Quirks of ZPM3 with resident commands?

[Richard Deane]

With RomWBW booted to ZPM3 the built in commands like ERA and REN are missing (error response is a "?"), but ERASE and RENAME are working.

If I use Multicomp (Kmueller or RHK flavours of MC2G1024 on Cyclone IV FPGA) with ZPM3 then ERA and REN act as though present, but do nothing. ERASE & RENAME work.

Can anyone explain this difference of behaviour?

[Wayne Warthen]

Well, I can definitely explain the behavior under RomWBW.

ERA and REN are "resident" commands meaning that they are implemented in the CPR (command processor).  ZPM3 comes with it's own command processor which is the one that RomWBW provides.  This command processor implements very few (actually just 2) resident commands in order to keep it's space usage low.  The two commands implemented are NOTE and CLS.  So, there is no ERA or REN command available.  Instead, you are expected to use the external variants called ERASE and RENAME. This is all working as intended by XPM3.  You could create a ZCPR alias so that invoking ERA or REN at the command line would be translated to ERASE and RENAME and therefore work.

I am not sure what is happening on Multicomp.  It doesn't make sense to me that the commands would be accepted, yet do nothing.

There is a ZCPR command called SHOW (under RomWBW it is ZSHOW).  This command will bring up an interactive menu that allows you to look at a variety of ZCPR internals.  One of these is the ability to display the CPR resident commands.

Thanks,

Wayne

[Richard Deane]

Thanks. I have a multicomp board with two flavours of ZPM3, the vanilla RHK Cyclone II/IV flavour and a derived version by KMueller to implement GSX graphics, I can't remember which way round it is but one shows the "bug" and the other works fine. Since my email I've learnt more and discovered aliases, as you describe.

I am diverted at the moment trying to resolve a problem in Quartus II for the cyclone IV vhdl build  to get me a kmueller flavour with a US or UK keyboard. The default is German and my keyboard isn't. My cyclone IV board is slightly newer than KMUeller has and the build fails or the programming fails. If I can't resolve it I shall drop back to the standard RHK flavour without GSX and do more with ZPM3 software.

:) p.s. If you are ever bored with time on your hands, then RomWBW working with Multicomp on Cyclone II or IV would be interesting :) 

Cheers

Richard

- cold and wet British summer so far, so good excuse to be indoors on keyboard. Yes I am addicted.

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[Kurt Mueller]

Hi Richard,

can you explain what Quartus2-Version you use, I compiled the VHDL-Code with Quartus2 13.0.1. As far as I remember the keymap for the smaller Multicomp (board-size 10x10 cm²) was published with the UK keymap. Only the 'larger' Multicomp with sound etc. (and a much larger FPGA-board) was published with a DE keymap. So your posting is a little bit confusing. Can you explain your issues more in detail ?

Cheers

Kurt

[Richard Deane]

After more hours of work I am now successfully building the july 2019 vhdl for v1.2 pcb, and have resolved compiling, creating a new jic and programming into the  Cyclone IV core board.  That was with Quartus Lite 20.1 under Windows 11. Under Quartus II v13.0 I had not been able to get  the EP4CE15F23C8N recognised.

I have performed a build linking in the US hex file and am comfortable to use my US keyboard for a while. Previously on the newer square board I had created a GB keyboard but always had the key left of "Z" unrecognised. I shall revisit that but at a lower priority now that I am confident of being able to build.

Now time to get to know GSX and ZPM3 a little better.

Thank you for all the work you did to create this environment.

Cheers

Richard

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[Kurt Mueller]

Thank's for the details. You are the first one I heard of building a Multicomp-2019, very exciting.

Cgeers

Kurt

[Richard Deane]

A strong side benefit of that build is a 5v ps2 kbd that works. Of my several other Multicomp cyclone builds at 3.3v, none of my collection of 18 keyboards (collected over the years from old pcs in Europe and Australia), either direct with ps2 or via a usb to ps2 adapter, will work. Most strange when all the posts in the threads from several years ago mentioned that many should work. So frustrating. At least I can use them with serial connection which is often my preferred method to get crisper characters.

Cheers

Richard

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[Kurt Mueller]

To operate the PS/2-Keyboard at 3V3 has its cause with Grant Searle's published FPGA CPM System. FPGA and SRAM where powered by 3V3, so he used  that voltage for the keyboard too (to avoid a extra 5V connection). The Data & Clock lines are open-collector ones, so they can be used at 3V3 on the FPGA side while savely power the keyboard with 5V. My used keyboard worked pretty good at 3V3 but I decided to switch to 5V to get back into spec.

Regarding the font set: RHK introduced a better readable 8x8 font, which is used as default on my system. The Font-ROM is writable, use xsetibm to install Grant Searle's default font or xsetfnt to reinstall my default font. There are some other fonts to install but only for further demonstration.

Cheers

Kurt

[Richard Deane]

Thanks Kurt, I've verified that the xdemo programs work on my green square 2021 board. Need to verify the 2019 board and then tinker. Keep me busy during the atypical cool damp Scottish summer.

Richard

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