[Coco] CoCo Flash

[Barry Nelson]

My comments will be at the end of the quote.

> From: Ed Orbea
> Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2017 5:39 PM
> To: CoCo Mailing List
> Reply To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts
> Subject: [Coco] CoCo Flash
> 
> 
> I’m have encountered an obstacle on my CoCoFlash.
> 
> I have been able to successfully load all the less that 32k ROM images.
> 
> Now when I start working on the 32 (and larger images) things ‘just
> don’t work’
> 
> Using Arkanoid as an example.
> 1) I download the 32k version from the Color Compuer File Archive
> 2) I remade the file so that the name is no longer that 8 characters
> (Arkanoid.ccc)
> 3) I use the WInimage tool to copy the file onto a DSK file (35 try, ss)
> 4) I copy the DSK file to my SDC card
> 5) I have the CoCoSDC in slot 4, the CoCoFlash in slot 1, and the MPI
> selector switch in set to slot 4
> 6) power on the devices (CoCo, MPI, monitor) in the correct order
> 7) Set Drive 0 to point to the PRGFLASH.DSK (DRIVE 0,”PRGFLASH.DSK)
> 8) Set Drive 1 to point to the DSK with Arkanoid.ccc on it (Drive 1,
> “10A.DSK)
> 9) Run SPLIT.BAS from the PRGFLASK disk
> 10) This results in Arkanoid.000 and Arkanoid.001
> 11) Rename Arkanoid.000 to Arka01.000
> 12) Rename Arkanoid.001 to Arka02.001
> 13) Run CONV2BIN.BAS on Arka01.000 resulting in a bin file names Arka01.bin
> 14) Run CONV2BIN.BAS on Arka02.001 resulting in a bin file names Arka02.bin
> 15) Run PRGFLASH.BAS to flask Ark02.bin and the do the same for Ark01.bin
> 16) Load MENU.BAS
> 17) Create the new program line; 10011 DATA “ARKANOID”, 189,34
> 18) 189 is the starting block identified by PRGFLASH.BAS for file Ark02.bin
> 19) Save MENU.BAS
> 20) Type in RUN 60000
> 21) Run PRGFLASH.BAS using BASROM.bin and flashing it into blocks 0 and
> 1 (the bin file is 5k long, but I tell PRGFLASH to treat it as an 8k file)
> 22) Power off all equipment
> 23) Set the MPI selector to slot 1
> 24) Power one all equipment
> 25) Use the CoCo Flash menu to select ARKANOID
> 
> Then the system just displays a green screen with occasional raster
> lines. Only a cold boot will restore the system.
> 
> The system is a CoCo3, 512k memory, modified MPI.
> 
> Any thoughts from the group?

Step 6, the correct order should be MPI, CoCo, Monitor. The logic in the CoCoFlash is 5V tolerant but must have power applied to accept 5V input, so the MPI should be powered on first, then the CoCo.
Steps 17 and 18, here is the reason it is not working and it is easy to fix because all you should have to do is update your menu. The loading procedure for 32k ROMs is, well, strange. First, I should give you a heads up, the ccc file format for 32k ROMs is also strange. For reasons not clear to me, the 16k banks in a ccc are reversed! So Arka01 is really bank 2, and Arka02 is really bank 1. This is why you program Arka02 first, which I see that you did, then Arka01. But… When the CoCo maps a 32k ROM pack, it maps bank 2 at $C000, and ignores the lower 16k. The program code in bank 2 then toggles a bit to map the lower 16k in at $8000. So for the menu start bank, you should have 193, the start of the second 16k, not 189. Also, all game ROM packs from 2k all the way up to 32k use type 2, type 34 is only for 64k, 128k, or 256k ROMs.

So in conclusion just edit your menu...
Change your data statement from
10011 DATA “ARKANOID”, 189,34
to
10011 DATA “ARKANOID”, 193,2
and it should work.