How to get the P96 driver to see the ACA1260 as a graphics card? (ACA500Plus)

Caution: Non registered users only see threads and messages in the currently selected language, which is determined by their browser. Please create an account and log in to see all content by default. This is a limitation of the forum software.


Please understand that you need to create an account to be able to post, guest posting was disabled as an anti spam measure.

    Please excuse my ignorance on this subject, these are new waters for me...

    I have an Amiga 500 with an ACA500Plus. I have upgraded to the ACA1260 accelerator and the Indivision ECS V4.


    From what I understand you can use the P96 driver for this setup and the ACA1260/Indivision will appear as a Picasso IV video card so you can get higher resolution and colors in workbench?


    I've got the P96 driver installed but I can't seem to get it to see the "video card"

    It just shows the PicassoIV option as greyed out...


    Maybe there some setting in the ACA500Plus I need to be using that I'm not?

    Doing some searching and it seems like this needs an accelerator with an MMU which I have, but maybe I need to install MMU libs in workbench?

    Currently I have the ACA500Plus MMU option set to "On" And I also have the "68020+ VBRMove" enabled

    There's a couple of steps involved:


    - update the Indivision ECS V4 core to the latest core, as found in the Wiki. Use the menu item in the drop-down menu to flash that file into the flicker fixer.


    - use the latest MMU libraries from Aminet. The ones that are in the flash of the ACA500plus are too old; They will make your system work, but the Indivision ECS V4 driver needs the latest MMU libs. If you've downloaded, transferred and unpacked these on your Amiga, make sure to use the installer, although the documentation says how to copy files manually. Those instructions seem to be incomplete, and only the installer goes all the way.


    - install P96 V3.5.0 - any earlier version does not have Indivision ECS V4 support.


    - after installing, launch P96prefs and set two things to ON: "BlackSwitching" and "EnableBootVGA"


    This should give you the new higher-resolution and deeper-colours screenmodes. However, don't expect things to be anywhere near as fast as with a Zorro-based graphics card! We don't have a blitter yet, and the bottleneck through chip registers is a little slower than the slowest Zorro bus.


    Jens

    Wiki had been down for a while now, but when it comes back up I will certainly download the latest core and try this!

    Ok, so I've learned something very important today... I am not the target demographic for your hardware. I've been in the personal computer space since 10 years old with my TI 994A and am still working in the computer field today. I have always been a tinker, but as I get older Time is the most valuable resource I have. I just can't spend hours trying different combinations when the instructions are vague and subpar.

    Complicated hardware needs very exact instructions!

    If I could I would just return all this hardware and I would be able to save what little sanity I have left, lol!

    (I say all this with some humor and some sadness, no anger or frustration is targeted at anyone)


    Ok, so with that out of the way let's try to get some detailed instructions here so others won't suffer the same fate as I.....

    Going off the instructions above I am unable to get this working, so either the instructions are terrible or I have no idea what I am doing.....

    I am going to spend some of my valuable time this Saturday morning to attempt some more concise instructions, and to also show what the steps I have taken here and hopefully uncover some issues.....



    Step 1 - Flash the IndivisionECSV4 to the latest version (November 22 2024)

    Download links are here - https://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/Indivision_ECS_V4/doc

    You need 2 files, move these to your Amiga extract the archives

    1. IndivisionECSv4-1.0.lha = flash tool

    2. Ecsv4-20241122.lha = firmware

    Once extracted run the flashtool

    In the top menu select "Flash Firmware File"

    Select the extracted firmware file and follow the prompts


    Step 2 - Install MMU libraries

    Ok, so there are 2 options here and I have tried both.... Unsure what the correct MMU libraries are...

    We have this... https://aminet.net/package/util/libs/MMULib

    and this one... https://aminet.net/package/util/sys/Mu680x0Libs

    During Intermediate install several questions are asked....

    "Do you use a Phase 5 accelerator board?' = No

    "Do you have an older ACA (individual computer) board?" = No

    "Do you have a GVP 040 or 060 accelerator board?" = No

    "Run FastIEEE on startup?" = No


    Step 3 - Install P96 version 3.5.0

    This is something you have to purchase in the IComp store

    Buy this and get your download link from your order history in the store

    Move to Amiga and extract

    Run the Setup file

    During intermediate install several questioned are asked

    "For which graphics board(s) do you want to update the drivers?" Page 1 = I assume PicassoIV (I am guessing the Indivision emulates PicassoIV)

    "For which graphics board(s) do you want to update the drivers?" Page 2 = None

    "What horizontal scan rate can your monitor handle?" = No idea but I choose the default of 31 KHz

    "Do you want to have the P96_PrinterPatch to be automatically started on Boot-up?" = No

    "Please install the application drivers from the Picasso home directory or from the driver disk" - No idea if I need to do anything here?

