CD32 debug with NComm

[xArtx]

Hi Guys,
This might be a bit of a long shot, but I’ve wondered if anyone has made a CD32
bootable NComm CD with script to open the CD32 serial port.
With it’s limited options as stock I thought it would be a useful debug console for another programming Amiga,
given you could switch the 1084 between start & composite of the CD32.

Is anyone using a CD32 like this?
Cheers, Art.

[Twiggy]

Good idea. The Weird Science Network CD has NComm on it, that's nearest I do to that.

I guess it wouldn't be too difficult to create a Workbench + NComm CD with a nice S:Startup-sequence to boot straight into it, made bootable using MakeCD and whatnot.

[xArtx]

Thanks, I did have the Network CD in the day... slow way to move data!

I think you also need a script for NComm to start it in a terminal configuration,
and also learned you need a level converter for the CD32 for RS232 levels.
I suppose I’d better go figure out how to make a CD32 compilation.

[FOL]

Originally Posted by xArtx

I suppose I’d better go figure out how to make a CD32 compilation.

Easy part, .

[xArtx]

I got the Weird Science Network 2 CD from a shady corner of the internet
It looks like it opens the serial port while it’s booting for the program that waits for the other Amiga.

So when it’s loaded and you open NComm, it can’t open serial device :O
IIRC if I had a keyboard I could break the startup, but no such luck!

The hard part after a quick read of the CD32 CD guides is how to get the ISO file from
the emulated Amiga (UAE) to Windows for burning?
o good having a file on an Amiga HDD file that Windows can’t see.
What is the solution for that?

[Twiggy]

If you have a Workbench with Ncomm installed, (say, in WinUAE on a hdf or whatever) you could change the S:startup-sequence to boot straight into NComm (maybe with WB in the background), then install MakeCD (I think it's called that), launch it, create an .iso of the whole workbench (requires the file cd32.tm), copy the iso outside of the hdf (mount some other directory in WinUAE and copy it there), then burn the iso using your favourite iso burning software.

Something like that? I think I'll give that a bash myself when I get a moment.

[xArtx]

I had some luck
[ Show youtube player ]

[Leffmann]

That's pretty neat. You could also use the setup as a limited CD32 development kit, putting all the big static files and music tracks on the disc first, together with NComm, and transfer the program files as development goes on.

[xArtx]

Yes so long as you can run it from RAM disk, which is where I made NComm default Upload/Download dirs.
I don’t know if NComm will do file transfer without a modem protocol.
I can’t say I’ve tried.

[Hewitson]

I would disable the LoadWB in the startup-sequence. You'll have a faster startup and more memory without it.

[Cobe]

Great idea. Have you tried file transfer? Is it possible to transfer from CD32 to Amiga? I'm thinking it could be used to dump NVRAM. And what is "level converter for the CD32 for RS232 levels"? Or precisely what cables are needed?

[xArtx]

CD32 outputs serial in every respect except the level is 5 Volts and needs a MAX232 chip
or similar to make it safe to connect to any other Amiga.
A lot of laptops and mobile stuff uses 5 Volt levels that could be directly connected.

I still haven’t found any CDs (only Kodak work for me)... to be able to try on the real machine.

I don’t know that you can see NVRAM through workbench, or how to access it.

Hewitson,
I initially tried it with no LoadWB, but then there was a blank workbench screen with titlebar over top of the NComm window,
meaning you’d have to pull down the WB window on the CD32.
At the moment to use it as a debug console for something else, you don’t even need the
controller connected to the CD32 since all configuration is already set.

A neat trick might be to swap configurations if the CD32 is booted while holding the red button...
by setting the path to RAM disc, and writing the config in there that you want.

[Cobe]

You can dump/restore whole nvram or just one saved game with nvram tools
http://aminet.net/package/util/cli/NVRAM_Tools

[xArtx]

Nice.. I wonder if it can be addressed out of range because nowadays you could replace
the 24LC08 with 24LC256. It’s actually a common EEPROM chip, and not RAM at all.
Only newly written stuff could take advantage of it though

[Cobe]

Originally Posted by xArtx

Only newly written stuff could take advantage of it though

Earok recently wrote util to save file in nvram, I guess he could adopt it for 32k "nvram" eeprom if it can be changed so many ports of games could be done with proper saving option.

[Cobe]

I'm not that into hardware nor coding but if I get it right, in plain words, the question would be if Akiko(if I suppose right it's responsible for nvram) will accept 24LC256 and let the coding be performed out of range of 1k?

I guess these would be our suspects:

[Toni Wilen]

Akiko does not care, it is fully CPU controlled I2C bus, Akiko registers have 4 bits for EEPROM control (I2C), data and clock with direction bits.

KS ROM has been hardcoded for 1k chip, but you should be able to access larger chips with custom routines.

[Cobe]

Thanks Toni

[xArtx]

You would need to jump storage pages with the 24LCx chip over a certain size,
but if you have the 12C bus then it would be fine. Just something to remember if anyone comes looking in future.

[xArtx]

By the way, NComm was given away by it’s author two years after the last version was released, so if anyone wants it let me know.
I used the noreset command as well because when it loads you don’t need the CD in the machine again.