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1990-08-29
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The A64 Package
Copyright (C) 1990, QuesTronix
Designed and Written By: Cliff Dugan
QuesTronix
P.O. Box 340285
Hartford, CT 06134-0285
8/90 1.00
-
COPYRIGHT
The A64 Package, Copyright (C) 1990, QuesTronix.
All programs in The A64 Package including, but not limited to: A64, 64Cmd,
64Dir, 64Print, 64Status, 64ToAmiga, AmigaTo64, Pet2ASCII and StripLoadAddr
are Copyright (C) 1990, QuesTronix.
All documentation in The A64 Package including this manual are Copyright
(C) 1990, QuesTronix.
LICENSE AGREEMENT
The A64 Package is being licensed to you. You may use and distribute The
A64 Package as long as the following terms are agreed to:
The A64 Package may not be modified in any way. If distributed, it must
include all of the original programs and documentation it came with and all
copyright notices must remain intact.
You may not reverse engineer any of the programs in The A64 Package nor may
you examine their inner workings in any way.
The A64 Package may not be distributed for profit nor will it be made part
of a "for sale" public domain software collection without prior written
permission from QuesTronix.
QuesTronix is charging a license fee, of $25.00 (plus $3.00 for shipping
and handling of the hardware interface), for the use of The A64 Package.
After receiving the license fee, from you, QuesTronix will send you the
hardware interface that is used with most of the programs in The A64
Package.
Your use of any program in The A64 Package states that you agree to these
terms and have accepted this license agreement.
DISCLAIMER
The A64 Package is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either
expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties
of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will
QuesTronix be liable for incidental, consequential or other similar
damages. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of The A64
Package is with you.
QuesTronix reserves the right to change The A64 Packages' Copyright status
and/or cost at any time, without notice.
CREDITS
The A64 Package was designed and written by Cliff Dugan.
1
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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
All programs in The A64 Package will work with V1.2 or higher WorkBench.
The utility programs included with The A64 Package will run with 512k RAM.
A64 will run "as is" with 1mb RAM, but can be made to run with 512k RAM
(See A64 AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
All programs included with The A64 Package will work with the 68000
microprocessor only (See 680x0 SUPPORT in the TECHNICAL section).
If the hardware interface is used, a separate adapter cable is required for
the Amiga 1000.
UPDATES
If enough people support The A64 Package, by sending in the license fee,
it will be updated from time to time. QuesTronix will notify registered
owners, by mail, whenever The A64 Package has a major revision (See
WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE section).
REPLACEMENTS
QuesTronix will provide replacements of either the hardware interface or
The A64 Package should either become damaged. Replacements will be made
available to registered owners only and will cost a nominal fee. Please
contact QuesTronix for exact details on replacements.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
QuesTronix will provide technical support to REGISTERED OWNERS ONLY! To
become a registered owner you must fill out the registration form and mail
it with the license fee to QuesTronix (See HOW TO BECOME A REGISTERED OWNER
in the INTRODUCTION section).
HOW TO CONTACT QUESTRONIX
QuesTronix's phone number has deliberately been omitted from The A64
Package. We do not have the resources to answer phone calls from
unregistered users. Upon becoming a registered owner QuesTronix will make
its phone number available to you. Until then you may contact QuesTronix
by writing to:
QuesTronix
P.O. Box 340285
Hartford, CT 06134-0285
2
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TRADEMARKS
The A64 Package, A64, A64 BASIC, A64 Prefs, A64Mon and QuesTronix are
trademarks of QuesTronix.
Commodore 64 and C64 are trademarks and COMMODORE is a registered trademark
of Commodore Electronics, Ltd.
Amiga, AmigaDOS and Workbench are registered trademarks of
Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
GO-64! is a trademark of Software Insight Systems, Inc.
The 64 Emulator is a trademark of ReadySoft, Inc.
Deluxe Paint is a trademark of Electronic Arts.
PrintShop is a trademark of Broderbund Software.
GEOS is a trademark of Berkely Softworks.
