How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

[Phil__G]

Llister, showchar

UPDATE: see post 65 for horserace, & 79 for Minefield

[777xxxx]

Originally Posted by Phil__G

Horserace, lister

awesome, thanks. im not sure any of them are working. although lister may work

showchar is working...

[Phil__G]

Think thats all except segtris, which is in 2 parts, can you load 2 things?
Part1 loads at F14
Part2 loads at B00

If you tell me one thats defo not working, I'll double check it

G I just use DOS debug thats all, no app as such

UPDATE: see post 63 for Segtris

[777xxxx]

Originally Posted by Phil__G

Think thats all except segtris, which is in 2 parts, can you load 2 things?
Part1 loads at F14
Part2 loads at B00

If you tell me one thats defo not working, I'll double check it

G I just use DOS debug thats all, no app

i loaded both parts but it doesnt work. horser and minefeild dont work also

and like i say im not sure about lister:

[Phil__G]

Just checking, are you running them from the correct start address? I dont know, I'm just going on what the hex file says...
they dont all start at the beginning - eg horser starts at 0B3B according to the hex file BUT at B4B according to DJD: https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Pra...2-01-S-OCR.pdf page 73
Lister starts at F79 according to the hex file

Sirius, is there a mistake in minefield.hex? the hex file says it starts at F00 but theres no code there

[777xxxx]

Originally Posted by Phil__G

Just checking, are you running them from the correct start address? I dont know, I'm just going on what the hex file says...
they dont all start at the beginning - eg horser starts at 0B3B according to the hex file
Lister starts at F79

Sirius, is there a mistake in minefield.hex? the hex file says it starts at F00 but theres no code there

tried b3b and b4b with horser which doesnt work and f79 with lister says length specified too large, load failed.

[Phil__G]

Sorry you need one of our resident MK14 experts, thats not me I'm afraid...

[Phil__G]

According to DJD, minefield starts at F21
https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Pra...cs-1980-06.pdf page 59
Gotta go, will check in later, model flying club meeting tonight, if I'm not there I'll end up on the committee... -

[777xxxx]

Originally Posted by Phil__G

According to DJD, minefield starts at F21
https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Pra...cs-1980-06.pdf page 59
Gotta go, will check in later, model flying club meeting tonight, if I'm not there I'll end up on the committee... -

tried that. still not working

[SiriusHardware]

The 'Minefield' program presented on page 69 (not 59) of the magazine indicated above and discussed on page 68 is for the MK14 and the PE VDU, not for the MK14 and SOC VDU.

Tim made the necessary alterations to make it work with the SOC VDU and may also have added bits in during the initial stages to drive the 8154 to control the various inputs on the VDU, so there may be quite some difference between the PE VDU original and Tim's version customised for the SOC VDU and his way of driving it. I would not apply anything you see in the magazine article to Tim's custom version.

[Phil__G]

Not sure about the start address for Tims minefield, according the 'execute' line in the hex file its F00 :

:02FFFE000F00F2


...but it doesnt load any code at that address... the first address it loads is F19 which is an XPPC (P3)

AHA! found Tim's source:
; Execute at 0F21 with a clear screen a minefield will be displayed.

[SiriusHardware]

I've just looked at the ASM, LST and HEX of Tim's version of Minefield that I have working here. Phil was right to spot that the execution address contained within the second last line of that Intel Hex file at FFFE/FFFF is incorrect (0F00) and it should instead be 0FBD, so (777xxxx) try loading Phil's binary of Minefield at address 0F1F but execute it from 0FBD instead.

At OFBD there is, as I predicted, some code to set up the 8154 ports to put the VDU into a specific configuration but that doesn't matter as the VDU settings are not influenced by the 8154 port pins in the MAME emulator.

This particular game needs the VDU pointed at 0F00 and 0B00 and in Character mode.

[SiriusHardware]

AHA! found Tim's source:
; Execute at 0F21 with a clear screen a minefield will be displayed.

And the bad news is: Those comments are from the original PE article source, describing the program as originally written.

At the end of Tim's source there is a short fragment defining the execution address for the uploader to use as the label ENTER which according to the .LST file is OFBD.

The 'LST file also confirms that the file start address / load address should be 0F1F, so that's where it should be loaded to in the MAME emulator.

[Phil__G]

This is embarrasing, I've forgotten how to run SBASM
I remember I had to prefix the SBASM command it with the python interpreter name which I cant remember... All those nights spent on KB+ and its gone

Edit: I remember now, I changed my PC, I never installed SBASM on the new one, just copied it across, I'll have to study Sans page again as I dont think I have the python interpreter installed on the new one ?

[SiriusHardware]

Usually it's 'python..' or 'python3...' depending on which version of Python you have installed / intend to run it under/ need to run it under. If you run it from a command line window then the 'shebang' line in the first line of the Python script should be enough to make sure that the required python interpreter is called upon to run it, as long as the required Python interpreter is already installed and in the command search path.

On Linux machines I just use

SBASM sourcefilename.asm

[SiriusHardware]

On Windows machines installing 'IDLE Python' will install the Python interpreter as a side effect of the installation of IDLE.

[SiriusHardware]

I persevered a bit more with Hxd.

Taking SEGTRIS.HEX as an example.

Go to File - Import - Intel Hex - Navigate to the SEGTRIS.HEX Intel Hex file and load it.
After loading it into HxD it will be seen that there are two main areas of code, one spanning 0B00-0BD0, and the other spanning 0F14-0FDB.
These two chunks need to be saved as two separate binary files.

Go to Edit - Select Block
In Start-Offset box enter 0B00
In End-Offset box enter 0BD0
Click OK, the box closes and the selected code block is highlighted in blue.

Go to File - Save Selection
Use the file save dialogue box to enter a meaningful name , ie, 'Segtris_0B00.bin' and click 'SAVE' to save the file and close the box.

Go to Edit - Select Block
In Start-Offset box enter 0F14
In End-Offset box enter 0FDB
Click OK, the box closes and the selected code block is highlighted in blue.

Go to File - Save Selection
Use the file save dialogue box to enter a meaningful name , ie, 'Segtris_0F14.bin' and click 'SAVE' to save the file and close the box.

You should now have the two binary files ready to load separately into the MAME emulator at the addresses contained in the filenames. You still need to then RUN the program from the right address and whether it works will depend on whether the original HEX file is good.

[SiriusHardware]

I've just looked through Tim's SBASM source for SEGTRIS and at the end is

;Support SH PI-Progammer Auto Start

	.OR 0xFFFE
	.DB 0x0B
	.DB 0x00

This is an instruction to the keypad injection uploaders which support this feature - 'After loading, run the program from 0B00'. Therefore, after loading the two BIN files, you should probably run from 0B00 as well.

[Phil__G]

Well that was embarrassing, nothing is ever straightforward eh, SBASM is all sorted now but if anyone else gets this after installing Python for Windows:
"Python was not found; run without arguments to install from the Microsoft Store, or disable this shortcut from Settings"
Go to -> "start" and type "Manage App Execution Aliases". Go to it and turn off "Python"

Complete cure, my SBASM is working fine again

777xxxx just to be clear, you're ok with the "load address" and "execution address" concepts? Sorry I'm sure you know this and its a granny/eggs situation, but clutching at straws as to why these things arent running...
Horser for example loads at 0A80 but runs from 0B3B
Minefield loads at address 0F1F but runs from 0FBD

[SiriusHardware]

On reflection it may be better to refer to them consistently as 'load address' and 'execution address', as that makes what they each refer to a little bit clearer. 'Start address' could be 'the address the program starts loading at' or 'the address at which to start the program running'.