battery ram save dumping, and flash board programming.
-MMC5 updates fixed battery ram dumping
-genesis_v2.lua script supports dumping battery ram, and flashing ROM
only prototype flash board. The firmware isn't very clean, but working
for now.
Firmware application version #3 release
-------------------------------------------
N64 updates:
Some extra timing delays were necessary for consistent dumping.
Includes fixes for N64 dumping that proved working for me on 10+ carts I
dumped successfully. There is now a .csv in docs folder with cart size
in bytes, divide that number by 131,072 to get size in mbits for -z
flag. Includes CRC32 checksum that can be verified using HxD hex
editor. N64 file output is big-endian so it reads as it should in hex
editor which is .z64 file format. lua script updated to print out the
game name from the in rom header.
NES updates:
flashing support for quite a few different mappers including GTROM,
MMC2, MMC4, action53, easyNSF, and other tweaks to rd/wr timings.
FIRMWARE UPDATES:
inlretro2.lua script now tries to poll the firmware "application
version" and suggest updating your firmware if you're not running the
version in this release. You can always update your firmware using the
bootloader method in the readme. But there is an easier method if you
have an stm32 based device (translated: you purchased your device in
2018 or later). AND you're already running firmware version v2.3.x
simply run the new scripts which were added in this commit:
PCB version 2.0 or 2.1 (large square PCB with option for 6 connectors)
>inlretro.exe -s scripts\inlretro_inl6fwupdate.lua
PCB version 2.0N (smaller PCB with NES connector only:
>inlretro.exe -s scripts\inlretro_inlNESfwupdate.lua
Now that it's easier for the host software to detect the firmware
application version can work towards having the scripts automatically
update the device firmware for you.. But still need to implement this..
on provided prg/chr rom input args for dumping. Mirroring is sensed &
entered for fixed mirror mappers. So this is basic iNES file format.
Still don't have automatic banktable locating, nor mapper detection.
But this provides a basic header that should work with most currently
supported NES mappers. If the headers need tweaked, I recommend opening
in Mesen and using it's header modifcation tool.
included. Not making an offical firmware release, will have to upload to
INLretro6 with fwupdate call.
The colordream firmware updates are also included. But not the host
scripts, need to clean them up a bit.
this is the verion getting flashed on all v2.0N NESmaker kits
v2.3.0 worked for basic functions, but was never shipped
Majority of effort revolved around testing mapper30 boards with the
smaller v2.0N INLretro with the NES connector alone for NESmaker kits.
added linear feedback shift register for test stream data generated
locally on the device. I'm not 100% sure if this is any faster than
pushing the actual data via USB though.. :/ It's plenty fast on the
stm32 nearly instantaneous for 32KByte. But the AVR takes a couple
sec..
Created "stuff" dictionary for things like that were I just want to add
small things and don't want to bother with a whole new dictionary.
Added file verification to the host with files.lua
Have some nes flash algos return post-written data so calling function
can decide if want to retry, fail, etc.
Changed host dictionary calls to assert instead of error because it
really shouldn't continue. I didn't see an error when sending opcode to
wrong dict and caused head banging..
fwupdate permits bytes to be skipped, or force the update. Found that
the fwupdater got assigned different addresses of ram depending on what
all other ram gets allocated to the main application
Some clean up of inlretro.lua
TODO:
host learn and keep track of the connected device.
Needed for ciccom right now, or knowing whether ciccom connection
is even present..
In the end maybe ciccom is better placed in firmware, but for small
transfers of only a few bytes it kinda makes sense to keep on the host.
Pinport gets quite messy with these made up pin names when really all I
want to do is toggle a specific pin on the NES connector. So maybe some
double mappings would actually be okay, need to rethink that..
create different flash modes that either keep going, retry, or error
depending on the goal of the flash operation. Fanout the return value
from flash algos to all of them.
have fwupdate assigned a specific area of ram so the ram pointer doesn't
change between builds. Okay to ignore for now.
Realized can have STM32F070C6 devices execute bootloader by erasing all
the flash or perhaps even just the first word of flash according at
AN2606. This wouldn't work for RB devices though. This could be done
through the bootloader dict
Need to physically separate them now. Then can focus on erasing &
flashing ourselves.
Added some speed checks to bnrom.lua script that I was testing usb code
with. Was able to verify read/write speeds were no affected by changes
in this commit. Did some testing against older firmware v2.2 though
there does seem to have been a slight slow down on write speeds.
Although, perhaps that's because of the nrom flash verifications that
are also included in this build (but not commited)..?
NES scripts to use new dump/flash methodology that MMC3 started.
Includes BNROM, UNROM, MMC1, and new scripts for FME7 & MMC4 (SOP flash).
Adding more general support to SNES with v2proto_hirom that script is
actually becoming more of a master script supporting both LoROM and
HiROM including flash, dump, and save backups.
SNES Rd/Wr now designate the state of /ROMSEL so have to manually
determine if access should be in /ROMSEL space of the SNES memory map or
not. (ie all SNES cart memories are /ROMSEL space except HiROM SRAM).
I made a commit earlier this week but messed things up by not pulling
from the master and things weren't updated... Here's the notes from
that commit:
Author: Paul XPS <paul@infiniteneslives.com>
Date: Tue Nov 6 22:45:52 2018 -0600
Large commit biggest feature add is NES MMC3 support including Save RAM
(aka WRAM/PRGRAM) support including dumping and writing save files.
The MMC3 script & method of dumping/flashing is the most forward
thinking script/firmware so far. Finally starting to form a clear
vision of how I want to handle flashing/dumping variations with mappers.
