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ksdesigns

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Joined: 25/06/2011
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Posted: 04:40am 15 Sep 2011

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PIC32-Z80EM

1st Test version
just upload the new firmware to you maximite and put the *.dsk files on a sd card
and start it up
setup for vga out
with LDOS 5.3.1
no writes to disk yet .
if you want to make new dsk images use these tools
virutils

ken
Edited by ksdesigns 2011-09-16

Gadget
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Joined: 22/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 70

Posted: 06:01am 15 Sep 2011

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Well Done Ken!

I'm sure us TRS-80 fan will be having some fun now.

jman

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Posted: 10:39am 15 Sep 2011

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Now if I can just find my copy of visicalc

John

jman

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Posted: 11:41am 15 Sep 2011

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Hi Ken

When i load the TRS80 firmware the Maximite does not start
and the Power LED remains off.
I have it set for VGA of course.
It is NOT usb powered
Any ideas ?

Regards
John

Gadget
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Joined: 22/06/2011
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Posted: 12:57pm 15 Sep 2011

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John,

I noticed the same thing but I also noticed that the lcd monitor flashed up a message that the resolution was out of range, so as a long shot I tried a crt monitor and it worked.

This was on a dontronics SM1 powered from a power supply

Terry

Nick

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Joined: 09/06/2011
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Posted: 06:30pm 15 Sep 2011

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I can third that. No light on power LED and LCD monitor says out of range.

The TRS-80 didn't have a VGA resolution 31Khz video output. Is the TRS-80 firmware set to a 15Khz output?

Nick

ksdesigns

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Joined: 25/06/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 143

Posted: 06:51pm 15 Sep 2011

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ya the chance is you will not get a LCD monitor to sync to that video
i had to do some strange timings to get the TRS-80 384x192 video to go full screen on a vga monitor
On older glass vga monitors works fine will have to find a workaround
might have to do a higher video mode and double pixels ..
ken

Nick

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Posted: 07:27pm 15 Sep 2011

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I have a Sony CRT VGA monitor which works very well with the Maximite but it too reports Out of Range.

What about producing a normal VGA mode but simulate scanlines by leaving every 2nd line blank. This maintains the 'TRS-80' video screen look on a VGA display.

Also, a few more suggestions...

Can the TRS-80 command for sending data to a Z-80 port (OUT & IN) be reworked in the emulator to talk to the PIC32 ports? This allows the TRS-80 BASIC to control external devices like the PIN command of MMBASIC.

Later, it would be nice to support emulation of at least one of the TRS-80 HiRes boards too.

Nick

ksdesigns

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Joined: 25/06/2011
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Posted: 01:22am 16 Sep 2011

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Nick give this one a shot just the hex file
i centered the screen so should work for lcd's better.
still does not have the led lit up was more worried about the video
emulator hex file
ken

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Joined: 22/06/2011
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Posted: 04:19am 16 Sep 2011

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ksdesigns said Nick give this one a shot just the hex file
i centered the screen so should work for lcd's better.
still does not have the led lit up was more worried about the video
emulator hex file
ken

Ken,

That works on my LCD now

Terry

jman

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Posted: 04:23am 16 Sep 2011

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Yip

Got video on my LCD now

Thanks

John

jman

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Posted: 05:23am 16 Sep 2011

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I just could not resist

VisiCalc

John

jman

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Posted: 05:59am 16 Sep 2011

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The Q key does not seem to work
Anybody else got this issue ?

John

Nick

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Posted: 08:33am 16 Sep 2011

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Nope. No go.

I'm not getting the Out of Range signal anymore.

I'm getting nothing at all!

Tried burning MMbasic 2.6 back in to ensue the maximite still works. Works.

Reburned TRS-80 firmware, blank-a-roony!

Dead on both a CRT and LCD.

Nick

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Posted: 08:38am 16 Sep 2011

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Now it suddenly started working!

On my CRT!

I'll keep an eye on it but it feels flakey.

Nick

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Posted: 09:09am 16 Sep 2011

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Seems to work ok on my Sony CRT VGA but no go on 2 x Benq 15" LCD monitors.

Boots the LDOS fine. Even runs my old games I wrote!

Keyboard not working right though. But looking good so far.

A new lease of life for my Maximite making it more use to me.

I like the scanline look of the screen. Looks very authentic. Just need to tweak the video display driver to work with all standard 31Khz displays.

Is there sound yet? I must get the sound hooked up on my MM.

Looking forward to playing Sea Dragon, Eliminator, Donkey Kong, Rear Guard, Donut Dilemma, Gladiator.....(so many games!)

Good work!!

jman

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Posted: 08:48pm 16 Sep 2011

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Hi Ken

This brings back so many good memory's
Thanks for this

BTW is it or should it be possible to boot Newdos ?
I have the Newdos v2 .dsk files
But no go :(

Once again thanks for this

Regards
John

ksdesigns

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Joined: 25/06/2011
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Posts: 143

Posted: 09:46pm 16 Sep 2011

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Nick rewriting the keyboard code didn't like it anyway don't know what happened to the Q and going to double check the video stuff ..

John you will be able to use Newdos once i get the floppy emulation for 80 track files

Might get a new version posted tonight or tomorrow night.
ken

Nick

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Posted: 09:56pm 16 Sep 2011

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I think it's great what you are doing and I'm sure the TRS-80 people amongst us are very greatful for the work you have put in.

This project will evolve and it will be interesting to see where it ends up.

I bet Geoff didn't envision his Maximite to be running Visicalc, Wordpressing and lots of 'machine language' games.

donmck

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Posted: 11:22pm 16 Sep 2011

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What a little google will do for you!

http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=9goHfRxkx5w

sorry, that google lead me onto some PIC32 stuff.

a movie on a PIC32:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d9lJnY79mA&feature=related

or some Microchip demos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWAFk_SX8uI&NR=1

Cheers Don...Edited by donmck 2011-09-18

https://www.dontronics.com

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