SuperPET Waterloo Languages and bitfixer PetDisk Max v2

[kpw]

Hi, I recently acquired a SP9000 and actually got it working (with help from bitfixer's romulator). I had to replace two bad RAM chips but now it's working in 6502 and 6809 modes.

I purchased a PetDisk Max (v2) also and it's working pretty good for the 'normal' PET 6502 mode.

However, when trying to use it on the 6809 side I am unable to load any of the Waterloo languages. I've tried a number of language image files from the various PET sites, but no luck. I've also been reading on how to load the languages from drive 0 instead of drive 1. (disk/0.basic for example).

However, I always get a 'file not found' message from the 6809 superpet menu screen.

Mike and I have been trading a few emails but was wondering if anyone here has had any luck using PetDisk Max with a SuperPET. I saw a video of the UK-based TFW8b SD2Pet working on the SuperPET loading languages so I know it's possible, but I assume for whatever reason the PetDisk Max doesn't support the language disk formats or drive types that Waterloo languages require.

The pictures show the file-not-found message, the contents of the SD card, and what the 6502 side (8032) sees on the SD card.

 

[daver2]

Have you copied the entire .d64 image files to the disk emulator or extracted the individual files from the .d64 image to the disk emulator?

How did you enter the command for the first photograph?

The two disk drives are numbered 8 and 9.

Are you typing the first letter of the language you require from the menu?

By the way, the SuperPET processor is a 6809.

Dave

 

[kpw]

Have you copied the entire .d64 image files to the disk emulator or extracted the individual files from the .d64 image to the disk emulator?

How did you enter the command for the first photograph?

The two disk drives are numbered 8 and 9.

Are you typing the first letter of the language you require from the menu?

By the way, the SuperPET processor is a 6809.

Dave

Good questions Dave:

1) I tried it both ways. I'm pretty sure I need to extract the files (using Mac and c1541 utility). On the 8032 side you switch into a .d64 image directory using the LOAD"$:xxx.d64" command to get the .d64 image mounted.

2) The command I typed at the 6809 menu was disk/0.basic I believe. I have also tried various combinations of disk8/0.b, disk/0.basic, disk/0.basic.prg, etc. The "loading" message seems to indicate what is actually sent to the drive unit.

3) I thought the petdisk max used only one device number (default is 8). Would like to know if it can support multiple drives (8/9) at the same time though.

4) Typing the first letter will default to attempting to load from "disk/1.BASIC" which is the 2nd drive. I have tried it but think I need to force drive 0 access with disk/0.BASIC

5) Yes, 6809. I've edited my original post

 

[kpw]

Some syntax for loading from drive :0 from SuperPet Gazette pdf v1 nb12.

"LOAD LANGUAGES FROM ANY DRIVE

Gee, we thought you knew this: you can load anything from a language disk from drive 0, or even from a 2031, if you simply preface the load command, at menu, like this: disk.e (which loads the mED).

You can even load from a different device number, say device 9, with: disk9/0.e. It works for all languages and all machine-language programs loaded from menu. We mention it because a couple of old hands wrote that, drive 1 being out of com-mission, they were out of business in 6809.

No more excuses. Back to work."

 

[vossi]

With a PETSD+ works the standard language loading from drive1 with simplay letter a,b,e...

 

[daver2]

You should be able to use the single letter mode to initiate (say) BASIC with a 'b'.

As an experiment, can you try the following:

1. Copy the complete .d64 image over to the emulator. Use the disk image containing BASIC.

2. Mount the .d64 image using the 6502 processor as you have described above.

3. Switch over to the 6809 processor.

4. Try and run BASIC now with the 'b' command from the menu.

Dave

 

[kpw]

With a PETSD+ works the standard language loading from drive1 with simplay letter a,b,e...

Do you extract he .d64 files first? Or does petsd+ know how to see inside the .d64 files?

 

[kpw]

You should be able to use the single letter mode to initiate (say) BASIC with a 'b'.

As an experiment, can you try the following:

1. Copy the complete .d64 image over to the emulator. Use the disk image containing BASIC.

2. Mount the .d64 image using the 6502 processor as you have described above.

3. Switch over to the 6809 processor.

4. Try and run BASIC now with the 'b' command from the menu.

Dave

I’ll try this and post my results.

