I took a little look of A1GT internal software mapper (at slot 3-3) and got quite a puzzled. Can anyone explain me a bit?

Is this mapper linked also with other 3-x slots somehow?

Is there description of ROM pages (0-511 if I understand correctly)?

What are the differences of A1GT mapper and A1ST mapper?

There seems to be also RAM in the mapper. Is this the 32K SRAM or something else? If No, then how can I access SRAM? and is this RAM also mapped to some other location?

How TRLOAD works? Is there possible to use Memory mapper pages trough this "panasonic mapper"?

Back to SRAM...
Is there any program to enable "SRAMdisk by JSoption ROMpatch ROM" without starting MSX View?

When I have messed up my SRAM totally, how I can format SRAM disk and restore MSX-View default values?

First things first... hard questions?

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Is this mapper linked also with other 3-x slots somehow?

Yes and no. Yes, all system ROMs are stored in 1 big ROM. No, there are more mappers in the turboR. For example, the 64K of the MSX-DOS 2.3x kernel is mapped in pages of 16K. The other ROMs are hard paged to the different slots.

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Is there description of ROM pages (0-511 if I understand correctly)?

Yes, there is. I initially set it up and Atarulum (still Ukyo back then) filled in the missing things.

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What are the differences of A1GT mapper and A1ST mapper?

None, apart from the ROM contents.

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There seems to be also RAM in the mapper. Is this the 32K SRAM or something else? If No, then how can I access SRAM? and is this RAM also mapped to some other location?

RAM is located from page 384 ($180) with 8 KB in size. SRAM is stored in up to 4 pages from page 128 ($080). The RAM is identical to the RAM switchable as Memory mapper.

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How TRLOAD works? Is there possible to use Memory mapper pages trough this "panasonic mapper"?

Read previous part.

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Back to SRAM... Is there any program to enable "SRAMdisk by JSoption ROMpatch ROM" without starting MSX View?

Yes there is, you can put an AUTOEXEC.BAT on the SRAMdisk. The ROMdisk will execute it when it exists, to take over control or do some additional things.

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When I have messed up my SRAM totally, how I can format SRAM disk and restore MSX-View default values?

Leave MSX View and clean up the SRAMdisk... Should work fine.

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First things first... hard questions? Quote: Is this mapper linked also with other 3-x slots somehow? Yes and no. Yes, all system ROMs are stored in 1 big ROM. No, there are more mappers in the turboR. For example, the 64K of the MSX-DOS 2.3x kernel is mapped in pages of 16K. The other ROMs are hard paged to the different slots.

I was just wondering because for example page #3A is same as #4000 in slot 3-1., Is there link other way around?

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Quote: Is there description of ROM pages (0-511 if I understand correctly)? Yes, there is. I initially set it up and Atarulum (still Ukyo back then) filled in the missing things.

So... Where can I found this??????

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Quote: What are the differences of A1GT mapper and A1ST mapper? None, apart from the ROM contents.

At least SRAM must be different as A1ST has only 16KB of SRAM. As far as I know, in A1ST it is used by internal variables of ROM tools. Am I correct?

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RAM is located from page 384 ($180) with 8 KB in size. SRAM is stored in up to 4 pages from page 128 ($080). The RAM is identical to the RAM switchable as Memory mapper.

So, only first 1024KB is available trough Panasonic mapper?

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Quote: Is there any program to enable "SRAMdisk by JSoption ROMpatch ROM" without starting MSX View? Yes there is, you can put an AUTOEXEC.BAT on the SRAMdisk. The ROMdisk will execute it when it exists, to take over control or do some additional things.

So this way I don't have to look at sandglass at boot? Does it matter what position is ROMSW2 (Software switch) at boot?

Anyway I meant, that if I always don't like to "mount" also ROM disk and SRAM disk, can I do that with some external tool later? (Or by holding some key down etc.?)

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Quote: When I have messed up my SRAM totally, how I can format SRAM disk and restore MSX-View default values? Leave MSX View and clean up the SRAMdisk... Should work fine.

