Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-06.adf » !QTM_Music » !QTMTrack/Extras/ReadMe
!QTMTrack/Extras/ReadMe
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1994-06.adf » !QTM_Music |
| Filename: | !QTMTrack/Extras/ReadMe |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0701 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
VUBars is an example of the excellent QTM VUBar controller - and it only took 10mins to write!!! PrcsSpeed is a lot more complicated - it is a VERY accurate processor speed measurer. - Basically it works out how much processor time is being used by any interrupt routines that are running (eg. QTM player, or other players). It does this by counting how many times it can read the hardware timer (Timer 1) before it runs out. It repeats this process several times to get an average result. The result is then compared to a timed value when no interrupts were running, and from this the extra usage is worked out. - To use it, you will need to reset you computer first, then run PrcsSpeed, without any player(s) running. Leave this for a while (100 counts or so), then note down the value after the 'Average counts:' text. Now load PrcsSpeed into an editor, and change the line reading 'default%=&nnn' TO 'default%=&<number>' where <number> is the number you noted down. Now re-run the program (without loading any players yet) and make sure the 'Average % processor used:' line reads about 0 (it won't be possible to get a steady 0, but the nearest +/-0.1% is ok). If not, repeat the process above until it does. - Now the program will be calibrated for your computer, so you can start comparing player speeds - but remember always use the same song to test the speeds, at the same sample quality, and from the same starting position. - Each time you use PrcsSpeed, you should check that with no players playing, the processor used is about 0%, because this program is very sensitive to changes in interrupts etc. - Unluckily PrcsSpeed won't work on the Risc PC, due to the new memory map, if you attempt to use it on these computers, you will be told not to by the program... Phoenix
00000000 56 55 42 61 72 73 20 69 73 20 61 6e 20 65 78 61 |VUBars is an exa| 00000010 6d 70 6c 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 63 65 |mple of the exce| 00000020 6c 6c 65 6e 74 20 51 54 4d 20 56 55 42 61 72 20 |llent QTM VUBar | 00000030 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f 6c 6c 65 72 0a 20 2d 20 61 6e |controller. - an| 00000040 64 20 69 74 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 74 6f 6f 6b 20 31 |d it only took 1| 00000050 30 6d 69 6e 73 20 74 6f 20 77 72 69 74 65 21 21 |0mins to write!!| 00000060 21 0a 0a 50 72 63 73 53 70 65 65 64 20 69 73 20 |!..PrcsSpeed is | 00000070 61 20 6c 6f 74 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 6c |a lot more compl| 00000080 69 63 61 74 65 64 20 2d 20 69 74 20 69 73 20 61 |icated - it is a| 00000090 20 56 45 52 59 20 61 63 63 75 72 61 74 65 20 70 | VERY accurate p| 000000a0 72 6f 63 65 73 73 6f 72 20 73 70 65 65 64 0a 6d |rocessor speed.m| 000000b0 65 61 73 75 72 65 72 2e 0a 20 2d 20 42 61 73 69 |easurer.. - Basi| 000000c0 63 61 6c 6c 79 20 69 74 20 77 6f 72 6b 73 20 6f |cally it works o| 000000d0 75 74 20 68 6f 77 20 6d 75 63 68 20 70 72 6f 63 |ut how much proc| 000000e0 65 73 73 6f 72 20 74 69 6d 65 20 69 73 20 62 65 |essor time is be| 000000f0 69 6e 67 20 75 73 65 64 20 62 79 20 61 6e 79 0a |ing used by any.