vanfanel wrote on 2025-05-11, 14:26:

But I didn't know that I would use the SeaBIOS VGA BIOS on the Vortex! I thought BIOS ROMs were tailored to the low-level registers of each card in order to work at all...

VGA registers are pretty standardized, otherwise DOS games that use low-level VGA access wouldn't work across different cards.

I suspect the biggest differences would be in init code

rasteri wrote on 2025-05-11, 14:48:

vanfanel wrote on 2025-05-11, 14:26:

But I didn't know that I would use the SeaBIOS VGA BIOS on the Vortex! I thought BIOS ROMs were tailored to the low-level registers of each card in order to work at all...

VGA registers are pretty standardized, otherwise DOS games that use low-level VGA access wouldn't work across different cards.

I suspect the biggest differences would be in init code

That's VERY interesting, beause looking at the compatibility results in:
https://gona.mactar.hu/DOS_TESTS/
...it seems like, for example, a Trio32/64 should work with every "picky" DOS fine-scrolling game.
Are you telling me I could inject the Trio32/64 Video ROM (it's dumped and can be currently used on the MAME project for the ct486 driver) onto the Vortex86 DX BIOS (using AMI MMTOOL) and it's graphics chip would work as a Trio32/64? I *believe* scroll routines are part of the VIDEO ROM.

vanfanel wrote on 2025-05-11, 15:03:

*believe* scroll routines are part of the VIDEO ROM.

There are scroll routines in the BIOS, but I expect the vast majority of games don't use them.

vanfanel wrote on 2025-05-11, 15:03:

Are you telling me I could inject the Trio32/64 Video ROM (it's dumped and can be currently used on the MAME project for the ct486 driver) onto the Vortex86 DX BIOS (using AMI MMTOOL) and it's graphics chip would work as a Trio32/64? I *believe* scroll routines are part of the VIDEO ROM.

That would be very unlikely to work. It would probably hang on those init routines that rasteri mentioned above. Even if the BIOS would miraculously initialize without hanging in the init code, you would, at best, get only the legacy VGA modes to work. If any of those scrolling routines in the BIOS use any hardware-specific stuff beyond the standard legacy VGA registers, those won't work on a different GPU either.

At least the generic SeaBIOS VGA BIOS ROM was tailored carefully to be the "lowest common denominator" in terms of generic legacy VGA compatibility. Or at least that's how I understand it.

After watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is3ULD0ZXnI

Any other WeeCee owner try this USBODE project? This allows hosting ISO files through a Pi Zero 2 W and connects to a vintage PC with a USB port.

I've set it up and been trying for an hour to get it to detect a CD in MSDOS 6.22, no success.
I've tried using OAKCDROM.SYS, as well as VIDECDD.SYS, setting a drive letter, not setting one, using Legacy IDE in the BIOS, then Native IDE. Nothing works.
I always get the dreaded:

Device driver not found: 'MSCD001'.
No valid CDROM device drivers selected

The device itself works under my modern PC and I get a mounted drive of any given ISO just fine.

@Muon

It's a USB drive isn't it? Try one of the USB CD-ROM drivers for DOS?

edit: try something like usbcd or duse

https://www.bootdisk.com/usb.htm

Mu0n wrote on 2025-05-14, 05:06:

Any other WeeCee owner try this USBODE project? This allows hosting ISO files through a Pi Zero 2 W and connects to a vintage PC with a USB port.

I expect it should work. I used to use DriveDroid with my weecee which is basically the same thing but on an Android phone.

To be honest USBODE isn't anything new, it's been possible to use the gadget feature of Linux to emulate a CD Drive for decades

rasteri wrote on 2025-05-14, 09:18:

Mu0n wrote on 2025-05-14, 05:06:

Any other WeeCee owner try this USBODE project? This allows hosting ISO files through a Pi Zero 2 W and connects to a vintage PC with a USB port.

I expect it should work. I used to use DriveDroid with my weecee which is basically the same thing but on an Android phone.

