ACAtool
For the ACA1221lc, ACA1221ec, ACA1211, all versions of the ACA1233n, and the ACA1234 there is a combined GUI and command line tool available, ACAtool.
Acatool unifies most functionality of the ACA12xx libraries and command line utilities (with the exception of ACAGov) under a single program that can be used from Workbench, command line and startup-sequence alike. It can save the configuration into some cards' flash memory, and it lets you activate MapROM, including loading a Kickstart ROM file without losing valuable fast ram. ACAtool also lets you activate the IDE speeder of various models.
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Installation
No installation required. The tool can be started from anywhere. The tool copies itself to C:acatool and updates itself there when needed.
Notes
- Notes for the ACA1234:
Use the menu item 'Licensing Options...' to enter a license code. Use 'About...' to display the ACA1234's CPLD version. All settings will be persisted only on the card itself. Use the GUI to save settings. Most changes require a reboot, with few exceptions: You can apply the IDE speeder setting immediately. It is possible to map a ROM file once, without saving it to flash and making it a permanent change (see ROMFILE option, only via command line). The ACA1234 card has no permanent 'VBR in Fastmem' option, but you can use the VBRON option via command line. The 'ICache in Chipmem' option is available only via GUI and will be enabled only with a v3 CPLD and the appropriate wirelink. New: To slightly improve booting time with a custom ROM file, you can compress ROM files with the included tool 'lzocompress'.
- Notes for the ACA1233n:
When you use the graphical user interface and click "Save to Startup-Sequence", the tool copies itself to C:acatool or updates itself there. The settings will be written into a command line for S:startup-sequence. The configuration will be read from this command line, too. During system boot, when you hold the left mouse button, acatool will skip the command line options.
- Notes for the ACA1221lc, ACA1221ec:
When you use the graphical user interface and click "Save to Flash & Startup-Sequence", some settings will be stored in the card's flash memory, some others in S:Startup-Sequence. MapROM can also be activated later in the startup-sequence, and a ROM file can only be activated there. The MapROM jumper on the ACA1221xx cards can be removed, as it is more convenient to control MapROM features using acatool.
- Notes for the ACA1211:
When you use the graphical user interface and click "Save to Flash & Startup-Sequence", some settings will be stored in the card's flash memory, some others in S:Startup-Sequence. A ROM file can only be activated in the startup-sequence. Please note: MAPROM without a ROM file on this card is pointless, as there is no performance gain. Only mapping a ROM file is useful on this card.
- Additional notes for the ACA1221ec:
Remember that the jumper needs to be set in the "Unprotect" position before changes can be written to the card's flash memory. In the "Unprotect" position the card starts with fewer memory and safe defaults, so the saved configuration is not reflected in the GUI. You will almost certainly want to remove the "Unprotect" jumper after saving the configuration. (The jumper can be set and removed while the computer is turned on e.g. on an ACA500+.)
- Additional notes for the ACA1221lc:
In contrast to the ACA1221ec, a jumper is no longer needed for saving the configuration to the card's flash memory. You will need the "Failsafe" jumper only in the very rare circumstance that the computer suffered a power outage or crashed amidst writing the configuration to flash. In this extraordinary case, use the "Failsafe" jumper to start with safe settings. Then save the configuration. Remove the jumper afterwards.
- Additional notes for all Amigas:
The VBRON option's impact on performance is small, while its impact on compatibility with old software can be dramatic. Decide for yourself if this is worth it.
See below for command line usage.
Command line options
| Option | Description | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I=INFO/S | Show information about the card (model, version, MapROM, speed). | ||||||||
| S=SETSPEED/K/N | Set the speed step setting. | ||||||||
| C=CURRENTSPEED/S | Get the current speed step setting. | ||||||||
| M=MAXSPEED/S | Get the maximum speed step setting. | ||||||||
| L=LISTSPEEDS/S | List all available speed seetings; the current speed is indicated by an asterisk. | ||||||||
| VBRON/S | Move the vector base to fast memory. This takes effect immediately. | ||||||||
| VBROFF/S | Move the vector base back to lower memory. This takes effect immediately. | ||||||||
| MAPROM/S | With this option, maps the computer's inbuilt ROM into the ACA card's fast memory. If MapROM is already active, returns with return value 5 (WARN). Returns an error if the ROM cannot be mapped.