| 00000100 69 6e 74 65 72 72 75 70 74 20 72 6f 75 74 69 6e |interrupt routin| 00000110 65 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 72 65 20 72 75 6e 6e |es that are runn| 00000120 69 6e 67 20 28 65 67 2e 20 51 54 4d 20 70 6c 61 |ing (eg. QTM pla| 00000130 79 65 72 2c 20 6f 72 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 70 6c |yer, or other pl| 00000140 61 79 65 72 73 29 2e 20 49 74 0a 64 6f 65 73 20 |ayers). It.does | 00000150 74 68 69 73 20 62 79 20 63 6f 75 6e 74 69 6e 67 |this by counting| 00000160 20 68 6f 77 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 74 69 6d 65 73 20 | how many times | 00000170 69 74 20 63 61 6e 20 72 65 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 |it can read the | 00000180 68 61 72 64 77 61 72 65 20 74 69 6d 65 72 20 28 |hardware timer (| 00000190 54 69 6d 65 72 20 31 29 0a 62 65 66 6f 72 65 20 |Timer 1).before | 000001a0 69 74 20 72 75 6e 73 20 6f 75 74 2e 20 49 74 20 |it runs out. It | 000001b0 72 65 70 65 61 74 73 20 74 68 69 73 20 70 72 6f |repeats this pro| 000001c0 63 65 73 73 20 73 65 76 65 72 61 6c 20 74 69 6d |cess several tim| 000001d0 65 73 20 74 6f 20 67 65 74 20 61 6e 20 61 76 65 |es to get an ave| 000001e0 72 61 67 65 0a 72 65 73 75 6c 74 2e 20 54 68 65 |rage.result. The| 000001f0 20 72 65 73 75 6c 74 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 6e 20 | result is then | 00000200 63 6f 6d 70 61 72 65 64 20 74 6f 20 61 20 74 69 |compared to a ti| 00000210 6d 65 64 20 76 61 6c 75 65 20 77 68 65 6e 20 6e |med value when n| 00000220 6f 20 69 6e 74 65 72 72 75 70 74 73 20 77 65 72 |o interrupts wer| 00000230 65 0a 72 75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 66 |e.running, and f| 00000240 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 74 |rom this the ext| 00000250 72 61 20 75 73 61 67 65 20 69 73 20 77 6f 72 6b |ra usage is work| 00000260 65 64 20 6f 75 74 2e 0a 20 2d 20 54 6f 20 75 73 |ed out.. - To us| 00000270 65 20 69 74 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 6e |e it, you will n| 00000280 65 65 64 20 74 6f 20 72 65 73 65 74 20 79 6f 75 |eed to reset you| 00000290 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 66 69 72 73 74 2c | computer first,| 000002a0 20 74 68 65 6e 20 72 75 6e 20 50 72 63 73 53 70 | then run PrcsSp| 000002b0 65 65 64 2c 0a 77 69 74 68 6f 75 74 20 61 6e 79 |eed,.without any| 000002c0 20 70 6c 61 79 65 72 28 73 29 20 72 75 6e 6e 69 | player(s) runni| 000002d0 6e 67 2e 20 4c 65 61 76 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 66 |ng. Leave this f| 000002e0 6f 72 20 61 20 77 68 69 6c 65 20 28 31 30 30 20 |or a while (100 | 000002f0 63 6f 75 6e 74 73 20 6f 72 20 73 6f 29 2c 0a 74 |counts or so),.t| 00000300 68 65 6e 20 6e 6f 74 65 20 64 6f 77 6e 20 74 68 |hen note down th| 00000310 65 20 76 61 6c 75 65 20 61 66 74 65 72 20 74 68 |e value after th| 00000320 65 20 27 41 76 65 72 61 67 65 20 63 6f 75 6e 74 |e 'Average count| 00000330 73 3a 27 20 74 65 78 74 2e 20 4e 6f 77 20 6c 6f |s:' text. Now lo| 00000340 61 64 20 50 72 63 73 53 70 65 65 64 0a 69 6e 74 |ad PrcsSpeed.int| 00000350 6f 20 61 6e 20 65 64 69 74 6f 72 2c 20 61 6e 64 |o an editor, and| 00000360 20 63 68 61 6e 67 65 20 74 68 65 20 6c 69 6e 65 | change the line| 00000370 20 72 65 61 64 69 6e 67 20 27 64 65 66 61 75 6c | reading 'defaul| 00000380 74 25 3d 26 6e 6e 6e 27 20 54 4f 0a 27 64 65 66 |t%=&nnn' TO.'def| 00000390 61 75 6c 74 25 3d 26 3c 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 3e 27 |ault%=&<number>'| 000003a0 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 3c 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 3e 20 | where <number> | 000003b0 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 79 6f |is the number yo| 000003c0 75 20 6e 6f 74 65 64 20 64 6f 77 6e 2e 20 4e 6f |u noted down. No| 000003d0 77 20 72 65 2d 72 75 6e 0a 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f |w re-run.the pro| 000003e0 67 72 61 6d 20 28 77 69 74 68 6f 75 74 20 6c 6f |gram (without lo| 000003f0 61 64 69 6e 67 20 61 6e 79 20 70 6c 61 79 65 72 |ading any player| 00000400 73 20 79 65 74 29 20 61 6e 64 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 |s yet) and make | 00000410 73 75 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 27 41 76 65 72 61 67 |sure the 'Averag| 00000420 65 20 25 0a 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 6f 72 20 75 73 |e %.processor us| 00000430 65 64 3a 27 20 6c 69 6e 65 20 72 65 61 64 73 20 |ed:' line reads | 00000440 61 62 6f 75 74 20 30 20 28 69 74 20 77 6f 6e 27 |about 0 (it won'| 00000450 74 20 62 65 20 70 6f 73 73 69 62 6c 65 20 74 6f |t be possible to| 00000460 20 67 65 74 20 61 20 73 74 65 61 64 79 20 30 2c | get a steady 0,| 00000470 0a 62 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 6e 65 61 72 65 73 74 |.but the nearest| 00000480 20 2b 2f 2d 30 2e 31 25 20 69 73 20 6f 6b 29 2e | +/-0.1% is ok).