3
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT ......................................................... 1
LICENSE AGREEMENT ................................................. 1
DISCLAIMER ........................................................ 1
CREDITS ........................................................... 1
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ............................................... 2
UPDATES ........................................................... 2
REPLACEMENTS....................................................... 2
TECHNICAL SUPPORT ................................................. 2
HOW TO CONTACT QUESTRONIX ......................................... 2
TRADEMARKS ........................................................ 3
INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 1-1
WHAT IS THE A64 PACKAGE? ...................................... 1-1
WHAT IS NEEDED? ............................................... 1-1
WHAT DOES IT COST? ............................................ 1-2
HOW TO BECOME A REGISTERED OWNER .............................. 1-2
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR ........................................ 1-3
GETTING STARTED ................................................... 2-1
RUNNING A64 .................................................... 2-1
A64'S HARDWARE INTERFACE ....................................... 2-3
INSTALLING A64'S HARDWARE INTERFACE ............................ 2-3
INSTALLING THE A64 PACKAGE ON ANOTHER DISK OR HARD DISK ........ 2-4
A64 PREFS ......................................................... 3-1
A64 PREFS SETTINGS AND CONFIGURATION FILES .................... 3-1
THE MENUS ..................................................... 3-2
THE PROJECT MENU .......................................... 3-2
RESET A64 ............................................. 3-2
LOAD CONFIG ........................................... 3-2
SAVE CONFIG ........................................... 3-3
NAMING CONFIGURATION FILES ........................ 3-3
RESET CONFIG .......................................... 3-4
ABOUT A64 ............................................. 3-4
QUIT A64 .............................................. 3-4
EXIT PREFS ............................................ 3-5
THE SYSTEM MENU ........................................... 3-6
PAR PORT .............................................. 3-6
SER PORT .............................................. 3-6
MODEMS ............................................ 3-7
GAME PORTS (JOYSTICKS) ................................ 3-7
SWAP PORTS GADGET ................................. 3-7
PORT 1 AND PORT 2 GADGETS ......................... 3-8
DRIVES ................................................ 3-9
AMIGA DRIVES ...................................... 3-10
THE GRAFIX MENU ........................................... 3-11
COLORS ................................................ 3-11
COLOR GADGETS ..................................... 3-11
SLIDER GADGETS .................................... 3-12
COLOR MODE GADGET ................................. 3-12
20 COLOR MODE ................................. 3-13
16 COLOR MODE ................................. 3-13
4
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2, 4, & 8 COLOR MODES ......................... 3-14
BORDERS ............................................... 3-15
SCREEN REFRESH ........................................ 3-16
DIRECT MODE ....................................... 3-16
SAMPLE MODE ....................................... 3-16
THE TOOLS MENU ............................................ 3-17
SAVE SCREEN ........................................... 3-17
A64 PREFS NOTES ............................................... 3-18
UTILITIES ......................................................... 4-1
UTILITY SUMMARY ............................................... 4-1
CONVENTIONS FOR THE CLI BASED UTILITIES ................... 4-1
64Cmd ......................................................... 4-3
64Dir ......................................................... 4-4
64Print ....................................................... 4-5
64Status ...................................................... 4-6
64ToAmiga ..................................................... 4-7
AmigaTo64 ..................................................... 4-8
InstallA64Font ................................................ 4-9
Pet2ASCII ..................................................... 4-10
PrintFile ..................................................... 4-11
StripLoadAddr ................................................. 4-12
C64 PROGRAMS .................................................. 4-13
SaveROMs .................................................. 4-13
64Colors .................................................. 4-13
TECHNICAL ......................................................... 5-1
THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE .............................. 5-1
THE KEYBOARD ................................................. 5-2
KEYBOARD DIFFERENCES ..................................... 5-2
A PROBLEM WITH THE KEYBOARD .............................. 5-2
THE NUMERIC KEYPAD ....................................... 5-2
UNUSED KEYS .............................................. 5-3
A64 AND MULTITASKING ......................................... 5-4
A64 AND MEMORY ............................................... 5-4
680x0 SUPPORT ................................................ 5-5
ROMS ......................................................... 5-6
WHAT IS ROM? ............................................. 5-6
THE C64'S ROMS ........................................... 5-6
A64'S ROMS ............................................... 5-6
INSTALLING THE C64'S ROMS ................................ 5-7
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS .......................................... 6-1
A64 ERRORS .................................................... 6-2
ERROR LIST ................................................ 6-3
INCOMPATIBILITIES ............................................. 6-9
KNOWN BUGS .................................................... 6-10
WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE ........................................... 7-1
APPENDICES ....................................................... A
ERROR REPORT ................................................. A
5
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The A64 Package. This manual assumes that you are familiar with
the basic usage of the CLI and WorkBench. If you are not please consult
your Amiga user's guide. This manual also makes the assumption that you
are familiar with using the Commodore 64. If you want to learn more about
using the Commodore 64 there are many good books available on the subject.
Throughout this manual some names are used that we would like to clarify.
When you see the name "The A64 Package" we are referring to the entire
package including all its utilities. When you see the name "A64" by itself
we are referring only to the A64 program. The names: "A64's hardware
interface","hardware interface" or just "interface" all refer to the same
interface.
The bulk of this manual is for describing the use and function of A64. The
descriptions and instructions for all of The A64 Packages' utilities can be
found in the UTILITIES section. We recommend that you fully read this
manual before attempting to use any of the programs included with The A64
Package.
WHAT IS THE A64 PACKAGE?
The A64 Package is a collection of Amiga programs to help Commodore 64
users upgrade to the Amiga. We like to call The A64 Package "a Commodore
64 upgrade kit." Commodore 64 owners have spent hundreds or even thousands
of dollars on their C64 peripherals and software. Many of them would like
to upgrade to the Amiga, but they do not want to lose their investment.
There is a solution! The A64 Package will allow them to continue to use
their familiar Commodore 64 software and peripherals while they're learning
how to use their powerful, new Amiga. The main program included with The
A64 Package is A64. A64 is a Commodore 64 emulator. The word emulate
means to strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation. A64
emulates the Commodore 64. This means that using A64 is just like using a
C64. There are literally thousands of programs available for the Commodore
64 and A64 will run a majority of them. The A64 Package also includes
several utilities to help with the transfer of data or programs from the
Commodore 64 to the Amiga and back again. Now bridging the gap from the
Commodore 64 to the Amiga is easier than ever before. The A64 Package
helps to make the upgrade path a little easier to take.
