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Old 10th Dec 2018, 1:03 am   #4
SiriusHardware
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,482
Default Re: MK14 programming interface - MK2

The uploader program / script which does the real work will be uploaded here soon. I did all the preliminary testing with the program written to work only with MK14s which have the new OS, then relented and decided that I would include a settable flag in the program so that it could be set to work with the old OS just by changing one line of the script. Code entry on an MK14 with the old OS requires a different (and more numerous) sequence of keypresses to achieve the same thing.

I made those changes and started to test it, only to discover that the file copy of the 'old' OS that I've had lying around for years was corrupt - it came up with the correct '---- --' reset prompt but would not allow me to enter data. I still have my original old-version PROMs somewhere but could not manage to find them anywhere, no idea where I have put them.

Martin Lukasek's site came to the rescue once more, as I found binary file coples of both OSes buried in an obscure corner there. The file for the old OS there is good, and so far the uploader seems to be working with the old OS as well as the new. I've only tested on a Pi Zero W so far - just need to find a 40 pin to 40 pin IDC header cable so I can test with a Pi 3 as well.

If you can't find your original collection of edge connectors there are various retro suppliers who sell 'ZX Spectrum' edge connectors - they are longer than needed for the MK14 edge connector but are easily sawn down to size.
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