| 00000490 20 49 66 20 6e 6f 74 2c 20 72 65 70 65 61 74 20 | If not, repeat | 000004a0 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 20 61 62 6f 76 |the process abov| 000004b0 65 20 75 6e 74 69 6c 20 69 74 0a 64 6f 65 73 2e |e until it.does.| 000004c0 0a 20 2d 20 4e 6f 77 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 |. - Now the prog| 000004d0 72 61 6d 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 63 61 6c 69 |ram will be cali| 000004e0 62 72 61 74 65 64 20 66 6f 72 20 79 6f 75 72 20 |brated for your | 000004f0 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 2c 20 73 6f 20 79 6f 75 |computer, so you| 00000500 20 63 61 6e 20 73 74 61 72 74 0a 63 6f 6d 70 61 | can start.compa| 00000510 72 69 6e 67 20 70 6c 61 79 65 72 20 73 70 65 65 |ring player spee| 00000520 64 73 20 2d 20 62 75 74 20 72 65 6d 65 6d 62 65 |ds - but remembe| 00000530 72 20 61 6c 77 61 79 73 20 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 |r always use the| 00000540 20 73 61 6d 65 20 73 6f 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 74 65 | same song to te| 00000550 73 74 20 74 68 65 0a 73 70 65 65 64 73 2c 20 61 |st the.speeds, a| 00000560 74 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65 20 73 61 6d 70 6c |t the same sampl| 00000570 65 20 71 75 61 6c 69 74 79 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 66 |e quality, and f| 00000580 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6d 65 20 73 74 61 |rom the same sta| 00000590 72 74 69 6e 67 20 70 6f 73 69 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a |rting position..| 000005a0 20 2d 20 45 61 63 68 20 74 69 6d 65 20 79 6f 75 | - Each time you| 000005b0 20 75 73 65 20 50 72 63 73 53 70 65 65 64 2c 20 | use PrcsSpeed, | 000005c0 79 6f 75 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 63 68 65 63 6b |you should check| 000005d0 20 74 68 61 74 20 77 69 74 68 20 6e 6f 20 70 6c | that with no pl| 000005e0 61 79 65 72 73 0a 70 6c 61 79 69 6e 67 2c 20 74 |ayers.playing, t| 000005f0 68 65 20 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 6f 72 20 75 73 65 |he processor use| 00000600 64 20 69 73 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20 30 25 2c 20 62 |d is about 0%, b| 00000610 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 70 72 6f 67 |ecause this prog| 00000620 72 61 6d 20 69 73 20 76 65 72 79 0a 73 65 6e 73 |ram is very.sens| 00000630 69 74 69 76 65 20 74 6f 20 63 68 61 6e 67 65 73 |itive to changes| 00000640 20 69 6e 20 69 6e 74 65 72 72 75 70 74 73 20 65 | in interrupts e| 00000650 74 63 2e 0a 20 2d 20 55 6e 6c 75 63 6b 69 6c 79 |tc.. - Unluckily| 00000660 20 50 72 63 73 53 70 65 65 64 20 77 6f 6e 27 74 | PrcsSpeed won't| 00000670 20 77 6f 72 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 52 69 73 | work on the Ris| 00000680 63 20 50 43 2c 20 64 75 65 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 |c PC, due to the| 00000690 20 6e 65 77 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 6d 61 70 2c | new memory map,| 000006a0 0a 69 66 20 79 6f 75 20 61 74 74 65 6d 70 74 20 |.if you attempt | 000006b0 74 6f 20 75 73 65 20 69 74 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 |to use it on the| 000006c0 73 65 20 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 73 2c 20 79 6f |se computers, yo| 000006d0 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 74 6f 6c 64 20 6e |u will be told n| 000006e0 6f 74 20 74 6f 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 0a 70 72 6f |ot to by the.pro| 000006f0 67 72 61 6d 2e 2e 2e 0a 0a 20 50 68 6f 65 6e 69 |gram..... Phoeni| 00000700 78 |x| 00000701
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