 

[kpw]

I’ll try this and post my results.

No luck. I mounted the .d64 image on the 6502 side, then switched to 6809 mode and tried loading basic but still file not found.

When I switch back to 6502 mode I'm back at the root menu so I don't think it is saving the mounted image when switching.

I'm thinking this device just doesn't support what the 6809 needs. Looking at the source for the firmware it looks like only a few filetypes are supported (ie. prg, seq, etc) so maybe some of the language files are not of these types...

I appreciate the good advice but think it's just not supported at the moment.

Might pickup a SD2Pet as a solution.

 

[daver2]

Leave all the files inside the .d64 file. It 'understands' the format and reads from/writes to the .d64 file.

If this works, this should give us a clue as to what is wrong...

Dave

 

[kpw]

No change with just the first Waterloo disk as d64 on the flash card.

"Program not found".
tried:
b
disk.b
disk/0.b
disk8/0.b
disk.basic
disk/0.basic
disk/0.basic.prg
etc...

 

[vossi]

Do you extract he .d64 files first? Or does petsd+ know how to see inside the .d64 files?

On the PETSD+ I have the .d80 or .d64 file. I select on the display of the PETSD+ the diskfile I want to use and just type a, b, f, e to load.

I think extracting the files from the .d64 does not work! You have to use the complete original d64 or d80 waterloo disk.

 

[daver2]

Did you attempt to "mount" the file first though?

Dave

 

[daver2]

Switching from the 6502 to the 6809 mode invokes a RESET condition. If the emulated drive responds to the IEEE equivalent of the reset signal, then all bets are now off.

Dave

 

[daver2]

Thinking a bit more outside of the box...

When you extracted the files (e.g. "basic.prg"), how are you performing the extract and copy and does the filename still retain the lower case letters?

The .prg files are binary not ASCII. I may be explaining the obvious to you...

This is the directory of my disk 1:



Dave

 

[kpw]

Thinking a bit more outside of the box...

When you extracted the files (e.g. "basic.prg"), how are you performing the extract and copy and does the filename still retain the lower case letters?

The .prg files are binary not ASCII. I may be explaining the obvious to you...

This is the directory of my disk 1:

View attachment 1292971

Dave

I used the “c1541” command line utility on my mac to extract the language files from the .d64 image. I think this utility is part of the vice emulator suite.

Yes, it did seem like switching from 6502 to 6809 mode after mounting the .d64 image file did do a reset as the 6809 mode didn’t seem to see the language files.

I’ll post a screenshot of the extracted file list as well as how the 6502 side displays them with the directory command.

 

[kpw]

Pics attached show:
1) extract of waterloo language disk #1 (.d64) files using c1541 utility
2) mac finder info for the extracted files
3) Pet Disk Max directory with the original .d64 file on SD card
4) Pet Disk Max directory after mounting the the original .d64 image file from SD card
5) Pet Disk Max directory listing of different SD card with extracted .d64 files (via c1541 utility)
6) Failed 6809 load of basic from SD card containing extracted .d64 files (using b command)

 

[shirsch]

I haven't had mine fired up for a while, but I can tell you that the Waterloo environment has very specific notions about attached storage. I run it using XD2031 to serve two diskette images at the same time. Without some hackery I don't think it will work with a single drive.

 

[daver2]

I disagree.

The two disk drive requirement really comes from the point of view of what is practical for a real system. The first disk drive generally holds the language compilers and system tools whereas the second disk drive is generally for user files.

When I removed the 6702 protection from the languages, I only used on disk.

If memory serves me correctly, these disk emulators can generally emulate multiple disk IDs anyhow - if we can get one working!

We are still not dead in the water yet...

The SP9000 can use the serial port (and an external server program on a Windows machine) to act as a remote disk.

You could try this next if you like...

Dave

 

[kpw]

Sure. But wouldn’t some interface software be necessary on the 6809 side?

The problem I see is that the 6809 mode only allows loading of the pre-defined waterloo language apps.

If no software is needed on the pet side is there an existing server project available? I should be able to make an appropriate serial connector and cable for the pet and assume it would use usb-to-serial adapter on the pc side.