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Hello, my Spectrum Clone collection now also includes a Sprinter 2016s.
I now have a question about the hardware. The sprinter does not run stably. With a cold start, it may need 2 to 3 attempts. There are also uncontrolled system crashes.
For the VIDEO RAM use the CY7C1009D-10VXI. I have already tested various DRAM modules. No change in behavior.
A 1GB Seagate works best as an HDD. I couldn't install a 1 GB CF card. I formatted the CF card using a PC AT 386 with MS DOS 6.22.
The CMOS RAM is a Dalles 1287. The time / date as well as the BIOS parameters are safely saved.
For the IDE drivers I use 74HCT245 types. I also use 74HCT174 types for the 74174 registers.
How long does it take to compute a well-filled fractal?
After a running time of approx. 8 hours, there wasn't much to see.
Does anyone have experience in operation with the Sprinter 2016s?
Regards
mwlay

> Hello, my Spectrum Clone collection now also includes a Sprinter 2016s.

Hi and Congrats

> How long does it take to compute a well-filled fractal?
> After a running time of approx. 8 hours, there wasn't much to see.

Fractals are slow - it's normal (speed depends on black area that is slowest and whites are fastest)

Also it looks like you switched Red and Green lines:



> The sprinter does not run stably. With a cold start, it may need 2 to 3 attempts. There are also uncontrolled system crashes.

Did you try to use different SIMM module? May be current one is not good (run sqrt.exe on it to see if it has errors)

You can try any SIMM72 4MB and up (FPM or EDO)

> I couldn't install a 1 GB CF card. I formatted the CF card using a PC AT 386 with MS DOS 6.22.

Not all CF-cards can work in CF-to-IDE adapter here - I used 30MB one

hey! welcome to The Sprinter Family

what do you mean does not run stable? sprinter does not boot dos or does not start at all? do you see logo and bios messages stable?

i highly recommend do not use HCT series. PetersPlus developed the board for ALS and LS series.
according to my extensive tests HC/AC series works as well, so I solders with HC. HCT really works unstable.
more over, IDE buffers works better with LS, not ALS. video registers is the best with HC, not HCT or any TTL -- it lead to verical lines in pixelclock. the picture is crystal clean with HC.

and about Dallas: it should be 12887, not 1287.
1287 have less memory, it coould be affect something. i havent test it due to no 1287 at my lab.
1287 was used at Sprinter 97.

Thank you for the answers.
#Shaos, I don't have the sqrt.exe test program. where can I download the program?
How do I start the fractal calculation? Just start the FRACTALS.EXE or start the make.bat (zmac -o FRACTALS.EXE MANDSET.A)?
# RomanRom2, I will replace the HCT types with HC, LS or AC types. I've already got myself a 12887 for the Dallas.
More tests will follow over the weekend.
regards

> How do I start the fractal calculation? Just start the FRACTALS.EXE

Yes. And then you can use navigation arrows, plus and minus or mouse clcking to the buttons on the right side to navigate deeper into Mandelbrot Set

> I don't have the sqrt.exe test program. where can I download the program?

This is part of latest community supported OS installation disk: https://app.sprinter.ru/os/estex-dss162

Hi there,
I swapped the HCT245 IDE drivers for HC245 types. The SPrinter runs so much more stable. I also exchanged the real-time clock for a DS12887.
#Shaos, thanks for the tip about swapping the green and red color channels.
Are the values for the capacitors C39,WR_AWG (22pF) and C10, NCONFIG (330pF) critical?
The 1 GB CF card now also works for the HDDs. However, only 500 MB can be used.
Can the Sprinter tool FDISK be used to create a second partition on the CF card and how is this formatted?
regards

congrats for stable Sprinter


not critial, i was removing them and Sprinter works fine. I believe this is for unstable IC from past... so you can try without them at all.

regarding HDD, Sprinter fdisk of course can be used and format any FAT-16 partitions . I have 4 x 2gb, total 8gb. Did you try last version of fdisk? Get it at the Sprinter App Store: https://app.sprinter.ru/system/fdisk

> The 1 GB CF card now also works for the HDDs. However, only 500 MB can be used.

This is strange - technically with FAT16 you may have partition with size up to 2GB (and you may have 4 of them on 1 drive) - try to use last FDISK as RomanRom2 said

I tried to set up the HDD with the tool Fdisk. I was able to create the partition. Formatting the partition was not possible. I have tried several FAT settings. All without formatting success.
What am I doing wrong?

Sorry, formatting is not implemented in FDISK yet

Use external FORMAT.EXE to format your new partition: https://app.sprinter.ru/system/format

Also use different ID 0E FAT16, LBA - in this case partition might be up to 2GB:

Hello sprinter friends, setting up a new hdd works well with the tool FDISK and FORMAT. I was able to set up several partitions with a size of 2 GB.
Thank you for the hints.

Can the KR140UD1208 be replaced with the OPV uA776?
The sound doesn't work? The signals DAC_BCK, DAC_DATA and DAC_WB are present (signal on oscillograph).

Which audio chip you use?

I tested the types TDA 1543A and TDA1543. The same result with both. I got the TDA from Chinamann?! Whether the fake IC?
Oszilloscope: CLK + Data: CLK: 7 MHz

it has to be TDA1543 (without A, because A has different protocol)
most likely you've got remarked A - try to order TDA1543 from legitimate source