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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : PicoMite V5.07.06 preview - flash file system

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matherp
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Posted: 08:49am 16 Dec 2022
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Support for flash chips > 2M
Copy to from SD to Flash
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 08:59am 16 Dec 2022
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LOL!
But you can't do that....  ;)

Nice one, Peter, very nice indeed. :)

Can you write data files to the flash, not just programs?
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
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matherp
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Posted: 09:32am 16 Dec 2022
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Pluto
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Posted: 10:51am 16 Dec 2022
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Great Peter!
Just to clarify the "Flash".
-I suppose this is the "onboard" flash memory chip, which is 2M on the "standard" green modules shown in the PicoMite User Manual. The new features will not be possible for these modules?
-Do I have to buy an other module with e.g. 4M flash onboard or is it possible to add an "external" flash to the "standard" green modules for enabling the new features?

Thanks!
 
matherp
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Posted: 11:04am 16 Dec 2022
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Standard Pico 2Mb
 
thwill

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Posted: 11:10am 16 Dec 2022
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Impressive - can you tell us some other things that can't be done with the PicoMite so that we can look forward to enjoying them in the future ?

Joking aside, I thought the first post said it required flash > 2M ?

Is this compatible with storing programs in flash slots ?

Is access meaningfully faster than to the SDCard ? - I'm thinking in the context of using it to support the virtual memory that a full (128K) version of Z-MIM requires on the PicoMite.

Best wishes,

Tom
Edited 2022-12-16 21:17 by thwill
Game*Mite, CMM2 Welcome Tape, Creaky old text adventures
 
Tinine
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Posted: 11:15am 16 Dec 2022
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Whoa, my PGA2040s have 8MB  
 
matherp
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Posted: 11:17am 16 Dec 2022
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  Quote   I thought the first post said it required flash > 2M ?


No: just includes support for >2Mb as well as the standard

  Quote  Is access meaningfully faster than to the SDCard ?


Based on simple test of just loading a file - yes much faster - remember the flash chip is memory mapped for read

Current status is pretty much everything is working but only a single file allowed open at any one time (Same as ArmmiteL4) and single directory. That is the next (BIG) change (multiple files definite but directories not sure). Also not happy with the selection of the filesystem but can't use another command as no slots free. Finally haven't decided whether to allow file prefixes (A:, b:) also a very big change
Edited 2022-12-16 21:23 by matherp
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 11:21am 16 Dec 2022
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<me> cheers!  
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
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Tinine
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Posted: 11:24am 16 Dec 2022
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  thwill said  Impressive - can you tell us some other things that can't be done with the PicoMite so that we can look forward to enjoying them in the future ?


 
 
JohnS
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Posted: 11:33am 16 Dec 2022
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Brilliant!

If some restrictions are needed, so be it.

John
 
Tinine
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Posted: 05:11pm 16 Dec 2022
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This is such great news. I was planning on SD card but I don't need such capacity and I'm not 100% comfortable with them.  
 
matherp
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Posted: 05:33pm 16 Dec 2022
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Question:

What trade-off between flash slots and flash disk?

Flash slots can chain and run immediately (already tokenised)
Disk is general purpose.

My instinct is to set the maximum flash slots to 5 - thoughts?
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 06:10pm 16 Dec 2022
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Could the max number of flash slots be a user option? Perhaps not to increase them, but to be able to sacrifice slots to get more "disk".
Edited 2022-12-17 04:12 by Mixtel90
Mick

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Volhout
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Posted: 07:04pm 16 Dec 2022
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Woah,

I know I asked for this, never thought  it would ever be.

You are asking for flash slots versus filesystem. I would either go for flash slots -or- filesystem.
Personally I would use file system the most, since my programs are never large, but I do want to store data.
And in many applications one Mbyte filesystem will suffice (300k is a bit limitted). Sacrifice all flash slots in that case.

I would like to propose to make the command structure where possible identical to SD, since MMEdit filemanager can be used to pull data off. Or, discuss with Jim how this will work.

Waow....
PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS
 
gadgetjack
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Joined: 15/07/2016
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Posted: 07:44pm 16 Dec 2022
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I see this as a very nice gift for the picomite. Can't wait to try it out. Thanks Peter.
 
matherp
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Posted: 07:55pm 16 Dec 2022
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Because of the complexity of the memory allocation flexible use of flash slots/flash disk is not possible
 
Bleep
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Joined: 09/01/2022
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Posted: 08:08pm 16 Dec 2022
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Can you give us a rough idea of what the trade off represents? ie. Is there any flash with 7 slots? How much flash do you gain for each slot lost? My current max is 3 slots linked, but I wouldn't want to be limited to only 3, so 5 may be a good compromise.
Thanks as always for all the work you put into this.
Regards Kevin
Edited 2022-12-17 06:11 by Bleep
 
Mixtel90

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Posted: 08:10pm 16 Dec 2022
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Never mind, it was just an idea.  :)
In that case I'm rather undecided... Although you can mess about with data files to preserve variables it's not as "clean" as CHAIN. Program switching would also be slower as the new program would have to be tokenized. Perhaps it's as well to keep *some* flash slots.

To get a command slot, would this be the time to get rid of, say, IRETURN which I doubt if anyone has used yet? It could be replaced by "*" or something to open up sub-commands:
*filesystem [sd|flash]
*copy
or whatever...  Probably a lot of work.
Edited 2022-12-17 06:29 by Mixtel90
Mick

Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini
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TassyJim

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Joined: 07/08/2011
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Posted: 08:58pm 16 Dec 2022
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  Volhout said  
I would like to propose to make the command structure where possible identical to SD, since MMEdit filemanager can be used to pull data off. Or, discuss with Jim how this will work.


The preferred process is: Peter gets it working satisfactorily and then I adapt MMEdit to suit.

If I am lucky, I will have to change one line in the MMCC.INF preferences file

Change
Type5 = picomite|autosave|\026|0|1|1|files|0|1|1|30


to
Type5 = picomite|autosave|\026|0|2|1|files|0|1|1|30


The original Maximite had two drives so most of the 'user visible' work is already done in MMCC ready for any such innovation.
What I have to do to get it working is not relevant.

Jim
Edited 2022-12-17 07:04 by TassyJim
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