shock__ wrote on 2021-03-21, 10:20:

EDIT: Also works with 512k InterWave cards.

Indeed, with the 30pin SIMMs removed from the original PnP, it instantly works.

shock__ wrote on 2021-03-21, 14:04:

... I wouldn't have to adapt the layout of the ARGUS which is final anyways and could fix the issue for all other cards without having to fiddle with (solder)-jumpers, SIMMs, DRAM ICs or the like.

I'm also not sure if 'fixing' the card for a buggy game should be the way... maybe someone more knowledeable than me could debug and patch this broken thing to work with more RAM?

If it's any help, I could post three exceptions thrown by QEMM, as soon as the SIMMs are added. I'll also go through my other PCs and see if there are any 256K SIMMs I could add, in order to check if e.g. 768K still do work, or if 512K is the absolute limit.

On a similar note: I did also check the original PnP with Cubic: same broken samples with a single 30pin 4MB SIMM plus the onboard 512K. With 2,5MB (1x 512K, plus 2x 1MB SIMM) it's still working.
So, indeed, version 2.00a++ seems to be broken to some extend with more than 4MB.

Yup, adapting the hardware would be a last resort (especially since support is already there). Either fixing the program(s) in question or locking the ARGUS by software to a specific amount of RAM would be the way to go til proven impossible/not worth it.

While Absolute Pinball is one case we've found now it's unknown whether there's more software which has the same issue. Said friend who pinpointed the issue also reported various GUS demos not working on his ARGUS setup - but then again that could have a ton of reasons not related to the ARGUS.

shock__ wrote on 2021-03-22, 18:22:

Said friend who pinpointed the issue also reported various GUS demos not working on his ARGUS setup - but then again that could have a ton of reasons not related to the ARGUS.

If you want to name one or two, I could try them on a couple of configs.

Apart from Absolute Pinball, Cubic Player 2.00a++ also made the list (with mem>4MB), which also isn't an ARGUS, but a program issue.

So long as all the demos run we can forget about Pinballs. I think I have all the large hard to get parts in my hands now.

shock__ wrote on 2015-02-18, 21:09:

Current status: {...} More batches/orders will follow within the next weeks/months. Keep watching the thread for updates

Is it enough to follow this thread to get informed about possible future batches?

How would I know what frequency you're reading the thread and what's the possible future demand.
It'll extremely likely be "first come, first serve".

Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my question.
I meant, are you going to announce possible future batches in this thread?

Dr.Yak wrote on 2021-04-05, 20:41:

Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my question.
I meant, are you going to announce possible future batches in this thread?

It's not polite of me to post a link in a thread where Shock many or may not decide to sell his stock of parts or PCBs at some point, but other people have made replicas of the GUS, but if you read all this thread you maybe able to find the other guys who have reproduced them and hold stock sometimes , you can get boards and even complete kits, It's been talked about in here previously. I went back and read the thread completely when Shock mentioned I could get one from someone else if I couldn't wait, I had already seen them for sale last year so it was easy for me to find the kits again. I've personally had burnout from a project before and sometimes you just don't want to know about it again especially once other people have replicated what you have done. Still I hope he will get back into it and I'll support his efforts then for sure.

Anyway if you would like to get a GUS, any GUS to hold you over while you wait, then search for the other guys. I already have most of the parts to build 4 cards so I'll take any PCB someone wants to sell. I just thought I'd reply to you to help you out since you seem to really want one and the world surely needs as many Gravis Ultrasounds as can possibly be made with the remaining parts.

Dr.Yak wrote on 2021-04-05, 20:41:

Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my question.
I meant, are you going to announce possible future batches in this thread?

Possibly ...

