BeePi 1.0

[stormy]

Is there any way to make it work with real Atari mega/TT keyboard...?

I just successfully used these instructions with an Arduino to do this, it works great!

http://www.kevinpeat.com/atari_pi_keyboard_coding.html

I am installing my Pi into an STM case with original keyboard, I will route the HDMI and usb cables etc to the back of the case to make it look as authentic as possible, then I will be running Beepi on it Probably (most likely) far superior to a Firebee :):)

[Eero Tamminen]

You can’t read real floppies directly from an usb floppy drive with BeePi. It won’t work. BeePi can only deal with disk image.

I haven't tried using Hatari with USB floppy drives, but I've used it with real floppy drives (many years ago). As long as kernel provides the floppy content as a device file, Hatari should be able to use it. Isn't BeePi kernel compiled with USB floppy support?

(USB devices can be finicky, so having a generic driver for USB floppies doesn't yet necessarily guarantee that given device can be accessed.)

PS. I don't know what device files USB floppies get, and does that need some "udev" magic to work (device files for real floppy drives were earlier named simply as /dev/fd<idx>, nowadays they seem to be in /dev/fd/<idx> files).

[Faucon2001]

Good Point. I didn’t know that it could work as I no longer have usb floppy drive. It worths a try.

[Eero Tamminen]

If USB floppies are intended to be used with Hatari, one doesn't want to enable any kind of auto-mounting for them, only enable support for having the USB floppy device file present. User may also need to be in some specific group so that Hatari can access such device.

[Faucon2001]

In this case it won’t work with beepi, as it uses usbmount to auto mount into /media any usb drive.

[Eero Tamminen]

The problem with automount is that if same disk content is being modified both as raw device (by emulator), and as mounted file system (by host OS), corruption is sure to happen. Only single thing should mount the same device at the time (whether it's Hatari or Linux).

You would need some mount rules that don't mount USB floppies, if user wants to access them directly from Hatari (as floppy image instead of GEMDOS HD drive directory).

[MasterOfGizmo]

I do have a NEC UF0002 USB floppy drive which is one of the few that can read TOS formatted 720k disks.

And while i can access itunder /dev/sdb as a regular user from userland hatari simply ignores it if i try to configure it.

But even if it worked it would likely not be the experience you'd expect. These floppies do internal buffering and they prefetch and cache data. The drive would read and write data just as it likes and you wouldn't have the impression of the ST accessing it as a real ST would do. Just plaugging the drive in already makes it seek forth and back reading stuff without the PC even accessing it.

[Eero Tamminen]

I do have a NEC UF0002 USB floppy drive which is one of the few that can read TOS formatted 720k disks.

And while i can access itunder /dev/sdb as a regular user from userland hatari simply ignores it if i try to configure it.

Thanks for testing! Do you see any error messages from Hatari in the terminal where you started it?

(you may need to use "--log-level debug" to get everything out of Hatari debug output.)

[pik33]

Installed, testing.

It works OK: it seems to be the best emulated ST available now.

The RPi is set @ 1440x1080/50 Hz

Problems, questions or lacks of my knowledge I found :

Hatari has some problems with audio (RPi 3B @1300, RPi3B+@1400, audio on jack) - it is sometimes distorted as if the emulator wasn't fast enough.
Old demos - Readme.prg, LSD.PRG have this behavior (started as ST with TOS 1.4). The STE demos using DMA audio seem to have no audio problems.

Sometimes (Revenge of DOH) using UK TOS helps with audio quality. It seems Revenge of DOH starts with 60 Hz when TOS is US.

The aranym Atari (what is the emulated machine in this case? 68040 and ? ) doesn't display a wallpaper when I change (increase) the screen resolution and I didn't find where it keeps the wallpaper and where it can be set.

Is there any way to set RPI startup to Hatari instead of Aranym?

[MasterOfGizmo]

Thanks for testing! Do you see any error messages from Hatari in the terminal where you started it?

(you may need to use "--log-level debug" to get everything out of Hatari debug output.)

