A: Here are the main features of the 64'er System 1 ROM:
- Fast loader, about 6 times (useless on the emulators (: ). You
need.
a second ROM for the 1541.
- Additional keys:
F1 = (directory)
F2 = sys4096*
F3 = list[return]
F4 = old, restores Basic programs after reset
F5 = [cls]run[return]
F6 = off, disables extensions
F7 = load[return]
F8 = device 8/9, sets default drive
Ctrl+CursorDown = go to last screen line
LeftShift = Stop scrolling
- Shift+Run/Stop default is floppy
- "Wedge", i.e. floppy commands and status with @
- The 1541 @ replace bug has been fixed
Q: How can I set PC64 up with Linux dosemu?
A: This is an excerpt of the PC64 user manual
(thanks to Marko Makela):
Linux dosemu
The emulator has been used on Linux with kernel versions 1.1.64
to 1.1.73 and dosemu 0.53.35. If you get a newer version of
dosemu, you may need to upgrade the Linux kernel as well.
This instruction assumes that dosemu is already running. Note
that the configuration file /etc/dosemu.conf must be edited to
allow graphics. Disable the video BIOS shadowing and use the
setting "allowvideoportaccess on". Uncomment the "video" line
that corresponds to your display adapter.
You should be able to start PC64 from the DOS command line, just
like you would do in MS-DOS. If you want to use the joysticks
or the L64 link, you may need to edit /etc/dosemu.conf to grant
access to the corresponding I/O ports. The sound is not likely
to work, even though you grant access to the AdLib or
Soundblaster registers. The SoundBlaster registers are at
0x210-0x29f, depending on the jumper settings.
ports [ 0x201 ] # analog joystick
ports [ 0x378 0x379 0x37a 0x37b ] # LPT1
ports [ 0x3bc 0x3bd 0x3be 0x3bf ] # LPT2
ports [ 0x278 0x279 0x27a 0x27b ] # LPT3
ports [ 0x2bc 0x2bd 0x2be 0x2bf ] # LPT4
ports [ 0x388 0x389 ] # AdLib
Note that there is a bug in dosemu: If a DOS program is running
in graphics mode, and you switch to another console with
Ctrl+Alt+Function key (F1-F8) and back to dosemu, the graphics
screen will not be updated.
If you haven't set the option "VGA card on local bus" in
Options / Desktop, you have to press ESC and F5 after switching
back to PC64 in order to refresh the C64 screen.
Q: How can I load the p00 files that I have converted from the tape
images(.t64)?
A: <Manager / New>, select the directory with the cursor keys,
press <tab> to go into the file list, select the program and
press <enter>. Or associate the extensions .P00, .C64 and .D64
with PC64.EXE if you are using a DOS or Windows shell.
Q: How can I speed it up? I have a dx280 and donkey kong is
running a little slow compared to c64s.
A: Both Donkey Kongs from Nintendo and Ocean don't use heavily
scrolling so you should get about 200% with a 486DX2-80. PAL is
about 4% slower than NTSC. If you have set
<Options / Timing / Update screen every nth vertical
refresh> to 1, set it back to 2. The setting 1 is only necessary
for 0.5% of the games. You may also try to increase the
<Options / Timing / Limit 6510 performance to n percent> from
100 to 110 or somewhat.
Q: Certain games (most EA games, for example) generate CPU jam
errors no matter what I do. Is this a problem with fastloaders
or with disk copy protection?
A: There are certain illegal opcodes ($02, $22, ...) which halt the
6510 CPU. Neither IRQ nor NMI can change this state; only a
RESET works.
When the emulators encounter such an illegal opcode, they print
out an error message (PC64 uses some of the opcodes as ROM
traps).
If a CPU jam happens, first copy the disk image back to a 1541
and run the program on a real C64. If it doesn't work, it's
either a copy protection or your disk image has been crippled.
Some transfer programs between 1541 and PC do not use checksums.
If the program runs on a real C64 but not on PC64, it is using
C64 features which aren't emulated yet. Try it then on C64S or
C64Alive.
The quality of the emulation in PC64 1.x will no longer be
improved because all energy now flows into Personal C64 2.0 for
Windows. The new versions 1.12, 1.13 and so on contain only bug
fixes and solutions for hardware conflicts.
You can easily detect a fast loader in PC64: Run the program and
wait till it hangs, then press ESC once. Nothing happens? Then
it has a fast loader. You must press ESC again to go back to the
desktop. If the first ESC works, restart the program with
SHIFT+F5. Wait 2 seconds and press ESC. Now watch the protocol:
Are there many red lines "Userport und serieller IEC-Bus werden
nicht unterstuetzt"? Then again, it's a fast loader. You can go
to the next and previous error with F4 and SHIFT+F4.
If it has no fast loader, it could hang in an endless IRQ loop.
Press I to go to the next IRQ event. Is the command above a RTI?
