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Old 7th Dec 2022, 12:24 am   #61
Phil__G
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Sirius, do your two binary parts of segtris agree with mine from post #43 above?
maybe use "fc mine yours" ? Maybe I made a whoopsie in the conversion.

Agree about the start address thing, can be confusing. Load & Execute it is
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 12:43 am   #62
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Quote:
Maybe I made a whoopsie in the conversion.
(Or maybe I did). You didn't identify which file was from which address block but your two files are almost exactly the same length as my two files... unfortunately not the same length. I took mine from the hex file in the package which Tim posted here:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...40&postcount=4

Mine: Segtris_0b00.bin 209 bytes, chk16=5605h. Your SEGTRIS2.BIN = 208 bytes
Mine: Segtris_0f14.bin 200 bytes, chk16=4E58h, Your SEGTRIS1.BIN = 199 bytes.

*The file sizes in bytes are those reported by the file browser when looking at the properties in Windows 10.

I haven't done a code compare yet because the file lengths do not match so any such comparison will fail.

Edit: Ok, now I have done a byte against byte comparison. The only difference between your and my equivalent files is that mine have one extra byte on the end, in both cases '3F'.

Edit #2: Just looked at the Hex file I stripped mine from and the last data byte in each of the two blocks of code is indeed 3F, roughly equivalent to 'RET' which you might reasonably expect to find on the end of a block of code.

Last edited by SiriusHardware; 7th Dec 2022 at 1:06 am.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 1:07 am   #63
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Yep, really sorry - I messed up, forgot to add one to cx before saving. This should be right, should compare ok with yours G but I need to check the other files.
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File Type: zip segtris_bin_two_parts.zip (618 Bytes, 19 views)
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 1:11 am   #64
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

I have to bale out for the night, but will look again tomorrow. Good luck.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 1:26 am   #65
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Horserace, lister, checked ok

Update: see post 79 for Minefield
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File Type: zip horserace_load0A80_exec0B3B.zip (318 Bytes, 22 views)
File Type: zip lister_bin_load0F14_exec0F79.zip (366 Bytes, 24 views)

Last edited by Phil__G; 7th Dec 2022 at 1:53 am.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 3:52 am   #66
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

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Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
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
yes i am familiar with this. horser works but minefield still wont work though.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 4:00 am   #67
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

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Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
Minefield horserace, lister, checked ok
minefield doesnt work here, either. but the other 2 do.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 9:55 am   #68
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Does SEGTRIS work? bearing in mind that it is a LED game, not a VDU game...
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 12:08 pm   #69
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

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Originally Posted by SiriusHardware View Post
Does SEGTRIS work? bearing in mind that it is a LED game, not a VDU game...
yeah, that works
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 12:20 pm   #70
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

So everything but minefield works?

Here's another LED demo, the 'Message' from the S of C manual.

As an aside, HxD seems to lack lack a handy feature - 'relaxed checksum on import' - many of the Intel hex files I've found have null checksums, probably because many hexreader implementations dont check it, for example the programmer software Xgpro doesnt - which means Xgpro can be used to regenerate 'good' checksums on hex files
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File Type: zip message_bin_load0F20_exec0F20.zip (249 Bytes, 19 views)

Last edited by Phil__G; 7th Dec 2022 at 12:34 pm.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 12:44 pm   #71
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

So far I have always had to manually checksum files after loading in Intel Hex files, by

Analysis - Checksums - Checksum16

which opens up another bar below the main hex screen showing the checksum you asked for. It doesn't dynamically update though, so, load in another file and the checksum figure remains the same until you go

Analysis - Checksums - Checksum16

...again.. Another thing about HxD which has me shaking my head.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 12:48 pm   #72
Phil__G
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

How are you getting HxD to import a hex file that has nulled checksums G?
Mine craps out on line one... for example:
:100F2000C40D35C40031C40F36C4CA32C4FFC8F000 <--hxd aborts on bad CS
:100F3000C40701C280C980C4FF027094F5B8E19C00
:080F4000EFC6FF94E790DF0000
:00000001FF
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 12:49 pm   #73
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
So everything but minefield works?

Here's another LED demo, the 'Message' from the S of C manual.

As an aside, HxD seems to lack lack a handy feature - 'relaxed checksum on import' - many of the Intel hex files I've found have null checksums, probably because many hexreader implementations dont check it, for example the programmer software Xgpro doesnt - which means Xgpro can be used to regenerate 'good' checksums on hex files
yeah
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 1:20 pm   #74
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Phil, I haven't (so far) encountered any IH files with empty or invalid checksums. Where are you finding those?
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 1:54 pm   #75
Phil__G
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Actually 'message' is the only one I can find now, I thought I had a few... maybe not

G are we certain we're working on a good, working copy if minefield?
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 1:58 pm   #76
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Quote:
Actually 'message' is the only one I can find now.
But where did you find that? Most of the Intel Hex files posted in various threads here will have been generated by SBASM3.