WHAT IS NEEDED?
The A64 Package is a hardware and software combination. The software, the
A64 program and its associated utilities, perform the actual Commodore 64
emulation and allow you to transfer data or programs from C64 drives to
Amiga drives and back again. The hardware is an interface that plugs into
the parallel port of your Amiga 500 or 2000 and allows The A64 Package to
access Commodore 64 disk drives and printers. A separate adapter cable is
needed for the A1000. You already have the software and the hardware is
available from QuesTronix. You DO NOT need the hardware to use A64, but
without it, its use is very limited. You DO need the hardware to use most
of The A64 Packages' utility programs.
1-1
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WHAT DOES IT COST?
The software portion of The A64 Package is licensed to you. You are free
to use and distribute it as long as certain terms are agreed to (See
LICENSE AGREEMENT on page 1). One of these terms is that QuesTronix is
charging a license fee for the use of The A64 Package. This license fee is
$25.00 (plus $3.00 for shipping and handling of the hardware interface).
Paying this license fee makes you a registered owner of The A64 Package and
grants you certain rights and privileges. Also, after receiving the
license fee, from you, QuesTronix will send you the hardware interface that
is used with most of the programs in The A64 Package.
The adapter cable needed for the A1000 is available for an additional
$20.00. Please add $3.00 for shipping and handling if you order the
adapter cable separately.
HOW TO BECOME A REGISTERED OWNER
Included with The A64 Package is the file "Registration.form". This file
serves as a registration form for The A64 Package. Please print this file
(See PrintFile in the UTILITIES section) and then fill it out and send it
with a check or money order, for the license fee, to:
QuesTronix
P.O. Box 340285
Hartford, CT 06134-0285
Funds must be drawn on a US bank. Please allow 4-6 weeks for personal
checks to clear. Sorry no CODs or charge cards.
Please take the time to fill out the registration form completely. The
information you put on it will help us to put out better updates of The
A64 Package. Users without printers can substitute the registration form
with a letter.
1-2
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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Those of you that have been around the Amiga community for a while know all
about C64 emulators and what a disappointment they have been. I hope that
A64 is going to change that. I decided to write A64 because I knew that a
C64 emulator could be faster and more compatible than the two commercially
available emulators. Seeing how I was co-author of one of them (GO-64!),
I had a slight advantage in writing another emulator. A64 V1.00n is the
first release in my attempt to write a better emulator and I see many
improvements and more features in the future. Although I believe that The
A64 Package, in its current state, to be useful and in many ways superior
to the competitors packages, it still needs quite a bit of work to be the
best it can be. Unfortunately writing a program as complex as a C64
emulator takes a great deal of time and for QuesTronix to continue
development of The A64 Package we needs your support. If you find The A64
Package useful and would like to see it improve, send in the license fee.
I believe that the license fee is minimal. Where else can you find a
quality Amiga hardware/software product for $25.00?
Thanks in advance,
Cliff Dugan
1-3
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GETTING STARTED
If you already have A64's hardware interface you should install it before
running A64 (See INSTALLING A64'S HARDWARE INTERFACE in the GETTING STARTED
section).
RUNNING A64
To run A64 you should have:
1. A copy of WorkBench that can be to written to. You can either use
the WorkBench that you usually use with your Amiga or make a copy of
it. If you decide to use your normal WorkBench you should note that
a font will be added to it and it should have enough room on it to
store this font (less than 1%). You should make sure that the
WorkBench disk contains the following directories and files:
"C" directory containing the files "Execute, Assign, Path and Copy"
"Libs" directory containing the file "diskfont.lib"
"Fonts" directory
2. A separate disk containing The A64 Package, which should be in the
directory named "TheA64Package."
Before you can run A64 you must install a font onto the WorkBench disk that
you will be using with The A64 Package. This is easily done by using the
program "InstallA64Font" that is included with The A64 Package (See
InstallA64Font in the UTILITIES section). The procedure for installing the
font, from the WorkBench, is as follows:
1. Insert the disk containing The A64 Package into any drive.
2. Double-click The A64 Packages' disk icon.
3. When the disk window appears double-click TheA64Package drawer icon.
4. When the drawer window appears you will see an icon that is named
"InstallA64Font," double-click this icon.
5. A window will appear asking you to enter the name of the drive
containing The A64 Package. You should enter the name of drive and
press the RETURN key when you are done. For example, if the drive
containing The A64 Package was drive 1 then you would enter: df1:
and then press return.
6. The A64 font will then be installed to your WorkBench fonts
directory. If you have a single drive system just swap disks when
needed.
To run InstallA64Font from the CLI, type the following:
cd TheA64Package
run InstallA64Font
You can now follow the procedure listed above, starting at step 5.
The installation of the A64 Font only needs to be done once as long as you
always use the same WorkBench disk with A64. If you change WorkBench disks
you will have to install the A64 Font on the new WorkBench disk.
2-1
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After installing the A64 Font you are now ready to run A64. If you still
have TheA64Package drawer window open from installing the A64 Font you can
go directly to step 4.
1. Insert the disk containing The A64 Package into any drive.
2. Double-click The A64 Packages' disk icon.
3. When the disk window appears double-click TheA64Package drawer icon.
4. You will see an icon named "A64" that looks like an Amiga 2000,
double-click it.
