TF536 on the STacy

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Atarian Computing
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TF536 on the STacy

Post by Atarian Computing »

I thought I'd start a separate thread dedicated on running the TF536 on a STacy. So far, as far as I know, only @derkom and I have a TF536 running on a STacy.

I have a firmware from around June/July 2020. I have had to twist the IDE-cable and generate an inverse INT-signal using a 74LS04 to get anything working on 192K EmuTOS in stock STacy ROM location and 256K in the Auto folder.

Everything is rock solid apart from ACSI and Floppy not working. TOS 2.06 or MagiC won't work.

EmuTOS + Geneva + Neodesk work great
EasyMiNT is also working great.
:yay:
derkom wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:42 am
Atarian Computing wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 7:08 pm ACSI won't work at all now.
TOS 2.06 refuses to boot now. It's freezing on accessing the drive.
ACSI is working fine on my Stacy + TF536 + CosmosEx setup, but I am using a tweaked firmware on the TF that disables IDE. I don't know that this should have anything to do with your problems, but perhaps.

As for your 2.06 problems, I don't have a clue. Since you say it's freezing accessing the drive, it would seem your 256K decode is working fine. Do you mean that it's freezing when accessing the floppy drive right after POST?

Are you certain you have no shorts under the relocator board (if you're using it, that is)? I've had to stick some cardboard under mine, although given your stability in EmuTOS, it wouldn't seem likely this is the problem (although perhaps it could be the ACSI problem).
Yes, freezing when accessing floppy drive right after post.

No shorts. I have used various other locators or towers.

Why did you disable the IDE btw?

@derkom how did you program your TF? RPi or another programmer?
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stephen_usher
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by stephen_usher »

*warning* I'm really dubious about using the RaspPi for programming, I think that may have been what killed the Xilinx chip.

I've bought a "Waveshare" USB "cable" which looks identical to the Xilinx programmer (and the USB device it creates is the same so the Xilinx software thinks that it is theirs) and from my tests over the last couple of days works perfectly. These cost about £32 from Amazon.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
Atarian Computing
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by Atarian Computing »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:31 pm *warning* I'm really dubious about using the RaspPi for programming, I think that may have been what killed the Xilinx chip.

I've bought a "Waveshare" USB "cable" which looks identical to the Xilinx programmer (and the USB device it creates is the same so the Xilinx software thinks that it is theirs) and from my tests over the last couple of days works perfectly. These cost about £32 from Amazon.
Thanks. I'm a little hesitant to fry my new RPi 400.

I'm assuming this?
61I2Sk9AnxL._AC_SL1440_.jpg
61I2Sk9AnxL._AC_SL1440_.jpg (95.64 KiB) Viewed 4672 times
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derkom
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by derkom »

Atarian Computing wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:46 am Why did you disable the IDE btw?

@derkom how did you program your TF? RPi or another programmer?
I'm using a Lightning ST to provide IDE for both 68000 mode and 68030 mode (TF536 IDE can't run when the 68000 is selected), and having IDE in both places caused neither to work. @agranlund cooked me up a TF536 firmware with IDE disabled, and that works fine.

I did use a RPi 2 for programming, with no difficulties. terriblefire has since warned that I shouldn't have been powering the CPLD via the JTAG port, so don't do that if you go this route. ;)
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stephen_usher
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by stephen_usher »

Atarian Computing wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:44 pm
stephen_usher wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:31 pm *warning* I'm really dubious about using the RaspPi for programming, I think that may have been what killed the Xilinx chip.

I've bought a "Waveshare" USB "cable" which looks identical to the Xilinx programmer (and the USB device it creates is the same so the Xilinx software thinks that it is theirs) and from my tests over the last couple of days works perfectly. These cost about £32 from Amazon.
Thanks. I'm a little hesitant to fry my new RPi 400.

I'm assuming this?

61I2Sk9AnxL._AC_SL1440_.jpg
Yes. The company were very good when I was having problems talking to the TF536, sending a second unit just to make sure it wasn't a problem with the first one without me asking for that. They even gave me a £7 refund for my difficulty even though it wasn't their unit at fault.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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agranlund
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by agranlund »

derkom wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:55 pm I'm using a Lightning ST to provide IDE for both 68000 mode and 68030 mode (TF536 IDE can't run when the 68000 is selected), and having IDE in both places caused neither to work. @agranlund cooked me up a TF536 firmware with IDE disabled, and that works fine.
If you want, I can make you a firmware where the interface on the TF536 becomes the second interface so that you can have both enabled at the same time in 68030 mode.
Assuming the Lightning ST does "full" IDE decoding and responds as IDE-0 only (some interfaces does sloppy IDE decoding and responds as being all four interfaces at once but I really doubt the Lightning ST does that)
Atarian Computing
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by Atarian Computing »

derkom wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:55 pm
Atarian Computing wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:46 am Why did you disable the IDE btw?

@derkom how did you program your TF? RPi or another programmer?
I'm using a Lightning ST to provide IDE for both 68000 mode and 68030 mode (TF536 IDE can't run when the 68000 is selected), and having IDE in both places caused neither to work. @agranlund cooked me up a TF536 firmware with IDE disabled, and that works fine.

I did use a RPi 2 for programming, with no difficulties. terriblefire has since warned that I shouldn't have been powering the CPLD via the JTAG port, so don't do that if you go this route. ;)
Ah, ok. I ordered the programmer. Thanks for the tips.

I am more than chuffed to have the SpareMiNT beast running beautifully that I will not look into getting the dual-CPU running yet. Once I really start missing the CosmosEx and floppies, I might dare and try programming it. But since USB works great with Netusbee, it might take some time :)

Besides, having two empty drive bays, I now would have a place for the LCD driver board and possible scandoubler for colour modes. Hmm...
stephen_usher wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 1:08 pm Yes. The company were very good when I was having problems talking to the TF536, sending a second unit just to make sure it wasn't a problem with the first one without me asking for that. They even gave me a £7 refund for my difficulty even though it wasn't their unit at fault.
Cool, I ordered it. Anything I need to know about getting it setup for programming the TF? Or were these issues something I wouldn't run into? Thanks.
Atarian Computing
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by Atarian Computing »

This is how I replaced the power connectors:
IMG_0652.jpg
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stephen_usher
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by stephen_usher »

Atarian Computing wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 1:12 pm Cool, I ordered it. Anything I need to know about getting it setup for programming the TF? Or were these issues something I wouldn't run into? Thanks.
It's a direct copy of the Xilinx programmer so both the Xilinx utilities and the Linux ones should all JustWork(tm). The Linux programmer utility would be the easiest to set up as the Xilinx one is a huge download and then you have to license it. Unless you're actually going to be writing the code it's overkill... unless the Xilinx chip has been locked.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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derkom
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Re: TF536 on the STacy

Post by derkom »

agranlund wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 1:09 pm If you want, I can make you a firmware where the interface on the TF536 becomes the second interface so that you can have both enabled at the same time in 68030 mode.
Assuming the Lightning ST does "full" IDE decoding and responds as IDE-0 only (some interfaces does sloppy IDE decoding and responds as being all four interfaces at once but I really doubt the Lightning ST does that)
Sure, why not? Then I could potentially have much faster mass storage when booting MiNT, and stick with the slower storage for "regular ST mode".

As for what the Lightning responds to, it looks to me like it's IDE-0 only, because that's the only place HDDRIVER seems to see it. @czietz could confirm.
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