CX16 update program - VERA, SMC and ROMs supported - R3.0.0

Release Description

This program updates the VERA, SMC and ROMs on your Commander X16.

The CX16 update program has been well tested. Remaining work is now the end-user documentation and recovery procedures if the update goes wrong (highly unlikely). And to fine tune some of the status logic.

Attached you will also find the artefacts of .BIN file versions for the ROM releases the R43, R44 and R45, accompanied with the correct (and modified/draft) SMC and VERA .BIN versions. These files have "header" information that allows the update program to validate the versions better. Please ensure you use these .BIN files. I will keep them updated as new official releases follow.

Warning

Ensure that you have a standard CX16 board before flashing, meaning a CX16 board obtained from David and Kevin. There are CX16 boards that are from other community members during the initial phases of the CX16 project, and updating those boards with this update program poses a risk of bricking your device!

Important

The program will check compatibility to ensure you to include the VERA.BIN, SMC.BIN compatible with your CX16 VERA, SMC and ROM! If there are compatibility issues, the program will inform you.

For more information on the flash process, please refer to to the CX16 update program documentation for further details.

Good luck!
Sven

What's Changed

• Added VERA.
• Added a mechanism to execute the first section of the program beyond $7800 low memory, which is then overwritten when 512KB for ROMs needs to be loaded in low RAM from $7800 and in high RAM between bank 1 and 63.
• Added a lot of documentation.

Demonstration

WIN_20231021_20_51_30_Pro.mp4

CX16 update utility - SMC and ROMs supported - r2.2.1-beta

Release Description

New release of the CX16 update utility. This utility updates the SMC and ROMs. VERA is still pending.
Added is the CX16-UPDATE.PRG utility and SMC.BIN files, needed to update to SMC version 45.1.0.

The CX16 update utility has been well tested. Remaining work is now the end-user documentation and recovery procedures if the update goes wrong (highly unlikely). And to fine tune some of the status logic.

IMPORTANT! The utility will enforce you to include the SMC.BIN with your ROM.BIN file for the SMC and the main CX16 ROM! Even when the SMC has the same firmware as the SMC.BIN. The reason is to ensure that the provided SMC.BIN and ROM.BIN files are always compatible!

Concretely this means:

• SMC-R43.0.0.BIN and SMC-R45.1.0.BIN files as part of this release have been added.
  • SMC-R43.0.0.BIN is compatible with ROM R43, ROM R44 and ROM R45.
  • SMC-R45.1.0.BIN is only compatible with ROM R45.
• The provided SMC.BIN is the same as SMC R45.1.0.BIN.

Those who have ROM expansion cartridges can add ROMn.BIN files with the ROMs indexed by n.
The index n must be 1 >= n <= 7 and must match a ROM in a socket on the expansion cartridge.

To flash ROMs, always ensure the J1 jumper pins are closed, and also ensure the J5 jumper pins are closed! If the J5 jumper pins are not closed, the keyboard won't work.

For more information on the flash process, please refer to to the CX16 update program documentation, which is currently work in progress.

Good luck!
Sven

What's Changed

• Add version number 2.2.1 in the title.
• Many changes for the upcoming VERA support. The VERA update is functional in the code, but this release contains a conditional compile only including the code of SMC and ROM components.
• Added a lot of documentation.
• Ensure that the intro screen is displayed first, without any detection done yet!
• Fixed the debriefing page where "DON'T DO ANYTHING" in RED overlapped in a specific debriefing screen!
• Removed obsolete files to avoid confusion.

Demonstration

CX16.update.demo.mp4

CX16 update utility - SMC and ROMs supported - r2.2.0-alpha

Release Description

New release of the CX16 update utility. This utility updates the SMC and ROMs. VERA is still pending.
Added is the CX16-UPDATE.PRG utility and the SMC.BIN file, needed to update to SMC version 45.1.0.

The CX16 update utility has been well tested. Remaining work is now the end-user documentation and recovery procedures if the update goes wrong (highly unlikely). And to fine tune some of the status logic.

IMPORTANT! The utility will enforce you to include the SMC.BIN with your ROM.BIN file for tthe SMC and the main CX16 ROM! Even when the SMC has the same firmware as the SMC.BIN. The reason is to ensure that the provided SMC.BIN and ROM.BIN files are always compatible!
Concretely this means:

• SMC-R43.0.0.BIN and SMC-R45.1.0.BIN files as part of this release have been added.
  • SMC-R43.0.0.BIN is compatible with ROM R43, R44 and P45 (preview R45)
  • SMC-R45.1.0.BIN is only compatible with ROM P45 (preview R45).
• The provided SMC.BIN is the same as SMC R43.0.0.BIN.

NOTE! If you want to flash SMC R45 for your ROM P45 (preview release R45), then
replace the SMC.BIN with the SMC-R45.1.0.BIN (rename to SMC.BIN).

Those who have ROM expansion cardridges can add ROMn.BIN files with the ROMs indexed by n.
The index n must be 1 >= n <= 7 and must match a ROM in a socket on the expansion cardridge.

