Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
Hi
I have a new Atmos i have just bought and overall it seems in good condition. It needed some TLC though on closer inspection. The PSU Socket was very loose and i needed to replace it. Some of the keys were non-working or very intermittent. That turned out to be one key had contacts that were not closing and completing the circuit i managed to fix that. The other keys were down to bad solder connections. I replaced all the solder connections on the keyboard ( keyswitches only - not entire PCB ) and that fixed those problems.
The other problem is not something i have come across before - on boot up the Atmos has a random character where the cursor would be and the cursor is one character to the right - so it is printing one random character.
Does anyone have any idea what that could be caused by?
The only other thing i have done is replaced the electrolytic capacitors but the problem was there before i did all the repairs.
I have a new Atmos i have just bought and overall it seems in good condition. It needed some TLC though on closer inspection. The PSU Socket was very loose and i needed to replace it. Some of the keys were non-working or very intermittent. That turned out to be one key had contacts that were not closing and completing the circuit i managed to fix that. The other keys were down to bad solder connections. I replaced all the solder connections on the keyboard ( keyswitches only - not entire PCB ) and that fixed those problems.
The other problem is not something i have come across before - on boot up the Atmos has a random character where the cursor would be and the cursor is one character to the right - so it is printing one random character.
Does anyone have any idea what that could be caused by?
The only other thing i have done is replaced the electrolytic capacitors but the problem was there before i did all the repairs.
Oric Extended Basic V1.1
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
I also have this "feature" on several Atmos.
I can't remember exactly but I think it is something like the RAM byte that holds "the key that has just been pressed" is randomly initialized - that depending on the garbage on screen you can see for 1 or 2 seconds when booting the Oric.
IIRC this also happened in certain conditions with Euphoric (when double-clicking on a TAP file), according to the "RAM Pattern" parameter chosen for the boot.
I don't know (or don't remember!) why some Orics have random garbage on screen when booting, and why other always have the same, nice "picture". I'd be curious to know!
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
This one has a multi-coloured block random pattern a bit like the ZX Spectrum then it goes to a page of black & white vertical lines and then the Oric welcome screen ( plus "{" 90% of the time ).
It does seem to take a bit longer to boot than my old Atmos ( unless my mind is playing tricks on me ). I am pleased that it seems to be a known "quirk" and not a indicator of a problem.
It does seem to take a bit longer to boot than my old Atmos ( unless my mind is playing tricks on me ). I am pleased that it seems to be a known "quirk" and not a indicator of a problem.
Oric Extended Basic V1.1
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
You're not alone!
And I think I have one more Atmos with the same issue.
I don't know why this really happens, but it's interesting for investigation.
And I think I have one more Atmos with the same issue.
I don't know why this really happens, but it's interesting for investigation.
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
On my very 1st Oric-1, I always have this nice and clean boot screen:
But on most of my other machines, I get random garbage - and the random character.
... And never any character after "Ready".But on most of my other machines, I get random garbage - and the random character.
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
All the time using the same powerbrick, or have you tried with different ones?
I know that one of my Atmos was booting differently depending of which power brick I used.
I know that one of my Atmos was booting differently depending of which power brick I used.
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
(not sure the question was for me but anyway ) always got the "clean" boot screen with various PSU, even with disk drive IIRC.
I'm currently digging my emails, because I now recall the Euphoric issue: with Ram patterns 0 and 1, when double-clicking on a TAP file to load it automatically, Euphoric thinks a key has been pressed (just like our real Orics above), and the games asking "pess a key" to start were starting automatically! This didn't happen with Ram Pattern 2 (the "clean" one).
Ram patterns parameter in Euphoric is a great way to see if a game made on emulator initializes correctly its variables (happened with O-Thrust a while ago, remember?)
Anyway I found back a 1st mail, Fabrice saying (rough translation):
"In Euphoric the Ram pattern was a drawing until I understood the mapping with rams polarity. It is now representing the rams content when the Oric is powered."
"some Orics have 8 ram chips, each one holding a bit from a byte; others have 2 chips, each on holding 4 bits".
So it depends on ram chips types, and their amount apparently! Doesn't explain in detail the garbage, but that's a start.
I'm currently digging my emails, because I now recall the Euphoric issue: with Ram patterns 0 and 1, when double-clicking on a TAP file to load it automatically, Euphoric thinks a key has been pressed (just like our real Orics above), and the games asking "pess a key" to start were starting automatically! This didn't happen with Ram Pattern 2 (the "clean" one).
Ram patterns parameter in Euphoric is a great way to see if a game made on emulator initializes correctly its variables (happened with O-Thrust a while ago, remember?)
Anyway I found back a 1st mail, Fabrice saying (rough translation):
"In Euphoric the Ram pattern was a drawing until I understood the mapping with rams polarity. It is now representing the rams content when the Oric is powered."
"some Orics have 8 ram chips, each one holding a bit from a byte; others have 2 chips, each on holding 4 bits".
So it depends on ram chips types, and their amount apparently! Doesn't explain in detail the garbage, but that's a start.
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
Oric Extended Basic V1.1
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
I get the same character as you most of the time - this is very odd.
Oric Extended Basic V1.1
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
- ibisum
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Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
I have 8 Atmos, an Oric-1 and a Telestrat - and they all behave differently depending on the power supply being used. I've noticed that the lower Amps, the messier the screen on boot up - maybe this is a clue?
Re: Oric Atmos Boot-Up Query
I am using a decent 9V 1A PSU what are you using for your Oric's & Telestrat ( nice )
Oric Extended Basic V1.1
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free
(C) 1983 Tangerine
37631 Bytes Free