I have what certainly was a working copy of Tim's Minefield on a machine at home, I will take a look at it later.

Last edited by SiriusHardware; 7th Dec 2022 at 2:15 pm.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 2:38 pm   #77
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
>>
>>
As an aside, HxD seems to lack lack a handy feature - 'relaxed checksum on import' - many of the Intel hex files I've found have null checksums, probably because many hexreader implementations dont check it, for example the programmer software Xgpro doesnt - which means Xgpro can be used to regenerate 'good' checksums on hex files


Quote:
Originally Posted by SiriusHardware View Post
So far I have always had to manually checksum files after loading in Intel Hex files, by

Analysis - Checksums - Checksum16

which opens up another bar below the main hex screen showing the checksum you asked for. It doesn't dynamically update though, so, load in another file and the checksum figure remains the same until you go

Analysis - Checksums - Checksum16

...again.. Another thing about HxD which has me shaking my head.

I think Intel Hex Import may have only been added fairly-recently to HxD, so it may be worth putting in a feature request to the author of HxD, as it seems he's quite amenable to suggestions of any useful extra features
- And IIRC Chris Oddy had previously been in contact with him, from previous discussions on here where it seemed many hex-editors didn't handle certain Intel-hex files correctly (especially those with blank lines at the start).
Not sure how good the old DOS Command-line tools were / if source-code was provided, but probably difficult to select specific areas of memory to copy. Although there is now an 'SRecord' large open-source conversion utilities library to save having to do your own: https://srecord.sourceforge.net/


There are a few other - mostly freeware - Hex editors, alongside HxD mentioned here: https://www.ultraedit.com/company/bl...-software.html
Although I've not tried most of these.
I have in the past used PSedit (DOS), Hexworks32, Hexworkshop, WinHex, HHd etc., but these days mainly use HxD or Dataman's Programmer software (does still work fully for this, without a programmer, in 'Demo' mode) built-in open / save in various formats as well as splitting files into individual even/odd extra byte ones. I also recall having to split files by upper/lower nibble, for 4bit PROM's.

Last edited by ortek_service; 7th Dec 2022 at 2:55 pm.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 3:19 pm   #78
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Quote:
- And IIRC Chris Oddy had previously been in contact with him, from previous discussions on here where it seemed many hex-editors didn't handle certain Intel-hex files correctly (especially those with blank lines at the start).
Funnily emough I had an exchange of emails with the author a while back - maybe that's the conversation you remember - about something very closely related, the inability to load Intel Hex files which had anything preceding the ':' start of line symbol. They shouldn't (of course) have any leading spaces or other characters before that symbol but when files are now often drag-selected and cut and pasted from online forum posts it is not unusual for a bit of pollution to creep in.

The author fixed that particular problem in his mainstream (german language) version and sent it to me to try, and I confirmed it did fix that problem and I asked if he would incorporate it into the next release (across all languages).

My feeling about HxD is that it aspires to be a file / disc editor first and foremost and it is probably very good at that, but for loading and shifting code around, isolating one section and removing the rest then converting it from one file format to another, it's not as intuitive or usable as it could be yet.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 5:01 pm   #79
Phil__G
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

I think I might have found the problem, this is Tims original posting of minefield (?)
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...71#post1260471
Now the thing is, the hex and the asm in the posted zip file do not match
A quick & easy check is the asm ends with the title "Minefield" in ASCII, but there is no ASCII text in the hex file posted, so I'm guessing this isnt the hex file for the MK14 VDU.

So, re-assembled from Tims source in the post linked above, here is the 'new' binary file (with the ASCII title!)
(PILoader execute address in the hex file is 0FBD)

777 please try this one, I'm hoping this version of minefield runs, and this has just been a version mix-up.

Here is the newly assembled binary version of Minefield:
Attached Files
File Type: zip minefield_tim_binary_load0F1F_exec0FBD.zip (389 Bytes, 19 views)

Last edited by Phil__G; 7th Dec 2022 at 5:24 pm.
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Old 7th Dec 2022, 6:39 pm   #80
777xxxx
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Default Re: How do I convert hex files to binary for use in the MK14 mame VDU emulator?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil__G View Post
I think I might have found the problem, this is Tims original posting of minefield (?)
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...71#post1260471
Now the thing is, the hex and the asm in the posted zip file do not match
A quick & easy check is the asm ends with the title "Minefield" in ASCII, but there is no ASCII text in the hex file posted, so I'm guessing this isnt the hex file for the MK14 VDU.

So, re-assembled from Tims source in the post linked above, here is the 'new' binary file (with the ASCII title!)
(PILoader execute address in the hex file is 0FBD)

777 please try this one, I'm hoping this version of minefield runs, and this has just been a version mix-up.

Here is the newly assembled binary version of Minefield:
no im afraid it doesnt work it says length specified too large, failed to load. again.
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