that god damned STOS Timer... is there a better vers?

[EstTeeEfEm]

Is there a better, and more functional version of timer that reads a var from the system, this TIMER=0 business is rubbish.. i cant quite say for sure, but im sure its not working properly...?

[exxos]

Maybe if you can explain why its rubbish and what you are trying to do it might help..

[EstTeeEfEm]

Sorry, i started venting instead of actually writing the problem out coherently!

There is supposed to be a variable that STOS uses and you call it like this:

Code: Select all

Timer=0

According to the manual its supposed to update every 50th of a second but it just isn't...even when compiled?

My program is running at a decent rate but I dont think the timer variable that STOS has set up is based on any actual system timers and if it is, its poorly implemented, did anyone know of a more direct way of reading any of the system timers? My program uses the timers as a count system for a CD based player and with a faulty timer, the CD player section doesnt play in seconds lol, more like updating every 4 seconds.

This is my new site:
http://scottsataripages.altervista.org/
and has the program on, although only as an .ST file. (Its a REALLY new site)

Check it out and let me know what you think? Its going to include all my STOS stuff as a sort of online backup system too..

[AtariZoll]

This seems as problem caused by not using regular V-blank service routine, but own one in SW. Usual solution is that at the end of own V-blank code you not use rte, but jump to old V-blank routine - which updates timer counter in every 1/50 sec.

[exxos]

20151008094226.jpg

Seems ok to me.

Though its possible it does not work correctly only when the mod is playing ?

[EstTeeEfEm]

Well, I actually solved this by reading the 200hz timer rather than the 50...

I totally gave up using timer=0, because what was happening was the timer would count say 8 seconds then skip one second... basically the timer was running slightly slower than the VBL .. odd but with a lot of stuff running its more noticeable..

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610 TMR=leek(1210) : if TMR>200 then loke 1210,-20

Its -20 because when it reached the new instruction it was VERY close to 0


worked better for me and gave a more consistent timer. I'd check this timer was over 200 then reset it (logically using another variable) its more accurate than reading... IF timer>50 .. I've found anyway... might just have been a coincidence that the whole thing stated working properly, STOS can sometimes be funny anyways when trying to get some serious accuracy.

[AtariZoll]

I would not blame STOS for your issues. Most likely Vertical blank routine is disabled sometimes because other interrupts take too long time.
I find whole idea to make audio player in STOS as not really good one.

[exxos]

Playing MOD takes up a lot of CPU time, so everything else runs slow or turned off, like the mouse for example. Welcome to the limits of a 8mhz machine

[exxos]

Well, I actually solved this by reading the 200hz timer rather than the 50...

I totally gave up using timer=0, because what was happening was the timer would count say 8 seconds then skip one second... basically the timer was running slightly slower than the VBL .. odd but with a lot of stuff running its more noticeable..

Code: Select all

610 TMR=leek(1210) : if TMR>200 then loke 1210,-20

Its -20 because when it reached the new instruction it was VERY close to 0


worked better for me and gave a more consistent timer. I'd check this timer was over 200 then reset it (logically using another variable) its more accurate than reading... IF timer>50 .. I've found anyway... might just have been a coincidence that the whole thing stated working properly, STOS can sometimes be funny anyways when trying to get some serious accuracy.

I wonder if you could use "test a bit" and check for >200 as a binary number, might only be able to test >128 or >256 but you could then use ON N GOSUB to do your time stuff rather than using IF TMR>200.