5. You will then see A64's title screen. There will be a brief pause
while A64 loads its files. After it's done loading you will see a
message flashing on the lower left hand side of the screen saying
"PRESS A MOUSE BUTTON." At this time you should do so.
6. You will then be shown A64's license agreement screen. You should
read this entire screen before proceeding. If you agree to the
terms listed on the screen you should press the left mouse button to
enter A64. If you do not agree to the terms you should press the
right mouse button to quit A64.
To run A64 from the CLI, type the following:
cd TheA64Package
run A64
Make sure you type run before A64 to take advantage of A64's
multitasking capabilities. You can now follow the procedure for
running A64 starting at step 5.
Assuming you agreed to the terms of the license agreement and pressed the
left mouse button, you will now be shown the A64 BASIC screen. The A64
BASIC screen will differ from the C64 BASIC screen in two ways:
1. The startup message will say "*** QUESTRONIX A64 BASIC V1 ***"
instead of "**** COMMODORE 64 BASIC V2 ****." This is because the
Commodore 64 ROMs are not present in A64 (See ROMS in the TECHNICAL
section).
2. There will be no borders around the screen. (See BORDERS in the
GRAFIX MENU section).
You have now turned your Amiga into a C64. You can do almost everything in
A64 that you would do on a C64. You can try all the BASIC commands or POKE
and PEEK around memory. It's all there.
NOTE: While the A64's title screen is being displayed you can press the
TAB key to cycle the background. Pressing it again will stop the
cycling.
2-2
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A64'S HARDWARE INTERFACE
To fully utilize The A64 Package you need its hardware interface. This
interface is a small hardware box that plugs into the parallel port of
your Amiga 500 or 2000. A separate adapter cable is required for the Amiga
1000. This interface allows you to connect your Commodore 64 disk drive
and printers to the Amiga in the same way you would connect them to your
C64. It's this interface that allows you to load and save C64 programs
from C64 disk drives and transfer them to and from Amiga disks. The
hardware interface is not absolutely required to use A64, but without it,
its use is very limited. To get the interface you must become a registered
owner of The A64 Package (See HOW TO BECOME A REGISTERED OWNER in the
INTRODUCTION section).
INSTALLING A64'S HARDWARE INTERFACE
The hardware interface is a small box with two connectors on it. The large
connector is the end that plugs into your Amiga and the small connector is
the end where you plug in your C64 disk drives and printers.
To install the hardware interface use the following procedure:
1. Make sure your Amiga is turned off. You should NEVER plug anything into
your Amiga while it's turned on, because damage to your Amiga could
result by doing so.
2. If you have the Amiga 500 or 2000 you may now plug the interface
directly into its parallel port. If you have the Amiga 1000 you must
first plug the adapter cable into the parallel port and then connect the
interface to the cable. Please note that this adapter cable is not a
simple gender changer and only a cable specifically made to connect
A500/A2000 devices to an A1000 parallel port should be used.
3. You are now ready to connect your C64 disk drives and printers to the
interface. Make sure that each C64 device that you wish to connect has
its power turned off. Using the serial cable that came with your disk
drive or printer, plug one end of the cable into the interface and the
other into your C64 peripheral. The C64 peripherals may now be "daisy
chained" in the same way as they would be on a C64, by plugging each new
device into the back of each previous device. After all C64 devices are
connected you can then turn them on. A64 will support up to four
different C64 disk drives and two separate C64 printers, simultaneously.
4. You may now turn on your Amiga and boot it up as you normally would.
The hardware interface can stay plugged in at all times without interfering
with any programs on your Amiga, as long as they do not use the parallel
port. If you want to use your parallel port with some other piece of
hardware, like a printer or digitizer, you must remove the hardware
interface and install the other device as you normally would. You can also
use an A-B switch and just switch between devices. Please note that A64
takes over the parallel port and for the parallel port to be used by other
devices while A64 is running certain procedures must by followed (See PAR
PORT in the SYSTEM MENU section).
2-3
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INSTALLING THE A64 PACKAGE ON ANOTHER DISK OR HARD DISK
To install The A64 Package on another floppy disk or hard disk all you need
to do is copy TheA64Package directory (drawer) to the disk you want to
install it on. The way to do this is as follows:
From the WorkBench:
drag the TheA64Package drawer to the destination disk.
From the CLI type:
makedir <destination disk>TheA64Package
copy <source disk>TheA64Package <destination disk>TheA64Package all
copy <source disk>TheA64Package.info <destination disk>
<source disk> is the disk containing TheA64Package directory and
<destination disk> is the disk you want to install The A64 Package on.
2-4
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A64 PREFS
A64 Prefs utilizes an Intuition user interface with menus, requesters and
gadgets. This manual assumes that you are familiar with using this type of
user interface and the terms used to describe it. If you are not familiar
with them please consult your Amiga user's manual.
