3 is also a bit stuttering - playable, but slow.

[Hedeon]

Originally Posted by AMike

On a 604/366Mhz MI3 is also a bit stuttering - playable, but slow.

Aaah good to know. Couldn't really find a movie of it.

Posted some movies on http://amigafun.blogspot.nl/2016_04_01_archive.html

[DarrenHD]

Stupid question but if my A4000 already has a CS PPC with working PPC and I put in the Sonnet with a 3.3V Mediator (the new Black Edition) will this work? Or is two PPCs going to screw it up?

[Hedeon]

The two PPCs can operate independently, except for when they call PPC libraries. So you can either have a working Warp3D for the Sonnet or Warp3D for standard WarpOS, but not both at the same time.

there is actually a way around that, but that would involve renaming Warp3D libraries and the calls to those libraries within the executables themselves.

But you could e.g. run Quake on the CSPPC and another Quake on the Sonnet simultaneously (the non-GL one).

[DarrenHD]

Originally Posted by Hedeon

The two PPCs can operate independently, except for when they call PPC libraries. So you can either have a working Warp3D for the Sonnet or Warp3D for standard WarpOS, but not both at the same time.

there is actually a way around that, but that would involve renaming Warp3D libraries and the calls to those libraries within the executables themselves.

But you could e.g. run Quake on the CSPPC and another Quake on the Sonnet simultaneously (the non-GL one).

Thanks. I guess what I would want to do is just enable the Sonnet PPC and leave the CS PPC's PPC not activated. When you start the Sonnet PPC software is it a separate or different library? If I recall how WarpOS starts - if the library is in libs it starts. (If I recall).

Thanks
Darren

[strim]

Originally Posted by DarrenHD

When you start the Sonnet PPC software is it a separate or different library?

You have to use InitSonnet program, provided with the library. This just initialises the sonnet.library, which in turn starts everything else.

I got one of the sonnet ppc cards and i am looking forward in try it on my A1200 tower set-up, my set-up is winner Ziv busboard with mediator ZIV board with 3.3v added to the board i have tried the sonnet library but no luck on that, my Amiga boot to the point were it activates the mediator and the just hangs not locks up as i can still move mouse but just waiting, i have try different jumper setting no luck on that either.

[strim]

Originally Posted by amigat

I got one of the sonnet ppc cards and i am looking forward in try it on my A1200 tower set-up, my set-up is winner Ziv busboard with mediator ZIV board with 3.3v added to the board i have tried the sonnet library but not luck on that my amiga boot to the point were it activates the mediator and the just hangs not lockup as i can still move mouse but just waiting i have try different jumper setting no luck on that either.

1. You need to PM Hedeon to get a patched pci.library version
2. Mediator 1200 and ZIV (really, the same from programming point of view) are not really working right now, you can read more here: https://github.com/Sakura-IT/SonnetAmiga/issues/21 . Until this issue is fixed, it won't work reliably anyway.

ok thanks for heads up

[DarrenHD]

Originally Posted by strim

You have to use InitSonnet program, provided with the library. This just initialises the sonnet.library, which in turn starts everything else.

I've got a 3V Mediator 4000Di on order and will put it into my A4000 Desktop with a Phase-5 MK3-060...I've already got a Sonnet with ram, so hopefully I will be up and running as soon as Elbox ships me the Mediator...which I hope won't take too long.

Darren

[DarrenHD]

Ok I have my 3V Mediator 4000Di now. Unfortunately the system hangs during boot if the Sonnet is installed.

I gather you need a modified pci.library. I have PM'ed Hedeon awhile ago but no response....can anyone help me? :-/

Darren

[Hedeon]

I was getting a tan in Portugal for the past two weeks. I'll be back Tuesday. And you have a PM.

[Hedeon]

Oh, and get 64MB dimms, not 128.

[DarrenHD]

Originally Posted by Hedeon

Oh, and get 64MB dimms, not 128.

Ok. Hope you are having a nice vaca

I got everything installed, thanks to jack-3D. two patches in s-s: ramlibpatch and stack attack. Patched PCI.library. The rest of the libs, all installed, and some apps and demos. Thanks Jack-3D!

System boots, elbox's PCIInfo command see the MPC107 PCI Bridge! Awesome!

However, after booting I open a shell and run initsonnet and then ramlib goes to 98%. GetInfo same thing.

So I guess either I am doing something wrong or I really do have to get 64MB ram sticks....right now I only have 3 x 128MB sticks, one currently installed.

Darren

[strim]

Sure looks like a problem with memory allocation. Thought it's difficult to say what is the cause without proper debugging. What kind of graphics card do you use? The memory setup is rather complex and depends on memory installed on Sonnet, on graphics card and on Amiga main board or turbo card... So there are a lot of circumstances where something might go wrong or wasn't tested previously .

Though I am not sure if ramlibpatch is needed or how does it interact with sonnet.library (does it work for Jack?).

[Hedeon]

I haven't found a working 128 dimm yet. The timings do not seem to agree with the sonnet library. The memory corrupts over time. Bits fall over...

Also the sonnet library on github is newer than on aminet

The ramlib patch is actually needed for Warp3D. You can test apps that don't use it without.

Jack had a special pci library to account for the way he filled up the slots of his mediator.

The only thing I can say right now is please show the output of pciinfo and showconfig

[DarrenHD]

Originally Posted by Hedeon

I haven't found a working 128 dimm yet. The timings do not seem to agree with the sonnet library. The memory corrupts over time. Bits fall over...

Also the sonnet library on github is newer than on aminet

The ramlib patch is actually needed for Warp3D. You can test apps that don't use it without.

Jack had a special pci library to account for the way he filled up the slots of his mediator.

The only thing I can say right now is please show the output of pciinfo and showconfig

I got initsonnet working now, and the memory shows up on workbench (an extra 128MB) after that program is run and returns.

However, nothing else is working (none of the patched apps),

They either don't do anything, hang, or crash the machine. I will post my showconfig and pciinfo in the next post.

Also, do I need a patched PowerPC.library? I'm currently using the 16.1beta version.