The plasma serial2 addition put COM2 (IRQ 3) in conflict with nicirq=3:
netnub phase worked, then BTL4OPT opened the plasma port and NIC RX died,
so the pod never checked in to the console. NIC now on IRQ 10 in all net
confs + NET.CFG INT 10 (both sides must agree). Verified live: two full
console missions with plasma running.
Also: launch_pod.ps1 prepends the Npcap dir to PATH itself (a bare shell
gave "NO PACKET DRIVER FOUND"); net_diag.conf = packet-stack-only boot
with the NCSA Telnet suite on E: for DOS-side TCP tests; net_loop.conf
promoted to full production parity (sound + plasma + IRQ 10) -- the
GO.BAT-style instant netnub relaunch is also what lets the console
recover its zombie TCP session between missions (see NET-NOTES).
NET-NOTES: full 7/08-09 forensics writeup (TAP RX counter lie, console
IP .10, SBK re-upload measured, zombie-session mechanics).
LAST.EGG = the operator's missions from tonight's runs.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
L4TIMER selects the game clock (L4TIME.CPP): FAST = HMI SOS interrupt
clock at 28 Hz, unset = polled 18.2 Hz BIOS tick. Not a speed switch --
finer time quantum, smoother sim dt and timing cadences.
Per the operator: the flag tracked the deployed fleet's hardware --
original Tesla pods ran Pentium Pro 90s (SLOW), later fleets Pentium
Pro 200s (FAST). The emulated pod has no ISR-headroom constraint, so
FAST is our default from here on.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Console queues a mission -> egg over the wire -> pod loads + runs it -> all
cockpit heads render -> mission ends on the console timer. Four fixes:
1. ne2000.cpp: don't BX_PANIC on the TCR inhibit-CRC / auto-tx-disable bits.
A full production boot runs the packet driver's internal loopback
self-test, which sets those bits; Bochs' NE2000 aborted the whole
emulator. Record them in TCR state instead (harmless for an emulated NIC;
pcap/host does framing+CRC). Also fixes a latent coll_prio bit-4 vs bit-3
round-trip bug. Committed copy in vpx-device/.
2. Confirmed the mission-load page fault (00FF:219D) was RIO-OFF; booting
with the RIO live (net_full.conf) loads and runs the mission cleanly.
3. net_loop.conf + net-boot/loop.bat: GO.BAT-style loop so the pod stays
connected to the console and picks up missions as they're queued (the
real pod relaunches netnub after each mission/idle disconnect).
4. HEADLINE: blank MFD/radar heads were an I/O port collision. The VDB
video splitter is hardwired at 0x300-0x31A (palettes 0x300/0x308/0x310);
the NE2000 at nicbase=300 swallowed the game's VDB palette writes ->
vdb_pal stayed zero -> pal_draw decoded every head to black. Same VDB
spam corrupted NIC RX, dropping the console EndMission (mission overran
its timer). Fix: move the NIC to 0x340 (DOSBox nicbase=340 + DOS NET.CFG
PORT 340; must agree). VDB keeps 0x300. Config-only, no rebuild.
Adds: net_full.conf, net_loop.conf, net-boot/ (ODI drivers, NET.CFG@340,
loop.bat, README), vpx-device/{ne2000,ethernet_pcap}.cpp; updates NET-NOTES.md.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
CydandClaude Fable 5