AQUABYSS - New game announcement

[klx300r]

@ AgedCode

here's the feedback from Jens on setting up a screen of 320 x 260 pixels for my IndivisionAGA-MK2cr:

Unfortunately, no, as the AGA MK2 versions have the number of lines hardcoded in the FPGA. Back then, I've made a simple calculation method of only subtraction and bit shifting in order to get to a 4-bit value for the screenmode that's found. I have just opened that LO table and entered the 260 lines number, and it indeed ends up with a value of 2, which is an unknown screenmode between NTSC and PAL.

PAL is expected to have 287 lines, NTSC is expected to have 242 lines. If you want the flicker fixer to accept the screen mode as PAL, it must have at least 281 lines on the long frame.

Back when I specified the MK2 flicker fixer, I have also specified that the config tool shall be able to handle modes called "unknown 2", "unknown 12", "unknown 13" and so on. However, it's been over 12 years, and I haven't used the config tool in a very long time. So if you see a way to edit mode "unknown 2", that's the one you should give the same settings as your PAL output mode. That's the only hope you have for displaying such a non-standard screen mode.

You also might want to switch on the debug-line of the OSD - that will show the number of lines that's found, if I remember right.

For the MK3 version, we've made these numbers configurable. Maybe an MK3 user could run the software and see what config is required?

Bad news: Just found this comment in the source code of the config tool:

Code

1. /* use ntsc mode for all illegal modes */

...so there is no way to edit the "unknown 2" mode.

One way might be to read the whole contents of the flash with the basic flash tool that was available before the GUI tool, then edit the last 4k of that file with a hex editor (copy the PAL entry over the "illegal" entry), and then flash the hacked file into the unit again. However, I don't even remember if that tool even allows reading the flash contents.

TBH, I don't want to spend the time for a piece of software that outputs a non-standard screen mode. If that software is still in development (did I get that right?), it's better to make it output a proper screenmode, rather than patching the config of a flickerfixer that was developed some 12 years ago.

Jens

[Aardvark]

Originally Posted by klx300r

TBH, I don't want to spend the time for a piece of software that outputs a non-standard screen mode. If that software is still in development (did I get that right?), it's better to make it output a proper screenmode, rather than patching the config of a flickerfixer that was developed some 12 years ago.

Jens

"non-standard" yeah right. If the video displays correctly when plugged directly to old CRT TV, then that is the standard of which modern upscalers are expected to reach.

[AgedCode]

Aardvark said it all

@klx300r I'll try to get an Indivision MK2 and explore the possibility of overcoming its design limitation through a custom solution. While a complete graphical overhaul or screen layout change isn't feasible, I have an initial idea for a targeted 'hack' to address this specific [hardware] issue.

[klx300r]

Originally Posted by Aardvark

"non-standard" yeah right. If the video displays correctly when plugged directly to old CRT TV, then that is the standard of which modern upscalers are expected to reach.

This indeed makes sense to me

@ AgedCode

thanks I’ll be happy to test any work arounds

[mahen]

Much appreciated !! There are quite a few Indivision users around, including myself