    (The Picasso home directory has 3 drivers in it which none appear to be related to Indivision)

    Reboot Amiga


    Step 4 - P96 Prefs Config

    Launch P96prefs from System:Prefs

    Under Overall Settings set these 2 options to On

    1. BlackSwitching

    2. EnableBootVGA

    Click Save



    At this point I assume I would see the PicassoIV card in P96Prefs, which I do but it's greyed out. I assume this means it can't detect the card...

    And under ScreenMode I do not see any extra modes at all.

    So this is as far as I have gotten....

    Is there some sort of driver I need to move to Devs:Monitor? Someone else shared with me an IndiECS file and I moved that to Devs:Monitor

    I still do not see any extra screen modes in ScreenMode

    Ok, so since I have a new CF card I did a fresh copy of 3.1 from ACA500. Then upgraded it to 3.2 (P96Perfs requires 3.2)

    Did all the above steps and I still am at the same point. Nothing shows up in ScreenMode...


    I have to be missing something with the P96Prefs? I went into each Picasso mode and added a generic monitor and default screenmodes, saved, rebooted.....


    Side note, the Aux CF flash slot just crashes my computer and it reboots any time I put in a CF card once the OS is booted up. (Any OS, even plain 3.1) If I remove the ACA1260 and put on my ACA1234 it works perfectly fine, so not sure if that is some indicator that maybe my ACA1260 is bad somehow? I sure hope its just bad hardware, because that would explain alot with everything I've been struggling with...

    Quote from omniphil

    This is something you have to purchase in the IComp store

    Buy this and get your download link from your order history in the store

    We still have database problems with the shop. So no, you don't get a download link, as what you're downloading is still V3.4.0. You'll get an e-Mail with V3.5.0 and the invoice - let me know what order ID you've purchased with, and I can give you a hint on where to look for that e-Mail.


    The older V3.4.0 does NOT contain the Indivision ECS V4 driver. Also, you're not expecting to see a Picasso IV mode. It's really called Indivision ECS V4.


    Also, this is all still very experimental. Expect tinkering while we haven't even made a blitter for Indivision ECS V4. The installation procedure will most likely be updated to check mmu library versions and the P96 version, so the current installation pain will be mitigated, if not eliminated.


    Quote from omniphil

    Side note, the Aux CF flash slot just crashes my computer and it reboots any time I put in a CF card once the OS is booted up. (Any OS, even plain 3.1) If I remove the ACA1260 and put on my ACA1234 it works perfectly fine, so not sure if that is some indicator that maybe my ACA1260 is bad somehow? I sure hope its just bad hardware, because that would explain alot with everything I've been struggling with...

    Might be a bad/weak power supply.


    Jens

    OH! That makes sense! - Can I suggest putting the version number in the filename somewhere? would save us alot of trouble...

    Order ID = 156226


    I have your power supply!, you aren't getting out of that one that easily :)

    Quote from omniphil

    Order ID = 156226

    eMail with invoice and latest version left on February 17th, 12:00 CET.


    Quote from omniphil

    I have your power supply!, you aren't getting out of that one that easily :)

    Good! Are you running menu V0.148?


    (oh, and I officially don't work on weekends...)


    Jens

    Then don't answer my posts and go enjoy your weekend! It can wait.....


    Latest update is that with the P96 3.5 driver installed I now see the Indivsion V4 in the P96Prefs!

    The downside is now networking no longer does anything, It's stuck on Waiting. Also workbench is just screwed up now.

    Nothing in the Prefs drawer does anything, double clicking any icon just results in nothing, I can't even open ScreenMode to see if I have new options...

    Interestingly enough I can still double click the P96Prefs icon....

    Good thing this is a clean test environment. I will wipe it and start over again. Maybe having the old P96 driver in there caused some issues....

    What I can tell you is that trying to run the P96 driver again just hangs with any option (First, install, uninstall), likely due to workbench being somewhat broken now...


    I am pretty sure I updated the ACA500Plus to 0.148. I think that was the update that allowed us to set custom names for the rom files?


    And yes, I now realize this is very experimental, I did not realize as such when I purchased this latest batch of hardware. It sounded like everything was good to go with the exception of those outstanding issues that were being worked on..

    Knowing me, even if you have told me that this has a good chance of not working I probably would have still purchased it.. So water under the bridge at this point as they say... (Knowing what I know now, I would have absolutely not purchased this stuff)

    Ok, so after another fresh 3.1 install followed by an upgrade to 3.2.

    I was able to finally get the Indivision to show up in ScreenMode.

    I had it running 800x600 and 1024x768 in 256 color mode.

    This is the first hurdle completed!


    The next piece of the puzzle is getting that same thing working on my existing 3.2.2.1 install.

    I boot back up in 3.2.2.1 and did an uninstall of the old P96 as it was the wrong version.

    Then reboot... All good so far....

    Now I install the P96 3.5.0 version, Pick the Indi V4 card during install.

    Now I reboot and the system boots fine but the screen is black...... Ugh.....

    I was able to resurrect the system by plugging back in my RGB2HDMI, then the system comes up ok and I am able to then Uninstall the P96 3.5.0

    Now I plug my Indivision V4 back in and I have a working 3.2.2.1 system again...


