AGA core for mist

[Gryzor]

Can you see the HDD on the early boot menu ? boot into the core, reset, keep pressing both mouse buttons
then on the Boot Options the HDD should be visible (as scsi-0)

Ah, that's a great tip I didn't know! Thanks!

[zzd10h]

@xc8

I can't access to the boot options with the latest core. I tried with the previous one (r570) and it works, I see my HD in the boot options.

Very strange that it doesn't work with the latest core

Thank you for your help

[xc8]

What I usually do on similar issues: try another hdd image, fresh install the core on another -smaller size SD, delete the config files, reformat again the SD...

[Amedia]

Hi

I have tried with two diffents SD Card and differents HDF files size with the last AGA update and any WHDLoad games starts, it always gives an error when I launch any game.

But at least, the Workbench loads normally.

WHDLoad is a big advantage on Mist boards with the 28MB ram available, it's largely better than using ADF files.

I hope Rok will have an idea about what has been broken in the emulation.

Thanks, Laurent - Faranheit
Amedia Computer
FPGA Clone reseller in France

[MasterOfGizmo]

I thought that you was the author of AGA core.

Maintaining all those cores is way beyond the capabilities of a single person. I wish i could work on all of these, but for some cores i am little more than just a user.

[MasterOfGizmo]

Can you see the HDD on the early boot menu ? boot into the core, reset, keep pressing both mouse buttons
then on the Boot Options the HDD should be visible (as scsi-0)

Ah, that's a great tip I didn't know! Thanks!

Yeah, isn't this a great forum? I also didn't know that before.

There are a few forums for all those 16 bit machines from back then. But this one really is the only one where you just get useful tips even for "the other" platform. I really like this place

[zzd10h]

EDIT : I didn't read the post of Amedia before to post that he, too, encountered problem.

post deleted.

[remowilliams]

I have tried with two diffents SD Card and differents HDF files size with the last AGA update and any WHDLoad games starts, it always gives an error when I launch any game.

I'm having the same issue with r763 core, it appears to happen when 68020 is enabled. Same setup works with r570.

[xc8]

I am just curious if it will run using the NoCache parameter

[MasterOfGizmo]

I'm having the same issue with r763 core, it appears to happen when 68020 is enabled. Same setup works with r570.

Ok, that's interesting. In the old setups (and in the Atari ST core) changing to 68020 really doesn't do much. It just enables a few instructions of the 68020 (but imho not all of them). So there basically never really was a reason to enable 68020 mode.

I wonder what has changed that this now makes some significant difference. I'll try to figure that out ...

[remowilliams]

I probably wouldn't have noticed if not for the fact that to play Gunship2000AGA in WHDload it requires a 68020

Also, It still crashes with NoCache.

[Amedia]

Hi

With the Rev570 and 68020 enable, WHDLoad didn't crash.

There was some graphic glitches in some games or some other just crashed after 10 / 15sec, but for example Banshee AGA was working great in ADF format and had some graphic glitches in WHDLoad version.

Here with the last AGA update, it seems that WHDLoad crashed with any AGA games, and AGA WHDLoad games requires 68020 processor.

Anyway, Thanks for your hard work on this wonderful board

Laurent - Faranheit
Amedia Computer

[Newsdee]

Just realized there's a new option to disable the scandoubler (by adding an ini file).
Looks great with my upscaler!

[DrChaos]

Hi,

I am new to this forum, because I am more from the ähm Amiga World, but I hac become a satisfed MIST owner recently. I have the same VGA issues as many here, I will update some screen data here soon. I have a TFT working fine with the VGA cores, but my linvingroom TV, an cheap LG, is unable to make use of the VGA PAL cores. NTSC works with most cores, but I soldered a VGA2Scart cable to use the 15Hz cores for PAL. That cable works for the Atari 800 core - Why I post this in the AGA thread - it seems that I missed something, because I am unable to use the 15Hz in the AGA core. I have a mist.ini with scandoubler disabled in my SD root, and upgraded to the 31-01-15 core, but the MIST is still booting in 31khz. Can anyone help ?

