Re: 9010A Getting Started

>
> Now I have some errors from the galaga script, even on a known good
working (orig namco) board,
> I get errors like:
> ILLEGAL ADDRESS @ 300000-LOOP?
> ILLEGAL ADDRESS @ 303FFF-LOOP?
> ILLEGAL ADDRESS @ F0300D-LOOP?
> ... and so on, and some more after ram tests to begin (but ram tests ok
after skipping errors)
>
> These start just after selecting which processor (0=4M), and the tests
seem to continue
> ok after ignoring the errors with the CLEAR/NO button.
>

I'm not clear on this either. Are those scripts specific to the QT pod or
can they apply to any??

>
> > I was thinking that it would be nice to have a text file (I was thinking
> > Word Doc or PDF) that you could print out, 1 page that would tell you
some
> > basics to go along with the program.
>
> It might be nice to make up a template for program/comments text to put in
the top
> of the .s file, and have it all in one place?
>

Yes, probably best. Hopefully John's FTP site will be the difinitive
collection of Fluke info.

> I'd be surprised if the 9100's last that long really, with the
non-standard drive
> interface, OS, old hard disks, they are going to rapidly become doorstops
unless
> some major work is done to clone the OS and drives at least to keep them
going.
> At least the 9010A's are easy to service and maintain.
>
> I've not heard of any 9100's here in Australia at all in my searching, and
only
> a few 9010A's. I'm the only person here in the country that I know of with
a 9010A even!
>

About 6 months ago there were some pods on E-bay from Australia & I am sure
there are more over there than you think.

I think there are enough 9100 owners and the 9100 has enough additional
capabilities that effort to either keep them going or intergrate them into a
PC platform will eventually happen. My biggest hope is we can get some of
the original design team to divulge enough info on these to maintain them.

> > Third thought. Has anyone tried to tie pins 2 & 3 of the 232 plug
together
> > to make the 9010A "fault tolerant". I want to put a switch on my cable
to
> > do that, load the program, flip the switch & run the program. Or is
there
> > anyway to have the PC monitor output from the 9010A serially & send
<CONT>
> > on failures?
>
> I don't understand this feature yet?
>

You know how when the 9010A fails a test command <RAM SHORT @ 0-3FF> it
stops?

By tying pins 2 to 3 & adding additional code to test the state of the 232
port your program can be "fault tolerant". IE you could create a program
that would let you go get a beer and when you got back it wouldn't be
stopped at the first fault it found but could list every fault it found.

The other problem I've noticed when coding I've strung a bunch of RAMs
together & check each pair (2114s on Pole), but when it gives you an error
message it just says RAM error at $4401, so now you've got to go back to the
memory map & figure out which ram it is. Be nicer if it said VIDEO RAM 7F
8F BAD.

This could be done with the 2/3 pin trick I think, but I believe only the
9020 can be connected to a PC and send entries back the the PC like that
(unless perhaps someone could write a 232 port monitor program that would
also send commands to keep the 9010 going after a fault, is this possible?).

The trick is the Volume 2, number 2 of the Troubleshooters (I think?).

Kev
Received on Tue Apr 16 08:15:35 2002