A64 is the Amiga's first truly multitasking Commodore 64 emulator and A64
Prefs is your bridge, from A64, to the multitasking environment. A64 Prefs
allows A64 to have features you've come to expect from Amiga programs, like
an Intuition user interface with menus and requesters. A64 Prefs allows
you to change the way A64 is configured to run C64 programs, access tools
included with The A64 Package and, most importantly, it allows you to stop
any C64 program that A64 is currently running and return to the WorkBench,
after which you can use A64 Prefs and re-enter the C64 program and pick up
EXACTLY where you left off. A64 Prefs gives A64 the power and flexibility
that, until now, no C64 emulator has had.
To gain access to A64 Prefs from A64 press the [LEFT ALT] key and the
[RIGHT ALT] key simultaneously. After doing so a title bar will appear on
the C64 program that is currently running. At this point you can get back
to the Workbench or CLI by dragging the screen down or by depth arranging
the A64 Prefs screen by using the front-back gadgets. To get back to A64
Prefs you do the same thing, drag or depth arrange any other screen that
may visible. You can also use the following key sequences to depth arrange
the A64 Prefs screen with the Workbench screen:
[LEFT AMIGA] [M]: Send Workbench to back, A64 Prefs to front
[LEFT AMIGA] [N]: Send Workbench to front, A64 Prefs to back
A64 PREFS SETTINGS AND CONFIGURATION FILES
A64 Prefs effects the operation of A64 much like the WorkBench Preferences
program effects the operation of the Amiga. By changing A64 Prefs'
settings you can force A64 to change its performance or appearance, in the
way that it runs a C64 program. All of A64 Prefs' settings are accessed
with menus and requesters. When you change one or more of these settings
they become the current settings, meaning they will take effect immediately
or when A64 is re-entered. These settings will stay in effect until you
change them again or until you quit A64. You can also save all of A64
Prefs' settings in what is called a "configuration file." Unlike the
WorkBench Preferences program, A64 Prefs allows you to create as many
different configuration files as you like and name them what ever you
choose.
The procedure for changing A64 Prefs' settings and loading and saving
configuration files is detailed in THE MENUS section.
NOTE: A64 has a default configuration file. This file is named
"A64.config" and it is loaded anytime you run A64. It contains all
of A64's initial settings, which are shown by A64Prefs' menus and
requesters. By changing any one or more of A64 Prefs' settings and
saving them with the name "A64.config" will force A64 to use your new
settings as its initial settings.
3-1
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THE MENUS
A64 Prefs is broken up into several menus. Each having its own function
and options. All of A64 Prefs settings and features are accessed with
these menus. Each menu and its options are described in the following
sections.
THE PROJECT MENU
RESET A64
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [N] (New)
The RESET A64 menu option allows you to reset A64 back to its initial
state. If selected, this option will terminate the program that A64 is
currently running and return A64 to the BASIC startup screen. Essentially,
this is the same thing as turning a Commodore 64 off and then on again.
When selecting RESET A64 you will be prompted with a requester asking you
"Are sure you want to reset A64?". Select one of the requester's gadgets
to answer the question:
YES, Reset A64.
NO, Abort the procedure.
NOTES: RESET A64 is non-destructive. Any programs that were in memory
before the reset will still be there after the reset.
RESET A64 does not reset any devices connected with A64's hardware
interface (i.e., C64 disk drives and printers). If you were using
a program that used copy protection and/or sent commands to the
devices you may have to reset them by turning them off and then on
again.
LOAD CONFIG
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [L] (Load)
The LOAD CONFIG menu option allows you to load a previously saved
configuration file. If selected, this option will load the requested
configuration file and the newly loaded settings will become A64 Prefs'
current settings.
When selecting LOAD CONFIG you will be prompted with a requester asking
you to enter the name of the configuration file you wish to load. Use the
requester's string gadget to enter the name and then press the RETURN key
to load the file. You can also use the requester's other gadgets to
select the following:
OK, Load the configuration file (pressing RETURN does the same).
CANCEL, Abort the procedure.
3-2
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NOTE: The filename can contain any legal AmigaDOS path name, limited to 31
characters in length.
SEE: A64 PREFS SETTINGS AND CONFIGURATION FILES and SAVE CONFIG in the
A64 PREFS section.
SAVE CONFIG
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [S] (Save)
The SAVE CONFIG menu option allows you to save the current A64 Prefs'
settings. If selected, this option will save all of A64 Prefs' current
settings in the configuration file that you specified, to be loaded at a
later time.
When selecting SAVE CONFIG you will be prompted with a requester asking
you to enter the name of the configuration file you wish to save A64
Prefs' current settings to. Use the requester's string gadget to enter the
name and then press the RETURN key to save the file. You can also use the
requester's other gadgets to select the following:
OK, Save the configuration file (pressing RETURN does the same).
CANCEL, Abort the procedure.
NOTES: The filename can contain any legal AmigaDOS path name, limited to 31
characters in length.
You can change the default A64 Prefs' settings, the settings used
when A64 is first loaded, by saving the current settings with the
name "A64.config". This configuration file is always loaded
whenever you run A64.
SEE: A64 PREFS SETTINGS AND CONFIGURATION FILES and LOAD CONFIG and
NAMING CONFIGURATION FILES in the A64 PREFS section.
NAMING CONFIGURATION FILES
It is a good practice to end your configuration files with the file
extension ".config". This will help you to remember what you named your
configuration files. For example, if you saved a configuration file for
the C64 program "PrintShop" and you named it "PrintShop.config" then when
loading the file at a future time you would have no problem remembering
what you named it.