Thanks!

[Newsdee]

The .ini file will only work if I put a carriage return at the end of the first line. In other words, the first line shouldn't be the only line in the fIle.
It's a common issue with ini parsers...

Other than that it seems it always boots a 31khz, but switches to 15khz after the Minimig boot screen.

[MasterOfGizmo]

Other than that it seems it always boots a 31khz, but switches to 15khz after the Minimig boot screen.

Yes, i also noticed that. I don't think it's a major issue for now. The next core supporting the same setting will be the VIC20 which will soon be updated. And then i plan to make the scandoubling optional in the Atari ST core. But that may actually be a little more tricky as the scan doubler is currently part of the shifter itself.

[DrChaos]

Thanks newsdee, adding a carriage return fixed that issue. I'll try to setup a WHDload setting now.

[MasterOfGizmo]

Alastair is aware of the 68020 problem with whdload. It seems to be another small issue with the fast ram. Disabling fast ram makes whdload work again.

[Paradroyd]

I don't know about on MIST, but on a real Amiga, disabling all fast RAM (or simply not having any installed) makes things noticeably slower. I especially notice it on the A1200 and A600 when hard disk IO is happening. I don't really notice that on my A2000, probably because it's not using an onboard IDE controller.

[DrChaos]

@ MasterOfGizmo
Thanks a lot for letting us know, I will try that as soon as possible. I was not even sure if someone is still working on the AGA core

@Paradroid

I would sacrify some speed for a working solution However, I think the major problem with disabling FastRam will be the lack of RAM in general, as some WHDload games require some amount of FastRam...

[Paradroyd]

@Paradroid

I would sacrifice some speed for a working solution However, I think the major problem with disabling FastRam will be the lack of RAM in general, as some WHDload games require some amount of FastRam...

I agree. My only point is that while it's a good that there's a stop-gap solution, hopefully there's a longer term solution in the works that won't require disabling fast RAM.

Oddly enough, I've been running with 24MB of RAM on the pre-AGA core and it's worked pretty well on my MIST. The only weird thing I've noticed with it is that sometimes if I reboot with 24MB enabled, when it comes back up, it comes up very slowly, and when it finally get to the workbench screen, I see that there's NO fast RAM showing up, just chip RAM. Another reboot usually brings the fast RAM back. Sometimes it takes a couple reboots or a power cycle. The thing is, if I'm running WHDload through workbench, I don't typically reboot much, so it hasn't been much of a problem.

[DrChaos]

I noticed exactly the same thing when I was playing around with the actual core...

[remowilliams]

I would sacrify some speed for a working solution However, I think the major problem with disabling FastRam will be the lack of RAM in general, as some WHDload games require some amount of FastRam...

Yes hopefully a fix can be found, disabling the oodles of FastRam is a no go for many games.

[Amedia]

Hi all

Is it possible adding the 15KHz option in the first Amiga AGA core version from november ?

Effectively, since WHDLoad and many ADF games are not working with the last Amiga AGA core version, it would be great for demonstrating it integrating this 15KHz option in the previous AGA core

Thanks, Laurent
Amedia Computer

[MasterOfGizmo]

Is it possible adding the 15KHz option in the first Amiga AGA core version from november ?

That's possible. But i don't think anyone is currently backporting features to older cores. Imho it makes more sense to go ahead and make sure everything works with the latest core.

The latest core included a massive change in the CPU part which is due to the fact that the a1200 has a 14Mhz 68020 vs. the 7Mhz 68000 of the older amigas. The AGA chipset is only one part of the puzzle, the CPU is the other one. And when doing such massive changes, then sometimes some things break. I am sure they'll fix it one day.

But this is all open source and backporting stuff is actually one of the easier tasks and well suited for beginners. So if you want to backport the 15khz feature then just go ahead.