GR8NET gets Kanji and OPL4 support

GR8NET is an inter-enabled device with multimedia capabilities

Eugeny Brychkov, designer and mastermind behind the multi-function media and network adapter GR8NET, added two major features in recent firmware updates: Kanji level 1 & 2 support, and complete OPL4 emulation!
GR8NET provides “display” function only; there’s no Kanji Rom driver to perform Kanji input. Also, 16MB serial flash chip needed, because the OPL4 ROM and Kanji ROM resides on flash, so older revisions' 2Mbyte flash chip is too small for having it aside of regular firmware.

You can read more about how to update firmware and use new features in the manual and discuss in this forum topic.

See the video about OPL4.

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Comments (21)

By gdx

Enlighted (6215)

08-11-2021, 08:52

Is an upgrade possible for those who do not have the version with a 16MB serial flash ROM chip?
And how to recognize the different versions?

By meits

Scribe (6544)

08-11-2021, 10:48

_flinfo
If the last line says 2 MB, you can not upgrade.
I've heard Pencioner swapped his chip, so it seems to be possible. He might confirm.

By gdx

Enlighted (6215)

08-11-2021, 11:00

When I say "upgrade", I mean: replace the serial flash ROM.

By Pencioner

Scribe (1564)

08-11-2021, 12:16

Yes, i confirm i did this for my unit i bought in 2017, so in 2019 i replaced its flash chip with W25Q128FVSG 128Mbit (16 Mbyte) one at it works well. I bought on ebay but the link is not working anymore, but if you search with the string W25Q128FVSG you can still find some

By gdx

Enlighted (6215)

08-11-2021, 14:19

Thanks, this is a good news because it is not too hard to desolder, and it's not expensive.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/392623194687

There are many other reseller that sell it for less.

By SjaaQ

Champion (375)

08-11-2021, 18:54

You can also just flash the OPL4 firmware and leave out the YWR801 rom. You can still use it for OPL3 compatibility or mod player. Whenever you play rom samples (MBWAV) you probably hear garbage.

By Pencioner

Scribe (1564)

08-11-2021, 19:07

@SjaaQ i would not be that sure, it might happen that OPL4 firmware checks the flash for presence of YRW801 rom and would not work at all (i didn't test but it can be tested by deleting sectors with this rom from flash btw). I don't know exactly, that's a guess, but i might make it in such a way btw if i were developer

By edoz

Prophet (2482)

09-11-2021, 13:38

The GR8NET is a master piece of design and very powerfully and handy at the same time. The GR8NET is my most- used add- on hardware I use for my MSX machine! It is amazing what Eugeny did for MSX community! I suggest you to buy one if you don't have one! It is very complete and well documented!

By ssfony

Expert (84)

12-11-2021, 06:48

Just ordered one, seems like a great piece of hardware!

By SjaaQ

Champion (375)

20-11-2021, 17:21

Eugeny has added a 8bit version of the YWR801 rom for users with a 2MB flash chip. It is hard to hear the difference!

By hamlet

Scribe (4106)

20-11-2021, 20:04

SjaaQ wrote:

Eugeny has added a 8bit version of the YWR801 rom for users with a 2MB flash chip. It is hard to hear the difference!

Unbelievable! Thank you Eugeny!

By ssfony

Expert (84)

22-11-2021, 11:17

I just tested it and the sound is amazing!
Can't hear the difference between original Moonsound and GR8NET.
This is really well done.

By roadfighter

Champion (461)

23-11-2021, 18:43

After flashing your gr8net, what did you then do to get it working?
I have no idea how to proceed, I still have to figure out how to read Eugene's manual.
There is so much in there that I sometimes don't see wat I need to do.
So any help is welcome.

By roadfighter

Champion (461)

23-11-2021, 20:26

I tested it using the _netrecfg(4) and only the cart as opl4 with 1Mb.
And i selected; no nextor, no mapped ram or bios.
When i start a OPL4 demo like 100% music then i hear the samples crystal clear but the FM samples with a lot of
noise and static.
What am I missing here ?

By SjaaQ

Champion (375)

24-11-2021, 18:07

Please execute there commands in basic:
_NETVER, _FLLIST and _NETOPL4IMG

And post results. There is no such thing as "FM Samples". I think you mean the rom samples.

By roadfighter

Champion (461)

27-11-2021, 16:48

SjaaQ wrote:

Please execute there commands in basic: _NETVER, _FLLIST and _NETOPL4IMG

_NETVER
Device:01
Flash: v.0.12 2021/11/18
Engine: v.0.12 2021/9/29
Image: $00(*factory), sector 0
Type: Regular
HW_rev: mono

_fllist
chip size:  32 sectors
image: reg 0 (0-3, 21/9/29 crc ok
image: opl 4 (4-7, 21/11/16 crc ok
image: yrw801 opl4 rom 8-bit (8-29,  crc ok

_netopl4img
mono mix: on
compressor : on
Attenuation: 0
tgt slot cfg: 1
Rom sectors: 8

And yes I meant the ROM samples

By SjaaQ

Champion (375)

27-11-2021, 18:23

Looks good to me.

I suggest you record a sample of the resulting noise (or record a video with you phone) and send it the Eugengy.

I do not have the mono 2MB revision myself so I cannot troubleshoot it.

By roadfighter

Champion (461)

27-11-2021, 19:41

I foud out that i have a old 2MB flash chip.(Eugeny confirms this on his facebook page)
I get the following results with :

_flinfo
Gr8net engine flash chip
ID: FF202015 (3)
Mfr: ST/Micron
Model: M25P16 (2MB)

That's a wrong version so i can update it but its not going to work.
I have to replace the flash chip.

By Valfac

Master (148)

28-11-2021, 11:51

Hello!

@pencioner , I have upgraded my flash ic with a wilbond of 16MB.

What's the next step that I have to do?

Obviously the new flash is full blank...

Thanks in advance,

Valfac

By meits

Scribe (6544)

28-11-2021, 12:46

I have a couple of flash chips on their way. Question is, can I program the chip on a tl866 before mounting it on the pcb? I prefer that over using a usb blaster.

By Valfac

Master (148)

29-11-2021, 12:06

Hi,

Now I have yet working my GR8NET with the new flash upgraded with a winbond 16MB ic.

I have flashed the GR8net with the blaster and selected the necessary.pof file.

To night I will do the necessary update to opl4 configuration.

Thanks!

Valfac

GR8NET gets Kanji and OPL4 support

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