    So I've got something going on with the P96 3.5.0 driver and my 3.2.2.1 system.

    Is there any way to force some sort of basic screen mode with Indivision?

    I did try the rescue disk and I think that did it's flashing fine, so I assume Indivision is reset, but I still have a black screen and no workbench... (But it is loading as I can see the disk flashing away and the network card light up....

    Just no video....


    I am getting close I think but I am all out of brain power for today......


    Hope everyone has a fun weekend.

    Thanks for your patience - your observation of "works with a clean install, doesn't with your existing install" might lead us to the root cause - which is of course software, but we need to find out what part. I'll discuss this with Thor.


    Jens

    I had trouble with the MMUFastRom (or some such tool) that was starting as last step on user-startup waiting there forever.

    Commenting that out EVSv4 works nicely here on ACA1260 and ACA500+ including network.

    Quote from mdbergmann

    I had trouble with the MMUFastRom (or some such tool) that was starting as last step on user-startup waiting there forever.

    Commenting that out EVSv4 works nicely here on ACA1260 and ACA500+ including network.

    That's a good tip, I will certainly give that a whirl tonight... Thank you!

    Ok, so MuFastROM definitely causes the black screen issue! Don't install that!


    I found out the holding down both mouse buttons trick and after getting the black screen I can do that and then startup without startup-sequence, and sure enough it booted with no black screen! Yay!.... (Comment out MuFastROM and we are back in business)


    Ok, so now I am booting with the P96 driver successfully, I haven't changed screen modes yet because now I cannot click on anything in the Prefs section, I double click and nothing happens.....


    But I have a booting OS so I can now track down the culprit, and as it turns out the culprit is AmiTCP, if I comment its section out in the user-startup I am able to click on things in Prefs again..


    I am going to type out my AmiTCP section here just in case... I haven't ever changed anything in here but who knows...


    ;Begin AmiTCP

    Assign AmiTCP: "SYS:AmiTCP"

    Assign DEVS: AmiTCP:devs ADD

    Assign LIBS: AmiTCP:libs ADD

    Path AmiTCP:bin SYS:WBStartup ADD

    Assign APIPE: Exists >NIL:

    If WARN

    Mount APIPE: from AmiTCP:devs/APIPE-Mountlist

    EndIf

    ;startnet SRV ; start here for inetd servers

    ;END AmiTCP



    Getting closer.....

    Ok, this line right here is the culprit, If I only comment out this line I can click on anything in Prefs just fine... (With the P96 driver installed)


    Assign DEVS: AmiTCP:devs ADD


    I also tried reinstalling the network stack with the iComp network installer that I download from my store link.....

    Still does the same thing....


    Maybe there is a newer version of the network installer?

    Also have noticed that if I remove "Network" from workbench startup items everything seems to work fine as well... (Everything except networking of course)

    Thanks again for your patience. MuFastrom will soon not be required at all with ACA500plus, as we're near release of a new menu update that supports the MapROM feature of the ACA1240/1260. This will put the Kickstart ROM into the reserved memory area that's exactly as fast as what MuFastROM would provide - with the difference that it doesn't eat into available fastmem (yeah, I know, RAM isn't really scarce on the ACA1240/1260).


    Further, we have a small update to the P96 driver for Indivision ECS V4 that fixes an incompatibility with other MuTools, but I don't know the details of that fix - wrote an eMail to Thor to get the details and what the plan is for a roll-out.


    Jens

    But it seems like MuFastROM is the black screen culprit here, so If you have it in the ACA500Plus won't it do the same thing?

    Or is it the potential mem space it sits in that's causing the crash?


    Side note, can you give a brief description of what MuFastROM is and why we would want it?

    Quote from omniphil

    But it seems like MuFastROM is the black screen culprit here, so If you have it in the ACA500Plus won't it do the same thing?

    I never used MuFastROM with the ACA500plus, becasue I know that the main development goal is to make use of the MapROM feature.


    Quote from omniphil

    Or is it the potential mem space it sits in that's causing the crash?

    No, that's unlikely. The system doesn't know about that chunk of memory.


    Quote from omniphil

    Side note, can you give a brief description of what MuFastROM is and why we would want it?

    It copies Kickstart to fastmem and re-programs the MMU to access RAM if code from 0x00f80000 to 0x00ffffff is read. It would be useful if we didn't have MapROM.


    Jens

    Ok, just to add some more troubleshooting in here.... In case anyone has some ideas?


    With the P96 3.5.0 driver installed the networking and some basic functions like trying to run screenmode and several other items in Prefs do not work... If I go into the WBStartup and disable "Network" and reboot, Everything in Prefs works fine now, but Networking is obviously broken.


    If I uninstall the P96 driver everything goes back to working fine including the networking....


    I don't understand the correlation of the Network and the P96 driver. Those seem unrelated, but clearly they are fighting each other somehow....


    Any suggestions welcome... (I've tried using different screen mode down to 4 colors and low res, Tried disabling Glow Icons)