My SRAM disk already shows 327K free, so it must be damaged. Is there way to fix the file system without RAW modifying? (With Diskview is seems to contain same data all over again and again...)

BTW there seems to be a problem starting MSX-View when you already have too many drive letters assigned. If you use HD, make sure, you don't have more than 4 partitions, if you like to use MSX-View.

One extra question: Can I somehow use this information to get MoonBlaster based games to work in A1WX?

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Quote: Yes and no. Yes, all system ROMs are stored in 1 big ROM. No, there are more mappers in the turboR. For example, the 64K of the MSX-DOS 2.3x kernel is mapped in pages of 16K. The other ROMs are hard paged to the different slots. I was just wondering because for example page #3A is same as #4000 in slot 3-1., Is there link other way around?

No. All pages containing known system ROMs (like BIOS, BASIC, SUB, KANJI driver) you can find in slot 3-3 can be found hardpaged in the slots they're supposed to. You can't change those. The disk ROM with DOS2.3x kernel (mapped in slot 3-2) has its own 16K mapper to switch the 4 blocks.

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Quote: Yes, there is. I initially set it up and Atarulum (still Ukyo back then) filled in the missing things. So... Where can I found this??????

I can mail you those textfiles. I think I will add them to wikipedia or something some day.

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Quote: None, apart from the ROM contents. At least SRAM must be different as A1ST has only 16KB of SRAM. As far as I know, in A1ST it is used by internal variables of ROM tools. Am I correct?

Yes, but the whole 32KB in that mapped region is reserved for SRAM I think.

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Quote: RAM is located from page 384 ($180) with 8 KB in size. SRAM is stored in up to 4 pages from page 128 ($080). The RAM is identical to the RAM switchable as Memory mapper. So, only first 1024KB is available trough Panasonic mapper?

No, it's possible to switch to all 512 pages (covering 4MB, including all ROMs except KANJI font ROM, available RAM, SRAM, the ROMdisk containing MSX View. ESE Artists released a text file containing the Panasonic mapper control. To get turboR added to NLMSX I made a free translation from that japanese text file. I can add that to the mail as well. Also I guess you can use the blueMSX or openMSX sources to find out more about it since they both have turboR support and the sources are available.

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Quote: Yes there is, you can put an AUTOEXEC.BAT on the SRAMdisk. The ROMdisk will execute it when it exists, to take over control or do some additional things. So this way I don't have to look at sandglass at boot? Does it matter what position is ROMSW2 (Software switch) at boot? Anyway I meant, that if I always don't like to "mount" also ROM disk and SRAM disk, can I do that with some external tool later? (Or by holding some key down etc.?)

Yes, it should be set to enable booting MSX View. The first time it will boot to MSX View but once you leave it you can switch to the SRAMdisk on drive D: to do access it like any other disk.

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Quote: When I have messed up my SRAM totally, how I can format SRAM disk and restore MSX-View default values? Leave MSX View and clean up the SRAMdisk... Should work fine.

My SRAM disk already shows 327K free, so it must be damaged. Is there way to fix the file system without RAW modifying? (With Diskview is seems to contain same data all over again and again...)[/quote]The SRAM can be used for other things as well. The upper 16K of the SRAM is used for the SRAMdisk. Honestly I have to say I never tried formatting the SRAMdisk.

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BTW there seems to be a problem starting MSX-View when you already have too many drive letters assigned. If you use HD, make sure, you don't have more than 4 partitions, if you like to use MSX-View.

I put MSX View on a harddisk partition... using a floppy btw, but it works.

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One extra question: Can I somehow use this information to get MoonBlaster based games to work in A1WX?

The Moonblaster replayer requires a memory mapper and it seems not all japanese MSX2/MSX2+ machines actually have that.

If you drop me a mail at bifi.NOSPAM@msxnet.org (remove the obvious) I'll send you the info.

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Yes, but the whole 32KB in that mapped region is reserved for SRAM I think.

