New board: MonSTer

[joska]

I don't know why it only boots KAOS, but the flashing problem is caused by an address conflict. If you have enabled all alt-RAM it will occupy the address range from 0x400000 to 0xbfffff. Then the graphics card address range starts at 0xc00000, but I don't know where it ends. From your description it sounds like it use some addresses above 0xd00000 too. I would imagine that you can flash with the graphics card installed by booting with 6Mb or less alt-RAM enabled, and select flash ROM address at 0xb00000 or lower.

[frank.lukas]

I boot up with hold down the ctrl key so it is loading nothing. When the Graphiccard Hardware sit in the Mega ST Bus I can not flash the MonSTer.

[alanh]

Just because the graphic card driver isn't loaded, there can still be address clashes.

As joska says, choose a different flash address, but you may need to temporarily disable or reduce altram.

[frank.lukas]

Hello Alan, I don´t understand ?

I have nothing loaded when I run the M_FLASH program. Flashing is fine without the graphiccard sit in the Mega ST Bus. When the Grahiccard Card is in the Mega ST bus without loading any Driver it came up an error when I run the M_FLASH program.

The Graphiccard and his driver Software works fine with the 8MB Altram from the MonSTer Card.


My Problem is, I can move the TOSSEL and FLASHSW Jumper how I want, every time KAOS TOS boots up ... !

[joska]

In the flash program you must select 0xb00000 or lower flash address when the graphics card is installed. IIRC the default flash address is 0xd00000 and that address range is probably already in use by the graphics card.

It could also be an electrical incompatibility. I also have a Mega ST with a MonSTer installed (in the CPU socket, not the Megabus), and it's extremely unstable when my Reflex graphics card is installed. But the same happens without the MonSTer, but some other kit on the CPU bus (Mario Becroft's IDE interface or my PC-Speed) so I believe this is a Reflex problem.

Not sure about your TOS selection problem. What has been flashed to the other "slots"?

[frank.lukas]

... if I have understood correctly !

The Monster have two flash banks with two slots on each bank for 192kB and the other slot for a 256kB TOS.

I have in one Bank KAOS TOS 1.42 and in the other Slot TOS 2.06, in the other Bank I have TOS 1.04 and 256kB EmuTOS 0.96.

[alanh]

Right, so run M_ALTRAM and select another FLASH address, just not C00000 or D00000. As joska says, B00000 or lower should be chosen. And then FLASH to the alternate bank. Then move the jumpers.

[troed]

MonSTer now installed in my Mega ST4 (and my memory on what this particular machine contained was off - no six chip OE-disable method needed since the two chip TOS was in sockets .. ). I had forgotten to buy a 2.5" F-F 44 pin cable though so my IDE-SD adapter will be tested tomorrow at the earliest - but everything else seems to be working as it should.

... and I've now added info to the wiki on the Sintechi SD-card adapter working just fine with HD Driver 9.09 and the MonSTer: http://www.atari-wiki.com/index.php/Ata ... #HD_Driver

/Troed

[frank.lukas]

So it works again ...

Frank is a little Idiot. I put my glasses on and see that there are KAOS TOS Roms already on the Board. My Mega is full of stuff, so I doesn´t see the Roms. I remove them and it works fine without the graphiccard sit in the Mega ST Bus for the Flash time and 0xD00000.

[mac512]

I'd love to get this Monster for my Mega ST. However, I already have a Sack PC-Speed PC emulator card installed through the Mega Bus with a really ugly custom adaptor. Would it be possible to install both cards at the same time in the Mega? Maybe a custom Mega Bus adaptor?
Thanks.

[frost]

I just installed the MonSTer in my Mega STe, with the Blitter enable hack ! I seems to work but I have to order a new version of HD Driver as my old 7.80 seems not to handle my flash carts correctly. The demo image boots fine on the device.
I just noticed something strange. The Mega STe makes 4 bombs if no floppy is attached. Is this a normal behavior of the machine or did I something wrong while installing the hardware ?

[joska]

I just installed the MonSTer in my Mega STe, with the Blitter enable hack ! I seems to work but I have to order a new version of HD Driver as my old 7.80 seems not to handle my flash carts correctly. The demo image boots fine on the device.

That version of HD-Driver also has problems with alt-RAM and ACSI devices. You can try AHDI in the mean time, it works fine for me with CF-cards.

I just noticed something strange. The Mega STe makes 4 bombs if no floppy is attached. Is this a normal behavior of the machine or did I something wrong while installing the hardware ?

This is normal for TOS 2.06.

[frost]

I just installed the MonSTer in my Mega STe, with the Blitter enable hack ! I seems to work but I have to order a new version of HD Driver as my old 7.80 seems not to handle my flash carts correctly. The demo image boots fine on the device.

That version of HD-Driver also has problems with alt-RAM and ACSI devices. You can try AHDI in the mean time, it works fine for me with CF-cards.

Damned ! Is Uwe Seimet on the way to fix it ? I'll try AHDI then, thanks.

This is normal for TOS 2.06.

Ah, thanks !

[frank.lukas]

That TOS 2.06 bombs with 4 bombs when no boot device is there, is it a bug with the TOS ?

[joska]

Damned ! Is Uwe Seimet on the way to fix it ? I'll try AHDI then, thanks.

It has been fixed in the current version.

[joska]

That TOS 2.06 bombs with 4 bombs when no boot device is there, is it a bug with the TOS ?

I guess so.

[joska]

I remove them and it works fine without the graphiccard sit in the Mega ST Bus for the Flash time and 0xD00000.

I now have the same graphics card in my MonSTer-equipped Mega ST and can confirm that flashing works with the graphics card installed as long as I boot with less than 8Mb alt-RAM enabled and select a flash address below 0xC00000.

[frost]

Just to let you know that I updated to HD Driver 9.10 today and was able to install my compact flash cart. It's now booting flawlessly.

Now I have to flash a french TOS and find a way to silent the machine a bit and I'm done with it ! Thanks Alanh, it's a very good device !

[frost]

Hi,

I'm here again with another issue on my Mega STe. This time, I can't flash an image on my board. The only working flash address is 0x900000. While flashing, I always get a message box telling "Error while flashing TOS206FR.IMG". Sometimes I get a whole lot of bombs but it didn't work either of course. Hopefully I still can boot on the UK TOS in the primary bank.

Regarding the hardware, I didn't set any jumper. The blitter patch is soldered and it should work fine as I could run the "We were @" demo.

I run the program in plain 8 MHz mode and 16MHz + cache mode, but it didn't change anything. Same with or without M_ALTRAM.PRG in the AUTO folder, with 2MB or 0MB of alt-ram (didn't test every combinations). Besides M_ALTRAM.PRG, my auto folder is empty. I tried also different 2.06 TOS images, in german or french, but I always come to the same error. I even tried to run the flash program from a floppy (using a Gotek + HxC firmware) but it didn't help.

Is there anything I missed ?

Regards

[alanh]

There are some problems with the Flash program on the MegaSTE. A new flash tool is under development.

But 0x900000 or below should work fine. So as long as one address works and the image is verified you should be fine.

[frost]

Ok, I can test the new flash tool if you need feedback.

Unfortunately, it does not work. 0x900000 works, but I get flash errors. The TOS image comes atariworld.org and works perfectly on Hatari.

[alanh]

Do you have any other hardware installed in your MegaSTE that could be clashing with the flash address ?

[frost]

Nothing, I even removed the ASCI card temporaly.

[alanh]

And you can still boot from the onboard flash ?

[frost]

Yes, this works perfectly.