NABU PC Emulation under MAME

[usotsuki]

I did the stupidest implementation of a bridge, which isn't enough, so I may wind up having to traipse through the existing emulation.

(Basically, I just had it wire Z80 port 0x80 directly to NABUInternetAdapter.exe's open port and pass bytes untouched. That's obviously not what I need to be doing...)

 

[guidol]

I've update my repository with the fixed key maps now.
|||> = Page Down
<||| = Page Up
Yes = F1
No = F2
TV = F3
SYM = F4

In the version of @HoJoPo F3 was the RESET-key for the NABU.
Could we please add also a RESET-key to your keybinding-configuration?

BTW: Is there any difference in the MESSMAME (300MB) you used and the MAME (100MB) which is uses as .exe by @HoJoPo ?

You both did great work creating this emulator

 

[usotsuki]

I also used F3, because that's common in MAME.

 

[Wormetti]

Windows build with fixed key maps:

https://gtamp.com/nabu/nabu-mame.zip

This is a Windows build of MAME with a NABU PC core. NABU core coded by brijohn.

Step 1: Download and run NABU Internet Adapter from https://nabu.ca
Step 2: Click Start TCP in NABU Internet Adapter
Step 2: Run nabu.cmd to open MAME with the required NABU settings

Default controls:

||> = Page Down
<||| = Page Up
Yes = F1
No = F2
TV = F3
SYM = F4

Joypad 2 is unmapped by default and Joypad 1 uses the numeric keypad for both the directions and fire button to avoid conflicts with the keyboard.

Default MAME UI settings:

F3 to reset the emulator
F10 or hold Insert to speed it up
Tab to bring up the UI

This one is smaller than messmame since it was built with only nabupc. So even the zip is smaller than the messmame 7z.

make SOURCES=src/mame/nabu/nabupc.cpp REGENIE=1

I saw default F3 TV conflicted with default F3 MAME reset but since the TV button is just a fun novelty on an emulator (it does nothing in this version), I left it and you can change it yourself in the MAME UI.

 

[brijohn]

In the version of @HoJoPo F3 was the RESET-key for the NABU.
Could we please add also a RESET-key to your keybinding-configuration?

BTW: Is there any difference in the MESSMAME (300MB) you used and the MAME (100MB) which is uses as .exe by @HoJoPo ?

You both did great work creating this emulator

The link @HoJoPo posted is just my mame core compiled for windows. I don't personally use windows myself, so i don't have a machine available to produce a windows build on. HoJoPo was nice enough to provide a windows build of my current source for those that use windows. I am currently working through getting this added to mame mainline so eventually you should not need a specific windows build since it will be included with mame itself.

Also the F3 is the default mame UI key binding to reset the current machine. Since the keybindings of individual computer systems often conflict with mame UI key bindings, mame provides a way to enable or disable those UI key bindings. I think the default key for that is insert. If you press insert you should see a message come up about UI controls either being enabled or disabled. When they are enabled you should be able to press F3 to restart the machine.

 

[Wormetti]

If DJ wants to mirror https://gtamp.com/nabu/nabu-mame.zip on nabu.ca, I'm fine with it. I assume brijohn is happy too?

 

[LeoBinkowski]

If DJ wants to mirror https://gtamp.com/nabu/nabu-mame.zip on nabu.ca, I'm fine with it. I assume brijohn is happy too?

For whatever its worth, I give you my blessing.

 

[brijohn]

If DJ wants to mirror https://gtamp.com/nabu/nabu-mame.zip on nabu.ca, I'm fine with it. I assume brijohn is happy too?

Yeah it doesn't matter to me who hosts a build. Hopefully soon it will be in the upstream mame repository though, I've just finished clearing out all the current issues on the code review, now i just need to wait for the original reviews to look over the changes.

 

[usotsuki]

If anyone wants to try to bang on my mess of an emulator, I didn't want to steal anyone's thunder here, but I might as well link it.

GitHub - buricco/marduk: Project to emulate the NABU Personal Computer

Project to emulate the NABU Personal Computer. Contribute to buricco/marduk development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

It's not as far along as the MAME stuff, because I don't seem to understand a few things. The comments should be clear where I'm having trouble. (main.c and modem.c)

(I've written a few Apple ][ emulators, so this isn't exactly my first rodeo. I focused on Linux specifically because my main PC runs Linux - I do have a winbox and plan to do a Windows version once the Linux one is stable.)

 

[Aprilhare]

Hello all NABUers!
I tried out the MAME emulator linked here on my M1 Mac using Parallels and Windows 11 VM (yes, I know: quite the typical setup, right? ) and no luck. Getting both Adaptor error and Keyboard error. I am running the Nabu Internet Adaptor on Windows 11 concurrently with the TCP server launched so unsure what the deal is or what to report back to you guys as the only errors are NABU emulator sided. - Probably better off waiting for Mac version of MAME, am I right?

 

[ajacocks]

Welcome @Aprilhare !

I don’t see any reason why the networking wouldn’t work, assuming that your Windows 11 VM can access the network.

- Alex

 

[Aprilhare]

VM is hitting the network just fine. Wish I could offer better feedback.

Welcome @Aprilhare !

I don’t see any reason why the networking wouldn’t work, assuming that your Windows 11 VM can access the network.

