How to create custom 41C modules from keystroke programs?

[rprosperi]

(10-08-2020 02:33 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  [snip]
A few things I need to figure out still:

How do I configure HEPAX RAM size? I see HEPAX M6-4R in A1, M6-5R in B1, and M6-[0-3] occupying 61-64.

Can I have multiple HEPAX RAMs and swap them in and out?

How do I export the HEPAX RAM to a ROM .mod file?

I imagine the DM41X HEPAX functionality will mature and become more convenient to use as time goes on.

The number of RAM pages a HEPAX module allocates is defined in the .mod file format. The existing HEPAX 4H file allocates 2 pages (so, 8k) emulating a "STD HEPAX" module, but this could be changed to allocate 4 pages (so now 16k) and thus emulate an "ADV HEPAX" module. I've no idea if one could have 3 pages... but no real device ever existed so it's untested - I'd stay away from that.

You can indeed have multiple sets of Upper RAM (HEPAX or otherwise) as RAM can be saved and then loaded later, effectively letting you 'swap' among different sets of saved programs.

For exporting HRAM (in a .RAM file) there is no direct way to do that, although it appears Meindert will look into that as a possible feature in the new version of MLDL2K he's working on.

OTOH, you can take the .RAM file (for default HEPAX that is 2 x 4K blocks of 10-bit data) and slice out each page and convert it to the 8-bit format used in .rom files, and then the .rom files can be converted with the current MLDL2K into a .mod file. So... Possible, but not simple.

Sylvain will be addressing these very details in his VHC presentation on Saturday, so be sure to tune in for that presentation.

But none of this is necessary if you just want to load a ton of FOCAL programs into HRAM - they are all 'online' and can be directly executed with no limitations, just like any other FOCAL. And you can 'Save RAM' (from the SETUP Modules menu) to be sure you have a safe backup, or even if you wanted to share the whole group of programs.