VCD / simple CD simulator related

Please tell me a little more about the operating model of VCD.

Q)

Please tell me about the operating model of VCD.

A)

IBM-PC / AT compatibles are undergoing drastic model changes, and depending on the manufacturer, even if they have the same model name, the motherboard itself will change in the early and late stages of production.
Virtually "another model"
In some cases,

We do not know all the models in circulation in the world, and such a thing is impossible at all.
If we can get the model, we can test it to see if it works, but unfortunately we cannot meet all the requests.

For that purpose, we perform operation tests and specify models that can operate stably as recommended models.
If you want to purchase a PC for hosting VCD in the future, please purchase a machine for VCD from Ado Denshi Kogyo.

Please tell me the procedure of VCD operation in CartDev + DevSaturn environment.

Q)

I have a question about virtual CDs.
Currently, it is under development with CartDev + DevSaturn, but the manual at hand is only compatible with Programming Box.
I tried it with the sample program, but it starts, but I can't confirm whether it is normal or not.
We apologize for the inconvenience, but could you please tell me the following method?

1. How to create a virtual CD file
2. starting method
3. How to check
4. How to debug when using

A)

The following items assume that the VCD tool is already installed.

1) How to create a virtual CD (VCD) file

The VCD has two modes of operation. One is direct DOS file access mode and the other is real-time emulation mode.
Create a disk image to finally create a self-booting disk.
For details on how to create

• " Virtual CD User's Manual Chapter 2 Detailed Operating Procedures "
• " DISC format standard specifications "

Please refer to the. The latter contains a sample script file.
What you should pay particular attention to when writing a script is
The 1st read file is the first file that appears in the directory entry.
(When building a disk, the files are arranged in order from the youngest character code in the ascii code)

2) How to start

CartDev is protected like the actual Saturn, and cannot be self-started directly with write-once discs or VCDs.
To avoid this, we have prepared something called SYSTEM DISC.
To release it, set SYSTEM DISC before turning on the power to CartDev.
Set the VCD ← → CD switching switch on the CD side.
When the power is turned on, it starts up and the SEGA logo is displayed on the screen.
If "COMPLETE" is displayed in the upper left of the screen after a while, the protection is canceled.
Once released, the released state is valid until the SMPC reset is performed or the power is turned off.
However, if you are using it on IRIX, for the convenience of the cartdev-server program, first kill the cartdev-server process, then reset CartDev, turn on DevSaturn again, and then remove the protection.
If you can release it, when using VCD, set the VCD ← → CD switching switch to the VCD side, press the reset button and restart, and it will be read from the disc image prepared on the VCD side. ..
Please contact our sales staff for information on how to obtain SYSTEM DISC.

3) How to check

The sample starting with JVC attached to the VCD tool does not include a self-launching IP (Inithalize Program).
The focus is on ensuring that the VCD host can successfully emulate data transfers.
When you actually create a disc image, you can create a CD-DA with tracks 2 to 5.
If JVC.DSK is specified when VCDEMU.EXE is started, CartDev side is started, and 1KHz oscillation sound with different audio level is played by CD-DA playback operation from the multiplayer screen, the VCD emulator will operate. doing. Fast forward playback Track jump / skip, A / B repeat playback, etc. to check if it works properly.
Files created by each user assuming self-start do not work properly In most cases, IP.BIN is not created properly or there is a problem in writing the script.

4) Debugging method when using

If you are creating write-once CDs one by one, you need to write each time you change a small file, but in the case of VCD, you can update a part by using VCDUTL.EXE even in real-time emulation mode. ..
In VCDEMU.EXE, the commands executed for the CD drive are displayed on the screen one by one, and the log can be taken.
This makes it possible to check which file is currently being read, and to check the contents of the disk image file that is currently being specified and emulated.
You can also emulate the opening and closing of the CD tray, so you can check if you can make sure to jump to the multiplayer by checking the tray open.

I get an error when I run VCDBULID.

Q)

When I try to use VCDBUILD to create the files needed to run a VCD, I get the following message and go back to the command line.

