Hello,
I'm progressing in testing my new daisy-chainable device on various configurations. I face issues with a DIY SoftSP card (in conjunction with a 655-0101 IO Controller).
The first one is that I had to add a patch to make sure the packet start byte 0xC3 is where we expect it. There is an extra sync byte from the SoftSP, which is not there on IIc (ROM3 and ROM4x) nor on IIgs (ROM01).
Once that patch was in, the SoftSP works in some ways:
- I can access my device's volumes, boot, read and write.
- I can daisy-chain a Disk//c behind my device, and it mostly works (boot, read & write files, both on my device and the floppy behind).
But there are some issues:
- Daisy-chaining an Unidisk 3.5" behind my device does not work. The Unidisk is invisible. I suppose it might have to do with the weird sync bytes. It is also a setup that works on a ROM3 //c, ROM4x //c and ROM01 IIgs.
- when doing ProDOS READ_BLOCK/WRITE_BLOCK MLI calls, one of PH1/PH3 goes down before the other at the end of the packet transmission, and some phases are still high when the Smartbus deactivates. When the bus activates, my device raises /DRV1 and /DRV2 in order to inhibit dumb 5.25" drives behind it. Once the bus deactivates, my device goes back to mirroring the /DRV1 and /DRV2 lines. This works on a ROM3 //c, ROM4x //c and ROM01 IIgs and is what is supposed to be done. On the SoftSP, this has this result (which is, apparently, harmless, but very disturbing):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liVG8cNEOdw
(At the start, I launch a test program that writes/reads/verifies blocks. At 04 seconds, it looks for the /TEST volume, which is why the external floppy tries to read. At 10 seconds, it starts writing blocks. In between each block, the bus deactivates, and the floppy motor starts.
I have no idea how to contact the SoftSP author(s). It seems its official home is at MFA2Lab, whose contact page is broken.
Are they here by chance?
Thanks,
Colin
Update: daisy-chaining a Unidisk 3.5 works with SoftSP v6a. The spurious activation of the Disk //c only happens with SoftSP v6, and SoftSP v6a in slot 5 - it works OK with SoftSP v6a in slot 7.
Update 2: no it doesn't. It reads one or two blocks before failing.
I'll have to make more tests.
More tests have been done, the SoftSP card just doesn't work with the Unidisk 3.5".
The test that convinced me of this is the last one, where only the Unidisk is plugged on the disk controller, with pin 16 disconnected: "UNABLE TO LOAD PRODOS".
(Pin 16 has to be disconnected, otherwise it direcly grounds 5V and the computer doesn't even turn on)
The wire arrangements for the Disk II and Liron are different.
See the internal diagram:
Yeah, I know. Pin 16 wasn't the point. The point is the SoftSP card, which aims at implementing Smartport via a Disk II card, does not work with the Unidisk 3.5", a Smartport device, once the pin 16 blocker is patched.