Z88dk: [sharp x1] adding graphics and general improvements

[zx70]

I just succeeded in decoding the core entry table of the HuBASIC interpreter and put the results in the basck.c tool, which greatly helps in disassembling all its variants .
It will unveil lots of useful information on the Sharp machines, so far I tested it on the mz700 basic and the x1 disk image, I'll try with the mz2500 too.

[zx70]

I put the result of my investigations in the "techdocs" project, (X1 folder). Do you think I can add also my derived source of MSX (it can be assembled to produce the original ROM) and other similar stuff ?

[suborb]

@zx70 did you figure out how to access the pcg memory? The font on the x1 is awful and it would be nice to be able to reconfigure it.

[zx70]

I could have something more somewhere, but in the mesntime you can look fot 'def chr$' in my basic disassembly: https://github.com/z88dk/techdocs/blob/master/targets/x1/hubasic-CZ8FB01.asm

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From: suborb [e-mail]
Sent: Saturday, September 1, 2018 7:05:58 PM
To: z88dk/z88dk
Cc: Stefano; Mention
Subject: Re: [z88dk/z88dk] [sharp x1] adding graphics and general improvements (#787)

@zx70https://github.com/zx70 did you figure out how to access the pcg memory? The font on the x1 is awful and it would be nice to be able to reconfigure it.

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[suborb]

Time to do something on the X1, it's a capable machine, lets make it better:

• [x] Gencon to support switching between 40 and 80 column mode
• [x] Appmake to generate CP/M discs
• [x] Appmake +x1 to use the disc writer machines to allow flexible output formats
• [x] Get mode switching working in takeda and mame
• [x] Make vt100 handle dynamic mode switching
• [x] Gencon to support PCG - custom fonts/UDGs
• ~[ ] 160x50, 80x50 lores graphics (with PCG support) or very lores 40x25, 80x25~
• [x] Hires graphics (overlaid on text - port 0x1300 sets above/below/mixed)
• [x] CP/M library containing graphics + generic console

I think my font issues were caused by a bad dump - I've taken the mame files and it's a lot better now.

[suborb]

I've just about got the hires graphics working now after a fair bit of head scratching (point is still broken at the moment) - as usual I forgot to set the palette so nothing was being shown on screen.

Quick screenshot:

The hires graphics are in rgb planes starting at $4000,$8000,$c000 in the IO space. The screen is split into characters, so that the (0,0) character location has (when using 8x8 characters), the following addresses in the blue plane:

$4000 - pixel row 0
$4800 - pixel row 1
$5000 - pixel row 2
$5800 - pixel row 3
$6000 - pixel row 4
$6800 - pixel row 5
$7000 - pixel row 6
$7800 - pixel row 7

Location (0,1) will have pixel row 0 at $4001. Location (1,0) in 40 column mode starts at $4028, in 80 column mode $4050

[zx70]

this is great news, I can't wait to try building some of our examples on it! there is something in the microbee library used to get hrg with a possibly similar trick, which maybe is worth to try porting to the x1.

[suborb]

I've almost got the PCG working, bar an issue with the space character and a difference in behaviour between mame and takeda:

Loading the PCG is a "little" slow and needs the text VRAM to be populated - hence why a lot of the games for the X1 pause with black screens/"please wait" screens - effectively only one character can be redefined every 3 frames.

[suborb]

Final PR about to be posted:

• CPM library containing, gencon, ansi, graphics, psg, input
• Appmake using the disc utilities now creates a d88 files
• Appmake can now create discs containing apps compiled with -subtype=im2
• crt0 refactored to disentangle allram and ipl modes
• All x1 code is now in target/x1
• Interrupt handlers available in allram mode

I think this target is now sorted, so I'm going to shuffle over to the SMC-777 and give it the same treatment.