> PreProcess for VCDEMU Ver 3.10 Released at 30-Nov-1994
> Copyright (c) 1994 Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC)
> All right reserved.
>
> script file = bell.scr
> rti file = bell.rti
> Parsing Scripts
> DOS / 4G error (2001): exception 0Eh (page fault) at 180:00472E25
> TSF32: prev_tsf32 699C
> SS 188 DS 188 ES 188 FS 0 GS 20
> EAX 0 EBX 452E3334 ECX FFFFFFFF EDX 452E3335
> ESI 490188 EDI 49EF20 EBP 49EF0C ESP 49EEE8
> CS: IP 180:00472E25 ID 0E COD 0 FLG 10206
> CS = 180, USE32, page granular, limit FFFFFFFF, base 0, acc CF9B
> SS = 188, USE32, page granular, limit FFFFFFFF, base 0, acc CF93
> DS = 188, USE32, page granular, limit FFFFFFFF, base 0, acc CF93
> ES = 188, USE32, page granular, limit FFFFFFFF, base 0, acc CF93
> FS = 0, USE16, byte granular, limit 0, base 16, acc 0
> GS = 20, USE16, byte granular, limit FFFF, base ED70, acc 93
> CR0: PG: 1 ET: 1 TS: 0 EM: 0 MP: 1 PE: 1 CR2: 452E3334 CR3: 12000
> Crash address (unrelocated) = 1: 00019E25

Currently, the free memory of this machine (Gateway 2000 DX4-66) is 590KB for conventional and 10MB for XMS.
Running VCDBUILD on another machine with the same script file will generate the required information without any problems. Am I running out of required memory? Or is the DOS version out of date?
Could you give me some information on how much memory is needed for VCDBUILD to work perfectly fine?

A)

This error is a DOS extender error.
The cause seems to be caused by the environment of CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.
As a countermeasure,

Try setting the environment variables DOS4G and DOS16M in the same way as the Hitachi compiler.

<Example>
Make the following settings in AUTOEXEC.BAT.

SET DOS 16M = 0 @ 2M: 6M
SET DOS 4G = quite

About the operating environment of the simple emulator.

Q)

Is the recommended environment for the VCD system the same as the recommended environment for the simple CD emulator?

A)

Since the recommended environment for VCD uses an I / F card dedicated to ISA bus VCD, it occurs in the part that depends on the operating characteristics between PC models.
Simple SCSI / CD Simulator There are no strict restrictions.
There is no problem if a normal SCSI card works.

Is it possible to play Cinapak or CD-DA with a simple CD simulator?

Q)

The file load sample program, which was confirmed to work using SIMM, did not return from GFS_Init when the operation was confirmed using the simple CD simulator.

1. I used a graphics box, but does it work without a programming box?

2. Please tell me in detail how to use the simple CD simulator.

A)

1. Think of it as basically not working. The chips used in the graphics box are often older than those used in the programming box, so there is no problem with using them exclusively for graphics, but there are problems with using them as a programming box. In addition, CartDev + DevSaturn cannot use the simple CD function by SCSI.

2. how to use

   1. Turn DIP switches 2-4 ON (lower side).

   2. Connect your PC and Programming Box with a SCSI cable.

   3. Start Programming Box.

   4. Reset the Programming Box immediately after turning on the power of the PC.

   5. Confirm that Programming Box is recognized as a SCSI device on the startup screen of the PC.

   6. After the Programming Box screen becomes multiplayer, stop it with Ctrl-C from ICE
      (Do not do'G 400'at this time. Doing'G 400' resets the SCSI device)

   7. Load the program from ICE.

   8. Execute CDSIM.EXE on your PC.

   9. Run the program in ICE.
      Also, when executing CDSIM.EXE on the PC side, it is necessary to create a "corresponding file between the CD file name and the DOS file name".

