Announce: Firmware Revision 1.0.0

[Julian Skidmore]

Hello everyone!

At last it's here! Firmware Revision 1.0.0!

I've spent a long time today testing (you can see what time this message was sent!) and refining a number of minor teething issues from issues to do with using original A25L40 Amic Flash chips to making user messages more understandable, to repairing the AVR socket on my RevE FIGnitions after being worn out as I keep leveraging out AVRs and reflashing USB bootloaders to get through all my tests.

1.0.0 is a big jump, and it's pretty likely there will be a few errors in this release. However, the key thing is that Floating-point works well (see the Lorenz Attractor post coming up soon) that it's possible to migrate to 1.0.0 using a 16Kb AVR and upgrade to future versions via tape (or across to NTSC and back again to PAL), but most importantly, that you're not likely to muck up your FIGnition during migration - because it won't let you overwrite the bootloader unless it's checked the firmware on the external flash properly matches.

So, I invite you to take the plunge! Welcome to the new world of FIGnition :-)

( Distribution provided, and another copy of the release notes)

-cheers from Julz

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                  The DIY 8-bit computer from nichemachines™

[Rob Fielding]

Wooo!!!

Thank you.

The screenshot to prove it !

My rev D doesn't have the audio mod so I'll place an order for one of those :)

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Robert Fielding

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi Rob,

Excellent, congratulations! The user-base for 1.0.0 has doubled ;-) !

I'm not sure what you mean by ordering an audio mod, the mod itself is just a home-built veroboard project containing a phono socket, 2x 10K resistors and a 104 capacitor :-)

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/fignition/Audio$20Mod/fignition/kVoWJceqxjI/SVpljzoTBJkJ

The RevE FIGnition contains the audio mod of course!

-cheers from Julz

[david richards]

I have a recent Fignition with a 328 micro which I've now upgraded to v1.0.0 using avrdude, so far so good. So I'm trying to test the audio interface but I'm a bit stuck as I cant understand what I need to do to set the audio level. the guide tells me to use the migration program, is that what I need to do - even though I have the new firmware already installed? The M command isnt available. I expect I need to read the manual again. David.

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi David,

Aaah, thanks for the feedback. No, don't use the Migration program... !!!!

On Fri, Jul 11, 2014 at 10:25 AM, david richards <richard...@gmail.com> wrote:

I have a recent Fignition with a 328 micro which I've now upgraded to v1.0.0 using avrdude, so far so good. So I'm trying to test the audio interface but I'm a bit stuck as I cant understand what I need to do to set the audio level. the guide tells me to use the migration program, is that what I need to do - even though I have the new firmware already installed? The M command isnt available. I expect I need to read the manual again. David.

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[Julian Skidmore]

Hi David,

Well done for upgrading to Firmware 1.0.0. And thanks for the message, it means I need to update the release notes to make it clearer, this is exactly what I need to hear. Whatever you do, don't run Migrator on an AtMega328, you might end up overwriting the AtMega328 bootloader.

Start with FIGgyTape playing nothing (press Stop if needed). Then you can set the audio level by just typing:

6 ear <exe>

You should see a very steady image (TapeStart.png). Then if you Choose Tone:Leader on FIGgyTape, you can then adjust the volume until you see the Leader pattern, which is wider and has glitches in it ( TapeLeader.png). The glitches aren't tape loading errors, just artifacts from when the tape interrupts interfere with the video interrupts.

I hope this helps, I'll update the manual!

-cheers from Julz

and then changing the audio level until it starts producing a 

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi David (et al),

Updated Manual, also there's an updated Migrator program which won't run if you try to download it onto an AtMega328 FIGnition.

-cheers from Julz

[david richards]

Hi Julz,

Thanks for the help it was easy and I have now transferred and run the fpDemo application without any problem.

btw, I had to search the web to find the avrdude command to update the device.

https://sites.google.com/site/libby8dev/fignition/documentation/use-it

I keep this page open for the keyboard crib sheet, ive dismantled my arduino usb serial / keyboard interface - i need to rebuild it.

The update document does not go into detail how to wire the audio, I forgot the audio in and out were the same socket.

On my PC I have just used one of the stereo speaker outputs to connect to the fignition without any problem.

I'm going to have to make some kind of cable to be able to use line out and mic in to connect to the fignition.

perhaps I'll dedicate a cheapo USB sound card for this.

Lets see what else I can get it to do now ...

ps, Your bootjack reminds me of a method I used to break into an encrypted program on my QL many years ago.

David.

