Troubleshooting
Table of contents
- Hardware Issues
- The
ROMEMULvolume is not recognized by the host computer when the device is connected to a USB power source - The
ROMEMULvolume are not recognized by the host computer when the device is connected to the Atari ST - When I copy a TOS image to the SidecarTridge TOS, the file is not recognized or stored correctly
- The SidecarTridge TOS does not respond to the RESET button
- The SidecarTridge TOS does not respond to the BOOT button
- The
- Atari ST Issues
- SWITCHER.TOS Issues
- TOS Images and Volume copying/transferring issues
- When copying TOS-images to the ROM emulator via USB, they don’t appear in SWITCHER.TOS
- When copying TOS-images from the Atari computer via SWITCHER.TOS, the images from a previous USB copy session appear
- Manually editing DEFAULT.TXT and RESCUE.TXT doesn’t seem to have any effect
- After manually editing DEFAULT.TXT and RESCUE.TXT, it seems to find the first image in the list
Hardware Issues
UPGRADE TO VERSION FIRMWARE VERSION 2. In version 1 of the firmware, the top issue is the fragmentation of the filesystem. This issue is solved in version 2.
The ROMEMUL volume is not recognized by the host computer when the device is connected to a USB power source
If the ROMEMUL volume is not recognized by the host computer when the device is connected to a USB power source, we need to figure out if the issue is related to the USB power source or the SidecarTridge TOS device. To solve this issue, follow these steps:
Check the USB connection
Verify that the cable is correctly connected to the SidecarTridge TOS device and the USB power source. Try using a different USB cable or USB power source to see if the issue is related to the USB connection.
We cannot stress enough the importance of using a good quality USB data transfering cable.
Enter into BOOTSEL mode
The BOOTSEL mode is the mode to flash the firmware on the SidecarTridge TOS device. To enter into BOOTSEL mode, this is the well-known procedure for the RP2040 microcontroller:
- Hold down the
RESETbutton on the SidecarTridge TOS ROM Board. - While holding
RESET, press and hold theBOOTbutton. - Release the
RESETbutton. - Release the
BOOTbutton.
Alternatively, you can do this without using the RESET button:
- Unplug the device from the USB connector and power off the computer.
- Hold the
BOOTbutton. - Plug in the USB connector.
- Release the
BOOTbutton.
If the RPI-RP2 volume does not appear on your computer, check that the USB cable is correctly connected to the SidecarTridge TOS device and the USB power source.
If the RPI-RP2 volume appears, try reinstalling the firmware: Firmware Installation Guide
The ROMEMUL volume are not recognized by the host computer when the device is connected to the Atari ST
If the SidecarTridge TOS takes the power from the Atari ST it will not be recognized by the host computer and the device will start working in the TOS emulator mode and not in the mass storage mode. To solve this issue, double check that your Atari ST is powered off when you connect the SidecarTridge TOS to the Atari ST.
When I copy a TOS image to the SidecarTridge TOS, the file is not recognized or stored correctly
The host computers implement in the external storage devices a cache mechanism that can cause the file to be stored incorrectly. To solve this issue, eject the SidecarTridge TOS volume ALWAYS from the host computer when you finish copying the TOS images.
The SidecarTridge TOS does not respond to the RESET button
If the SidecarTridge TOS does not respond to the RESET button we need to figure out if the device enters into the BOOTSEL mode. Follow these steps described in the previous section.
If the device enters into the BOOTSEL mode, try pressing the RESET button again. If the device does not respond to the RESET button, try cleaning the RESET button with isopropyl alcohol: Occasionally, micro-buttons can stop responding due to dust, grease, or flux buildup. Apply isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to the buttons, press them multiple times while wet, and allow the IPA to evaporate.
The SidecarTridge TOS does not respond to the BOOT button
If the SidecarTridge TOS does not respond to the BOOT button after following the procedure to enter into the BOOTSEL mode, try cleaning the BOOT button with isopropyl alcohol as described in the previous section.
Atari ST Issues
The Atari ST does not boot when the SidecarTridge TOS is connected
Ensure that the TOS images are correctly flashed on the SidecarTridge TOS:
- Try first with the default firmware version that comes with the EmuTOS image. It should work out of the box.
- Modify the file
DEFAULT.TXTwith the name of the TOS image you want to use. - Verify that the TOS image size is correct for your Atari ST model. As a rule of thumb, the TOS image size should be 192KB for ST/STF/STFM models and 256KB for STE/MegaSTE models.
- Verify that the TOS image is correctly flashed on the SidecarTridge TOS.
- After making any change in the volume, gently eject the SidecarTridge TOS volume from the host computer.
The Atari ST boots with a black screen or garbage characters
Some USB cables can set some signals on the USB port that can interfere with the SidecarTridge TOS Emulator. To solve this issue, fully unplug the USB cable from the SidecarTridge TOS and try again.
SWITCHER.TOS Issues
The SWITCHER.TOS program returns an error when reading the list of available TOS images
Check that the version of the SWITCHER.TOS program is the same as the firmware version of the SidecarTridge TOS. The SWITCHER.TOS program is included in the volume since version 2.0.0. If you have updated the firmware, you should also update the SWITCHER.TOS program.
The SWITCHER.TOS program hangs when loading available TOS images
The SWITCHER.TOS program can hang when loading the available TOS images if the USB cable is connected to the SidecarTridge TOS. To solve this issue, fully unplug the USB cable from the SidecarTridge TOS. Some USB cables can set some signals on the USB port that can interfere with the SidecarTridge TOS Emulator.
Cannot upload TOS images with names longer than 8 characters and three-letter extension
The SWITCHER.TOS program supports long filenames up to 64 characters. However, the Atari ST operating system only supports filenames with 8 characters and three-letter extension. To solve this issue and upload TOS images with long filenames, use the mass storage mode of the SidecarTridge TOS and copy the TOS images directly to the ROMEMUL volume from a host computer.
TOS Images and Volume copying/transferring issues
When copying TOS-images to the ROM emulator via USB, they don’t appear in SWITCHER.TOS
For the images to appear in SWITCHER.TOS, you must first eject the USB volume after copying. This triggers the system to reindex and recognize the newly added TOS images.
When copying TOS-images from the Atari computer via SWITCHER.TOS, the images from a previous USB copy session appear
Copying TOS-images through SWITCHER.TOS directly from the Atari computer prompts the system to refresh the image index automatically. This includes detecting any TOS-images copied over USB that haven’t yet been recognized because the volume wasn’t ejected.
Manually editing DEFAULT.TXT and RESCUE.TXT doesn’t seem to have any effect
DEFAULT.TXT and RESCUE.TXT require reindexing after editing to apply changes. To do this, make your edits, save the files, and then eject the USB volume. This triggers the reindexing process so that SWITCHER.TOS and the ROM emulator can recognize the updates in these files.
After manually editing DEFAULT.TXT and RESCUE.TXT, it seems to find the first image in the list
If you’ve edited DEFAULT.TXT and RESCUE.TXT and the system seems to find the first image in the list, it’s likely that the files are not formatted correctly. Please check that the file names includeing the extension are correct and they are 64 characters or less.