No mention of the floppy:

Code: Select all

$ hatari --log-level debug
Video_SetSystemTimings1 1 3
Video_SetSystemTimings2 1 3 -> 2 (WS3) 503 503 64
Hatari v2.0.0, compiled on:  Jan 15 2017, 08:43:19
Video_SetSystemTimings1 1 3
Video_SetSystemTimings2 1 3 -> 2 (WS3) 503 503 64
Configured max Hatari resolution = 832x576, optimal for ST = 832x588
update cyc speed 0 throttle 0.000000 clock_mult 512
CPU cycleunit: 256 (0.500)
CPU cycleunit: 256 (0.500)
1870 CPU functions
Building CPU, 44274 opcodes (0 -2 1)
CPU=68000, FPU=0, MMU=0, JIT=0. prefetch and cycle-exact 24-bit                                                                                             
Loaded TOS version 2.06, starting at $e00000, country code = 1, PAL                                                                                         
Applying TOS patch 'ROM checksum'.                                                                                                                          
Applying TOS patch 'boot from DMA bus'.                                                                                                                     
Applied 2 TOS patches, 0 patches failed.                                                                                                                    
Video_SetSystemTimings1 1 3                                                                                                                                 
Video_SetSystemTimings2 1 3 -> 2 (WS3) 503 503 64                                                                                                           
Video_SetSystemTimings1 1 3                                                                                                                                 
Video_SetSystemTimings2 1 3 -> 2 (WS3) 503 503 64                                                                                                           
Host system has accurate delays. (1)                                                                                                                        
update cyc speed 0 throttle 0.000000 clock_mult 512                                                                                                         
CPU cycleunit: 256 (0.500)                                                                                                                                  
CPU cycleunit: 256 (0.500)                                                                                                                                  
m68k_run_1_ce                                                                                                                                               
CPU reset PC=e00034 (ROM memory)..                                                                                                                          
Bus Error at address $ff8900, PC=$e00218 addr_e3=e0021c op_e3=4278                                                                                          
Illegal instruction: 42c0 at 00E0039A -> 00E003BE                                                                                                           
Bus Error at address $fffa40, PC=$e004c0 addr_e3=e004c4 op_e3=3038
Bus Error at address $ff8e0d, PC=$e00584 addr_e3=e0058a op_e3=11fc
Bus Error at address $ff8e09, PC=$e02908 addr_e3=e0290c op_e3=4a38
Video_SetSystemTimings1 1 3
Video_SetSystemTimings2 1 3 -> 2 (WS3) 503 503 64
exit m68k_run

It was in my config:

Code: Select all

[Floppy]
bAutoInsertDiskB = TRUE
FastFloppy = TRUE
EnableDriveA = TRUE
DriveA_NumberOfHeads = 2
EnableDriveB = TRUE
DriveB_NumberOfHeads = 2
nWriteProtection = 0
szDiskAZipPath =
szDiskAFileName = /dev/sdb
szDiskBZipPath =
szDiskBFileName =
szDiskImageDirectory = /home/xyz

In Hataris floppy menu /dev/sdb is not mentioned and the floppy a entry is empty.

[Eero Tamminen]

It was in my config:

Code: Select all

[Floppy]
bAutoInsertDiskB = TRUE
FastFloppy = TRUE
EnableDriveA = TRUE
DriveA_NumberOfHeads = 2
EnableDriveB = TRUE
DriveB_NumberOfHeads = 2
nWriteProtection = 0
szDiskAZipPath =
szDiskAFileName = /dev/sdb
szDiskBZipPath =
szDiskBFileName =
szDiskImageDirectory = /home/xyz

In Hataris floppy menu /dev/sdb is not mentioned and the floppy a entry is empty.

If there are no warnings in Hatari output, I'm wondering whether you checked right config file. It's nowadays in ~/.config/hatari/hatari.cfg instead of earlier ~/.hatari/hatari.cfg (or even earlier ~/.hatari.cfg).

You could try specifying it directly from the command line:

Code: Select all

$ hatari --log-level debug /dev/sdb

INFO : Image '/dev/sdb' not found

Hatari v2.1.0 - the Atari ST, STE, TT and Falcon emulator.

Hatari is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License.

Usage:
 hatari [options] [disk image name]

Try option "-h" or "--help" to display more information.

Error: Not a disk image, Atari program or directory (/dev/sdb)

[Playmobil]

The aranym Atari (what is the emulated machine in this case? 68040 and ? ) doesn't display a wallpaper when I change (increase) the screen resolution and I didn't find where it keeps the wallpaper and where it can be set.

For Wallpaper, it's explain here : https://sites.google.com/site/beebox68k ... the-manual

Code: Select all

Change wallpaper : open an image with zview, fullscreen F10, and press ctrl+alt+: to change Mint Wallpaper. You can use Smurf to scale it to the right resolution.

[MasterOfGizmo]

$ hatari --log-level debug /dev/sdb

I am pretty sure i have the correct config. I am running a stock ubuntu "Hatari v2.0.0, compiled on: Jan 15 2017, 08:43:19"

Anyway with your command given above i get this:

Code: Select all

$ hatari --log-level debug /dev/sdb
ARG = floppy image: /dev/sdb
Video_SetSystemTimings1 1 3
Video_SetSystemTimings2 1 3 -> 2 (WS3) 503 503 64
...