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RESET CONFIG
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [R] (Reset config)
The RESET CONFIG menu option allows you to reset A64 Prefs' current
settings to their default states. If selected, this option will reset all
of A64 Prefs' settings to their original settings.
When selecting RESET CONFIG you will be prompted with a requester asking
you "Are sure you want to reset config?". Select one of the requester's
gadgets to answer the question:
YES, Reset the configuration settings.
NO, Abort the procedure.
NOTE: The default settings set by RESET CONFIG are not necessarily the ones
currently saved in the default configuration file "A64.config". If
you have changed this file and you want to reset it to the default
settings you must save them with the name "A64.config".
SEE: A64 PREFS SETTINGS AND CONFIGURATION FILES and SAVE CONFIG in the
A64 PREFS section.
ABOUT A64
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [A] (About)
The ABOUT A64 menu option allows you to read some information about A64.
When selecting ABOUT A64 you will be shown a screen with a cycling blue
background. On the screen will be a requester with some information about
A64. After you have read the information you can select the requester's
OK gadget to return to A64 Prefs.
QUIT A64
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [Q] (Quit)
The QUIT A64 menu option allows you to quit A64. If selected, this option
will terminate A64 for good and return you to the WorkBench.
When selecting QUIT A64 you will be prompted with a requester asking you
"Are sure you want to quit A64?". Select one of the requester's gadgets
to answer the question:
YES, Quit A64.
NO, Abort the procedure.
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EXIT PREFS
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [X] (eXit)
The EXIT PREFS menu option will allow you to exit A64 Prefs and return to
A64. If selected, this option will close A64 Prefs and return you to A64
at the exact point where you left it.
When selecting EXIT PREFS you will be prompted with a requester asking you
"Are sure you want to exit prefs?". Select one of the requester's gadgets
to answer the question:
YES, Exit A64 Prefs and return to A64.
NO, Abort the procedure.
NOTE: You can get back to A64 Prefs by pressing the [LEFT ALT] key and the
[RIGHT ALT] key simultaneously.
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THE SYSTEM MENU
PAR PORT
KEY SEQUENCE: None
The PAR PORT menu option allows you to toggle ownership of the Amiga's
parallel port between A64 and other Amiga programs. Because A64 takes over
the Amiga's parallel port for its hardware interface, it can only be used
by either A64 or other Amiga programs at any one time.
The PAR PORT menu option has two settings: AMIGA and A64. You can select
one or the other of these settings and selecting one automatically
unselects the other. The current selected setting is shown by displaying
a checkmark next to it. To use A64's hardware interface, A64 must own the
parallel port and the A64 setting must be selected. If you want to use
some other program, while A64 is running, that needs the parallel port for
some other piece of hardware (i.e., parallel printers or digitizers) then
the Amiga must own the parallel port and the AMIGA setting must be
selected.
NOTES: The A64 setting should only be selected when the A64 program itself
needs the parallel port. If you want to use the utility programs
included with The A64 Package, that also need A64's hardware
interface (i.e., 64Dir, 64ToAmiga, AmigaTo64, etc.), the AMIGA
setting must be selected.
IMPORTANT NOTE: See KNOWN BUGS in the PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS section!
SER PORT
KEY SEQUENCE: None
The SER PORT menu option allows you to toggle ownership of the Amiga's
serial port between A64 and other Amiga programs. Because A64 takes over
the Amiga's serial port for using modems, it can only be used by either
A64 or other Amiga programs at any one time.
The SER PORT menu option has two settings: AMIGA and A64. You can select
one or the other of these settings and selecting one automatically
unselects the other. The current selected setting is shown by displaying
a checkmark next to it. To use modems with A64, A64 must own the serial
port and the A64 setting must be selected. If you want to use some other
program, while A64 is running, that needs the serial port for some other
piece of hardware (i.e., serial printers or modems with Amiga programs)
then the Amiga must own the serial port and the AMIGA setting must be
selected.
NOTE: You should not change the SER PORT setting to AMIGA while A64 is
running a C64 telecommunications program. This could cause the C64
program to lose data and possibly crash, forcing you to reset A64.
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MODEMS
A64 supports Amiga modems. To use an Amiga modem with A64 you must make
sure the SER PORT menu item is set to A64 (See SER PORT in the SYSTEM MENU
section). You do not have to set BAUD, PARITY or other telecommunications
parameters with either A64 Prefs or the WorkBench Preferences program. The
C64 program that A64 is running will set these parameters. A64 does not
support BAUD rates of 50 and 75 which are available on the C64, but it does
support all common BAUD rates from 110 to 19200.
NOTE: A64's modem support is still in development and C64 telecommunications
programs may or may not fully work. For the best results with A64
V1.00n try to use C64 programs that use the following settings: NO
PARITY, 300 or 1200 BAUD, 1 STOP BIT, 8 DATA BITS and 3-LINE protocol.
Modem support will be fully implemented by the next version of A64.
GAME PORTS (JOYSTICKS)
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [G] (Game port)
The GAME PORTS menu option allows you to tell A64 what kind of input
devices are connected to the Amiga's game ports (Game ports are the ports
that you plug your Amiga mouse and joysticks into).
