Re: 9010A Getting Started

> Does anyone use the mame source code drivers memory map and hardware info
> to help with writing the scripts?

No better resource that I know of. There are some gotchas in MAME but I
haven't run into any problems yet.

> Do you use RKSIC.EXE or 9LC.EXE to compile it? or either?
> What are the pros and cons of each one?
> (I'm trying to work out what I can get away with with comments and script
format)
>

I use RKSIC.EXE, since it is has the transfer program too & I like some of
the features.

> I see a SETUP MESSAGES code called SET-EXERCISE ERRORS? on the reference
card that
> has this description:
> "Determines whether error messages and prompts for looping on errors are
displayed"
>
> You could also use REG8 or REG9 to keep user entered script controls and
counts:
> a) Have a user input yes/no to a "stop on errors" prompt at the start
of the
> script, or is the setup code only allowed at the script start?

I don't know if you can do that or not? I belive that Set-Exercise errors
is just a prompt to loop. I don't think you can supress error messages.

> b) Count the number of errors? and display it at the end of the tests
> if non-zero.
>
> If there were 8 tests, you could store a bit pattern in the register,
and
> then report which tests failed at the end based on which bits were on.
> (if this thing will do the appropriate math on the register?)
>

Troubleshooter Volume 2 Number 1 2nd page has the 232 dongle & code
approach.

> > 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.
>
> Isn't it possible to split the ram tests up into memory mapped pieces that
match
> the chips or chip pairs?

Yes I generally do that, ROMs are checksumed by chip, RAM are checked by
chip or block (2x2114s).

> If there's a fault could it branch to a sub-test program that poked 0x00
and 0xFF
> into the failed address and reported the faulty read-back result? This
would show
> which of the 4bit 2114's may be at fault.
>

The error message usually tells you what failure you have.

> If the ram (or rom) test failed couldn't the script go to a sub-test that
just
> poked that address only, continuously, so you could find the chip enable
on the
> faulty ram/rom ? (or is that the looping function anyway :-) )

Yes you can do looping for that.
Received on Thu Apr 18 09:28:08 2002