VOGONS


Reply 841 of 3172, by shock__

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

http://guspnp.livejournal.com/6463.html
I've updated the blog with some current challenges I can't do on my own, but would love to see on/for the final release ... give me a ring if you think you're suitable.

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 842 of 3172, by wbc

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Tried to mess with Interwave local memory dumping and written a simple utility to get ROM and DRAM content (maybe it even works 😀). Set ULTRASND environment, rum IWINIT before and run this (it will generate two 16MB(!) files called IWROM.BIN and IWDRAM.BIN).

Attachments

  • Filename
    IWDUMP.zip
    File size
    26.04 KiB
    Downloads
    100 downloads
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

--wbcbz7

Reply 843 of 3172, by shock__

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

hey wbc, the tool doesn't appear to fully work yet. Tested this with an authentic GUS PnP Pro.
It does generate 2 16MB files, but at least the ROM dump is a constant stream of blocks for the full 16MB space (going 00, 20, 40, 60, 80, A0, C0, E0).
Haven't fiddled around with the RAM dumper yet.

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 844 of 3172, by wbc

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
shock__ wrote:

hey wbc, the tool doesn't appear to fully work yet. Tested this with an authentic GUS PnP Pro.
It does generate 2 16MB files, but at least the ROM dump is a constant stream of blocks for the full 16MB space (going 00, 20, 40, 60, 80, A0, C0, E0).
Haven't fiddled around with the RAM dumper yet.

what I expected, because I've at least forgot about enabling auto-increment 🤣 and catched a couple of other bugs (and yes, I wrote it without checking on hardware because I just didn't have any Interwave card). Since ROM dumper is not working I assume than DRAM dumper will also not work.
Will try to fix it tomorrow.

--wbcbz7

Reply 845 of 3172, by keropi

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

why does it create a 16mbyte file for the rom data? or is it 16mbit?

🎵 🎧 PCMIDI MPU , OrpheusII , Action Rewind , Megacard and 🎶GoldLib soundcard website

Reply 846 of 3172, by shock__

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

ROM and RAM adress space is 16MB ... I guess dumping the whole range saves a few lines of code 😉

In case anyone else wants to code for the InterWave card, the full SDK is available here: http://dk.toastednet.org/GUS/SOURCE%20CODE/IWSDK20.ZIP

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 847 of 3172, by Synoptic

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Posted the Request for help on my Honda ECU reverse engineering forum. There might be someone in the audiance there having the skills to do help.

Post is here : http://forum.pgmfi.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=24172

Reply 848 of 3172, by keropi

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

I see... btw, how big is the original rom? is it 512kbyte or 1mbyte? How did they arrange the data? (judging from the compatible 29F800 part)

🎵 🎧 PCMIDI MPU , OrpheusII , Action Rewind , Megacard and 🎶GoldLib soundcard website

Reply 849 of 3172, by shock__

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

8mbit/1MByte

How they arranged the data ... no idea. The "newfff.txt" from the SDK might be of help there. Personally I haven't checked into that yet - just confirmed the IW78C21M1 can be substituted with a 29F800

Last edited by shock__ on 2016-02-29, 16:47. Edited 2 times in total.

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 850 of 3172, by wbc

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
shock__ wrote:

8mbit/1MByte

How the arranged the data ... no idea. The "newfff.txt" from the SDK might be of help there. Personally I haven't checked into that yet - just confirmed the IW78C21M1 can be substituted with a 29F800

...and according to IWSBOS sources there is 512-byte ROM header with "INTRWAVE" signature at beginning of the ROM (just FYI and checking for valid image 😉)

--wbcbz7

Reply 851 of 3172, by shock__

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Yeah, I do have a valid image of the ROM here.
The chip identifies internally as AMDGM_1_1_

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 852 of 3172, by shock__

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

From what I gathered programming the Wavetable ROM directly on board would either require quite a bit of additional logic (+ custom software) and/or doesn't work when connected to the InterWave IC (I could optionally isolate it to either the ISA bus or InterWave, but that would require even more logic) - therefore this feature is very unlikely to happen.
Potentially a DIP-version will be included (again) so people with sufficient programmers will not need to buy additional SOP-44 adapters. We'll see.
Considering programming the FlashROM will extremely likely remain a one time thing (as larger ROMs are not supported in hardware [since they would require custom drivers]) I don't see the relation between outcome and required effort.