In the following explanation of the GAME PORTS menu option, reference is
made to each port in the following manner: port 1 means the port that your
Amiga's mouse is normally plugged into and port 2 means the other port. By
default, port 1 on the Amiga corresponds to port 1 on the C64 and port 2 on
the Amiga corresponds to port 2 on the C64.
When selecting GAME PORTS, you will be prompted with a requester containing
several gadgets. The function of each gadget is as follows:
SWAP PORTS GADGET
Selecting SWAP PORTS will toggle the game ports on the Amiga. This is
shown by toggling the gadget between YES and NO. The meaning of both are
as follows:
NO, The Amiga's game ports act as normal. Port 1 on the Amiga
corresponds to port 1 on the C64 and port 2 on the Amiga corresponds to
port 2 on the C64.
YES, The Amiga's game ports are swapped. Port 1 on the Amiga will
become port 2 on the C64 and port 2 on the Amiga will become port 1 on
the C64. This swapping of the ports is in reference to the actual
game ports on the Amiga and not the PORT 1 and PORT 2 gadgets described
below.
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For example, you are using a C64 program that requires a joystick in port 1.
Instead of unplugging your Amiga's mouse from port 1 you can plug the
joystick into port 2 and select YES as the SWAP PORTS setting. Now A64 will
read the joystick as if it was plugged into port 1. Please note that you
must still set the PORT 1 gadget to JOYSTICKS as described below. Also note
that SWAP PORTS only effects how A64 reads the game ports and not how the
Amiga and WorkBench read them. With proper use, SWAP PORTS will allow you
to use almost any C64 program and not have to unplug your Amiga's mouse,
unless of course both game ports are required by the C64 program.
PORT 1 AND PORT 2 GADGETS
Selecting PORT 1 or PORT 2 will allow you to change the input device for
the corresponding C64 game port. This is displayed by changing the name of
the input device for the corresponding port. Both of these gadgets work in
the same way, except that PORT 1 corresponds to the C64's port 1 and PORT 2
corresponds to the C64's port 2. These gadgets ALWAYS correspond to the
C64's game ports and not the Amiga's, regardless of the status of the SWAP
PORTS gadget described above. That means if a C64 program requires a
joystick in port 1 you MUST set the PORT 1 gadget to JOYSTICKS. Currently
there are only two supported settings for these gadgets:
JOYSTICKS: Selects joysticks for the corresponding C64 port.
NO DEVICE: Acts as if there is no device connected regardless of what is
actually plugged in.
OK GADGET
Selecting OK will preserve all changes to the GAME PORTS settings. They
will become the current GAME PORTS settings and be active as soon as A64 is
re-entered.
CANCEL GADGET
Selecting CANCEL will ignore all changes to the GAME PORTS settings and
abort the procedure.
NOTES: While the PORT 1 gadget is set to JOYSTICKS and SWAP PORTS is set to
NO the Amiga's mouse will interfere with the keyboard and characters
will appear on the screen when the mouse is moved. This is normal.
The same thing will happen if you plug an Amiga mouse into port 1 of
the C64. This problem can be avoided by setting SWAP PORTS to YES
or setting the PORT 1 gadget to NO DEVICE. Also note, because of
the way the SWAP PORTS gadget works this problem can also be created
with the Amiga's game port 2.
More input devices will be supported in future versions of A64.
3-8
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DRIVES
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [D] (Drives)
The DRIVES menu option allows you to assign a type of disk drive to a drive
number. The Commodore 64 allows you to connect up to four disk drives to
it. A64 is no different in that it also allows you to utilize up to four
drives, but unlike the C64, A64 allows you to use not only C64 drives, but
you can also use Amiga drives. The C64 uses drive numbers to access its
drives. Numbered 8-11. A64 uses these same drive numbers and the DRIVES
option allows you to assign a type of drive to them.
When selecting DRIVES you will be prompted with a requester. On this
requester you will see the numbers 8-11 on the left hand side of it. These
numbers correspond to the C64's drive numbers mentioned above. To the
right of each of these numbers are two gadgets. The 1st gadget (going left
to right) allows you to toggle between a C64 drive or an Amiga drive for
that particular drive number. This is displayed by showing the word C64 or
AMIGA. If you want to assign a C64 drive to a drive number you set this
gadget to C64 and if you want to assign an Amiga drive to a drive number
you set this gadget to AMIGA. The second gadget is a string gadget and is
only used when you the first gadget is set to AMIGA. If you set the first
gadget to C64 then this gadget will be disabled. The purpose of the second
gadget is to tell A64 what Amiga device you want to assign to a drive
number. This is done by typing in the device name that you want to assign
to a drive number. This name can be any Amiga drive or any valid AmigaDOS
path name. Some valid device names are: df0:, df1:, dh0:, and RAM:. You
can also use volume names like WorkBench 1.3: or directory names like
df0:TheA64Package/64Prgs.
For example, you want to load the C64 program named "64Colors" and this
program is located on the The A64 Package disk in the 64Prgs directory,
which itself is in the directory TheA64Package. With the A64 disk in df0:
you would do the following:
1. Select the DRIVES menu option with either the mouse or key sequence.
2. When the requester appears change drive 8 to AMIGA. This is done by
clicking on the first gadget (going left to right) next to the
number 8.