Combine with the ROMFILE option to map a kickstart from a file. Combine with the FORCE option to issue the reset without confirmaton. Can be combined with the FLASH option on certain cards. | ||||||||
| ROMFILE/K | Filename of a kickstart file to be mapped into fast memory. Mapping a ROM file will issue a reset.
This option implies and can replace the MAPROM option. If the same ROM file is already active, returns with return value 5 (WARN). If the file is not recognized as a valid ROM file, returns with return value 10 (ERROR). You can override this error and force mapping the ROM file by specifying the FORCE option. | ||||||||
| MM=MEMMODE/K/N | Memory configuration when switching CPUs (ACA1233n only):
This option is useful in combination with the CPUOFF and CPUON options. | ||||||||
| IM=IDEMODE/K/N | IDE speeder mode.
IDE modes other than the default can cause I/O errors. This depends on various factors, such as solid state/flash vs. hard disk, PSU stability, and cable length. Please backup your data and make sure to test it thoroughly before activating it permanently. Can be combined with the FLASH option on certain cards. | ||||||||
| FLASH/S (not on ACA1233n) | Save settings into the flash memory of ACA1221xx and ACA1211 cards.
Can be combined with VBRON, SETSPEED, NOKEEPPCMCIA, and with IDEMODE on certain cards. | ||||||||
| NOKEEPPCMCIA/S | Do not keep PCMCIA memory range intact. If you do not have Kickstart 3.1 (v40) and a PCMCIA connector (on an Amiga 600 or 1200), then you do not need to worry about this option. When you do have v40 and a PCMCIA connector, then acatool takes care of the PCMCIA memory range to remain available to PCMCIA. But if you do have v40 and a PCMCIA connector, but want to make the PCMCIA memory range available to the system - only then specify this option. It can be combined with FLASH, CPUOFF, CPUON. | ||||||||
| FORCE/S | Do not ask for confirmation. This is useful in combination with CPUOFF, MAPROM, FLASH, CPUON. | ||||||||
| CPUOFF/S | Switch off ACA card's CPU. This will cause a reset.
This option can be combined with MAPROM, ROMFILE, FORCE, NOKEEPPCMCIA. | ||||||||
| CPUON/S | Switch on the ACA card's CPU. This will cause a reset.
This option can be combined with MAPROM, ROMFILE, FORCE, NOKEEPPCMCIA. | ||||||||
| SKIPONLMB/S | Check for the left mouse button being held. If the mouse button is held, skip all command line options. This is useful for the Startup-Sequence, to skip acatool while booting. | ||||||||
| NOERRORS/S | Turn all return codes indicating error (10) into warnings (5), so that the startup-sequence will ignore errors and continue. | ||||||||
| HELP/S | Show the command line overview instead of opening the GUI. |
Download
Version history
3.5 - Saving the configuration on an ACA1221lc with 14MHz speed resulted in a flash erase and/or verify error, fixed
3.4 - Added (or fixed) support for 1mb ROM files, where appropriate. Added NOMMULIB option, so that acatool doesn't accidentally load and activate mmu.library when it's not in use. Note: For 1mb ROM files to work from the ACA1234's flash, you must also upgrade the firmware to version 20230124.
3.3 - Command line option SETSPEED was broken for all cards except the ACA1234, corrected.
