Amiga questions you've always been too embarrassed to ask

[kremiso]

is it the Recoverable Alert error really 'recoverable' as soon as it happens?

or its a way to say 'you are very close to make it work'?

[Thomas Richter]

Originally Posted by kremiso

is it the Recoverable Alert error really 'recoverable' as soon as it happens?

There is no general answer, it depends on the alert. In most cases, it will "appear to work for a while", though if the alert happens, something is likely wrong with the system anyhow. In fewer cases, it is really recoverable and the problem is due to a defect in a program that stays local to the program.

[lmimmfn]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

There is no general answer, it depends on the alert. In most cases, it will "appear to work for a while", though if the alert happens, something is likely wrong with the system anyhow. In fewer cases, it is really recoverable and the problem is due to a defect in a program that stays local to the program.

Most importantly, a recoverable error let's you save everything(assuming one of the programs you want to safe data for hasn't crashed). Back in the day that was my queue to save everything and restart.

[Torti-the-Smurf]

I am not really embarrassed by this question but more confused about this behaviour

Here is my Question:

Why is it, that in a Handful of Demo/Games there is something going on that mutes some other games or Demos ?

For example: When i/you start this Demo (you can quit at any point with LMB)
Foundation by anadune
https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=2378

and then run
Galerie Remix by Stellar afterwards or later...
https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=1388

Galierie Remix is dead silent ! (no sound at all)

Almost all other Demos have sound after running Foundation,
but Galerie Remix and a few others dont.

So, what does Foundation do to cause this?
(there are a few others too; only a handful tho)

I never understood that.
What is causing this ?

There is enough Chip-Mem so why is there no sound in Galerie Remix after Foundation
Does anybody know that ?

[ransom1122]

@Torti-the-Smurf - It does it to me as well in OS enviroment? I don't know why..

Single boot HDF's fixes this problem

[grond]

Originally Posted by Torti-the-Smurf

I am not really embarrassed by this question but more confused about this behaviour

Here is my Question:

Why is it, that in a Handful of Demo/Games there is something going on that mutes some other games or Demos ?

For example: When i/you start this Demo (you can quit at any point with LMB)
Foundation by anadune
https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=2378

and then run
Galerie Remix by Stellar afterwards or later...
https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=1388

Galierie Remix is dead silent ! (no sound at all)

Almost all other Demos have sound after running Foundation,
but Galerie Remix and a few others dont.

So, what does Foundation do to cause this?

I would assume that the first program allocates sound channels through the OS and then never releases them. The second program does the same and respects the unavailability of sound channels, hence, no sound. The other programs just don't care at all and override the OS just grabbing the sound hardware the direct way.

[Torti-the-Smurf]

Originally Posted by ransom1122

@Torti-the-Smurf - It does it to me as well in OS enviroment? I don't know why..

Single boot HDF's fixes this problem

Noooooooo... lalala, i dont listen.... to the dark side ....

You don't tempt me i will make a Generic WHDload, problem solved




@grond
That's a good explanation, thank you grond

[jizmo]

Originally Posted by grond

I would assume that the first program allocates sound channels through the OS and then never releases them. The second program does the same and respects the unavailability of sound channels, hence, no sound. The other programs just don't care at all and override the OS just grabbing the sound hardware the direct way.

Some programs with better error management would exit to CLI with an error that sound channels couldn't be allocated. One file demos, rarely.

[jman]

I just realized today that I never really understood why the Workbench resolution Euro36 and Euro72 are called like that.


An LLM online service states that they "are named after the frequency at which they refresh the screen. Euro36 refreshes the screen 36 times per second, while Euro72 refreshes it 72 times per second. These refresh rates are commonly used in Europe".


But I couldn't cross and verify this information with other sources to fully understand the context and the relation with the PAL 50 Hz refresh rate. Does Euro36 and Euro72 refer to CRT monitors capable of doing 36 Hz and 72 Hz refresh?



thanks

[demolition]

Originally Posted by jman

But I couldn't cross and verify this information with other sources to fully understand the context and the relation with the PAL 50 Hz refresh rate. Does Euro36 and Euro72 refer to CRT monitors capable of doing 36 Hz and 72 Hz refresh?

Here is shown the resolutions and frequencies of various modes:
https://amiga.lychesis.net/articles/ScreenModes.html

Euro36 in Hires laced is apparently 640x400 at 73 Hz which is quite close to this standard VGA mode:
http://tinyvga.com/vga-timing/640x480@73Hz

Some VGA monitors might be happy displaying that. In any case, I don't know why it is called Euro and it has no relation to PAL, since this is not PAL frequencies. It would only work with multi-sync monitors.

[jman]

TIL! Thank you so much @demolition! :-)

[Sasuke]

Why do some games require the floppy drive LED to be always on, even if the floppy drive isn't loading anything at that moment?

[phx]

Originally Posted by Sasuke

Why do some games require the floppy drive LED to be always on, even if the floppy drive isn't loading anything at that moment?

When it stays on for just a moment between disk accesses, then it is probably intended to save the time for restarting the motor.

When it runs continuously without reason: Lazy or ignorant coder forgot to turn the motor off.

[Thomas Richter]

Also note that it is drive depending what actually controls the LED. On some drives, the LED is lit as long as the motor is running. On other drives, it is sufficient to have the drive selected without the motor being activated. For the latter drives, the game probably just kept the drive selected without the motor spinning so it can always be accessed directly.

[Sasuke]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Also note that it is drive depending what actually controls the LED. On some drives, the LED is lit as long as the motor is running. On other drives, it is sufficient to have the drive selected without the motor being activated. For the latter drives, the game probably just kept the drive selected without the motor spinning so it can always be accessed directly.

When the drive LED stays on for a long time I'm sure that the floppy drive motor also turns, in fact you can hear the disk rotating.

[Daedalus]

On the A500, 600 and 1200, the case floppy LED is always driven from the motor on signal. Sometimes games use the OS routines to load the files they need but suspend the OS before the floppy motor is turned off, resulting in the motor (and LED) staying on.

[Thomas Richter]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

On the A500, 600 and 1200, the case floppy LED is always driven from the motor on signal.

Why? Do you know all drive models that have been sold with these systems? This is really a matter of the drive, and not a matter of the logic on the Amiga board.

[Daedalus]

Originally Posted by Thomas Richter

Why? Do you know all drive models that have been sold with these systems? This is really a matter of the drive, and not a matter of the logic on the Amiga board.

On the A500, A600 and A1200, the floppy activity LED that you can see on the case at the top right of the keyboard is driven via a transistor from the CIA's motor control signal. Therefore it doesn't matter which drive model is fitted; the drive does not control the activity LED. In fact, the LED will still light even with no floppy drive fitted if the Amiga tries to access it.

It's a different story with the big-box models of course...

[Thomas Richter]

Ah, thanks, I forgot that this is not the drive LED.

[kremiso]

average performance reasoning, do you think the 68010 is exactly inbetween the 68000 and 68020, or maybe closer to one of them?