NEW USB Host Controller via ACSI

[czietz]

Atari GEMDOS FAT implementation has some restrictions -- the most notable being that on TOS versions 1-3 a cluster must not be bigger than 16384 bytes. (Bad choice of a signed int16 to hold the cluster size.) Other limits are described in the following document, section 9.3:
http://info-coach.fr/atari/documents/_m ... _Guide.pdf

HDDRUTIL when partitioning a disk will try to work with these limitations when you select to create a TOS-compatible partition. Partitions created by other tools (like on the PC or Mac) will obviously not adhere to the limits, i.e. they might not work even if a partition is smaller than the maximum size of 512 MiB supported by TOS 1.04 - 3.06.

Enter BigDOS: it replaces GEMDOS and thus allows accessing bigger partitions and partitions created by non-Atari-aware tools. BigDOS -- though being 20 years old -- is by no means obsolete, even with the newest versions of HDDRIVER. See its FAQ: http://hddriver.seimet.de/en/faq.html
Imho it would be a nice improvement to HDDRIVER if Uwe Seimet developed a BigDOS replacement. Or the BigDOS author could be persuaded to open-source his work.

[alanh]

BigDOS only allows FAT16 partitions to be used, these are not TOS partitions.

You need to create the type field as $06 to use them with BigDOS, but they can be up to 2GB.

BigDOS also disables <32MB partitions, so make sure any partition is bigger than that.

[czietz]

BigDOS only allows FAT16 partitions to be used, these are not TOS partitions.
You need to create the type field as $06 to use them with BigDOS, but they can be up to 2GB.
BigDOS also disables <32MB partitions, so make sure any partition is bigger than that.

Well, it's certainly good that my BigDOS installation isn't aware of your post.
What I'm trying to say: I have no problems with either TOS partitions (like created by AHDI's HDX) nor with <32 MB (type "GEM") partitions together with BigDOS. Nothing is disabled or unusable.

May I ask where you got the information above?

[Fujiyama]

BigDOS only allows FAT16 partitions to be used, these are not TOS partitions.

You need to create the type field as $06 to use them with BigDOS, but they can be up to 2GB.

BigDOS also disables <32MB partitions, so make sure any partition is bigger than that.

Aha! That explains why my CF-card boot partition (drive C) didn't appear when I had BigDOS in the AUTO folder! I believe drive C is set to 15 MB in order to not exceed the 16 MB limit in TOS (I'm a little confused about that as well because of conflicting information).

So if I use BigDOS (by putting it (first, according to its docs) in the AUTO folder) I first need to repartition my CF card which contains the boot partition as well so that all partitions are between 32 MB and 2 GB or...... leave things as they are, not use BigDOS but also not be able to use more than 512 MB on my USB flash drive (or if I like a more "messy" setup (IMHO of course) partition up the 8 GB drive into multiple 512 MB partitions)?

In any case it's fantastic to be able to have a cross-platform compatible removable media which is fast, silent, compact and huge. Even high density (1.44 MB) floppies bite the dust in comparison. So thanks for all your efforts in creating both the Unicorn and MonSTer, Alanh!

Czietz: So you've also got a boot partition which is smaller than 32 MB? Also 16 MB or less like mine?
And BigDOS doesn't make it inaccesible when you boot with it in the AUTO folder? Which TOS version are you using, and is this together with HDdriver (in case yes -which version)?

[czietz]

Czietz: So you've also got a boot partition which is smaller than 32 MB? Also 16 MB or less like mine?
And BigDOS doesn't make it inaccesible when you boot with it in the AUTO folder? Which TOS version are you using, and is this together with HDdriver (in case yes -which version)?

Like I said. I haven't had any problems with BigDOS with partitions smaller than 32 MB, be it with Atari-style partitions, be it with MS-DOS-style partitions. Neither with TOS 1.04 nor with TOS 2.06. I don't use HDDRIVER, though.

If you don't believe me, attached is a HD image for Hatari (mount as ACSI image within Hatari) with a boot partition of about 14 MB and a second partition of about 17 MB. It will boot from HD, load BigDOS from C:\AUTO and still all partitions will be accessible. No problems whatsoever!

I believe drive C is set to 15 MB in order to not exceed the 16 MB limit in TOS (I'm a little confused about that as well because of conflicting information).

