@polpo Thank for your quick, helpful response regarding the configuration of the Femto/Pico/Pocket-386.

And I much appreciate the information that configuration should be within pgusinit and not MicroPython; I would not have known that.

I already use MBrutman's MTCP with my serial-to-wifi adapter and a Ominbook, 200LX, etc, so I'm hoping to edit the mtcp.cfg for the Pocket 386.

Regarding the NE2000 packet driver, is that simply a case of downloading the appropriate *.com and putting that in the c:\MTCP directory, the way that oldnet uses the ETHERSL.COM for its serial-to-wifi?

polpo wrote on 2024-05-30, 20:44:

appiah4 wrote on 2024-05-30, 12:23:

pyrogx wrote on 2024-05-30, 12:09:

I have a bit of an odd question: Is the PicoGUS compatible with Linux? Especially some older versions from, like from 25 years ago. I know that there was quite extensive support for the GUS back then, including MIDI and patch loading, etc.

I don't think there is a compiled binary of pgusinit for linux, and I don't know if that is possible, but now I'm also curious.. Presumably if the PicoGUS could be initialized under linux then the GUS kernel modules would work..

The card doesn't need to be initialized with pgusinit if it's using the default port of 240h. Linux would be interesting to try out, especially since the Linux Ultra Sound Project drivers are what evolved into ALSA. I remember those drivers being really good back in the 90s on my GUS.

I might build a second 1.1 just to drop it into my test bench and install Linux on a cf-card for this experiment 😀 If you are really interested in hearing about this and maybe developing further tools for linux, I'd be willing to invest the time 😀 I was pretty excited to help with testing the 1.1 with games and contribute somehow.

appiah4 wrote on 2024-05-30, 06:59:

Thanks a lot @Shreddoc, it looks like building a 1.2 card will be a lot of new expense and I'm not sure how much I really need the USB device capabilities, so I'll just build a second 1.1 with the PCB and components I already have..

If the 1.1 is working great for your system(s), then that is probably all that you need, especially if cost is a concern. The core functionality is the same.

My main motivation to build 1.2's is just for the fun of making, and also for the various small improvements such as reset stability and better physical fit.

If you already have all the 1.1 components, then - AFAIK - the only things you really *need* for building 1.2 instead, is new C1,C2,R1,R2,R3,R4,R5,R6,U10. Also there is a C11 now, which means 8 x 0.1uF caps, rather than the 1.1's 7 x.

And PCB, of course.

Will this potential ne2000 support work on 2.0 boards?

keenerb wrote on 2024-06-01, 00:05:

Will this potential ne2000 support work on 2.0 boards?

The 2.0 boards do not contain any wifi hardware.

That said, it's not out-of-the-question that creativity may find some alternative way, if one exists.

iam doing something wrong iam not getting any sound

scroeffie wrote on 2024-06-01, 15:53:

iam doing something wrong iam not getting any sound

Show a directory list of C:\Ultrasnd, as well as the game you are trying to play's sound config.

i got it working but audio is very low i have to turn the speaker all the way up .how do i set the volume of the soundcard higher is there a program i need to run ?

scroeffie wrote on 2024-06-01, 16:46:

i got it working but audio is very low i have to turn the speaker all the way up .how do i set the volume of the soundcard higher is there a program i need to run ?

The PicoGUS's audio output is a standard line level output, and is normally connected to the Line In of an external amplifier or powered speakers.

It is not intended to directly plug headphones or unpowered speakers.

Shreddoc wrote on 2024-06-01, 20:44:

scroeffie wrote on 2024-06-01, 16:46:

i got it working but audio is very low i have to turn the speaker all the way up .how do i set the volume of the soundcard higher is there a program i need to run ?

The PicoGUS's audio output is a standard line level output, and is normally connected to the Line In of an external amplifier or powered speakers.

It is not intended to directly plug headphones or unpowered speakers.

iam using retro speakers self powered with a build in amp i need to turn the audio all the way up to hear something
so there is no program to adjust the audio levels ?

iam talking in dutch because i send the video to a friend who also bought one he has the same problem ,but i have to turn the audio all the way up on the speaker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp8at8pslS0

I think the PicoGUS has a slightly lower output then say a Sound Blaster (even in line level mode). I have it connected to the line-in of my AWE64 and I have to crank the input all up to make it audible. If I connect the PicoGUS directly to my mixer I have to increase the gain quite a lot to reach the same level. I think it is "normal", maybe old PC cards had a higher output level or different amps.

wil test tomorrow with difrent speakers maybe its my speakers

someone on discords says its normal just like a real gus card

I just started using PicoGus, tried sound blaster mode with Prince of Persia, noticed the Intro is missing some notes/instruments.

Tried another motherboard and also playing OPL2 VGZ capture, same problem. I attached recording of PicoGUS and VGZ to this post.

I also notice some weirdness in Monkey Island 2, in carpenter shop you don't hear the saw instrument. My guess the OPL emulator is limited in terms of number of effects/instruments/channels.

