Minimig Discussion Forum

Hi,

Here is PIC firmware, it is still marked with previous version PGL091230.
This version supports loading and reloading alternate cores and normal reset (VIC20 core).

Difference is, that FPGA is reset on PIC reset, just after PIC hardware is initialized.
This hopefully clears problems with cores that don't handle SPI to MMC card properly.

I have tested this with VIC20 core.
Core works, and you can reset Minimig using PGM button, no need to switch power on/off.

When alternate core is running menus are disabled (for the time being) because there is nothing
in PIC menus related to any other core.

I have uploaded source to google code and attached pic hex.

Quille

Hi Quille,

thats really great, thank you for this feature!
its working fine, excellent handling

HI. Great work.

Does this mean that I can now load data from the SD card when using the VIC20 core ?
How does this work with the C64 Core ?

What do I call the VIC roms files I put on the SDcard, and what should the VIC20 core be named ?

Is the CORE selector in OSD ?

Regs
Espen

Unfortunately this is not possible with any other core yet.
This PIC feature "only" allow to load some *.bin core file into the FPGA and start it up.
Any access to memory card need to be done in those core and the PIC too.


I think you do mean any VIC20 disk file instead of ROM files . In this case its already answered.

Yes the core selection is provided by OSD, but you have to use PGM-RESET or power-down Minimig to reach it again. By now only the Amiga core is able to access PIC and show this function.

Hi.

I was thinking of what do I call the kernal+char+basic rom files for the C64/VIC to put on the sd card alongside with the core itself. If I understand correctly, they can now be loaded from the SD instead of being embedded in the core itself ?

So, if I first start the amiga core and enters the OSD I can choose e.g. the VIC20 core from there and start it up. But from there, there is not OSD meny anymore to select e.g the Amiga core and to get back into amiga "mode" ? Ok -- a quick reset is fine by me. I soldered the reset switch this weekend so I am prepared

Great work on your PIC FW's. Keep it up!

regs,Espen

Sorry Espen, current PIC and ARM firmware is not able to access any alternative FPGA core and the other way arround.
To do this, both core and PIC/ARM firmware must experience heavy re-design to allow the OSD function or any other sd-card file access beside *.rom or *.adf handling..

Therefor both FPGA64 and VIC20 core provide all necessary ROM image inside the *.bin file.
It will be a hard job to code some kind of bootloader into those core to access sd-card for pre-loading needed rom image into s-ram.

I thought I read Quille had solved that ?

Not to my knowledge but it was indeed planed to be.

Currently there is no adaption done to other FPGA cores, this would take much more effort and time.
Until now this function is only to feed the Minimig board with some other "brain stuff"

Ah, it must have been the todo/plan details I read

Espen