Cyberpunx Flash Utility README.TXT ------ REALLY ! README !!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement Using this utility will/may destroy the initial contents of your Retro Replay cartridge!!! Please be aware of this and read the notes precisely. Also backup the initial contents of the Flashrom, since we cannot guarantee that your transfers from the internet to your c64 (probably using a PC) are successful. We recommend the use of Warpcopy, OpenCBM, 1581copy (0.53+), Starcommander(SC) and similar software to transfer your downloads. Just make sure it's reliable. Any information in this document cannot be taken serious, is for informational purposes only and written by best knowledge. The author cannot be held liable for problems or hardware defects arising from doing stupid things. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To avoid confusion: ------------------- Your Retro Replay has a 128kb FlashROM split up into 2 banks of 64kb each selectable with a jumper. These 64kb banks are referred to as banks by me, since thats a logical name from the point of view when looking at the FlashROM device. From the C64 point of view and naming ideas, the various 8kb chunks which fill up the 32kb and 64kb ROMs are named BANKS aswell. This may lead to confusion whenever not being aware of it. :) Documentation ------------- Dealing with the FlashROM - First of all: your new little AMD FlashROM toy can very hardly be destroyed, so don't worry if your drive fails to load a file and therefore flashing fails. Similar scenarios can quickly come to mind. :) --- CLOSE BOTH JUMPERS WHEN RUNNING THIS PROGRAM ! --- --- CLOSE BOTH JUMPERS WHEN RUNNING THIS PROGRAM ! --- --- CLOSE BOTH JUMPERS WHEN RUNNING THIS PROGRAM ! --- I noticed that sometimes when powering on my computer with the cartridge in flashmode (both jumpers closed) my C128 shows 30719 free bytes instead of 38911 basic bytes free. RESET YOUR MACHINE if you encounter a similar READY.-Screen ################################################################################ ################################################################################ Since version 3.8c we have included more excessive RAM tests for the external RR/AR-RAM due to the fact that about 60-70 percent of all reported problems were due to contact problems on the expansion port and the RR-hardware. CLEAN the RR/AR pins and the the expansion port properly. This improves the connection usually. Make sure to only use pure alcohol and NO contact sprays to clean the contacts of your retro replay ! TIGHTEN the port contacts of your expansion port. Using a screwdriver on the turned OFF and DISCONNECTED c64/c128 has shown that even a technical retard like me can make the expansion port less "worn out". The gold plated pins on the new RR hardware have a physically harder surface and a worn out expansion port pretty quickly makes the actual contact between cartridge and c64 port unreliable. NOW comes the clue ... WHILE the test is running and the strange chars are slowly moving over the screen "wiggle" your cartridge up and down in the port. IF there start to appear different characters and the colors are changing on the bitpattern - you have a connection problem of some kind. PLEASE NOTE --- UP and DOWN because not TOO much may happen due this action. It NEVER is a good idea to connect/disconnect things from a running computer!!! UP and DOWN shouldn't cause a shortcut which would mean death to your CIA or such. While the test is running forever it will also show a changing char and a timer to show you some visual sign of life. The error counter stops at $ff. ################################################################################ ################################################################################ Whenever something strange happens while flashing, write down any screen output which could be related to the error, SHUT DOWN THE POWER OF THE 64, turn it on again. Now reload the Flash Utility and note if any of the tests fails. Whenever you get to the menu without problems, you may clear the bank which failed to flash completely and re-try. ################################################################################ ################################################################################ Using the program - When loading and running the program, a couple of tests will be executed. Old Action Replay compatibles are detected by measuring the size of the additional RAM. Since there is not much use for this utility on old cartridges, you will only be prompted to *TRY* a ROM dump to disk then. The written ROM file may be used on the Retro Replay. If using it on the new hardware fails, please mail me a copy of the file you tried to flash. The new Retro Replay hardware will be detected by the 32kb RAM and by reading out the manufacturer code of the FlashROM. Furthermore the setting of the FlashROM Jumper is controlled. After checking the additional RR-RAM a little closer, you will be asked to continue. The main menu gives you a couple of choices. The most important ones are dumping the ROMs to disk, clearing the FlashROM and ofcourse programming the FlashROM contents, which should be self-explaning. THE PROGRAM-FLASHER ! Versions 0.05+ of the FlashUtility have a new feature, which allows you to create a bootmenu for various programs. This bootmenu can start programs which are stored inside the 64kb sized ROM. The FlashUtility allows you to create a new bootmenu or edit an existing bootmenu. When editing an existing bootmenu you are able to either add a program or delete the last program on the menu. Up to 9 programs can be added to the menu and whenever the 64kb are full, of course, no more are possible aswell. Deleting the first and only program on a menu doesn't work. We want you to delete the bank completely using the F5 option from the main menu ! The programs may reside between $0334 and $ffff. You will be prompted on some start-options like the start SYS (or RUN) and $01 value. The bootmenu itself has a reserved space of $0500 bytes and therefore you are able to flash up to $faff bytes into the ROM (minus $10 security buffer). We are planning on adding an option to include 4k and 8k ROMs here aswell, but this needs more testing. ATTENTION! Before we misunderstand: when having a ROM with the bootmenu on, you will *NOT* have the Retro Replay capabilities. If you want to run a program like TASS and have RR capabilities enabled you will have to change jumpers, 'RESET' the cartridge(c64) and SYS $9000 or so again. Using e.g. the turbolinker on a program ran by the bootmenu (e.g. for Amica Paint Slideshow or so) is only possible whenever the program is resettable and restartable. Whenever the contents of the FlashROM are changed, on pressing the exit-key, the new menu will be written. IF the program crashes somewhere or the new menu is not written, the old contents will not properly written and can even get corrupted. Solution is to remove the last couple of programs and write the menu properly. Coders will understand the reasons for always only being able to remove on the last added program and will also understand the simplicity of the underlying code, so -hey- ALL of you should be able to handle and understand this. :) USING THE BOOT MENU ! While resetting or powering up a PrgFlasher-ROM you may hold RUN/STOP to go directly to basic. On a C128 you will have to hold CBM aswell to get to 64 mode. The probably coming up 'PRESS PLAY ON TAPE' can be aborted with RUN/STOP again. Avoiding this behaviour can only be reached by applying the 128-resetpatch to your RR-hardware. The keys to use on the boot menu are 1-9, cursor up/down, return and RUN/STOP. Find out how to use them. :) Incase there is just one program on the menu, it will be executed immediately! The bootmenu is immediately disabling the Freeze-Button aswell to avoid crashing a running program when it is pressed accidently. The boot menu was written by WVL/Xenon. The editor was done by Count Zero. There is some space left on this menu. If you have additional ideas, let us know. NOTE! If you find some program which does not work from the boot menu, please send it to me. The reset code still needs some improvement. Flashing Techniques - When flashing a new ROM to the chip, 8 banks of $2000 bytes each will be written. 32kb ROMs will be written twice to the chip. Once to the lower part of a 64kb bank and then again to the upper part. (This is not necessary, but eases proper detection.) Detection of the size of the currently used ROM is done by comparing upper and lower bank. 64kb ROMs will be written in sequential order to the chip. All ROM files you are about to write to the chip need to have the startadress ***REMOVED***. If you are planning to write old eprom dumps of yours to the flashrom, make sure to have: 8192 bytes ($2000) for 8kb ROMs (33 blocks) 32768 bytes ($8000) for 32kb ROMs (130 blocks) 65536 bytes ($10000) for 64kb ROMs (259 blocks) The fileselector will try to determine the size of the files. You can only select files either having 33, 130 or 259 blocks. Aborting from most prompts can be done using RUN/STOP. You should NOT abort flashing, clearing or dumping a ROM using run/stop-restore, reset or freeze ! Utilizing the SilverSurfer -------------------------- From Version 0.04 on it is possible to use a serial cable attached to a PC to flash a new ROM to the cartridge. On c64 you LOAD"DEBUGSTUB",8,1 (by Groepaz) and SYS 52736 it. The command you will have to use on PC for FLASHING is: dosbox> rr.exe flash rr-rom.bin For sending programs to the ProgramFlasher menu you will be prompted to use the command: dosbox> rr.exe load filename.prg Running the FlashUtility SHOULD work by: dosbox> rr.exe run filename.prg Ever since 0.05 was in the works most of us completely switched to linux where commands are similar: hostname:/ # rr load/flash/run /path/filename The RR-PC-Software can be found on the website! Get it ! :) That's it ... happy flashing .. --------------------------------------------------------- DEVEL RELEASE INFO ! This part of the file is on DEVEL releases only. The DEVEL versions of the FlashUtility have most 'Are you sure?' questions removed. DEVEL versions also allow you to edit the header of a PrgFlasherROM from the menu aswell as flashing any sized ROMs with SilverSurfer. This is named DEVEL and not to be confused with the DEBUG options we supply for the developer RR-ROMs. Also some other strange outputs may be done, so don't worry :)