Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone

shift

I'm experimenting with the pecom 64 (or pecom 32, it's the same because they use the same BASIC), but there's no way to make it load the cassettes. The command should be PLOAD (I also tried DLOAD) + Enter and then F2 to start the tape, but the system seems to do nothing, and remains stuck, as if waiting for data that doesn't seem to arrive. Has anyone tried to make it work? There are examples online but only with standalone emulators, not with mame.

Folly

@shift said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

I'm experimenting with the pecom 64 or pecom 32

Will have a look at these.

Edit :
Very strange indeed.
No message of the driver that it is not working somewhere.
Also tried many things with no luck.

DTEAM

@Folly

You can run MAME with X-init, it works . Now we must try Vulkan. I don't know where it is in the MAME GUI.

try this or select another system

mame-GP32_xinit= "XINIT-WM: /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -c -autoframeskip gp32 -memc %ROM%"

Maybe you don't need X init like RetroArch, to be honnest I'm greener than green for this.

Folly

@DTEAM

I am in desktop already so I assume vulkan is active if usable and there should be no need to use xinit then.
Did some tests, and here are the results just booting up the driver without a game on my pi5 :

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active -videodriver x11 gp32
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Average speed: 46.70% (10 seconds)

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active -videodriver sdl gp32
Could not initialize SDL sdl not available

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active -videodriver x11 -renderdriver opengl gp32
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Average speed: 46.23% (4 seconds)

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active -videodriver x11 -renderdriver software gp32
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Average speed: 32.61% (1 seconds)

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active -bgfx_backend vulkan gp32
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Warning: layout view 'Handheld' contains deprecated bezel element
Average speed: 45.93% (8 seconds)

Not much difference except when using software rendering.

DTEAM

@Folly

I'm trying to run Naomi but it won't load . Are you able on your side? I'll try Dreamcast later .

The big difference should be with these machines

shift

@Folly Exactly, it makes me think that the driver isn't working correctly

Folly

@shift said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

@Folly Exactly, it makes me think that the driver isn't working correctly

I found some remastered wav files too but they didn't work either.
Also tried an old mame version (240) and got the blue load flickering and the sound of loading the tape was different but still no joy.

I added the question here :
https://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=123545#Post123545
But the Mame Team does always difficult ;-(

shift

@Folly I read the initial driver info: src/mame/sfrj/pecom.cpp and I think the explanation is right here (TODO):

Pecom driver by Miodrag Milanovic

2008-11-08 Preliminary drivers.

All commands to be in UPPERCASE.
Change background colour: SCR n
Enter monitor: PROB (B to exit)
If Capslock is engaged, then Shift doesn't work.
Control hangs the machine while it is pressed. It doesn't work in the
expected way.
Don't touch the Shift key while loading a tape because it will corrupt
the date.
The screen will flash in a crazy epileptic fashion while loading a tape.
Beware!

TODO:

Cassette: can load its own recordings, but not those from software list
(software-list tapes are slower & wobbly)
Both machines currently have 32k ram.
Autorepeat seems a bit fast

Folly

@shift said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

Cassette: can load its own recordings, but not those from software list

Aha, that makes sense.

Folly

@DTEAM said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

I'm trying to run Naomi but it won't load . Are you able on your side?

Yes it boots after adding the required files that it was complaining about.
Did this on my x64 laptop, check the speed.
On the pi5 it will run much slower than 80%.

pi@Host:~$ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active naomi
315-6146.bin NOT FOUND (tried in mie naomi)
sp5001.bin NOT FOUND (tried in jvs13551 naomi)
sp5001-a.bin NOT FOUND (tried in jvs13551 naomi)
sp5001-b.bin NOT FOUND (tried in jvs13551 naomi)
sp5002-a.bin NOT FOUND (tried in jvs13551 naomi)
315-6215.bin NOT FOUND (tried in jvs13551 naomi)
Fatal error: Required files are missing, the machine cannot be run.
pi@Host:~$ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active naomi
315-6146.bin NOT FOUND (tried in mie naomi)
Fatal error: Required files are missing, the machine cannot be run.
pi@Host:~$ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -ui_active naomi
Average speed: 79.29% (24 seconds)

Folly

@shift

You might want to try the emma02 emulator which can emulate pecom32/pecom64.
It seems it has it's own tape format files (.pecom) which should load.
Perhaps it's possible to convert the tapes to .wav for mame within that emulator.