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi David,

Cool - whew, glad you didn't brick your FIGnition :-)

I don't think I knew you were also a QL owner! I have a Minerva 1.9.7 (or is it 2.0?) QL with a Floppy Disk interface and 640Kb of RAM... the microdrives still work (though the video seemed a bit glitchy when I last tested it about a year ago). Fantastic machine, I did my entire University dissertation on it and it was my longest serving main computer from 1986 until I bought my first Mac in 1993.

-cheers from Julz

[david richards]

Hi Julz, I had quite a few of them networked together using the serial network, I had one in a shed as a file server using a home made transputer disk controller interfaced to a 5MB full height hard disk. The ql had a transputer link interface for its i/o to the disk. it was a great learning experience getting it all to work. I don't have so much spare time nowadays. I sold most of them to an enthusiast many years ago just keeping one (or two) and the eprom programmer addon. Luckily I'm on holiday this week, we got home just in time to play with your new firmware release. David.

[Carl Attrill]

Hi Julz, All working.

Windows 7 users may have to go into their sound card settings and uncheck Loudness Equalisation- it may be there to protect our hearing, but makes audio loading quite difficult!.

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi Carl, great to see people being able to use it already!

Have you tried out the Lorenz attractor? I originally wrote a version for the zx spectrum before converting it. Here's a text description:

Pixel ... Pixel ... Pixel ... ;-)

So the speed of the figgy version is awesome to my mind. How does it compare with other 80s computers (under FP  arithmetic)?

Also, check out the file: run option, it's really great for development: edit file, type 6 ear on FIGnition and then file: run on figgytape.

Also Carl, are there any special requirements for getting java applications to run under windows? Is downloading java run-time for windows 7/8 trivial? Do you have to do the  equivalent of Mac Os X ctrl-open ? That will go into the next version of 5 mm the release notes (along with the tip on sound card settings).

Cheers julz

[Stuart Taylor]

Hi Julz,

windows has come with the Java JRE installed as standard since windows 95 OSR2 - that said its often an older version, and what whinds user find is that java will not run if they download and install it, because the binary in the windows system path takes precedence over the freshly installed versions.

I'm running a stock install of (it came like this from Dell) of Winodws 8, this is what i get from the command prompt:

C:\Users\staylor>java -version

java version "1.7.0_51"

Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_51-b13)

Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.51-b03, mixed mode)

i can see i have many versions of the JRE on my system, which looks like it was installed by other 3rd party software:

c:\>dir /s java.exe

 Volume in drive C is OS

 Volume Serial Number is C2E9-EBCE

 Directory of c:\jet9.0-eval-amd64\profile1.7.0_40\jre\bin

25/12/2013  10:04             9,728 java.exe

               1 File(s)          9,728 bytes

 Directory of c:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_51\bin

06/03/2014  14:18           189,320 java.exe

               1 File(s)        189,320 bytes

 Directory of c:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_51\jre\bin

06/03/2014  14:18           189,320 java.exe

               1 File(s)        189,320 bytes

 Directory of c:\Program Files\Java\jre7\bin

06/03/2014  14:18           189,352 java.exe

               1 File(s)        189,352 bytes

 Directory of c:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre7\bin

14/04/2014  20:04           175,016 java.exe

               1 File(s)        175,016 bytes

 Directory of c:\Users\staylor\AppData\Roaming\import.io\jre\bin

02/04/2014  15:38           174,056 java.exe

               1 File(s)        174,056 bytes

 Directory of c:\Users\staylor\ForeScout CounterACT\jre1.7.0_05-3\bin

12/06/2014  11:33           174,064 java.exe

               1 File(s)        174,064 bytes

 Directory of c:\Users\staylor\ForeScout CounterACT\jre1.7.0_51-2\bin

12/06/2014  15:54           174,504 java.exe

               1 File(s)        174,504 bytes

 Directory of c:\Windows\System32

06/03/2014  14:18           189,352 java.exe

               1 File(s)        189,352 bytes

 Directory of c:\Windows\SysWOW64

14/04/2014  20:04           175,016 java.exe

               1 File(s)        175,016 bytes

     Total Files Listed:

              10 File(s)      1,639,728 bytes

               0 Dir(s)  187,017,654,272 bytes free

c:\>

Other figgy users mileage may vary.

Stuart

[Julian Skidmore]

Thanks for that Stuart :-)

I always try and target the lowest version of java I can, hitherto I've targeted 1.42 , but for this I used 1.5 as the reference.