To flash ROMs, always ensure the J1 jumper pins are closed, and also ensure the J5 jumper pins are closed! If the J5 jumper pins are not closed, the keyboard won't work.

Put all the files on your SDcard, and update your CX16!

Good luck!

What's Changed

• Add version number in the title.
• Ensure that the intro screen is displayed first, without any detection done yet!
• Suggested changes to instructions/readme text by @mooinglemur in #12
• Reset bootloader 1 directly after flash success (green border). This to prevent an unbootable CX16 if power is disconnected too early.
• Display "DON'T DO ANYTHING" in RED text at update success debriefing!
• Shorten the wait duration at update success debriefing, so users don't get too creative ....
• Set the screen mode correctly, to ensure the program runs from any previous screen mode in a correct way. Running the utility from a 40 columns mode screen or a graphics 80 columns mode screen should always result in a 64 columns mode screen in the utility.
• Deactivate and eliminate scrolling code in conio to minimize conio code overhead.
• Add the new test cases for the added functions.
• SMC 43.0.0 should match any ROM R43 or later and SMC 45.1.0 should be tied to R45 or later.
• Also added 45 pre-release for compatibility.
• Optimized compile of .PRG.
• Removed obscolete files to avoid confusion.

Commits in this release;

• 7e22dc0
• ddad2be
• @mooinglemur in #12

New Contributors

• @mooinglemur made their first contribution in #12

CX16 update utility - SMC and ROMs supported - patch

New release of the CX16 update utility. This utility updates the SMC and ROMs. VERA is still pending.

Added is the CX16-UPDATE.PRG utility and the SMC.BIN file, needed to update to SMC version 45.1.0.

Patched fixes in this commits:
cbf3b8b
a8cccc0

The CX16 update utility has been well tested. Remaining work is now the end-user documentation and recovery procedures if the update goes wrong (highly unlikely). And to fine tune some of the status logic.

IMPORTANT! The utility will enforce you to include the SMC.BIN with your ROMn.BIN files! Even when the SMC has the same firmware as the SMC.BIN. The reason is to ensure that SMC.BIN and ROM.BIN are always compatible!

Those with ISA expansion cards can add ROMn.BIN files and those ROMs indexed by n will also be updated. The index n must be 1 >= n <= 7 and must match a ROM in a socket on the ISA card. To flash ROMs, always ensure the J1 jumper pins are closed, and also ensure the J5 jumper pins are closed! If the J5 jumper pins are not closed, the keyboard won't work.

Put all the files on your SDcard, and flash your CX16!

Good luck!

CX16 update utility - SMC and ROMs supported

New release of the CX16 update utility. This utility updates the SMC and ROMs. VERA is still pending.

Added is the CX16-UPDATE.PRG utility and the SMC.BIN file, needed to update to SMC version 45.1.0.

The updateutility has been well tested. Remaining work is now the end-user documentation and recovery procedures if the update goes wrong (highly unlikely). And to fine tune some of the status logic.

IMPORTANT! The utility will enforce you to include the SMC.BIN with your ROMn.BIN files! Even when the SMC has the same firmware as the SMC.BIN. The reason is to ensure that SMC.BIN and ROM.BIN are always compatible!

Those with ISA expansion cards can add ROMn.BIN files and those ROMs indexed by n will also be updated. The index n must be 1 >= n <= 7 and must match a ROM in a socket on the ISA card. To flash ROMs, always ensure the J1 jumper pins are closed, and also ensure the J5 jumper pins are closed! If the J5 jumper pins are not closed, the keyboard won't work.

Put all the files on your SDcard to flash your CX16.

Good luck!

r0.3-alpha

Functional:

• Fixed issue of blinking red led when there is no file for flashing.

Pending:

• Most of the bugs have been fixed now, with some remaining enhancements or improvement ideas to be added/evaluated.

Meant for those testing the flasher on the commander X16.

Please consult the User Manual for details.

r0.2-alpha

Improvements:

• Faster flashing
• Roms are now displayed with the capacity of the device (128K, 256K, 512K).
• If the corresponding bin file size is larger than the rom capacity, then the remainder of the file is skipped.
• The title now shows nicely the ram bank, address and rom relative address, bank, absolute address while flashing.

For the rest the functionality is the same as r0.1-alpha.
This release is meant for flashing roms on the dev boards or other developments.

r0.1-alpha

Functional:

• Nice UI.
• rom chip manufacturer and device id detection.
• Reads the rom.bin files from the sdcard. (rom[n].bin, add a number [n] to flash the isa board roms).
• Before flashing, verify rom[n].bin with actual rom contents and show the differences.
• Flashes on-board 512K rom.
• Flashes off-board 128K (010A), 256K (020), 512K (040) roms.
• Keyboard presses to guide the user through the process.
• Automatic reset of CX16 after flashing.

Major missing functions (to be added, corrected):

• Proper indication of chip size depending on chip devide id.
• Limit checking of rom.bin file sizes comparing with chip type and rom capacity.
• Speed up the flashing ...
• Checksums ...
• Drive led is still blinking in case of missing files ...
• Overall documentation ...

Meant for those testing the flasher on the commander X16.