Firmware Selector - NEWS

[RWAP]

We are currently testing the firmware selector, which is nearing release.

Apart from testing it, we need to just find a way of installing the firmware selector from compact flash card (to save people having to return their EPROMs!)

The firmware selector will cost an additional £5 (presuming we can email it to customers!) and will offer the following:

- If you hold down the SPACE key during boot up of the Spectrum (or reset) the firmware selector will appear. If not, then it will start the Spectrum with the last selected DivIDE Plus firmware. Once the firmware selector is on screen, you can move a bar to select the firmware, OR boot into ZX Basic (no firmware installed), OR run a test function to try to identify problems with difficult Compact Flash cards. You can also press the M key to select whether the DivIDE Plus should be started in 128K or 48K Mode.

This gets away from the need to use POKEs or OUT instructions to switch between firmware.

If the ZX Basic Mode is selected, then pressing the NMI button will re-present the Firmware selector screen.

We apologise for the additional cost, but believe that the software author should actually receive something for his trouble - it would also help inspire him to keep supporting the firmware selector and add more features as they become available.

Comments / ideas appreciated.

[RWAP]

A screenshot of the firmware selector in action

At the moment it will not do anything, as ZX Spin is limited to 8K ROMs for DivIDE emulation. You can move the selector bar up and down and select a firmware. ZX BASIC takes you into BASIC mode without the DivIDE ROM - press NMI to get it back.

We have also changed the controls, so that to get the selector screen on start up you press "1" (this allow you to force FATware to re-detect hard drives by pressing SPACE if FATware has previously been selected as the default firmware). "T" will give you a test mode for compact flash cards (more details awaited).

We should soon have a way of installing this from a compact flash card, and will be offering it as an option to DivIDE Plus users for £5 .

Comments and thoughts appreciated.

[stevethedoc]

The selector looks good, any news on when its due out yet?

I see there is a new version of Residos out which updates from CF card, can I update this on my standard DivIDE interface without destroying the other "factory" set firmwares?

Thanks for the tips.

Steve

[RWAP]

No news on the firmware selector yet - we have gone through a couple more test versions and hope to release it soon - I will email all DivIDE Plus owners with news as soon as it is ready.

As for ResiDOS - yes, you can safely download the TAP file from http://www.worldofspectrum.org/residos/downloads.html - make sure it is the one for DivIDE Plus. Copy the file to your CF card and LOAD it from within FATware to install it.

As ResiDOS is installed on battery backed RAM, it will not affect the other firmware.

[RWAP]

The Firmware Selector is now available for purchase - cost is £5 and we have written a short manual to cover its usage.

Order it from our website: http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum/ ... orage.html

Any suggestions for improvements are always welcome.

[stevethedoc]

Just installed the firmware selector, couple of questions?

I'm running on a heatsink 128.

1. The +divide firmware seems to do nothing just gets a red border around
the selector screen and then needs reset.

2. Games like Alien 8 used to need an OUT 253,48 command to force 48 mode
to work (just crashed after title screen otherwise) I thought the M key selector of 48 or 128
would do this, but seems to make no difference. If set in 48 on the menu
they still crash.

Otherwise works great

Thanks for any advice.

[BloodBaz]

Cheers for the Firmware Selector, Rich.
Works great.

[RWAP]

Just installed the firmware selector, couple of questions?

I'm running on a heatsink 128.

1. The +divide firmware seems to do nothing just gets a red border around
the selector screen and then needs reset.

2. Games like Alien 8 used to need an OUT 253,48 command to force 48 mode
to work (just crashed after title screen otherwise) I thought the M key selector of 48 or 128
would do this, but seems to make no difference. If set in 48 on the menu
they still crash.

Otherwise works great

Thanks for any advice.

This is interesting - one of these days I will have my own DivIDE Plus and be able to test this out!
Can anyone else please confirm this?

[BloodBaz]

This is interesting - one of these days I will have my own DivIDE Plus and be able to test this out!
Can anyone else please confirm this?

Only got a bunch of 48K machines - I can test item 1 out on those (+divide firmware)

[RWAP]

OK we can now confirm that the firmware selector will not enter +DivIDE firmware correctly - the author is currently working on this.

However, if you do get the red border when selecting +DivIDE, reset the Spectrum (or switch it off and back on again - now... where have I heard that before...) and the +DivIDE firmware will work correctly.