3.2 - Several bugs fixed in MAPROM and ROMFILE handling: MAPROM without ROMFILE command line option was broken, corrected, ACA1233n reported 'error' on successfully switching MAPROM, corrected; ACA1234: added 'lzocompress' command line tool for compressing ROM files, which may slightly improve bootup time on the ACA1234 (no speed gain and not recommended for other cards); ACA1211: fixed GUI inconsistent behaviour in MapROM checkmark
3.1 - ACA1234: Added warning in case the user is about to disable 'Mount Installdisk'; added option to erase a ROM slot, many other improvements with regard to ACA1234 ROM file handling
3.0.1 - 'Trial runs left' wasn't fully displayed in GUI, corrected
3.0 - More card version info in the about window; ACA1233 did not use ROM file when switching CPU from command line; major cleanup
2.9 - Added pulldown menu, about, licensing options. Merged ACA1234 support back into main branch. ACA1234: Added CPLD v3 and wirelink detection, 'ICache in Chipmem' option, ROMfile labels are now getting saved onto the ACA1234.
2.8 - Version that accomodated the ACA1234 card only
2.7 - The former flash-related options VBRMOVE and CPUSPEED have been removed and are now unified with VBRON and SETSPEED. The IDEMODE setting wasn't written to flash when combined with the FLASH option in the command line, fixed.
2.6 - Now supports changing a mapped ROM file. Added check for valid ROM files when adding them per file requester. ACA1221lc: The IDE speeder was turned off after performing maprom, fixed. ACA1223n: No longer erroneously installs COPYBACK flags with mmu.library. No longer enables MAPROM without a ROMFILE on the ACA1211. VBR is now actually moved to fast memory (could be moved to chipmem before, even if very unlikely). Handling of errors and warnings on multiple options in command line improved.
2.5 - When mmu.library is found in the system, works around it with an ACA1233n card. It's unclear to me why anybody would want to install mmu.library for daily use - besides, the ACA1233n was always properly working in combination with mmu.library, the settings were just not applied in real-time on the Workbench, but when saved, still activated at boot time. [Timm]
2.4 - Works around a bug introduced in Kickstart 3.1.4 that leads to false recognition of an additional 128k of RAM in the trapdoor area on ACA1211 and ACA1221lc. We expect this bug to be fixed by Hyperion soon, as the additional memory is in an area where typically clock port devices are located. Our workaround can remain in place, even when the bug in Kickstart 3.1.4 will be fixed. The MapROM function has been removed from the ACA1211 flash, as it is redundant: There is no speed gain. If you for some reason insist on mapping the internal ROM, this can also be done in S:startup-sequence.
2.2/2.3 - With an ACA1221lc/ec, ACA500(+) and the Virtual Autoconfig = "F0 ROM" or "F0 ROM Hack" option enabled, a memory node overlapping with an already existing node was added, corrected. Since 2.3 this also works with HRTMon and Action Replay enabled.
2.1 - No longer issues a reset on MAPROM, making booting much quicker. Only when a ROMFILE is specified, the computer needs a reset. Changed return value to WARN when MAPROM is already active. Now saves MapROM related settings to S:startup-sequence on ACA1221xx and ACA1211 cards. This allows to toggle in/out MapROM on ACA1221xx without setting the jumper to the MapROM position, therefore the MapROM jumper can now be removed permanently. Saving MapROM related settings even works on an ACA1221ec when the jumper is not in unprotect position. "PIO4 reads" corrected to "PIO3 reads" on ACA1211 (oops).
2.01 - problems corrected with CPU switching and when reporting clock rates in the command line
2.00 - added support for ACA1211 and ACA1221lc cards
1.05 - added ROMFILE support for ACA1221xx; bug in flashing VBRMOVE via command line fixed; PCMCIA detection corrected; renamed option 1233ON to CPUON; reset procedure corrected (sysbase ptr now cleared, used previous execbase vectors with MAPROM/ROMFILE)
1.02 - changed IDE speeder terminology and valid range; Keep PCMCIA is enabled on v40 and with card.resource present only; GUI window now rejects to open if screen is too small; version display corrected for new ACA1233n; on ACA500+ now disables the fields Switch CPU, ROM File, and IDE Accel.; GUI can now start in 68ec020 mode too; 1233on option renamed to cpuon
1.01 - on switching CPUs, did not use the ROMFile field in the GUI, corrected
1.0 - initial