And the floppy actually does something. When i starup hatari this way the floppy spins for a few seconds. But TOS claims that no floppy disk is inserted.

If I instead

Code: Select all

cp /dev/sdb nase.st; hatari nase.st

The hatari can access the contents. So reading basically works.

[MasterOfGizmo]

This works as well:

Code: Select all

ln -s /dev/sdb ./sdb.st
hatari sdb.st 

I can even create a folder. But it's newer written back ....

Edit: it is written back once i close hatari. Also it seems that hatari reads the entire disk at startup and then newer accesses it again. So this doesn't give any retro feeling ....

[Eero Tamminen]

I can even create a folder. But it's newer written back ....

Edit: it is written back once i close hatari. Also it seems that hatari reads the entire disk at startup and then newer accesses it again. So this doesn't give any retro feeling ....

You don't need to close Hatari. Just eject the disk (image) to access its contents outside of (emulated) Atari. Same as on real HW.

The reason why Hatari reads whole floppy disk content when it's mounted and updates the image contents when it's unmounted, is because:
* they're easier to handle that way (more so when they're gzip compressed)
* there's nothing to guarantee that image contents would be internally consistent when you try to read it from host before eject (e.g. adding a file to a floppy touches FAT, directory entry and actual file data, sectors for these 3 are all in different places on disk, and you might access it in between these updates)

What retro feeling you're missing?

[Eero Tamminen]

Hatari has some problems with audio (RPi 3B @1300, RPi3B+@1400, audio on jack) - it is sometimes distorted as if the emulator wasn't fast enough.
Old demos - Readme.prg, LSD.PRG have this behavior (started as ST with TOS 1.4). The STE demos using DMA audio seem to have no audio problems.

Sometimes (Revenge of DOH) using UK TOS helps with audio quality. It seems Revenge of DOH starts with 60 Hz when TOS is US.

It's very well possible that PI isn't fast enough for Hatari emulation with the options you're using, and with the SDL version used in RPi. But there may also be some other process taking CPU while Hatari is running, have you checked that?

I can check the performance if you give pointers to the demos where you see the difference. While DMA causes much less emulation work than interrupt heavy ST sound, there may be also some other differences on what hardware the demos use and how much.

Hatari manual has some advice on tuning Hatari performance:
https://hg.tuxfamily.org/mercurialroot/ ... erformance

[Eero Tamminen]

with your command given above i get this:

Code: Select all

$ hatari --log-level debug /dev/sdb
ARG = floppy image: /dev/sdb
...

And the floppy actually does something. When i startup hatari this way the floppy spins for a few seconds. But TOS claims that no floppy disk is inserted.

If I instead

Code: Select all

cp /dev/sdb nase.st; hatari nase.st

The hatari can access the contents. So reading basically works.

Ah, now I see. I checked the sources, and Hatari uses filename extension to determine the floppy format (ST, ST.GZ, MSA, STX, IPF, ST/ZIP). Device file name doesn't have correct extension.

I commited few info messages about that to Hatari repository.

Does it work any better if you do:

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$ ln -s /dev/sdb usb-floppy.st
$ hatari --log-level info usb-floppy.st

[pik33]

I found a solution to the sound problem in old demos: TOS 1.02

The lesson learned: old demo->old TOS

I also managed to change the start script to make Hatari start immediately after boot. Now there is 6 seconds from power switch to the classic ST desktop - who needs an FPGA implementation if the RPi can do its job?

[MasterOfGizmo]

What retro feeling you're missing?

That the floppy actually activates when the emulated atari accesses it and not just for one long time at startup and shutdown.

[Eero Tamminen]

That the floppy actually activates when the emulated atari accesses it and not just for one long time at startup and shutdown.

I see, one wants to eject floppy and go, but the "damn thing" is just starting to write it, and real floppies are real slow...

I guess I've dealt "too" much with image files on fast hard disks to forget that. Sorry about that.

[pixelkiller]

Hy

I'm actually making tiny ST replicas based on Pi zero boards.

Anyone tried to run Beepi on this device ?

dees it run properly and what would be its perfs ?

[Faucon2001]

I have never tested BeePi on a Pi Zero, only on a Pi 3.
It should work. Just give a try.

[pixelkiller]

Thanks Philippe, I'll do that.

Anyone tried it on PI 2 ? it has the same hardware as the pi zero.

Sylvestre

[pixelkiller]

I just tried it on a pi zero

but doesn't boot, stays stuck on the root login
any clue ?

Sylvestre

[d0us]

Hi,
I was wondering if Beepi comes installed with drivers for the pi tft screen which connects directly ?