      (example)
      The file "PCM1.DAT" on the CD is made to correspond with the file "\ PCMDATA \ FOO.PCM" on DOS, and the file "PCM2.DAT" on the CD is made to correspond to the file "\ PCMDATA \ BAR." On DOS. When supporting with a file called "PCM"

      Contents of "CD_DOS.TXT"

      PCM1.DAT FOO.PCM [RET]
      PCM2.DAT BAR.PCM [RET]
      [EOF]
      CDSIM -fCD_DOS.TXT [RET]
      

      Please note that the Simple CD Simulator is for use only with simple file access.
      (Cannot be used for file interleaving or as a replacement for MODE2 tracks.)

How to use the simple CD simulator?

Q)

Is it possible to play Cinepak data and CDDA data with a simple CD simulator?

A)

Unfortunately, complex emulation such as CDDA playback and MODE2 tracks is not possible with a simple CD simulator (both SIMM and SCSI).
For simple movie playback, it is possible.

I want to use a simple SCSI system with SGL.

Q)

Please tell me how to use the SIMM system of the simple CD simulator.

A)

The SIMM system can be used in both Programming Box and CartDev + DevSaturn environments.

For Programming Box:

Up to 4 8MB SIMMs can be mounted. The mounting address can be selected with a DIP switch.

SW2 SIMMCART	Implementation address
OFF OFF	: 24000000H ~ 24FFFFFFH (16M bytes continuous)
ON	: 22000000H ~ 23FFFFFFH (32M bytes continuous)

For CartDev:

Up to 2 8MB SIMMs can be mounted on the SIMM buffer cartridge (optional) (fixed address)
The mounting address is 24000000H to 24FFFFFFH (16 Mbytes continuous)

To access the SIMM file from the GFS library, you need to set the storage address of the memory file in the global variable'GFMC_base'.
'GFMC_base' is defined in the library. In the user program

extern Sint8 * GFMC_base;

You can use it by declaring.
The storage location of the memory file does not necessarily have to be on the SIMM memory.
If there is room in the work RAM, it can be loaded and used there.
A tool called MFCAT.EXE is used to create the memory file.
MFCAT.EXE is located in SATURN \ SEGABIN \ BIN or SATURN \ SEGABIN \ BINCD.

For details on how to use this tool, refer to the section "Simple CD Simulator User's Manual / 3. Command Description" in PROGRAMMER'S GUIDE VOL.1.

What are the conditions for using a simple SCSI system?

Q)

I'm trying to access a SCSI hard disk with a GFS library using a simple CD simulator / SCSI system in SGL, but control doesn't return to the caller after executing the GFS_Init function.
At this time, the PC on the SCSI system side is in the CDROM emulated state (is it normal?).
The same program (the value of GFSC_base is different) is operating normally on the VCD system and SIMM system.
I'd like to know why the GFS_Init function doesn't come back.
Is there a required setting only for SCSI systems?

A)

Simple SCSI systems cannot be used with CartDev + DevSaturn.
This is possible with a simple SIMM system. (Use optional buffer cartridge)
Both are available in CartDev + Programming Box.

About the operation of virtual CD (I want you to check)

Q)

What should I look for when I have trouble with my virtual CD usage?

A)

1. Have you confirmed the operation with the sample program using the virtual CD?

2. Does the virtual CD hang immediately after turning on the PC?
   How many hours later?

3. Regarding the physical recording status of the hard disk for virtual CDs, is there regular refresh work?
   (If there are many discontinuous areas, access timing will be impaired.)
   In addition, it is possible that there is a malfunction due to a poor connection of the cable, etc., so try reconnecting the connector, etc.

I installed the virtual CD on my PC and started VCDEMU.EXE, but it does not start properly.

Q)

I installed the virtual CD on my PC and started VCDEMU.EXE, but it doesn't start properly.

A)

Are the IRQ, DMA channels, and I / O addresses on the board set correctly?

Be careful of collisions with other devices, especially DMA channels. The default for Adaptec SCSI cards is 5 channels, which conflicts with the factory settings of the VCD interface board.
Also, setting the IRQ level of the VCD interface lower than that of the SCSI interface may cause a hang.
If it is not recognized at all, please check the I / O address setting again.