Boot process

MVS boot process (SP-E)

• Interrupts are disabled and acknowledged, watchdog is kicked, $4000 in REG_LSPCMODE (Autoanim speed = 64 frames)
• Puts $FF on all 3 LED latches (uses NOP waits)
• Use BIOS vector table and onboard FIX/M1 ROM, activate both coin lockouts
• Checks the 64KiB of work RAM by filling with $5555 and reading back, filling with $AAAA and reading back, filling with increment and reading back.
• If all dipswitches are down, check backup RAM like before but in an infinite loop
• If not, check if "BACKUP RAM OK !",$80 is at $D00010
• If string isn't there:
  • Go for full check
  • Init backup RAM by filling the 64KiB with zeroes backwards ($D0FFFF to $D00000)
  • Copy "BACKUP RAM OK !",$80 string
  • Write 01 01 01 02 01 01 01 03 00 00 30 3B 00 (13 bytes) to $D0003A
  • Write $23(35) to $D00122
  • Write 8 times $0000FFFF from $D00124
  • Write $F0F0F0F0 to $D001AC
  • Write $FFFF to $D001B0
  • Reprotect backup RAM
• Checks the 2*8KiB of palette RAM, bank 0 and 1
• Checks the low VRAM ($0000~$7FFF) and high VRAM ($8000~$85FF) with the same $5555/$AAAA/inc method
• Tells the RTC to output a 1s period pulse, time is measured in frames using the Vblank interrupt between two falling edges, if less than 57 or more than 64 frames: Calendar error. Warning: code can get stuck in a loop if RTC pulse line is cut ?
• Weird check on the Vblank handler pointer in the bios itself, never changes ?
• Computes 8bit bios checksum by adding together 128 bytes from $000000 (vector table) and all the ones from $C00082 to $C1FFFF. The value is then compared against the one at $C00080, if it's different: "SYSTEM ROM ERROR"
• Memory card name is requested with CARD function, if error code $81 (inserted but not formatted), do full check with $55, $AA then 16bit inc.
• $D0005E=$FFFF,$D00060,$D00048,$D00020=$0000, 16 bytes are cleared from $D00024 upwards
• Reads the time from RTC and sets $D0005A.b to the hour
• Reads date from RTC and compares year/month/day with $D00104.b, if difference:
  • $10F300 = $D00105, $D00104.l = $10FDD2, $D00122.b inc'd up to $24 in a loop with other stuff
  • ...

MVS boot process (Unibios)

Unibios have some differences from SP-E.

• Checksum is computed by adding together 128 bytes from $000000 (vector table) and all the ones from $C00086 to $C1FFFF.

CD boot process (TOP-SP1)

• CD registers are set like this:
  • $FF0015.b = $07
  • $FF0017.b = 0
  • $FF0006.w = $71FF
  • $FF0008.w = 0
  • $FF000A.w = $7E40
  • $FF0165.b = 3, then 1
  • $FF000D.b = 3
  • $FF000E.b = 0
  • $FF0119.b = 0 (disable video output)
  • $FF0111.b = 1 (enable sprites)
  • $FF0115.b = 1 (enable fix)
  • $FF0101.b = $A
  • $FF0103.b = 0
  • $FF0101.b = $E
  • $FF0103.b = $10
  • $FF0167.b clr
  • $FF016D.b = 0
  • $FF016F.b = 0 (enable IRQs)
• Init RAM
• Load BIOS vector table
• Disable interrupts
• Load DRAMs with graphics & stuff
• Enable interrupts