Biggest thing is having the host handle the mapper init & banking
control. In the view of the firmware, it's only responsible for knowing
how to flash a bank. And dumping is even more generic with the host
just telling what address range to read. Things will get more complex
with support of mappers with bus conflicts. But ready to start
converting these old hacked methods to be more like the MMC3 means.
Have some early support for dumping gameboy using the snes script as the
pinouts are nearly identical. Along with testing of toggling between 3v
GBA and 5v DMG.
Have some early support for INLretro NES only version which uses a
smaller mcu because it doesn't need to support large 16bit carts. Still
have to get this completed.
Added support for CNROM, but I'm not sure if it's actually working. Going
to restart with NROM and start updating the currently supported
mappers to be more like MMC3.
But this also includes some new updates from the second half of the week:
Started updating existing NES scripts to use new MMC3 methodology. Got
NROM, CNROM, BNROM, & Color Dreams working. On the host side only
needed to add nes.c functions for specific flash algos. Able to delete
significant amounts of mapper specific code from flash.c
Got some basic SNES script support with new methodology for Catskull
elect 5v PLCC SNES LoROM board. And INL SNES HI/LO-ROM 3v board as
well. These don't yet use buffer writes, just single byte writes.
Also having issues with Mirroring test/sensing again. Driving me crazy,
but don't really care about it at the moment and not sure what's wrong..
So just committing that broken for now. Looking to remove this
functionality from the firmware side as the host should be controlling
most of this.
Looking to add SNES RAM & buffered writes. Also need to test some of
the HIROM code as I just added it in there while I did the LOROM stuff..
Added windows driver package, just have to run InstallDriver.exe to
get drivers installed on windows 10 (and others I believe)
Created dictionaries for all remaining cart connectors.
Nothing useful there yet, just wanted to get the files created
and dictionaries working.
Added bunch of notes to shared_dictionaries to explain how to go
about creating new dictionaries and some opcode details.
Have STM8 cic communications working "CICCOM" to change between H/V
mirroring on new discrete boards. Currently these operations are handled
entirely from the host scripts and opcode/operands are mostly hard coded.
Need to move these to more generic functions in the ciccom dictionary
which will also speed things up moving to the firmware which will speed
things up.
Some changes to mapper 30 script to eat the ines header, and test CHR-RAM
banking.
Some updates to snes flashing operations, still a work in progress to
fully support prior SNES board designs.
Mostly adding support for mappers as I needed it for my own hardware
builds:
-MMC1
-mapper 30
-easy NSF (still need to update for mapper verilog fix)
-action53 (still need to update for mapper verilog fix)
-dual port board flashing
-colordreams, not sure if I actually got this working
-color ninja, just a special CPLD version of colordreams for ninja boards
Just started working on SNES code. slowly getting things up and working
outside of main inlretro.lua script similar to how NES has been handling
everything with it's own script. Able to flash v3 boards fine. v1 boards
flash without errors, but still having some mapping problems where it
verifies but won't boot. v2 prototype flashes most bytes but not all,
seems v2 boards are much slower to output valid data.. But that may just
be the manufacturer ID codes..?
TODO next:
-bootloader dictionary that jumps to bootloader so don't have to manually
close jumper on the board.
-turn on the watchdog timer for stm32
-create some sort of host timeout so reset button on programmer isn't as
useful
-allow firmware programing algos to be uploaded and executed from SRAM for
faster code that also doesn't require specific firmware builds to support
new mapers.
-Finish JTAG to simplify programing NES & SNES CPLDs
-Sort out swim issue with stm8s001 CICs
-add SWIM support for avr
Dumped/flashed MMX on SNES v3 boards.
created discrete_exp0_mapper_wr to try and write to mapper but not flash
for discrete boards but doesn't seem to work for some reason so commented
out for now.
Also the current build assumes that the mcu is able to over drive the
PRG-ROM output to select bank zero for initial bank table writting.
Seems to work, but may need to come up with write that applies to mapper
only and doesn't enable the PRG-ROM by keeping EXP0 low.
Need to work on having the scripts find the bank table.
Also added swim reading of stack bottom for CICOp signature.
Starting to add scripts for different mappers.
Need to clean things up quite a bit as everything was a bit of a hack just
so I could start building lizards and A53.
Need to add back NROM, and add UNROM as well.
Need to have program find bank table for itself both in the program and in
a cartridge.
Having problems with SWIM on new discrete NES boards for some reason.
Some boards are flakey and I march right in and start writting to config
bytes which will brick the device if communications are failing (and
there's no reset pin...) as is with the stm8s001
Realizing much of my problems with discrete boards on original kazzos was
that I completely ignored the fact that most discretes are subject to bus
conflicts. This makes writes to the mapper bank selecting uber flakey...
Created routine in bnrom.lua script to start flash operation by writing
the bank table to where Lizard puts it. Need to write routine to find the
bank table in a provided rom for flashing. And dumping needs to find the
bank table prior to making mapper writes and then use it for bank
switching!
Tested and working on AVR, stm adapter, and inl6
Lizard 512KB flash/dump:
AVR decrepit old firmware & app: 7.9KBps flash
AVR new firmware and app (this build) F:12.1KBps D:14.6KBps
STM adapter: F:31KBps D:114KBps
INL6: F:40KBps D:120KBps
Modified flash/dump scripts to be more generic accepting mapper/memory
args and file names. Then they only handle the buffer and file
operations.
Created scripts/nes folder for holding all mapper scripts. Currently only
nrom.lua is working and verified with inlretro6. Found issue where the
very first byte read from PRG-ROM was garbage. Narrowed it down to lower
address byte not settling in time, added NOP and resolved issue.
Still need to test on original kazzo and stm adapter, planning to do that
after this commit.
Next task is to get BNROM working so I can start getting to work on lizard
builds while taking advantage of speed boost!
Paul XPS
beyondcoast
Sylvain Gadrat