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PicoMEM : Adlib and CMS/Tandy on its way

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First post, by FreddyV

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Hi,

I finally post here as my PicoMEM audience is really small on the old hardware section here 😀

I am (I hope) still well known for the Mod Master XT project here.

As you may know, I did the PicoMEM that is like a PicoGUS with ISA Memory interface.
Then, it can emulate ROM, RAM as well as I/O devices.

The PicoMEM has no DMA capability for the moment as I had to do choices with the limitted GPIO.
Then, it can't be as accurate as the PicoGUS.

For the moment, it emulate Adlib, CMS and Tandy are here (To be published soon)
And all those sound cards work at the same time (We can imagin a tracker doing Adlib, CMS and Tandy at the same time 😀

I have in the plan to add Covox, then integrate Sound Blaster and Gravis, but with Emulated DMA that will limit the compatibility.

https://github.com/FreddyVRetro/ISA-PicoMEM

For the future, Pico2 will open soo many possibilities and Audio will surely be the fonctionality with the more improvements.

Reply 1 of 10, by Kekkula

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It would be great if you could open source the project, so we could have all the fun making our own cards... Like picogus.

Reply 2 of 10, by FreddyV

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Hi,

I took the decision to not open source the hardware to limit the support time. (Ian is contacted for HW problem for self made picogus)

Also, of course, to limit the possibility to have chinese / east europe ppls putting picoMEM everywhere on ebay and I will also have to do the support.
Texelec told me it is not likely to happens, but I am still not convinced 😀
Support the PicoMEM is not an easy task, it is not like an XTIDE with one ROM and 3 logic chip...

I also never build XTIDE myself and prefered to buy from Texelec (Even if I am from france) because it is not worth it.

Reply 3 of 10, by Kekkula

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Well I'm just the opposite 😁 Getting a ready made card would be like getting a already made jigsaw puzzle.
Best part for me is the building process, i've built couple picoguses, xtide cards and necroware mouse adapters.
Hardware wise your of course free to do what you will... But software might be a problem... Aren't you using code from dosbox and picogus and other open source projects and selling that code with your product?

Reply 4 of 10, by FreddyV

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Hi,

I can understand, will see if Texelec can be Ok to sell just PCB

Reply 5 of 10, by FreddyV

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Kekkula wrote on 2024-10-03, 15:10:

Well I'm just the opposite 😁 Getting a ready made card would be like getting a already made jigsaw puzzle.
Best part for me is the building process, i've built couple picoguses, xtide cards and necroware mouse adapters.
Hardware wise your of course free to do what you will... But software might be a problem... Aren't you using code from dosbox and picogus and other open source projects and selling that code with your product?

Most of the code is already release, I will publish the rest really soon. (this month for sure)

What remain from DOSBOX Code (GNU) is ridiculous, just a skeletton for IRQ13 code.
And PicoMEM (All around) code is 2 Years of code.

You can already see it on the Github by the way, Disk code is published.

Reply 7 of 10, by stamasd

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I was going to mention Pico2. More I/O lines, more memory, more processing power. It would open a lot of possibilities for projects like yours (I do have a PicoMem, thanks Adrian Black for the great review).

I/O, I/O,
It's off to disk I go,
With a bit and a byte
And a read and a write,
I/O, I/O

Reply 8 of 10, by FreddyV

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Hi,

New picoMEM firmware released :
https://github.com/FreddyVRetro/ISA-PicoMEM/t … e/main/firmware

New: Added support for Tandy 1000 (Early ones with Tandy graphic)
New: CMS/SAA1099 Sound card Added
New: Tandy Sound card Added
New: Adlib/Tandy and CMS are working at the same time and can be configured by PMinit
New: Added Display of the mounted USB devices
New: Adlib/CMS/Tandy and Joystick can be use even if the BIOS Start to fail / is Disabled.
! If the BIOS Start in 40 Column graphic mode, change to 80 Column when starting the setup
If the Bootstrap fail to load a sector, display the error code.

Reply 9 of 10, by FreddyV

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Hi,

I had no real success here so far 😀

I am working on Sound Blaster emulation now with emulaterd DMA as the current PicoMEM does not have DMA signals support.
It start to work, but still need lot of fix.

I may add also Mindscape, and Covox sound Master 2 (When DMA will work), Covox, Disney sound source....

On the Next gen PicoMEM, I did not test the hardware DMA yet, but it is present. It will of course help to better support SB, then add GUS as well.

Reply 10 of 10, by FreddyV

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stamasd wrote on 2024-10-03, 17:38:

I was going to mention Pico2. More I/O lines, more memory, more processing power. It would open a lot of possibilities for projects like yours (I do have a PicoMem, thanks Adrian Black for the great review).

I am playing with Pico2 since some months, and Have the PicoMEM 1.5 with solderd RP2350B chip since 4 month 😉

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