So that's good really, most users for both Mac and PC can run it out of the box :-)

Cheers julz

[Carl Attrill]

Hi Julz, There is no problem with running FIGgytape, the demo is awesome! , I have de-bugged crasher with your utility I hope to make a video of the loading shortly.

You should be pleased with your work Julz. I am.

Is there any way of exporting the files as wavs? it would be a great way of sharing some of the programs that have hither to been written for the FIGnition.  I would be happy to host them on the figgi.boards.net site.

Have a cup of tea first though. ;-)

regards 

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi Carl,

I thought about how to export files as wavs, and it wouldn't be too hard, Java has lots of wav APIs. Also the source code is packaged up with the . jar, just open it, stuff it in a start folder and edit away (sorry, I don't use an ide for this, try to be as lightweight as poss ).

In the meantime, play the WAV from figgytape & record it straight back into audacity or something appropriate :-)

Cheers c julz

[david richards]

Hi all,

I'm making a bit of progress getting the demo programs into my board. I have found a problem when copying the example programs from the web page here:

https://sites.google.com/site/libby8dev/fignition/examples

lines with comments spreading over more than one line like this: 

( graphic demo
  UDGs: Invader, mini
  pacman, mini-ghost,
  man, dog, quaver,

  Invader2, 8. )

I have had to remove the line breaks, i.e. like this:

( graphic demo   UDGs: Invader, mini   pacman, mini-ghost,   man, dog, quaver,   Invader2, 8. )

before uploading. then everything is ok.

by doing this I've been able to run gdemo, life, and luna.

Luna runs too quickly for me to play, but the last time I played a computer game luna was still quite new ;-)

The other sound card I have does not want to play as a source of audio for fignition, I think the output is too high.

When I play sound above a certain setting it crashes FIGnition and it resets itself!

even with it turned down it doesn't interpret the sounds - time to get the scope out.

my other other sound card seems to be totally broken, oh well.

Windows doesnt seem to support multiple sound cards very well anyway, unless one is for a communications device (headset).

hth David.

[david richards]

Hi Carl. I dont want to sound negative but what would be great about distributing software as .wav files?
Kind regards, David.

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi David,

It's kinda implied by the release notes, or at least in the thread about 1.0.0 development.

The good thing about distributing software as .wav files is that you can e.g. load programs from an MP3 player (playing uncompressed audio) or other media, or even (best of all) distribute programs on the web as .wav and then you don't need an app (although the FIGgyTape will have created them in the first place - although that isn't strictly necessary either since FIGnition can save to audio, so you could just record that :-) ).

-cheers from Julz

On Sat, Jul 12, 2014 at 9:01 PM, david richards <richard...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Carl. I dont want to sound negative but what would be great about distributing software as .wav files?
Kind regards, David.

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[david richards]

Hi Julz,

I'm experimenting with the new firmware, much more already than I ever did with the old one. I've had a problem trying to load your brikky game, it depends on the library word minus it seems to be missing for some reason, was it there before?

I've made my own version for now using -1 * and the program runs, it seems a bit slow but perhaps that is normal.

Its difficult to make the bat move faster than the ball, anyway I got a score of 130 with just one brick left.

better get some sleep. David.

[Julian Skidmore]

Hi Julz,

minus has become neg. dminus is now dneg. I changed it because there's a tendency, by me mostly, to think of minus as meaning subtract. So, I changed it to neg, which has some precedent as Jupiter Ace Forth had negate, not minus in its command set.

Thanks for the feedback it means I'll have to update the Google site. It can be difficult to make the bat move faster than the ball, that's because there's only 2 ball angles and the faster one runs at the same speed as the bat (a limitation of UDG/character based games). Also, it's possible for the ball to kind of fall through the bat. In this case it means you have to anticipate better. The game could be improved to pause befor

-cheers from Julz

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[Pascal COURTOIS]

Hello,

It's time for a small feedback! 

3 fignitions were successfully upgraded to version 1  :-) (2x Rev E and an "old" Rev D one). 

I didn't do much testing but :

    Figkeys 1.1 is not very well accepted and gives (when it starts) sometimes a "stack full" message.

    Looks like the Atmega128 is no more suitable for the firmware (I had to replace the Rev D one with a 328P).  

Sorry for the short run ....    

Anyway its a great step. Congratulations :-)

Pascal COURTOIS

[carl]

Hi as threatened, I have recorded a small video on audio loading on FIGnition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haQtsF7I_LA&list=UUi8JS-mz2tKcdTYWpjT8gQw

Regards

Carl.