- Alex

 

[brijohn]

Hello all NABUers!
I tried out the MAME emulator linked here on my M1 Mac using Parallels and Windows 11 VM (yes, I know: quite the typical setup, right? ) and no luck. Getting both Adaptor error and Keyboard error. I am running the Nabu Internet Adaptor on Windows 11 concurrently with the TCP server launched so unsure what the deal is or what to report back to you guys as the only errors are NABU emulator sided. - Probably better off waiting for Mac version of MAME, am I right?

Welcome,

Not sure why you would be getting either of those errors exactly.

The adapter could be failing if either the VM does not have proper access to the internet, or maybe the windows firewall is blocking communication between MAME and the adapter or the adapter and the internet.

As for the keyboard i'm not at all sure why that is failing. It should be all internal to mame. The only possible thing i can think of is that maybe running in the emulator is throwing the timing off on the emulated serial port between the keyboard and nabu computer.

 

[Wormetti]

Step 1: Download and run NABU Internet Adapter from https://nabu.ca
Step 2: Click Start TCP in NABU Internet Adapter
Step 2: Run nabu.cmd to open MAME with the required NABU settings

I can't count obviously or edit my post but I updated the steps in https://gtamp.com/nabu/readme.txt and in the zip.

You can RESTART most apps by holding SYM (F4) and the += key.

If you are getting keyboard error, are you sure you are running nabu.cmd and not mame.exe?

The keyboard and adapter are added from the command line but nabu.cmd takes care of that.

mame nabupc -window -kbd nabu_hle -hcca null_modem -bitb socket.127.0.0.1:5816

 

[HoJoPo]

Hello all NABUers!
I tried out the MAME emulator linked here on my M1 Mac using Parallels and Windows 11 VM (yes, I know: quite the typical setup, right? ) and no luck. Getting both Adaptor error and Keyboard error. I am running the Nabu Internet Adaptor on Windows 11 concurrently with the TCP server launched so unsure what the deal is or what to report back to you guys as the only errors are NABU emulator sided. - Probably better off waiting for Mac version of MAME, am I right?

There's a nabu.cmd file in the Wormetti post (and mine) that contains the necessary command line arguments to make it work:

mame nabupc -window -kbd nabu_hle -hcca null_modem -bitb socket.127.0.0.1:5816

-Howard

 

[HoJoPo]

Windows build with fixed key maps:

https://gtamp.com/nabu/nabu-mame.zip

This is a Windows build of MAME with a NABU PC core. NABU core coded by brijohn.

Step 1: Download and run NABU Internet Adapter from https://nabu.ca
Step 2: Click Start TCP in NABU Internet Adapter
Step 2: Run nabu.cmd to open MAME with the required NABU settings

Default controls:

||> = Page Down
<||| = Page Up
Yes = F1
No = F2
TV = F3
SYM = F4

Joypad 2 is unmapped by default and Joypad 1 uses the numeric keypad for both the directions and fire button to avoid conflicts with the keyboard.

Default MAME UI settings:

F3 to reset the emulator
F10 or hold Insert to speed it up
Tab to bring up the UI

This one is smaller than messmame since it was built with only nabupc. So even the zip is smaller than the messmame 7z.

make SOURCES=src/mame/nabu/nabupc.cpp REGENIE=1

I saw default F3 TV conflicted with default F3 MAME reset but since the TV button is just a fun novelty on an emulator (it does nothing in this version), I left it and you can change it yourself in the MAME UI.

Thanks for building / posting this, I've been away from my computer all day, and I'm glad to see someone stepped up to build the updated build.

 

[Aprilhare]

I can't count obviously or edit my post but I updated the steps in https://gtamp.com/nabu/readme.txt and in the zip.

You can RESTART most apps by holding SYM (F4) and the += key.

If you are getting keyboard error, are you sure you are running nabu.cmd and not mame.exe?

The keyboard and adapter are added from the command line but nabu.cmd takes care of that.

mame nabupc -window -kbd nabu_hle -hcca null_modem -bitb socket.127.0.0.1:5816

Thanks Wormetti! nabu.cmd did it (I think I got thrown when double clicking on nabu.cmd did nothing). I got it all working I think I'd be best using an external keyboard given the shortcuts and joystick work best with a PC keyboard but beyond that, noice! Great work!

 

[Wormetti]

Happy it was just that and I don't have to troubleshoot permissions and firewalls.

You can redefine all the keys, even without a controller or numpad, you should still have function keys/menu bar that outnumber the NABU keys. It would be cool to make custom NABU keys for the Elgato Stream Deck or even real NABU keycaps for a dedicated keyboard.

 

[jefferystone]

I can't get a disk to successfully format using the Disk Utilities:
1. made floppy disk: dd if=/dev/zero of=nabu_floppy.dsk bs=1024 count=200
2. added following: -option 1 fdc -flop1 nabu_floppy.dsk

I'm using the 4K BIOS as I couldn't figure out how to consistently get the 8K BIOS working.

see attachment for error on verify.

Sincerely,

Jeffery Stone

 

[Aprilhare]

Happy it was just that and I don't have to troubleshoot permissions and firewalls.

You can refine all the keys, even without a controller or numpad, you should still have function keys/menu bar that outnumber the NABU keys. It would be cool to make custom NABU keys for the Elgato Stream Deck or even real NABU keycaps for a dedicated keyboard.

Redefining the keys would be great; my best keyboard is a mechanical keyboard that doesn't have all keys; f1-f12 only and it has a numpad without enter/plus/minus and missing printscrn/del/home/end/pgup/pgdown (although the last are accessible with Fn). I'll try to figure it out tomorrow! In Fresno CA (ex Sydney Land of Oz).