Commodore Free 5/Commodore_Free_Issue_05_2007_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/t.tap transfer

Text File | 2023-02-26 | 6KB | 192 lines

uTape Transfer
Introduction

Almost all of the Commodore 8 bit
computers have a Datassette
connection. The only exceptions I can
think of are the C64 Games System and
it's successor the C64 DTV. The
Datassette was a cheap alternative to
the diskdrive and was sold by the
millions. Most (budget) games for the
C64 were sold on tape.

So you have a great collection of
original tapes or made programs
yourself on tape and want to use them
on an emulator. This page will
describe how it is possible to read
the tapes into your modern PC. You
need to build (or buy) a interface
that connects an original Datassette
to your PC.

Specifications This are the
specifications I personally use to
transfer my tape's. Any PC will do
that can run MS-DOS and has parallel
port and a floppy. PC: Pentium III,
256 MByte, 4 GB HD OS: MS-DOS 6.2 +
Windows 2000 SP4

Software: MTAP + PTAP: Markus
Brenner http://markus.brenner.de/
FinalTap: Subchrist
http://www.coder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
Hardware: C64S interface 1530
Datassette

Disclaimer: Every thing you will do is
on your own risk. I have made a great
effort to get the info on this page
right but there could be a mistake on
this page that I am not aware of. If
you find an error please let me know
The interface

First you will have to build yourself
a C64S interface. It's not very
difficult to build. This interface
will give you a Datassette and a IEC
(diskdrive) connection. You can see
the schematics bellow. The interface
needs a regulated powersupply of
exactly 5 volts DC to power the
Datassette. There are a few ways to
connect a power supply, choose one of
the following.

It can be done by a external power
adapter and a voltage regulator as is
shown in the top left corner of the
schematic. The external powersupply
can be anything from about 9 volts to
about 24 volts AC or DC. The regulator
will make a perfect 5 VDC voltage.
Another way of getting the 5 VDC is by
connecting the interface to the
gameport of the PC this is shown at
the top right corner of the schematic.

The way I did it is to make a
connection to the PC powersupply
directly. I did this because my PC
didn't have a gameport. You can see
the connection bellow. After soldering
the wire be sure to isolate the
connection with isolation tape.

In a PC the red wire is the 5 volt DC,
but to be sure test the voltage. Use a
rubber grommit where the wire leaves
the PC housing to prevent damage to
the wire. On the photo bellow you can
see my first version of the C64S
interface.

Instead of a connector were you can
plug in a IEC cable I connected a IEC
connector that plugs into the
diskdrive (top). From a piece of PCB I
made a Datassette connector. I made
cuts with a junior saw in the copper
layer. And made the notch in the PCB.
Use a PCB with only copper on the top
side. After that I soldered all the
wires to the connectors. Put some
insolation tape on the PCB for the
Datassette were the wires are
soldered. Don't forget the connection
in the D25 connector between 2 and 15.
If you can't make the interface
yourself take a look at the website of
Markus Brenner. There is a link to
order a complete interface.

The PC. The software that is used for
the transfer is written for MS-DOS so
you won't need a state of the art PC
to do this. I had an spare Pentium III
600 MHz, a couple of 2 GB HD, a CD-ROM
and this is perfect for the job. I
installed Windows 2000 on the second
hardisk (D:).

So you have access to an emulator
like VICE os CCS64, zip, internet and
much more. But Windows 2000 can't do
MS-DOS. After installing everything I
installed MS-DOS 6.2 on the first
harddisk (C:). After doing this the PC
will boot to MS-DOS. Don't panic about
the Windows 2000 part. Put in the
installation CD of Windows 2000 and
preform a repair of the system. When
you now boot the PC it will ask which
operating system to start (Double
boot). Don't forget to format your
harddisk(s) with FAT. If you use NTSF
you can't use MS-DOS. Go to the
website of Markus Brenner and download
MTAP (Read tape's) and PTAP (Write
tape's) unzip the programs on the
MS-DOS part of the harddisk. After
this you have to get hold of a little
program called CSDPMI.EXE and put this
in the same directory as MTAP and
PTAP. If you don't have CSDPMI.EXE try
Google.

Shut down your PC and connect the C64S
interface and a Dattassette to the
interface. Boot the PC to MS-DOS and
go to the directory with MTAP. Start
the program MTAP.EXE. The program will
list all possibilities. If you use the
C64S interface connected to the LPT1
port the command is very simple:
mtap.exe game.tap [ENTER]

The program will check if the
interface is connected and ask to
PRESS PLAY ON TAPE. If you press play
on tape the program will record the
data from the Datassette to a .tap
file named game in the same directory
as MTAP.EXE. With very big tape's such
as compilations you need to increase
the buffersize. On the photo above you
can see the program in action. The
border of the screen will show lots of
colors while recording the data. After
all the data is recorded to the
harddisk reboot the PC to Windows. And
start your emulator and load the
game.tap file. On the photo's above
you can see the emulator in action.
The very cool wallpaper is from Ingo
Ruhnke aka Grumbel.

http://pingus.seul.org/{$fe}grumbel/
The program FinalTap from Subchrist

http://www.coder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
software can be used to scan the
imported .tap file. It will identify
the speedloader and can export the
program to a .prg file. Also it can be
used to repair a .tap file.

If you want to write a .tap file back
to a tape you can use the PTAP
program. For the users of the 264
series of Commodore computers there is
a special interface available. Source
Taken with permission from
http://commodoregg.hobby.nl/CommodoreH
andleidin
gen/Pagina/INFO-TapeTransfer-GB.htm


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