EclaireXL

Is there directions somewhere on how to flash the board?

Thanks

On the wiki (http://www.64kib.com/redmine/projects/eclairexl/wiki#Flashing)

Nir reported that v9 did not boot reliably for him. I guess timing is tight and this is a board-board timing difference.
Perhaps there is one mode that doesn't work and this is the one Nir is using!

Did anyone else have success? For me it seems rock solid so far.

Arg, v9 breaks Numen!!

(I think it breaks at the same point I saw here, so I should review what that change was!:
20150408:
COMMON:Fix memopad 480i (interlace by dynamically changing dmactl during hsync bug)
COMMON:Revert an Antic change in November that broke Numen! I as trying to fix highres (80 col) modes.
)

2nd bug in v9 - I broke the internal turbo freezer

I am having several issues. First of all, I don't seem to be able to find the files for flashing. Second, when I tried the v8.jic I previously downloaded, I select the file. The Quartus II software gives me the error code "Error (210009): Device 5CEBA4 is not supported". Perhaps I need a newer version?

Scratch that - I found the files I need. The version of the Quartus II software I am using is 11.1 sp1, Build 216.

That version of Quartus is ancient and probably pre-dates the cyclone 5! I'm using v16.1 and just downloaded v17.

Wow - sorry, I'm new to this hardware stuff :) QuartusII download center is down this weekend for maintenance, but I managed to find v13 which I think has CycloneV support on a university page. I'll give that a shot.

I could upload v17 if it helps...

Thanks - the version I found worked perfectly the 1st time. I have upgraded to the v9 core. I can now switch into NTSC mode fine. I have a question about artifacting. Is this supported at all? If so, is it only through composite? Not a big deal really, as I plan on using this in PAL mode all the time since that's where all the good new software & demos are. So far, missing artifacting in NTSC (I've only tried HDMI mode so far) is the only thing I've noticed not displaying like the original machines.

In fact its exactly like the real machine - artifacting is just on composite mode and is due to combination of luma and chroma:-)

So I think on svideo mods and rgb output the real thing does not handle it either.

That said we could of course fake it in the hdmi/vga scaler in future...

Wow - that's absolutely perfect! I don't think I'd even request it in the HDMI/VGA resolutions. My real machines (I am in NTSC land) are all running via s-video, so I so everything to avoid it. It's just in the rare case I use a game that had it, it looks bad in monochrome stripes. I'm incredibly impressed with the accuracy of your GTIA/ANTIC core so far.

trying to fix highres (80 col) modes.

wait... what? Are we talking about 320x200 or something else?

2x and 4x antic colour clock mode.

So 320*200 in gtia modes or 1280*200 in gr 0.

How would these new modes be used? I read the message about the repurposed register $D400 to activate it, but I mean how would the pixels be addressed? With memory access being contiguous, I guess the code would all be the same and you just reserve more RAM for the screen? For text mode I am guessing there would need to be modified E: handler to get around the 40 column architecture? One last question - would it be possible to implement a 256 character font rather than the standard 128 + inverse?

Well there is no existing software and I don't want to detract from the real Atari. I was thinking 80 col E: and a demo app or two.

Yes a 256 character font would be possible.

I don't want to detract from the real Atari.

I am curious, what did you mean by this?

I just mean I'd rather people develop software that works on the real thing. I'm happy to have turbo and additional modes but don't want people to develop exclusively for them. Perhaps just an E: handler, an image viewer and a demo:-)