Sony HitBit 11 not booting into Sofarun + Mapper Megaram 512kb

Supporter (11)

07-04-2021, 03:06

Hi! This is my first experience with a MSX computer and already need some piece of advice .

I've got this Sony HB-11 since years and recently I've bought two “Mapper Megaram 512 kb” cartridges in Brazil, since in my country they are not being sold.

Been expecting so much to see it working and try some games, but things were not as expected. Both of the cartridges are not booting, they are detected, as shown in this picture , but instead of getting into the menu to run Sofarun, I get into the Sony’s main menu (Basic, Kanji dictionary and Word processor).

I’ve tried doing as the user’s manual says, and everything that’s been written in this topics:

https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/general-discussion/how-to...

https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/general-discussion/hi-eve...

https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/hardware/8bits4ever-sd-51...

https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/hardware/info-request-on-...

At this point I cannot tell if mistakes were made at following those instructiones, but nothing has changed at all. Could it be, this computer is not compatible with Sofarun?

Thank you.

By gdx

Enlighted (6219)

07-04-2021, 10:16

I think this cartridge is almost the same as the Fractal2000 SD Mapper/Megaram 512kb

You must enable the internal RAM and set it on Memory Mapper. Install also Nextor on the first SD card. (Just copy COMMAND.COM, MSXDOS.SYS, COMMAND2.COM and NEXTOR.SYS (or NEXTORJP.SYS) into the root directory.

By Grauw

Ascended (10768)

07-04-2021, 10:26

The issue may be the Sony HB-11 firmware?

By Andres

Supporter (11)

07-04-2021, 14:26

EraseUS Partition: Format to FAT16, cluster size 64 kb.
Copied COMMAND.COM, MSXDOS.SYS, COMMAND2.COM and NEXTORJP.SYS onto the SD card.
Both switches are set to the right, "Off/On" = On (RAM) and "MR/MP = MP (Memory Mapper).

Nextor is working, in "BASIC", call commands are available, but still cannot use the explorer, just getting into the main menu.

*Both of the SD cards came ready to plug and play.

By Andres

Supporter (11)

07-04-2021, 14:32

I do not know. Apparently no one has used this particular model with SD Megaram Mapper.

By Manuel

Ascended (19469)

07-04-2021, 14:41

What explorer?

By Andres

Supporter (11)

07-04-2021, 14:47

Sorry, by file explorer I meant Sofarun

By Manuel

Ascended (19469)

07-04-2021, 15:20

For that you first need to boot to MSX-DOS2 (or Nextor). So, you need to get an A:\> command prompt. That should work if command2.com and nextor.sys are on the first partition and that it's marked as bootable in _FDISK.
Also, the RAM needs to be enabled, because Nextor/DOS2 needs at least 128kB RAM and your Sony doesn't have that.

By gdx

Enlighted (6219)

07-04-2021, 15:30

Andres wrote:

EraseUS Partition: Format to FAT16, cluster size 64 kb.
Copied COMMAND.COM, MSXDOS.SYS, COMMAND2.COM and NEXTORJP.SYS onto the SD card.

I think NEXTORJP.SYS must be renamed NEXTOR.SYS to use it. And it's preferable to create the partitions with CALL FDISK under BASIC.

By sdsnatcher73

Prophet (3962)

07-04-2021, 16:46

Yes, the files on the partition should be NEXTOR.SYS And COMMAND2.COM
(as a bare minimum). You can also try writing this image (I got it from 8bits4ever who sell the SD-512 based on the same design). You can use Balena Etcher to write the image to the SD card.

By Andres

Supporter (11)

07-04-2021, 21:56

Manuel wrote:

It's not booting into A:\> command prompt. Is this related to bad partitioning?
Checked _FDISK and I get this.

By RAM being enabled you mean switching to "MR" mode? Because I did that and nothing happend.

gdx wrote:

Andres wrote:

EraseUS Partition: Format to FAT16, cluster size 64 kb.
Copied COMMAND.COM, MSXDOS.SYS, COMMAND2.COM and NEXTORJP.SYS onto the SD card.

I think NEXTORJP.SYS must be renamed NEXTOR.SYS to use it. And it's preferable to create the partitions with CALL FDISK under BASIC.

Did the format with 'call fdisk', renamed them and nothing happend.

sdsnatcher73 wrote:

4GB SD seems to bee "Too small" to target it and flash it.