To be honest USBODE isn't anything new, it's been possible to use the gadget feature of Linux to emulate a CD Drive for decades

As it stands now, I agree that USBODE offers nothing new that can't be done with SHSUCDX, or even spicier, a SHSUCDX drive mounted through a remote or LAN MTCP's NETDRIVE.
But the main project goal is to get to .bin/.cue support, and that part excites me!

current attempt
result: FAILS

took USBASPI.SYS and USBCD1.SYS from https://www.hiren.info/downloads/dos-files

[config.sys]
DEVICE=C:\USBASPI.SYS
DEVICE=C:\USBCD1.SYS /d:MSCD000

[autoexec.bat]
MSCDEX.EXE /d:MSCD000

will hang while it loads usbaspi.sys, somes at 1/4 host controller, sometimes 4/4. seems to be non-deterministic.

I've made it work!

key points:
1) disable EMM386. disable it with fire. nuclear fire.
2) USBASPI.SYS finally went to the end of its host controller scan instead of freezing
3) USBCD1.SYS worked, I didn't bother back-trying all others which always complained anyway
4) DUSE never worked for me.
5) SMARTDRV absolutely needs to be disabled, or it auto-resets or freezes.

interesting. there must be something wrong with my implementation because as soon as I connect my USBODE to my WeeCee the device reboots. did you have to change any BIOS settings?

snipe3687 wrote on 2025-05-15, 16:35:

interesting. there must be something wrong with my implementation because as soon as I connect my USBODE to my WeeCee the device reboots. did you have to change any BIOS settings?

Probably it's drawing too much power

rasteri wrote on 2025-05-15, 17:17:

snipe3687 wrote on 2025-05-15, 16:35:

interesting. there must be something wrong with my implementation because as soon as I connect my USBODE to my WeeCee the device reboots. did you have to change any BIOS settings?

Probably it's drawing too much power

yep, that was it. I connected it through a powered USB hub and it worked fine. I think I made my VBUS traces too thin...heh...

snipe3687 wrote on 2025-05-16, 12:47:

yep, that was it. I connected it through a powered USB hub and it worked fine. I think I made my VBUS traces too thin...heh...

That or you need beefier capacitors on the USB ports.

Course then you have to worry about inrush current when you plug the weecee in...

rasteri wrote on 2025-05-16, 12:55:

snipe3687 wrote on 2025-05-16, 12:47:

yep, that was it. I connected it through a powered USB hub and it worked fine. I think I made my VBUS traces too thin...heh...

That or you need beefier capacitors on the USB ports.

Course then you have to worry about inrush current when you plug the weecee in...

I upped the caps to 100uF 1206 to try to smooth things out a bit so we will see. I'm not too concerned about inrush at the moment since I'm using an on/off controller for my version. just put in a new order for another rev. that includes the CM4 module so I'm hoping I can get this software to run on that. we will see I guess!

@snipe3687

Did you manage to get some of the FC1307 chips I linked to? I'd like to hear if they worked or not.

snipe3687 wrote on 2025-05-15, 16:35:

interesting. there must be something wrong with my implementation because as soon as I connect my USBODE to my WeeCee the device reboots. did you have to change any BIOS settings?

I'm pretty sure I removed the polyfuse at the entry of my WeeCee and replaced it with a solder bridge.

Duffman wrote on 2025-05-17, 01:30:

@snipe3687

Did you manage to get some of the FC1307 chips I linked to? I'd like to hear if they worked or not.

I grabbed a couple chips but with the insane customs duties on PCBs from china right now I haven’t had a chance to do much with it. I have no doubt it will work though

Have you tried the Commander Keen games on the WeeCee? Using a Vortex86DX based computer, they appear to have a red tint all over them.
Any ideas on how to fix or workaround this? I know they are EGA games, but they used to work on VGA with no problems.

They look like this:

This is for Keen1 to 4, the ones I have tested.

vanfanel wrote on 2025-05-18, 21:21:

Have you tried the Commander Keen games on the WeeCee? Using a Vortex86DX based computer, they appear to have a red tint all ove […]
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Have you tried the Commander Keen games on the WeeCee? Using a Vortex86DX based computer, they appear to have a red tint all over them.
Any ideas on how to fix or workaround this? I know they are EGA games, but they used to work on VGA with no problems.

They look like this:

The attachment ckeen1.jpg is no longer available

This is for Keen1 to 4, the ones I have tested.

No issue, but I'm using a CRT here:
Have you tried a different VGA cable?