Just in case it got missed, JazeFox found a way to fix things for Absolute Pinball in his unisound initializer / driver:

JazeFox wrote on 2021-04-27, 21:43:

[*] Added new eXtended option for GUS PnP (/XGL) to limit RAM to 512K for compatibility with some games.[/list] […]
Show full quote

[*] Added new eXtended option for GUS PnP (/XGL) to limit RAM to 512K for
compatibility with some games.[/list]

The download link is updated at the end of the first post as usual:
UNISOUND - Universal ISA PnP Sound Card Driver for DOS v0.82a

Has anyone released the schematics of a reverse-engineered board? Or the Gerber files?

Alright, I suppose not. I started designing my own board.

Does anyone have more information on the Am78C201 besides the simple pinout document that can be found everywhere. I have seen references to some Programmer's guide as well. And other documents I should be aware of?

I saw the programmers guide somewhere once, not sure if I grabbed it. I will look again and I've sent you a message

kdehl wrote on 2021-07-01, 21:01:

Does anyone have more information on the Am78C201 besides the simple pinout document that can be found everywhere. I have seen references to some Programmer's guide as well. And other documents I should be aware of?

http://hackipedia.org/raw/Computer/Plat ... on%202.pdf

The Interwave DDK (Driver Developer's Kit) and SDK (Software Developer's Kit) are also in the wild.

https://www.alsa-project.org/files/pub/manual … /gus/iw_ddk.zip

https://www.alsa-project.org/files/pub/manual … us/iw_sdk20.zip

I think that's about it, but it's been a while since I looked.

Didn't some russian guy already made GUSAR that was basically an IW card initially cloning Argus and then moved to their own design?

Chipkin made the GUSAR M (upto 16MB dimm) and GUSAR Lite (1MB RAM only on board), there may have been other variants as well.

I bought the GUSAR M DIY kit from Chipkin last year, assembled it, flashed it and it worked fine and I'm running a 16MB Dimm in it. I believe it was based off the ARGUS WIP2 archive that Shock uploaded to the forum, I followed the BOM and instructions in the archive to assemble, and flash the PNP chip.

The sound quality could have been better (don't know if this just because of sample quality) and the volume was very low, I still haven't gotten around to trying a new opamp in it yet to see if it improves things, have already tried other caps, resoldered joints, even put a new Interwave IC on, etc.

I run mine through some decent powered speakers which makes it useable, too quiet otherwise.

Seems to run like any other IW based GUS.

I'd like to buy the ARGUS once it's available to support Shock after all the work he did, I'd never have been able to obtain a GUS PNP otherwise.

keropi wrote on 2021-07-02, 05:13:

Didn't some russian guy already made GUSAR that was basically an IW card initially cloning Argus and then moved to their own design?

Not a PCB design that he's shared and the PCBs are no longer available to purchase 🙁

Thermalwrong wrote on 2021-07-02, 23:10:

keropi wrote on 2021-07-02, 05:13:

Didn't some russian guy already made GUSAR that was basically an IW card initially cloning Argus and then moved to their own design?

Not a PCB design that he's shared and the PCBs are no longer available to purchase 🙁

Indeed. I have one, which Shock repaired for me, because I botched the soldering of the Interwave. 😀 It works fine for the most part. I don't have it currently in my machine, because most of the time I rather need the SnarkBarker and the PC MIDI card.

Somewhere on this forum another guy reverse engineered it also for his own use, there's at least 4 versions of the PCB been done.

kdehl wrote on 2021-07-01, 21:01:

Alright, I suppose not. I started designing my own board.

Does anyone have more information on the Am78C201 besides the simple pinout document that can be found everywhere. I have seen references to some Programmer's guide as well. And other documents I should be aware of?

I'm not sure what type of board you plan to do (which ram etc) but the Gravis deserves to be an available card and open hardware with files that can be developed further. I feel like this is an important thing for the future of the demoscene and preservation. These photo's of the Gusar clone might help you along the way. I wish I had the original Philips board to scan but I don't (yet, am trying to buy one) right now none of the clone can be bought. so.. go forth

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1z6dDm … R8s?usp=sharing