Just a quick note to say that using the PicoGUS as a MPU-401 card with an AWE 64 is a brilliant audio solution for late 90s DOS gaming. Last night I played Descent and TIE Fighter and it sounded spectacular hearing TIE Fighter with the X2GS and higher quality audio; before I'd need to use my Vortex 2 in SB Pro mode to be able to get glitch-free music since my SB 16 and AWE cards have massive issues with the iMUSE implementation that TIE Fighter uses.

appiah4 wrote on 2024-05-31, 07:05:

polpo wrote on 2024-05-30, 20:44:

The card doesn't need to be initialized with pgusinit if it's using the default port of 240h. Linux would be interesting to try out, especially since the Linux Ultra Sound Project drivers are what evolved into ALSA. I remember those drivers being really good back in the 90s on my GUS.

I might build a second 1.1 just to drop it into my test bench and install Linux on a cf-card for this experiment 😀 If you are really interested in hearing about this and maybe developing further tools for linux, I'd be willing to invest the time 😀 I was pretty excited to help with testing the 1.1 with games and contribute somehow.

It was a bit of effort, but I managed to get the PicoGUS to run under Linux. I chose an old Slackware Linux 11 which has a 2.4 kernel, for my experiments. Initially I tried the builtin OSS driver. It detected the card fine at 0x240, IRQ5, DMA3 (no pgusinit necessary as polpo said) and I got a mixer, dsp and sequencer device. PCM playback worked, MIDI as well (after installing the proper patchset and using playmidi 2.4). Trying to use the sequencer as a MOD player didn't work.
So I grabbed a copy of the "Linux Ultra Sound Project" driver, ported it to the 2.4 kernel (This was actually the hardest part!), and with that one, it just worked:

/dev/gusinfo gave me:

1Driver Version 3.0, Copyright (c) 1994-97 by Jaroslav Kysela (Perex soft)
2Compiled in May 30 2024 for kernel 2.4.37.12-i486-generic (SMP).
3Compiled with support for GUS Classic, DB16, Extreme, MAX, PnP soundcards.
4Driver using 19 pages (77824 bytes) of kernel memory for data.
5
6
7CARD #1-1 (gus):
8================
9>> Gravis UltraSound 2.4 (1024k) at 0x240, irq 7, dma 3
10
11DMA:
12  used          : 0
13  buffer ptr    : 0xc0300000
14  buffer size   : 65536 (real 65536, requested 65536/65536)
15  lock status   :                     
16  owner         : <NULL>              
17  old owner     : <NULL>              
18Interrupts:
19  TOTAL         : 8345
20GF1:
21  flags         : daemon
22  record overfw : 0
23  UltraClick elimination defaults:
24    smooth pan    : enable
25    full range pan: disable
26    volume ramp   : 30
27TIMERS:
28  owner         : <NULL>
29  enabled       :
30  timer1 value  : 63
31  timer2 value  : 1
32  base          : 166
33  tempo         : 60 (5020us)
34  effects ticks : 2
35PCM [GF1]:
36  realtime buffering : off
37  playback underflow : 0
38  record overflow    : 0
39PCM [<NULL>]:
40  realtime buffering : off
41  playback underflow : 0
42  record overflow    : 0
43
44
45OSS SEQUENCER:
46  Mode          : none
47  Card #0 (gus):
48    00: GUS MIDI interface
49    01: Gravis UltraSound
50    02: GUS MIDI emulation
51    >>: D0 -> D2 swap : disable

So, PicoGUS is indeed Linux compatible, at least with some ancient Linux version.

MadMac_5 wrote on 2024-06-02, 14:33:

Just a quick note to say that using the PicoGUS as a MPU-401 card with an AWE 64 is a brilliant audio solution for late 90s DOS gaming. Last night I played Descent and TIE Fighter and it sounded spectacular hearing TIE Fighter with the X2GS and higher quality audio; before I'd need to use my Vortex 2 in SB Pro mode to be able to get glitch-free music since my SB 16 and AWE cards have massive issues with the iMUSE implementation that TIE Fighter uses.

I think this is my primary use for the PicoGUS: Modern USB controller and MPU401 card.

Did you configure the PicoGUS on IRQ2 like a real MPU-401? Does it work out of the box as intelligent MPU401?

keenerb wrote on 2024-06-02, 19:29:

Does it work out of the box as intelligent MPU401?

yes it does and when paired with mt32-pi wavetable it becomes a builtin mt32 (or fluidsynth)

keenerb wrote on 2024-06-02, 19:29:

MadMac_5 wrote on 2024-06-02, 14:33:

Just a quick note to say that using the PicoGUS as a MPU-401 card with an AWE 64 is a brilliant audio solution for late 90s DOS gaming. Last night I played Descent and TIE Fighter and it sounded spectacular hearing TIE Fighter with the X2GS and higher quality audio; before I'd need to use my Vortex 2 in SB Pro mode to be able to get glitch-free music since my SB 16 and AWE cards have massive issues with the iMUSE implementation that TIE Fighter uses.

I think this is my primary use for the PicoGUS: Modern USB controller and MPU401 card.

Did you configure the PicoGUS on IRQ2 like a real MPU-401? Does it work out of the box as intelligent MPU401?

I only specified the port as 340 when running pgusinit with /p 340, but within Windows I actually assigned the MPU-401 device as having IRQ 10. It seems to work in Windows and DOS without any issues in the games I have tried so far (Descent 2 and TIE Fighter Collector's CD), but I can't say for sure which IRQ it's using in DOS.