ATARI ST Sidecart Test suite for the ROM Emulator

This repository contains a test program designed to validate the functionality and performance of the Sidecart ROM Emulator on the Atari ST series computers.

Introduction

The Sidecart ROM Emulator emulates the behavior of Atari ST cartridges and the ROM memory contained. To ensure its flawless operation and accurate timing, this test suite offers several read tests, presenting the results visually on-screen.

For those new to the Sidecart ROM Emulator, we recommend visiting the official Sidecart ROM Emulator website for a comprehensive overview.

Getting Started

To get started with the testing process, you'll need two main files, both of which can be located in the Release page of this repository:

• TESTSCRT.TOS: The primary test program, which should be transferred to your Atari ST machine.

• TESTROM.BIN: A binary file containing randomized data across two ROM banks. This file needs to be copied to both the microSD card used by the Sidecart ROM Emulator and your Atari ST computer.

Setup Instructions

1. File Preparation: Ensure that TESTROM.BIN resides in the same directory as TESTSCRT.TOS on your Atari ST. Files can be transferred using emulated floppy disks, hard drives, or other preferred methods.

2. Sidecart Setup: Plug the Raspberry Pi Pico WH to your SidecarTridge Multidevice board and insert a formatted microSD card with the folders /roms, floppies and hd created in the root directory. Copy TESTROM.BIN to the folder /roms in the microSD card.

3. Create the file .romrescue: In the root folder of microSD card create a file called .romrescue. Edit the file and write TESTROM.BIN in the first line. Save it. This file is used by the Sidecart ROM Emulator to automatically load the ROM file when the Atari ST boots.

4. Eject the SIDECART volume from your computer.

5. Start the rescue ROM: Plug the SidecarTridge Multi-device in your Atari ST computer and power it on. Wait a few seconds for the Configurator blinks and wait also a few seconds for an aditional blink. Now, the ROM rescue is ready. Power off and power on again the computer to guarantee the TESTROM.BIN is loaded. Either reset or power cycle your Atari ST to boot into the default desktop.

6. Running the Test: With the setup complete, simply launch the TESTSCRT.TOS program. It will autonomously perform a series of read tests on the emulated ROM memory, displaying each result on-screen.

Requirements for users.

• An Atari ST/MegaST/STE/MegaSTE computer.
• A SidecarTridge Multi-device with a Raspberry Pi Pico WH.

Requirements for developers

• An Atari ST/MegaST/STE/MegaSTE computer. There are several emulators available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. I recommend Hatari, and I'm also a big fan of MiSTer. It should work on any Atari STe with at least 1MB of RAM.

• A SidecarTridge Multi-device with a Raspberry Pi Pico WH.

• The atarist-toolkit-docker: You should read first how to install it and how to use it. It's very easy.

• A git client. You can use the command line or a GUI client.

• A Makefile compatible with GNU Make.

Building

Once you have your real Atari ST computer, Hatari emulator or MiSTer Atari ST up and running, you can build the program using the following steps:

1. Clone this repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/sidecartridge/atarist-sidecart-test-rom.git

2. Export the ST_WORKING_FOLDER environment variable with the absolute path of the folder where you cloned the repository:

export ST_WORKING_FOLDER=<ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_THE_FOLDER_WHERE_YOU_CLONED_THE_REPO>

3. Build the test program. Enter the atarist-sidecart-test-rom folder and run the make script:

cd atarist-sidecart-test-rom
make

4. Copy the dist/TESTSCRT.TOS file to your Atari ST computer, Hatari emulator or MiSTer Atari ST.

5. Run it!

Resources

License

This project is licenses under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See the LICENSE file for details.