 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Greetings from the Gulf Coast
| Author | Message | ||||
| horus Newbie  Joined: 25/04/2021 Location: United StatesPosts: 12 |
Greetings from the U.S. Gulf Coast, I am David to my friends, and go by horus here since I have an abiding interest in things ancient and Egyptian. I also like playing bass guitar, running PCLinuxOS, and generally all things retro and BASIC. I'm old enough to have cut my teeth on MBASIC/BASIC-80 back in the day. Yesterday, my new RetroMax arrived. I am excited at the prospect of a machine that can run interpreted BASIC faster than many 8-bit CPU could run assembler back in the day, and is so tiny it will fit in my already crowded backpack. I've been playing around with BASIC-80 on another retro board I have for a while now, but was intrigued enough by the look of MMBasic that I took the plunge. Wow, this beastie is fast! Some Questions: Is there a single place that documents MMBasic for the RetroMax? I see a lot of stuff for the Colo(u)r Maximite 2 and earlier, but I'd like to see what parts of MMBasic are supposed to work and not work with the RetroMax. Yeah, there's one area I already wonder about: Turtle Graphics commands don't seem to be recognized on my RetroMax. I see where other types of graphics seem to work OK (if the "Welcome Tape" programs are any indication.) Every time i run a program that uses the Turtle, the first TURTLE statement throws a "Command not recognized" error on that line. (If this is the only problem and it is insurmountable, I'll figure a way to work around it eventually, I'm sure.) I'm running v. 5.07.00b27 of the firmware, and using a 1600 X 900 VGA LCD flat panel if that makes any difference. (Oh, and my Logitech wireless keyboard, a model K270, works just fine - haven't tried the mouse yet - don't know how to program for one yet.) I'm running it from a power-bank built into one of my portable work lamps, and it cooks for a good long time without any problems (or any need for AC power). Well, I'm probably boring everyone to tears, but I'd bet many of us start of with questions like this. [S](Psst... I wish this forum had a topic search function - or am I just missing it?)[/S] Ack! Just like me... I found the search function right after posting, and it actually works rather well. Sorry! Edited 2021-04-26 14:12 by horus |
||||
Mixtel90 Guru  Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 7937 |
Hi Horus :) As far as I know the Retromax is identical to the CMM2 apart from some hardware expansion. It uses the same, identical version of MMBasic running on the same chip and a micro SD card rather than a standard one, but all the commands are the same. Have fun... :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
||||
thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4311 |
And greetings from sunny Manchester (UK). That seems to be a new bug in the current firmware and not RetroMax specific, I have informed the relevant authorities ;-) Best wishes, Tom MMBasic for Linux, Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
| thwill Guru Joined: 16/09/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4311 |
... and the relevant authorities have fixed it. You need to upgrade your firmware to 5.0.7.00b29, see this thread https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?FID=16&TID=13459&LastEntry=Y#167815 Best wishes, Tom MMBasic for Linux, Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures |
||||
CircuitGizmos Guru Joined: 08/09/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 1427 |
The CMM2 and the RetroMax both use the same firmware. In other words, the firmware compiled for the CMM2 is what is loaded into a RetroMax. Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite |
||||
| horus Newbie Joined: 25/04/2021 Location: United StatesPosts: 12 |
I want to thank all who responded for the warm welcome. I've pulled down the firmware .zip file, and now need to do some light reading on how to verify and install it. I hope it's not any more complicated than installing RomWBW... Anyhoo, watch this space for a progress report. |
||||
| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3378 |
Back of the CMM2 manual: Appendix G -- Loading the Firmware PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
||||
| CircuitGizmos Guru Joined: 08/09/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 1427 |
Specifically for the RetroMax: https://docs.myretromax.com/Reloading_Firmware.html . Edited 2021-04-28 01:06 by CircuitGizmos Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite |
||||
| horus Newbie Joined: 25/04/2021 Location: United StatesPosts: 12 |
