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Description
RookieDrive BASIC is an extension that comes with the Rookie Drive interfaces, which allow to connect floppy disk drives, pendrives and hard disks.
First version is Rookie Drive 720 that emulates a virtual floppy disk, then a second version has been developed as Rookie Drive NX with Nextor operating system.
Since version released on 8 January 2019, the firmware includes the Rookie Drive FDD BIOS created by Konamiman, it's a Disk ROM that allows using standard USB floppy disk drives, thus effectively turning Rookie Drive into an "old-school" MSX floppy disk controller with a few extra perks. The USB FDD must comply with the UFI protocol and be faithful to this protocol, otherwise it will not work.
Version 2.0 of this BIOS can detect if a storage device is connected to the USB port of the Rookie Drive, it will then automatically switch to disk image mode.
If these detections are both negative, the firmware will start a code that will detect the type of MSX, then will launch
- the 720kB disk emulation on MSX1 computers
- the Nextor driver on MSX2 or higher computers with at least 128kB RAM
At boot time, you can “force”
- the loading of 720kB disk emulation by pressing the “D” key ("7" key in firmware versions released before 13 September 2017)
- the loading of Nextor driver by pressing the “N” key
- the loading of USB FDD mode by pressing the "F" key
- boot mode 1 for disk image mode by pressing the TAB key (useful as an alternative to device unplugging when you have configured boot mode 3 or 4 if you don't want the corresponding file to be mounted at boot time)
More options are available at boot time. Press the "H" key when booting to access the Rookie Drive Boot HELP menu.
Instructions (general info)
This extension adds 17 new instructions and modifies CALL FORMAT. Most of them can only be used in a specific mode of the interface.
Check the alphabetic order section to know which instructions are available according the used mode.
Note: CALL can be replaced by the character underscore (_). A space is not required after this character. See CALL for more info.
Instructions (ordered per category)
Data Storage
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL CREATEDISK | MSX1 | Creates a new disk image without formatting it |
| CALL EJECT | MSX1 | Ejects the inserted disk image and deletes its name from USBMSX.INI file |
| CALL FNAME | MSX1 | Displays the name of the disk image that is currently used |
| CALL FORMAT | MSX1 | 720kB DSK mode :Formats disk image inserted in Rookie Drive interface Nextor driver mode: Formats a disk and deletes all existing files USB FDD mode: Formats disk inserted in standard USB floppy disk drive connected to Rookie Drive interface |
| CALL INSERTDISK | MSX1 | Inserts a new disk image in the USB virtual drive |
| CALL LOADROM | MSX1 | Loads a ROM file of 8kb, 16kb or 32kb in the RAM and starts its execution by re-initialising the computer |
| CALL MOUNT | MSX1 | Connects a new pendrive to the Rookie Drive interface (deprecated) |
| CALL USBCD | MSX1 | Changes the active folder inside the virtual USB device or the storage device connected to the USB port of the Rookie Drive |
| CALL USBFILES | MSX1 | Displays content of disk images and directories in the root directory of the virtual USB drive or the current directory of the storage device connected to the USB port of the Rookie Drive |
| CALL USBMOUNT | MSX1 | Displays, mounts or unmounts a disk image file when you use a storage device connected to the USB port of the Rookie Drive |
| CALL USBMOUNTR | MSX1 | Same as CALL USBMOUNT + forces to reset and reboot in mode 4 temporarily |
Error Handling
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL USBERROR | MSX1 | Displays the error code stored whenever a USB transaction fails for any reason |
Rookie Drive System
| Instruction | Generation | Function |
|---|---|---|
| CALL HELP | MSX1 | Displays the list of RookieDrive Basic instructions |
| CALL REBOOT | MSX1 | Reboots the computer |
| CALL USBHELP | MSX1 | Displays explanations about all CALL USB* instructions |
| CALL USBMENU | MSX1 | Shows the boot menu that is automatically displayed when you boot with a storage device connected to the USB port of the Rookie Drive (except if you have changed its configuration) |
| CALL USBRESET | MSX1 | Repeats the initialization procedure performed at boot time when a standard USB floppy disk drive is connected to a Rookie Drive interface |
Instructions (alphabetical order)
| Instruction | Generation | 720kB DSK mode | Nextor driver mode | USB FDD mode | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALL CREATEDISK | MSX1 | x | - | - | Data Storage |
| CALL EJECT | MSX1 | x | - | - | Data Storage |
| CALL FNAME | MSX1 | x | - | - | Data Storage |
| CALL FORMAT | MSX1 | x | x | x | Data Storage |
| CALL HELP | MSX1 | x | - | - | Rookie Drive System |
| CALL INSERTDISK | MSX1 | x | - | - | Data Storage |
| CALL LOADROM | MSX1 | x | - | - | Data Storage |
| CALL MOUNT | MSX1 | x | - | - | Data Storage |
| CALL REBOOT | MSX1 | x | - | - | Rookie Drive System |
| CALL USBCD | MSX1 | x | - | - | Data Storage |
| CALL USBERROR | MSX1 | - | - | x | Error Handling |
| CALL USBFILES | MSX1 | x | - | x | Data Storage |
| CALL USBHELP | MSX1 | x | - | x | Rookie Drive System |
| CALL USBMENU | MSX1 | - | - | x | Rookie Drive System |
| CALL USBMOUNT | MSX1 | - | - | x | Data Storage |
| CALL USBMOUNTR | MSX1 | - | - | x | Data Storage |
| CALL USBRESET | MSX1 | - | - | x | Rookie Drive System |
Pages in category "RookieDrive BASIC"
The following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total.
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