Another approach could be to get the remastered files (Ei PECOM Remastered by kiFla) and try editing with audacity (reduce volume etc.)
As stated it should be possible to save files in mame so you can check the wav file on how it should look like in terms of volume etc.

Edit 1:

Cassette: can load its own recordings

Tried this simple program :
10 PRINT"HALLO"

PSAVE works however PLOAD doesn't work in 267.
Tried the psaved file from 267 in 240 and that loaded the file.

So there seems to be some regression going on.

shift

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

You might want to try the emma02 emulator which can emulate pecom32/pecom64.
It seems it has it's own tape format files (.pecom) which should load.
Perhaps it's possible to convert the tapes to .wav for mame within that emulator.

Another approach could be to get the remastered files (Ei PECOM Remastered by kiFla) and try editing with audacity (reduce volume etc.)
As stated it should be possible to save files in mame so you can check the wav file on how it should look like in terms of volume etc.

I tried that emulator and it works perfectly with all file types: .wav, .hex, .pecom, but unfortunately it doesn't save from .hex/.pecom to .wav, but if I load a .wav file I can save it in .hex format which is also present in TOSEC and therefore could also be supported by mame in the future.
I also tried to amplify the .wav file with audacity, but to no avail, it doesn't even notice that the tape is loading, it stays there, waiting for I don't know what. The same procedure with Emma02 instead produces a continuous blue/white flash, until the prompt (:READY) arrives and the consequent RUN to launch it.

You were talking about some Ei PECOM Remastered by kiFla files but I couldn't find them, is there a link for that?

shift

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

Tried this simple program :
10 PRINT"HALLO"

PSAVE works however PLOAD doesn't work in 267.
Tried the psaved file from 267 in 240 and that loaded the file.

So there seems to be some regression going on.

Very interesting, I try to see the differences in the history of the pecom.cpp driver

EDIT: I opened an issue on https://github.com/mamedev/mame/issues
Let's see what they say

shift

@folly changing the subject, I tried to install the psionlz system from the script, but nothing seems to happen, am I doing something wrong?

Folly

@shift said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

@folly changing the subject, I tried to install the psionlz system from the script, but nothing seems to happen, am I doing something wrong?

You need these two BIOS files :
psionlz.zip
hd44780_a00.zip

I found that hd44780_a00.zip doesn't exist in mame-merged so I renamed hd44780.zip, which also contains that file, to hd44780_a00.zip.
Then it will work however mame will complain about a wrong checksum.
Seems mame-merged isn't up to date for that driver.

shift

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

You need these two BIOS files :
psionlz.zip
hd44780_a00.zip

I found that hd44780_a00.zip doesn't exist in mame-merged so I renamed hd44780.zip, which also contains that file, to hd44780_a00.zip.
Then it will work however mame will complain about a wrong checksum.
Seems mame-merged isn't up to date for that driver.

Sorry, I explained myself badly, the problem is that the script does not create anything, neither the empty folder in /roms, nor the folder with the configuration files in the /opt/retropie/configs folder, nor the string in es_systems.cfg. If it works fine for you then it's my problem.

Folly

@shift said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

@Folly said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

You need these two BIOS files :
psionlz.zip
hd44780_a00.zip

I found that hd44780_a00.zip doesn't exist in mame-merged so I renamed hd44780.zip, which also contains that file, to hd44780_a00.zip.
Then it will work however mame will complain about a wrong checksum.
Seems mame-merged isn't up to date for that driver.

Sorry, I explained myself badly, the problem is that the script does not create anything, neither the empty folder in /roms, nor the folder with the configuration files in the /opt/retropie/configs folder, nor the string in es_systems.cfg. If it works fine for you then it's my problem.