Yup, I found and read all that early this morning when I got home from work. I've got the STM32CubeProgrammer and installed it on my laptop (including the required library dependencies). That actually seemed pretty easy. I wanna go the Male A to Male A USB route, as that seems more straightforward. That means I want to build a cable of this type... (faster than waiting for one to be delivered, and might be a bit of fun, too.) One thing I haven't found yet: does anyone know the pinout for a USB A Male to A Male cable? Is it straight through, or do D+ and D- cross over, or what? I'd hate to fry my RetroMax with a cable I built incorrectly. I do have a Male A-to-Male A "easy transfer cable" (Belkin model F4U060), but it has a "bolus" in the middle that looks like it may contain some interfacing circuitry. I'm betting I don't wanna use that. (This thing was built for Windows 8.0 per its rather scant documentation... my Linux box would likely kick a fuss at that.) My searching for a pinout on the interwebs has been remarkably unsuccessful so far. Seems like the sources in all my search hits just dance around any kind of definite pinout. (Like it might expose some liability or something?) Thanks for any insights. Have soldering gun; will travel.  Edited 2021-04-28 08:18 by horus |
||||
TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6283 |
Your "easy transfer cable" should be avoided without testing it first. To make your own cable, there is no crossover. D+ to D+ etc Most cables will have the same core colours and you can graft like for like but be prepared for a surprise there too. If you get the data pins wrong, no great drama, just no-go. If you get the power pins wrong, not so good. Jim VK7JH MMedit |
||||
| horus Newbie Joined: 25/04/2021 Location: United StatesPosts: 12 |
So, in unambiguous terms (hey, I'm a BASIC programmer  ):Pin 1 ---------Vcc,5vdc------------ Pin 1 Pin 2 --------- Data - ------------ Pin 2 Pin 3 --------- Data + ------------ Pin 3 Pin 4 --------- GROUND ------------ Pin 4 I NEVER trust color codes on cable - I've learned that the hard way. Checking continuity with a trusty meter is the way to go. I didn't think the power leads would cross, but wasn't sure about the data lines. Thanks for helping sort that out. Tonight we build! I figured the dingus in the middle of that easy transfer cable was a bit suspicious. I may, however, since I've never had to use it, use both ends of it for feedstock in the building of this cable. (The plug ends are of good quality, and the wire looks to be decent, too.) Clip, clip! Since I'm likely breaking a shield to splice this together, I'll keep the length to under a meter. That ought to preserve throughput and current capacity to the best extent possible while still being a handy length (I figure I'll be updating often enough...) |
||||
| lizby Guru Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3378 |
Maybe the fun is avoided, but I ordered 2 of these: https://www.amazon.com/Electop-Changer-Adapter-Coupler-Converter/dp/B015OMSQWM/ Second-day delivery in the U.S. I always leave one plugged into my CMM2 unless I'm using the USB keyboard (usually I'm using PC console over TeraTerm with VGA-to-HDMI-to-USB3 module to Windows Camera). PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
||||
| horus Newbie Joined: 25/04/2021 Location: United StatesPosts: 12 |
That looks like a nice bit of kit to have in your "go" bag. Thanks! Again, folks, thank you all for shepherding me through the noob stage. I hope to get up to speed and coding in MMBASIC soon enough. |
||||
| CircuitGizmos Guru Joined: 08/09/2011 Location: United StatesPosts: 1427 |
I agree about not trusting the color codes - always check. Some cable manufacturers just do whatever they please. Having said that, the official USB colors are: Pin 1 - Vcc,5vdc - Red Pin 2 - Data - - White Pin 3 - Data + - Green Pin 4 - GROUND - Black And a shield wire. Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite |
||||
| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5089 |
Yip, I tried to repair a TI57 calculator when I was few years younger. I was student, and on a small budget. TI: Black = + Red = - Since then....I always check... PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
||||
| horus Newbie Joined: 25/04/2021 Location: United StatesPosts: 12 |
SUCCESS! IT'S ALIVE! I did figure out, though, that I need a head-mounted magnifier to do fine work anymore. Darn near went blind trying to see to work. {mumbles} gettin' too old, I guess...{/mumbles} I did find a shield on this cable when I cut it up, and the heat-shrink I had on hand is really old, and not the "flow-fill" kind, so the support at the splice isn't what it should be, but it worked. Even auto-negotiated USB 2.0 from a USB 3.0 port. Turtle graphics work now. I haven't had much time for a more thorough test, and probably won't until later this weekend, but it works. STM32CubeProgrammer is some very well thought-out software! I'm glad it is available for Linux, too. It really made this firmware upgrade less of a nail-biter. Well, my workbench is a wreck, and I've got to get off to work. You folks rock on! |
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
