ORIC SDCARD

This is the right place to discuss on how to implement hardware vsync, adding a VIA or AY chipset, puting multiple roms, or how to design a new flash expansion card.
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kenneth
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by kenneth »

My interface is now able to load a one piece program. I m working actually for a multipart loading. This could be available for protected games.
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ibisum
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by ibisum »

Really nice! One thing I don't quite understand yet is whether there is any way to have software control over the device - i.e. use the Oric to select which disk images are mounted?
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kenneth
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by kenneth »

Oric computer drive directly the sdcard via CS MISO and MOSI sdcard signals without PIC or Arduino systems. With the 44ko of memory remaining in the uvprom interface it could be possible to create a platform like Microdisc or other.
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kenneth
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by kenneth »

The interface is complete.
Compatible with TAP files
Basic
Lm
Multiprograms combined.
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Chema
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by Chema »

Great! Details, please :wink:
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kaydav
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by kaydav »

This looks great :D
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kenneth
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by kenneth »

Here is the final result... :mrgreen:

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Chema
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by Chema »

Looks great! Congratulations!

Will you publish the schematics and data needed to build one? Does it need a modified ROM? Could the method be used to load tap files from a disk unit?
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kenneth
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by kenneth »

The ORIC computer is not modified.
For a DIY see the link below:

retrowiki.es/download/file.php?id=200028923
Last edited by kenneth on Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:20 am, edited 8 times in total.
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Dbug
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by Dbug »

Could you briefly explain how that works, does the device contain a patched ROM that takes over the CLOAD command and display the menu?

A device that does both what your device does, and what Cumulus does, would be awesome :)
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Chema
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by Chema »

Indeed. I have the same question.... please tell us :)
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kenneth
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by kenneth »

Dbug wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 7:28 pm Could you briefly explain how that works, does the device contain a patched ROM that takes over the CLOAD command and display the menu?
Exactly :mrgreen:

The internal ROM is always desactivated. The process is like this:
In place of the internal ROM, there is a 64k UVPROM memory divided in four banks called 0 to 3. Theses banks are selected with two bits of #3F3 in the page 3 of the Oric, other bits of this address communicate with the inputs-output of the SDcard. When Oric is starting, the bank number 0 is selected at #C000 to #FFFF, it contains ROMBASIC with a patch instead of the CLOAD routine.
This patch produces as follows:
Copy the "entry switcher" routine at page2 this one swaps bank 0 to bank 3, that permits to run the SDCard management, now,the headers of the files are copied in the Oric RAM to better browse them. When the chosen game is loaded over the header files, an other routine called "exit switcher" is copyed at page 2 to bring back the ROMBASIC, then the game is started.
Dbug wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 7:28 pm A device that does both what your device does, and what Cumulus does, would be awesome :)
Bank 3 is only 4Kb full and 1 and 2 are empty, that could be interesting for a disc management.
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Dbug
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by Dbug »

Since you have freebanks, you could probably have both the Oric 1 and Oric Atmos versions of the ROM and allow the user to boot in Oric 1 or Oric Atmos mode, and have the games flagged as compatible with specific versions of the ROM, would make Atmos users allow to play Oric 1 games, and Oric 1 (or Telestrat?) users to play Atmos only games :)
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by Symoon »

Indeed, plenty of room for further ideas !
I want one ;)
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Chema
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Re: ORIC SDCARD

Post by Chema »

I was thinking on a patched ROM that trapped the CLOAD command and could read a tap file on a sedoric disk. The user could boot the Oric (with disk drive) using that ROM data copied in overlay ram such as it is done now with the usual ROM files (boot with Atmos or 1 Rom's in overlay ram from sedoric disk).

That would make a real Oric with a disk drive behave as an emulator when loading tap based games. I wonder what would happen with custom loading routines, though.

Seems doable?
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