Newbrain Storage Device

[CDesp]

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I just posted a new article about a tape replacement device that uses the serial port to load and save files.

You can check it out here .

 

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[CDesp]

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User simmo1010 asked

I haven’t worked out how to save files from the NewBrain to the SD card – I get error 120 – “Syntax error in baud rate parameter string”. Is there some other command I should be using on the NewBrain (other than poke 19,9: save “filename”)?

Expected baudrate is 9600bps and it works on my Newbrain but maybe some roms have another default value, i ‘ll have to check this out.

Also if you want to save to this device you must first press the ‘REC’ button (the 1st one) on the device and then issue the command Save “A_filename.bas”.

If you want to load a file you must first issue the Load command and then press the ‘PLAY” button on the device.

Of course you should set the default device to 9 with Poke 19,9 prior to any Load, Save, Openin, or Openout commands.

 

[simmo1010]

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Sorry – I have been posting under the tape replacement article rather than in the forum!

On CDesp said

Expected baudrate is 9600bps and it works on my Newbrain but maybe some roms have another default value, i ‘ll have to check this out.

Also if you want to save to this device you must first press the ‘REC’ button (the 1st one) on the device and then issue the command Save “A_filename.bas”.

I don’t think it is a baudrate issue as I can load files with …

poke 19,9: load

… and save files (without a filename) using …

open#9,9

save#9

close#9

 

I get the 120 error if I pass any string argument to the “save” or “load” commands after the “poke 19,9” command.

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by simmo1010.

[CDesp]

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It has been a while since i tampered with this, so i will have to look at it. The arduino code does not let you set a filename though yet.

After i looked into it by saving on device 9 (RS232) newbrain expects only the required parameters from serial transmition so just a number for transmition or two numbers seperated by ‘R’ to set the transmit and receive baudrate and nothing else. So it is not possible to set the file name in one command BUT it should be possible to issue a new command by sending something like PRINT#9,”rFilename” to rename the last saved file. That requires changes to the Arduino code.

[simmo1010]

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That’s a relief – I thought I was doing something wrong, or had a hardware bug on the board. I’m slowly starting to get my head around the NewBrain, it’s a really interesting machine.

Please don’t feel pressured to change the code. You have bigger (modular NewBrain!) projects to focus on. Once I get a bit more confident with the NewBrain and Arduino I will have a play with the code.

Thanks again. Ian.

[Loccy]

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Hi all,

Posted this as a comment on the original page, but thought I’d put it here to in case anyone is watching the thread more closely.

Am a new NewBrainer here. I actually have a retro computing exhibition that operates out of a UK university, and the NewBrain was a narrative hole in our collection – in an alternate universe the NewBrain was Sinclair’s first microcomputer, and in an alternate alternate universe it was the BBC Micro.

I’d rather assumed there would be a community producing gizmos like the DivMMC for the Spectrum, or at the very least I’d be able to use a Maxduino to load tape images onto it. But it seems as if this is the only game in town.

I’m very much a software rather than hardware guy, so before I go off to JCLPCB, I don’t suppose anyone has any spares of the board lying around (given that people must have had to order five of them!). Obviously happy to pay (within reason).

And on the off-chance – would anyone be willing to make a fully assembled board in return for actual money? You’d be really helping us out to showcase the NewBrain – otherwise it’ll be sitting there at a BASIC prompt while the Speccies are rocking classics like Manic Miner and the C64 will be blasting out epic SID soundtracks! Even the ZX81 will have something going on!

All the best,

Paul

[Author]

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