If yes, the program either uses some undocumented trick to issue
an EOI or it is timing dependent. As the disk access on the
emulator is so much faster,
a program which expects an IRQ to clear $DC0D in the meantime
will not always run.
Q: What are all the timing settings(what do they do and mean?)...
A:
Update screen every nth vertical refresh
A C64 updates the screen 50 (PAL) or 60 (NTSC) times per second. One Update is called "vertical refresh". As the VIC consumes 80% of the emulation time, you can increase speed by increasing this value. If you set it to 60, the screen updates once per second. Then you get 500 percent on a 486DX2-66. This is only useful for applications. For games, use settings between 1 and 5. The default is 2 which means 25 fps (frames per second).
Limit 6510 performance to n percent
A C64 is always 100 percent fast. The emulator will run as fast as possible, e.g. 150 percent on a 486DX2-66 with schreen refresh 1:2. To get original C64 speed, you should set this value to 100 percent. The PC will then waste the 50 percent difference between 150 and 100 with waiting.
Use VideoCounter algorithm #n
If a game doesn't scroll correctly (Boulder Dash, Rambo, 1942), then try settings 2 or 3.
Start of interrupt consumes n cycles
VIC[12h]: Report new line at n percent
The first setting is for Raster IRQ, the second for Raster Polling. Change them if there is a single wrong line at the beginning or at the end of a screen switch (scolling region <-> non scrolling region or text <-> graphics) or if there is a single flickering line. The shortcuts are <Ctrl+Grey+/-> and <Alt+Grey+/->.
Enable char and sprite DMA
Takes away 43 cycles from the CPU on a bad line and 2 cycles for each visible sprite in the current line. Switch it on if a game uses C(h?)opper Bars, i.e. every raster line has another background. It will also remove ghost sprites on some games.
Video
Leave that to PAL and switch it only to NTSC if a game doesn't run. PAL consumes less time for VIC emulation.
Real time
If the emulation doesn't run with 100 percent, you can set certain IO chips to work with real time. I.e. if you run with 500 percent and your program uses IRQ music, you can hear it at original speed by selecting real time for Timer 1A.
Default for new emulator windows
If you click this checkbox and press OK, the current settings will be the new default settings for all unknown programs, e.g. <Emulator / New>. Otherwise only the settings for the program in the title bar of the dialog box will be saved.
3.4 Other emulator specific.
Q: I have problems extracting the files from AMIGA .lha sidtune
archives, which I downloaded from Ami-Net or <frodo.hiof.no>, on
my PC running DOS ! Further I can't get SIDPLAY to accept the
extracted files !
A: Consult the FAQ to SIDPLAY. It is available in the latest
SIDPLAY package or by asking the author
<3schwend@informatik.uni-hamburg.de>
to send you the latest version (SIDPLAY v1.25b handles fixed
*.INF/*.info files).
Q: Has anyone been able to get the A64 emulator for the Amiga
running? Every time I start it up, the system crashes.
A: What version? If it's V2, then it always crashes under Kickstart
3.1.
V2 works under Kickstart 3.0, but not if you use the OCS/ECS
chips (using AGA scrambles the display :-P).
To be sure of getting A64 to work you have to use Kickstart 2.0.
If it's V3, then you may have to turn the data cache off on
faster (68040) Amigas.
Q: Hey, could it be possible for Frodo to take over the whole
system like A64 does? Would it speed up the emulation much?
A: The author informs me that there will never be a
non-multitasking version of Frodo, as the speed gain would be
marginal enough (1-2%) that it wouldn't be worth it.
Q: Anyone ever get C64 Alive working? I can't seem to figure out
what to call the ROM files, and the docs are of no help.
A: (Part 1) You don't have to call ROM files, just type
'c64alive.exe' - if this doesn't work - for me it works fine -
there must be some other problem like the extended video mode
(on my Speedstar 24 (ET4000)) C64S does not run instead ...
(Part 2) Load NO drivers except himem.sys. It worked fine from
there. It only loads single files, and in raw format which
trans64 converted fine.
(from George A Neal <gneal916@netcom.com>)
Q: I'm running A64 v3 on my AGA machine and the sprites are messed
up!
A: Questronix fix: Set your sprite pointer to lo-res.
BETTER FIX: Use the PD utility KILLAGA to trick your Amiga!
1) From the CLI, type ED A64! (Be sure to specify
directory!)
2) Type KILLAGA A64 (specify directory of
KILLAGA)
3) Save A64! (In same place as A64)
4) Go into ICONEDIT and save A64!.icon as a PROJECT
5) Go to Workbench and get info on A64!. Enter ICONX as the
default tool.
Q: I'm having some trouble getting Trans64 to work.
A: Don't just press the "test" button once, press it ten times and
if any one of the test's fail then adjust your delay. I say 10
because if your delay is not long enough it will show up in one
of the 10 tests.
I have the delay set to 40; the machine I have is a 486 DX/2 66
and my parallel port comes off one of these vesa local bus ide
multi i/o cards.
If I drop the delay to less than 40 then sometimes I get