Maybe the negotiations with Eye & I will work out so various folks can offer programming services.

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 853 of 3172, by keropi

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

On-device programming would be cool but tbh I don't think it worths the time if the effort is big...
I don't remember how ram works on this GUS model , does one have the option to instruct the GUS to use the ram samples instead of the rom ones? If yes then there is no point having anything else written on the onboard rom.
Even if someone does not have a programmer and wants to build their own card I can always offer my programming services 😀

🎵 🎧 PCMIDI MPU , OrpheusII , Action Rewind , Megacard and 🎶GoldLib soundcard website

Reply 854 of 3172, by wbc

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

second version of dumper, added proper card reset and fixed a LOT of dumb bugs (i.e I used port 3x4 for indexed registers byte access, NOT 3x5 as required) and so on. Maybe this version will work 😀

keropi wrote:

On-device programming would be cool but tbh I don't think it worths the time if the effort is big...
I don't remember how ram works on this GUS model , does one have the option to instruct the GUS to use the ram samples instead of the rom ones? If yes then there is no point having anything else written on the onboard rom.
Even if someone does not have a programmer and wants to build their own card I can always offer my programming services 😀

maybe it is possible to "fool" IWSBOS so it will use i.e. his FFF-chunk from file on hard disk instead of ROM image (and do the same thing with Mega-Em), however Borland C++ 3.1 can't compile these sources (bumps with lotsa errors)

Attachments

  • Filename
    IWDUMP.zip
    File size
    26.52 KiB
    Downloads
    129 downloads
    File license
    Fair use/fair dealing exception

--wbcbz7

Reply 855 of 3172, by shock__

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Stepping stones are exactly like wbc said.
Windows MIDI, MegaEm, even some games like Duke3D, check for the presence of the ROM.

Second version of the dumper seems to work nicely. Haven't done a full CRC check yet, but it looks to be good.
1MB ROM space is repeated a few times (very likely 16 times)

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 856 of 3172, by hard1k

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Interesting... Maybe such dumper could help us to get a ROM-flashable firmware out of RAM when the 4Mb bank is loaded?.. 😀

Fortex, the A3D & XG/OPL3 accelerator (Vortex 2 + YMF744 combo sound card)
AWE64 Legacy
Please have a look at my wishlist (hosted on Amibay)

Reply 857 of 3172, by wbc

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
hard1k wrote:

Interesting... Maybe such dumper could help us to get a ROM-flashable firmware out of RAM when the 4Mb bank is loaded?.. 😀

poke 1MB\4MB bank to RAM and tell software to use it, right? That is exactly what I said before 😉

--wbcbz7

Reply 858 of 3172, by hard1k

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Well, not really - upload a 4Mb bank, dump it from RAM, check for necessary headers and flash to a 4Mb chip, then solder it on the board 😀 an idea that doesn't let me sleep well since I read about a 4Mb ROM bank to exist somewhere...

Fortex, the A3D & XG/OPL3 accelerator (Vortex 2 + YMF744 combo sound card)
AWE64 Legacy
Please have a look at my wishlist (hosted on Amibay)

Reply 859 of 3172, by hard1k

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

And regarding usage of RAM-based banks, IIRC you can choose them in IW.INI and use either in Windows or in DOS-window.
In plain DOS only the GF1-compatible soundfont can be used with RAM (that's why at least some RAM is needed for GUS compatibility) or the default ROM. Thus flashing a 4Mb bank into ROM will substantially increase the quality of samples in plain DOS.

Fortex, the A3D & XG/OPL3 accelerator (Vortex 2 + YMF744 combo sound card)
AWE64 Legacy
Please have a look at my wishlist (hosted on Amibay)