Read the PDF document I posted: About the boot partition it says: "Contrary to widely spread belief, the boot partition (usually the first partition on disk) can be a big partition (BGM) and therefore can use the maximum size supported by the TOS (For example 512MB for 1.04 ≤ TOS < 4.x). The actual limitation to 32MB (GEM) for the boot partition does not come from TOS/GEMDOS file system but from some hard disk driver. Only very old hard disk driver like SCSITools and AHDI hard disk driver exhibit this limitation."

[alanh]

BigDOS only allows FAT16 partitions to be used, these are not TOS partitions.
You need to create the type field as $06 to use them with BigDOS, but they can be up to 2GB.
BigDOS also disables <32MB partitions, so make sure any partition is bigger than that.

Well, it's certainly good that my BigDOS installation isn't aware of your post.
What I'm trying to say: I have no problems with either TOS partitions (like created by AHDI's HDX) nor with <32 MB (type "GEM") partitions together with BigDOS. Nothing is disabled or unusable.

May I ask where you got the information above?

http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASThdFAQ.html
http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=18462

[czietz]

http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASThdFAQ.html

Only that the sentence "[BigDOS] disables partitions under 32MB" is wrong at least a general statement as my own experience and the Hatari disk image that I posted show. Maybe this happens under some special circumstances ... which I would be interested in knowing.

PS: We can move this to a separate thread if you like since this has nothing to do anymore with the Unicorn.

[Galvez]

Hi!

Some changes have been made in MiNT's delay functions, so I need some Unicorn owner to test that new drivers don't break anything.
I need a tester for TOS (*.prg) and MiNT (modules) drivers.

Thanks!

[Perdrix24]

Some changes have been made in MiNT's delay functions, so I need some Unicorn owner to test that new drivers don't break anything.
I need a tester for TOS (*.prg) and MiNT (modules) drivers.

Hi, I'll be able to test the TOS storage driver. Also, is the MiNT NetUSBee driver working reliably now, with the new delays?


Claude

[Galvez]

Some changes have been made in MiNT's delay functions, so I need some Unicorn owner to test that new drivers don't break anything.
I need a tester for TOS (*.prg) and MiNT (modules) drivers.

Hi, I'll be able to test the TOS storage driver. Also, is the MiNT NetUSBee driver working reliably now, with the new delays?

Great! Thanks!

About the NetUSBee driver I've answered in the other thread
http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.ph ... 35#p340335

[troed]

Increasing the visibility of Christian's port of uip-tool for Unicorn owners - it's working really well: http://atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 09#p346825

I have a USB hub connected to my Unicorn and I'm using both the USB flashdrive and the Ethernet adapter at the same time without issues.

[TXG/MNX]

Hello

I got a 1040STE which boots from a megafile 60, I just connected a unicorn between it. hddriver 10.10 loads only 0.0 id enabled then loads usb.prg. storage.prg and uncorn but that tells me no unicorn detected. Hdddriver shouw a bus 3 usb devices

I am stuck here please help

[TXG/MNX]

Hi

I get insane, disconnected the megafile load hddriver.prg from autofolder from floppy and scans all acsi with no detected(which is true megafile is off)
Usb.acc is loaded
Then i start usb.prg
Then storage.prg
Then unicorn.prg

My usb stick that works on my lightning In TT is detectef. Install device works but thats it.

Please help

[TXG/MNX]

I am allmost there with hddriver boot from floppy (megafile turned off) i load

Hddriver 10.10 from auto folder scans all acsi devices finds nothing (ok megafile is off) the load usb.prg, storage.prg, unicorn.prg and hddutil, can see the usb drive I can even partition it, install as device. But why doesit fail when boot from megafile ??!!!!

[TXG/MNX]

Got it fixed I had to put the unicorn on the out bus of the megafile to work.

[alanh]

Sounds like the out port of the unicorn may have a bad solder joint then. Might want to check that.

[alanh]

http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASThdFAQ.html

Only that the sentence "[BigDOS] disables partitions under 32MB" is wrong at least a general statement as my own experience and the Hatari disk image that I posted show. Maybe this happens under some special circumstances ... which I would be interested in knowing.

PS: We can move this to a separate thread if you like since this has nothing to do anymore with the Unicorn.

I think I remember now why BigDOS does this.

It's sector sizes. So it maybe your installation uses a sector size that's typically used with > 32MB partitions. That's not uncommon with Windows or other tools creating the partition. But I believe if the Atari software did it, it uses smaller sector sizes which cause BigDOS's own routines to ignore them.