Lightning VME is here

[Gaiyan]

Are you using INIT? And would that make a difference?

[czietz]

Here's the screenshot under 1.19.379. My USB folder only contain the files supplied in the 120 release.

So far, nothing looks unusual. I see that you run this on a TT. Just to be sure: you are using the blitz030.ucd driver (and not blitz.ucd, which would be the MegaSTE version of the driver) and you're not loading the TOS drivers in the AUTO folder before loading MiNT? Can you please disable all device drivers, i.e. storage.udd, mouse.udd, keyboard.udd and see if this changes anything?

[czietz]

With the Lightning drivers loaded in memory: Cubase does not start.

And how "does not start" manifest itself? Error message? Bombs? Is this really caused by the Lightning VME driver or by any of the device drivers (mouse, keyboard, storage)?

[remig]

So far, nothing looks unusual. I see that you run this on a TT. Just to be sure: you are using the blitz030.ucd driver (and not blitz.ucd, which would be the MegaSTE version of the driver) and you're not loading the TOS drivers in the AUTO folder before loading MiNT? Can you please disable all device drivers, i.e. storage.udd, mouse.udd, keyboard.udd and see if this changes anything?

Yes I use the blitz030.ucd, nothing in auto except freemint loader. I have the same behavior with just usb030.km and blitz030.ucd, or usb.km and blitz 030.km.

[czietz]

Thank you. Could you please try the attached debug version of the driver -- preferably still without any udd device drivers -- and post a screenshot? It will display a lot of message that help pinpointing the problem.

Note: You might have to configure the MiNT kernel to show debug messages at all. At boot, press the Shift key asked to by the loader, then switch the debug level to "ALERT, DEBUG".

[remig]

Thank you. Could you please try the attached debug version of the driver -- preferably still without any udd device drivers -- and post a screenshot? It will display a lot of message that help pinpointing the problem.

Note: You might have to configure the MiNT kernel to show debug messages at all. At boot, press the Shift key asked to by the loader, then switch the debug level to "ALERT, DEBUG".

Here it is.

[czietz]

Interesting and strange. This hangs very early on, before the USB chip on the Lighting VME is even initialized. I have never seen this with one of our users before.

I have attached a version with much more extensive debug output during this early phase. Can you please retry the experiment?

[remig]

Interesting and strange. This hangs very early on, before the USB chip on the Lighting VME is even initialized. I have never seen this with one of our users before.

I have attached a version with much more extensive debug output during this early phase. Can you please retry the experiment?

Seems to freeze when configuring cpld.

[Atarieterno]

With the Lightning drivers loaded in memory: Cubase does not start.

And how "does not start" manifest itself? Error message? Bombs? Is this really caused by the Lightning VME driver or by any of the device drivers (mouse, keyboard, storage)?

Double click on Cubase.PRG and only one blink on the screen, Cubase does not start (nothing appears).
I disable the Lightning drivers and Cubase works without problems.
I have not tried deactivating the drivers one by one, I have only tried with the complete set (storage, mouse and keyboard).

[czietz]

Seems to freeze when configuring cpld.

OK, thank you. Now I have to get our hardware guys involved. I will get back to you.

[vattari]

It would be great if it was technically possible to use this with a USB>VGA adapter such as this one:
https://www.tme.eu/en/Document/6ba3f6c7 ... A0076A.pdf

Cheap and convenient, it technically possible, I would pay for some drivers to be written.

[Gaiyan]

It would be great if it was technically possible to use this with a USB>VGA adapter such as this one:
https://www.tme.eu/en/Document/6ba3f6c7 ... A0076A.pdf

Cheap and convenient, it technically possible, I would pay for some drivers to be written.

Lightning is USB 1.1 but USB 2.0 devices (which this adapter is) work at reduced speed. Wiki reports speeds to be 600kbps which most likely is not enough for any display mode. I suspect another problem would be the TT not having enough oomf to drive it. Even though the adapter has hardware for the VGA it might be too much to handle. I hope I'm wrong as this would be cool.

[czietz]

Lightning is USB 1.1 but USB 2.0 devices (which this adapter is) work at reduced speed. Wiki reports speeds to be 600kbps which most likely is not enough for any display mode. I suspect another problem would be the TT not having enough oomf to drive it.

This is correct, although I want to make clear that the speed is 600 kByte per second. Yet, a VGA frame at 640x480x256 colors needs about 300 kByte, so you can calculate that -- even if the TT was doing nothing else but transferring frames out of the USB port -- you'd get a frame rate of about 2 fps. Not sensible, imho.

[czietz]

OK, thank you. Now I have to get our hardware guys involved. I will get back to you.

OK, I heard back from our HW designer and sent you a PM.

[rthorntn]

I have a MSTE with 2.05 TOS, I get:

"Lightning VME not found!"

Do I need to upgrade to TOS 2.06?

[czietz]

I have a MSTE with 2.05 TOS, I get:

"Lightning VME not found!"

Do I need to upgrade to TOS 2.06?

No, TOS 2.05 is also supported. Please recheck that you have installed the Lightning VME correctly and that you're using the MegaSTE driver (and not the TT one).

[rthorntn]

Thanks, as far as I can tell it's installed correctly (it was a pain to insert the DIP chip with the Lightning installed) and I'm using the MSTE driver. Matthias is having me run autosort.

[rthorntn]

Its working, one of the VME connectors was not pushed in enough.

Can somebody help me out please, how do I use a USB storage key with it (update: I can see the sandisk in hddrutil but I can't format it and if I partition it I get two bombs on boot unless I disconnect the sandisk usb)?

Also I'm just running TOS, can somebody please walk me through getting networking working, I have a dub-e100?

Thanks.

[czietz]

Also I'm just running TOS, can somebody please walk me through getting networking working, I have a dub-e100?

If you want just to transfer files, use uip-tool for Lightning VME: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=33843
For full a full networking stack, as of today, we have a STinG driver: http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=33940

[czietz]

Matthias has prepared an updated edition of the driver floppy disk (R120) that is included with all current shipments of the Lightning VME. For those of you who ordered their Lightning VME some time ago and still have an older floppy, it's available for download: http://www.newtosworld.de/downloads/tre ... 20/details

[susher]

I thought people would like to know that after testing Lightning VME with the original (100M bit) Apple USB ethernet dongle I can report that it works fine, at least with UIP.

I now at last have a working ethernet on my TT!!! (NetUSBEE doesn't work with my TT)

Seeing that these devices are readily available I'm sure that this will help people find a suitable device.

[whiskey]

I thought people would like to know that after testing Lightning VME with the original (100M bit) Apple USB ethernet dongle I can report that it works fine, at least with UIP.

I now at last have a working ethernet on my TT!!! (NetUSBEE doesn't work with my TT)

Seeing that these devices are readily available I'm sure that this will help people find a suitable device.

is that with TOS?

[susher]

I tried it with the USB enabled version of UIPtool under TOS, yes. There are drivers for STiNG and MiNT on the Lightning VME support floppy too.

[Timnaber]

Is anyone exposing the ports to the outside of the machine? I have a Mega STe that can use this, but I am concerned of where the ports would reach the outside of the computer and how it would look. Any Pics out there?

[susher]

Is anyone exposing the ports to the outside of the machine? I have a Mega STe that can use this, but I am concerned of where the ports would reach the outside of the computer and how it would look. Any Pics out there?

At the moment I've got them poking out of the VME port at the back. I'm going to have to make up a new VME port plate to hold them and at least one of the serial ports.