Updated the scrips so psionlz can be installed :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/18892b38b8e2464243a700444870f4fb1d402deb

shift

@Folly it works perfectly

Another question:
I was testing the SF-7000 system, an add-on for Sega's SC-3000. I saw that in the media list:

SYSTEM           MEDIA NAME       (brief)    IMAGE FILE EXTENSIONS SUPPORTED
---------------- --------------------------- -------------------------------
sf7000           cassette         (cass)     .wav  .flac .bit  .tzx
sf7000           floppydisk       (flop)     .mfi  .dfi  .hfe  .mfm  .td0  .imd  .d77  .d88  .1dd  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  .sf7
sf7000           printout         (prin)     .prn

there is only one floppy available

Since you need the floppy with the basic to load almost 90% of the games, would it be possible to add a second floppy to the script?

Ah! One more thing, in the SF3000 I'm using this line:

But I don't remember having told you that to make the games on cassette work you first had to load the basic from the cartridge, this is the line I'm using:

lr-mess-sc3000-basic-cass = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch --config /opt/retropie/configs/sc3000/retroarch.cfg --appendconfig /opt/retropie/configs/sc3000/retroarch.cfg.add -S /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/sc3000 -s /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/sc3000 -v -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mamemess_libretro.so 'sc3000  -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame;/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/sc3000/ -cfg_directory /opt/retropie/configs/sc3000/lr-mess -c -ui_active -cart basic3 -cass %ROM%'"

Folly

@shift said in Development of module-script generator for lr-mess, lr-mame and mame standalone:

@Folly it works perfectly

Another question:
I was testing the SF-7000 system, an add-on for Sega's SC-3000. I saw that in the media list:
SYSTEM           MEDIA NAME       (brief)    IMAGE FILE EXTENSIONS SUPPORTED
---------------- --------------------------- -------------------------------
sf7000           cassette         (cass)     .wav  .flac .bit  .tzx
sf7000           floppydisk       (flop)     .mfi  .dfi  .hfe  .mfm  .td0  .imd  .d77  .d88  .1dd  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  .sf7
sf7000           printout         (prin)     .prn
there is only one floppy available

Since you need the floppy with the basic to load almost 90% of the games, would it be possible to add a second floppy to the script?

This isn't possible, mame doesn't support a second floppy for this driver.

Ah! One more thing, in the SF3000 I'm using this line:

But I don't remember having told you that to make the games on cassette work you first had to load the basic from the cartridge, this is the line I'm using:

lr-mess-sc3000-basic-cass = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch --config /opt/retropie/configs/sc3000/retroarch.cfg --appendconfig /opt/retropie/configs/sc3000/retroarch.cfg.add -S /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/sc3000 -s /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/sc3000 -v -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess/mamemess_libretro.so 'sc3000  -rompath /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame;/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/sc3000/ -cfg_directory /opt/retropie/configs/sc3000/lr-mess -c -ui_active -cart basic3 -cass %ROM%'"

It's possible to add an extra install for sc3000 in the EXTRAS section.
I think for the orion128 that is also the best solution as my experiment in the default section was not a good solution.
Will have a look at these in the coming week.

shift

@Folly something very strange happened to me with the psionlz emulator.

The first time I launched a game with lr-mess (basename) everything went well, it booted where I chose the language and I arrived in the GUI, everything was fine in short. I go out.
I do the same procedure again and it gives me this message TRAP 5557 5555 and the screen goes blank, I can't do anything anymore.

I try again by changing launch mode, I use lr-run-mess, same thing, the first time it works, but from the second onwards the same message on the display TRAP 5557 5555.

I also try again with the mame, same thing, the first time it works, but from the second onwards the same message TRAP 5557 5555.

Tried with lr-mess (dpak1), different error message TRAP 012C CDE6

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the psionlz system, but nothing, it immediately gives me those errors, what could it be? Any configuration that remains active?