1MB ROM with acatool ROMFILE: "This is not a ROM file"

jaroslav.pulchart · Jan 10th 2023

Hello

I created a 1MB rom file via Remus 1.81 and try it to upload to aca1234 and aca1221lc accelerators. However the acatool response is "This is not a ROM file". My question is if the 1MB rom files are supported with mentioned accelerators at all or do I have ("is it safe") to use FORCE option?

Many thanks,

Jaroslav P.

Jens · Jan 10th 2023

To my knowledge, we don't even have a test case for 1MByte ROM files. Timm ?

The "force" option is always safe to use, as the worst thing that can happen is that you need to power-cycle the machine.

jaroslav.pulchart · Jan 10th 2023

OK, I run it:

> acatool ROMFILE=SYS:a1200.rom FORCE

> This is not a ROM file

same results. It disallows to use it.

Timm · Jan 11th 2023

1mb ROM files are supported theoretically, there are several provisions in the soft- and hardware. So this is a bug.

Indeed we had no test case so far. If you can provide one or more 1mb ROM files to test against, we can perhaps work on the issue.

jaroslav.pulchart · Jan 11th 2023

Great! I can provide them, however I'm out of my desktop so I will share them when I'm back at Friday. Shall I send them by email or can I attach them here? I'm asking to avoid legal issues, they are based on AmigaOS 3.2.1.

Jens · Jan 11th 2023

We do own a copy (or more :-)) of OS3.2, so sending these files for testing purposes is no problem. After all, Hyperion is part of the Amiga community - nothing to fear here. Just reply to any of the eMails that the shop system has sent you, it'll end up in my inbox.

jaroslav.pulchart · Jan 13th 2023

Hello

I have new info. Finally I was capable to map 1MB ROM file by acatool. Looks like to rom merge tools are not working as I expect.

The 1MB ROM file cannot be used by acatool when I concatenate the standard 512k ROM ($f8000) and extended ROM ($e0000) files by Remus/Tools/MergeROM. When I use https://amitools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tools/romtool.html by

Code

romtool combine -o 47.102.1mb.rom 47.102.ext.rom 47.102.std.rom

it works however ... I observe new issue.

I do these cases:

/case 1/map ROMFILE from console == OK

> acatool ROMFILE=SYS:47.102.1mb.rom

it requested reboot. After reboot it works.

/case 2/ map ROMFILE from S:startup-sequence == NOT-OK

the system is continuously rebooting each time the acatool ROMFILE ... line is executed. It looks like it do not recognize the ROM is already loaded.

I will send the ROM file(s) by email.

Best,

Jaroslav P.

Timm · Jan 24th 2023

Version 3.4 of acatool is available, which should support 1mb ROM files for all cards using the ROMFILE option: http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/ACAtool#Download

In case of the ACA1234, if you want to use 1mb ROM files from the card's flash memory, you also need to update the firmware to version 230124: http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/ACA1234#Firmware_updates

I recommend to perform the firmware upgrade, because it includes an update to acatool 3.4 on the ACA1234Install volume. The 1mb ROM file I used for testing compresses nicely using the accompanying 'lzocompress' tool. So if you compress the ROM before saving it to the card's flash memory, you save a lot of startup time - and also one valuable ROM slot.

jaroslav.pulchart · Jan 25th 2023

Great! I will try.

BTW: the acatool download link is pointing to 3.3

Timm · Jan 26th 2023

Oops, corrected

jaroslav.pulchart · Jan 26th 2023

Hello

I used the acatool 3.4 and updated firmware. The amiga 1200 boots and works with the 1MB rom file (using the ROMFILE parameter) for ACA1211/ACA1221lc and flashing it into ACA1234 as well works. Nice :).

What doesn't works is case when acatool just map the computer's inbuilt 1MB ROM (EPROM) into the ACA1221lc (no romfile).

Best