Maybe second 16K is just a mirror of first 16K or then it just looks empty...

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Quote: So, only first 1024KB is available trough Panasonic mapper? No, it's possible to switch to all 512 pages (covering 4MB, including all ROMs except KANJI font ROM, available RAM, SRAM, the ROMdisk containing MSX View. ESE Artists released a text file containing the Panasonic mapper control. To get turboR added to NLMSX I made a free translation from that japanese text file. I can add that to the mail as well. Also I guess you can use the blueMSX or openMSX sources to find out more about it since they both have turboR support and the sources are available.

Ok, so there must be also 10th bit hidden somewhere... I don't read PC code, but I'm really gratefull, if you send your translation to me.

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Quote: One extra question: Can I somehow use this information to get MoonBlaster based games to work in A1WX? The Moonblaster replayer requires a memory mapper and it seems not all japanese MSX2/MSX2+ machines actually have that.

No, this is not correct. A1WX has memory mapper (I have 256KB RAM) and MoonBlaster does not need memory mapper. (I've used it in 64K MSX1)

The problem is that Moonblaster loader sets bit0 at address #7FF6 in FM-PAC ROM slot and that disables a part of the ROM in A1WX. This is a bug in MoonBlaster loader. It should check first, if FM-PAC is internal or external, but it does not do that.

This feature was meant for using multible FM-PACs. I just don't know any music replayer, that would really use more than one FM-PAC at a same time. Good thing is, that at least in latest version of NestorBasic this bug is fixed. How ever in most of older software this bug is still there. :-(

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If you drop me a mail at...

I did that, thanx in advance! MRC members can get my e-mail address by clicking my name on the left.

Hmm... Somehow my mail to you bounced back. (Too many hops 33 (25 max))

Strange... Anyway, I got your email address from your contacts page and will send you the text files.

I got your mail, thanx!

The information is not completely accurate, but it is enough. I still think, that you can access "only" 1024KB of user RAM trough Panasonic mapper. Unfortunately I have not extended memory, so I can't confirm this.

NYYRIKKI, this info will maybe interest you : during the developing of blueMSX 2.0 with Turbo-R support, we have found that the GT seems to only accept internal ram up to 2M, but if you add 4Mb as a mapper cartridge, it would be possible to get 512kb internal + 4096kb external resulting to a total of 4608kb available RAM.

Hmm, I took a bit more deeper look and it seems that SRAM disk will be formatted automatically, when "SRAMdisk by JS" string can not be found from the "disk". (Not tested though)

I heared that the GT had a hardware bug that prohibited more than 1024 (sure it`s 2048?) internal ram. Keep in mind this is just something I heared.. I expanded my GT to have 1024Kb 30pin simm ram, and switchable 32MHz and 40MHz. (I have no 28MHz though..)

Are there still people around who do memory expansions by SIMM modules? If so, I'd be interested

I did it myself, but I think I got the parts from Germany. Don`t know if anyone has those prints anymore. Hmm.. maybe we could copy the pcb prints used and make new versions?

To cut the rumours: You can expand MSX tR internal memory to 4MB, but after that you will get problems with programs, that read memory mapper slot setings.

Let's add another rumour: There are plenty of problematic programs (That read memory mapper setings) made in Europe, but generally Japanese programs work better.

I think, that it was safe to upgrade to 1024KB, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm not at my MSX, so I can't test it, but you can get the limit by executing following line in basic:

?(NOT(INP(255))+1)*16;"KB"

The amount of memory has no anyway direct effect to current topic. The limit seems to be either 512KB or 1024KB trough Panasonic mapper. (Theory: #200 - #180 = #80 * 8KB = 1024KB)

The turbo R returns only the lowest 5 bits of the mapper register when you read it. So that means up to 512K can be used if you want to be able to read the mapper registers. However, software should not read the mapper registers at all, so well-written software will work with larger mappers as well.

I'm not sure what the problem is that was discovered with blueMSX, but I think it's not in the mapper register read-back. It may be a flaw in the BIOS.