A new version of the firmware for the Ultimate-64 (U64/U64E) / U2 / U2+ / U2+L by Gideon is released.

This release has again some significant changes for the firmware upgrade. Please read the manual before installing 3.10i.

Background:

If you would take some time to check the commit history of the repository at GitHub, you may find over 500 commits since the last released version, 3.10a. This is a lotttt more than it usually takes to release a next firmware version. The version is still 3.10, so there are not many functional changes. Yet, files have been touched, updated, or just made compatible with the new Ultimate-II+L hardware. It was more difficult than expected to get the Lattice FPGA to work correctly and keep compatibility with the existing hardware platforms.

On top of the new introduction of the Ultimate-II+L, there is still a need to support the “good old” 1541 Ultimate-II (or simply: U2). There have always been issues with the Microblaze processor and the compiler from Xilinx. Every version of the Xilinx compiler had different bugs that caused the Microblaze based firmware to be broken in one way or another.

Since the U2+L runs well on the Risc-V, it was decided to upgrade the CPU inside of the U2 and ditch the Microblaze forever. Unfortunately, the CPU that was chosen to run inside of the U2+L did not fit in the same space as the Microblaze clone, so I decided to write my own Risc-V compatible CPU. This is the CPU that will be used from now on in the 1541 Ultimate-II.

General Fixes:

• [Important] Fixed ExFAT filesystems with 128kB clusters (Fixes failing D64 mounts from some ExFAT thumbdrives)
• [Facebook Discussion] EasyFlash save function now saves all chip chunks to support incomplete CRT files
• [Issue-271] GEORAM at boot (MarkusC64)
• [Issue-279] Support for 2 MHz operation for any cartridge, including EasyFlash
• [Issue-246] Fixed: Virtual Printer crashes when file cannot be created.
• [Issue-234] Deleting last item in directory makes selection invisible
• [Issue-236] Confirmation modal asking a question only gives ‘OK’ instead of ‘Yes/No’.
• [Issue-R17] Added mapping of ESC key to RUN/STOP.
• [Facebook Request] Added: Leave menu on mount (can be selected per drive)
• [Facebook Bug Report]: Fixed starting Kingsoft Business Basic cartridge
• [Facebook Bug Report]: Allow Maverick (and others?) to write wrong sector headers on MFM tracks.
• [Facebook Bug Report]: Unable to select GeoRAM. Is now a mode of the RAM Expansion Unit.
• [Facebook Bug Report]: Fixed color palette not loaded at boot (U64 only).
• [Facebook Bug Report]: Fixed USB sticks not recognized
• [Messenger Report]: Improvements to palette file read. Rejects faulty files. Fixes hang-up
• [Messenger Report]: Fixes ‘Create DNP’ when run from Telnet. Turned out to be a stack overflow.
• [Email Discussion]: Adds EEPROM segment to GMOD2 when it is missing in the CRT file

U64 core fixes:

• Multicolor graphics side border bug (core version V1.41 => V1.42)

Modem fixes:

• ACIA NMI pulse extension to extend over bad line. This allows the 6502 to see it always.
• Performance optimization ACIA / Modem
• Allow spaces after ATDT command.
• Minor fixes in the modem emulation layer from Scott Hutter (xlar54)

Cartridge Support:

• [Issue-314] Added support for Blackbox V9.
• Additional C128 cartridge variant that allows banking and offers some RAM (U2/U2+/U2+L only).

Additions:

• Firmware target added: Ultimate-II+L; the Lattice version!
• System Information page (F4) now shows elaborate version info.
• GEOS support functions from MarkusC64

Download:

• U64/Ultimate-64 – U2 – U2+ – U2+L v3.10i (Core: v1.42) (65)*
• Installation and User Manual V3.10i (499)

* Temporarily revoked due to one report of bricked unit.

source: ultimate64.com github.com facebook