3. The string gadget will then become enabled. Select the string
gadget and type in the following:
df0:The64Package/64Prgs [RETURN]
4. Select the OK gadget so your changes will be preserved.
5. Exit A64 Prefs using the EXIT PREFS menu item in the PROJECT menu.
6. When you are back in A64 type in the following:
LOAD"64COLORS",8 [RETURN]
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A64 will then load the program from the path you assigned to drive 8,
"df0:The64Package/64Prgs." You can now RUN the program as if were loaded
from a C64 drive. Now whenever you perform an action involving drive 8,
A64 will act as if "df0:The64Package/64Prgs" is drive 8. Please note that
you could also have assigned drive 8 to just df0: and typed the following
when you re-entered A64:
LOAD"THEA64PACKAGE/64PRGS/64COLORS",8 [RETURN]
The remaining two gadgets are as follows:
OK will preserve all changes to the DRIVES settings. They will become
the current DRIVES settings and be active as soon as A64 is re-entered.
CANCEL will ignore all changes to the DRIVES settings and abort the
procedure.
AMIGA DRIVES
A64 supports Amiga drives for the loading and saving of programs and data
to and from A64. These drives can be floppy drives, hard drives and RAM
drives. But before you attempt to use any of these with A64 you must
understand an important fact about using them. They are not as compatible
as using a C64 drive with A64 and their use is limited. The reason for
this is that C64 disk drives are what is referred to as "intelligent
devices." This means that C64 drives have ROM and RAM (memory) giving them
the ability to run programs just like the C64 does. Basically they are
computers! The C64 can transfer a program or send a command to the C64
disk drive telling it to perform some internal action. This action happens
totally independent of the C64. This ability is used for everything from
reading drive errors to copy protection and FAST LOADERS. Amiga drives on
the other hand are not "intelligent devices." They have no RAM or ROM and
basically rely on the Amiga to perform all actions. Because of this fact,
Amiga drives will not work with most C64 copy protection and will not
support any kind of communications meant for a C64 drive besides the simple
reading and writing of programs and data. If you try to perform some
action with an Amiga drive that it can not handle an error requester will
appear (See A64 ERRORS in the PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS section). You can
avoid these incompatibilities by using C64 disk drives whenever possible.
A64 supports all communications with C64 disk drives and when using them
these incompatibilities do not exist.
NOTES: You can not do a directory of an Amiga disk from within A64. You
must exit A64 to A64 Prefs and use the CLI to get the directory.
Amiga drives will support reading and writing of the file types:
PRG, SEQ and USR. Relative (REL) files are not supported. Please
note that file types are not saved with the file on Amiga drives,
but the file formats are identical to the C64's (PRG files include
load address, SEQ and USR do not).
In A64 V1.00n LOADING (reading) from Amiga drives is slow, even from
RAM disks. We do expect to dramatically increase the speed of LOADs
in the future.
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THE GRAFIX MENU
COLORS
KEY SEQUENCE: [LEFT AMIGA] [C] (Colors)
The COLORS menu option allows you change A64's colors and the number of
colors A64 uses to draw the C64's display.
Before explaining the COLORS option we must first explain a little bit
about the Commodore 64's colors and how it uses them. The Commodore 64 is
capable of displaying a maximum of 16 colors at any one time. On the C64
you are not able to change its colors, they are always displayed the same
(Until now!). The C64 uses numbers to signify its colors. Seeing how
there are 16 colors and computers start counting at 0, these color numbers
range from 0 to 15. The C64's color numbers and there corresponding colors
are as follows:
0 = BLACK 4 = PURPLE 8 = ORANGE 12 = MED GRAY
1 = WHITE 5 = GREEN 9 = BROWN 13 = LGT GREEN
2 = RED 6 = BLUE 10 = LGT RED 14 = LGT BLUE
3 = CYAN 7 = YELLOW 11 = DARK GRAY 15 = LGT GRAY
When selecting COLORS a screen will open at the bottom of the A64 Prefs
screen. This screen has many gadgets that allow you to control A64's
colors. The color screen's gadgets will be explained by separating them
into sections. Please note that most of the color screen's gadgets
interact with each other. If you change the setting of one gadget it will
probably change the setting of one or more other gadgets, because of this
we suggest that you read this section of the manual in order, without
jumping from section to section. The color screen's gadgets and their
functions are as follows:
COLOR GADGETS
The COLOR GADGETS are the 20 small gadgets that start at the top, left hand
side of the screen. These gadgets represent A64's current color palette,
with each gadget containing one of A64's colors. These COLOR GADGETS allow
you to select a color that you want to change. The current selected gadget
will be displayed with a red square around it. You will note that there
are 20 gadgets, while the C64 only has 16 colors. This is because A64
needs other colors, in addition to the C64's 16 colors, for some of it's
COLOR MODES (COLOR MODES are discussed in the following sections). To
explain this we need to define what C64 colors are represented by each
COLOR GADGET. Going left to right, the first COLOR GADGET represents the
C64's current background color. The background color is the color of the
screen that doesn't contains any graphics data, the transparent part of the
screen. For those of you that know a little about the C64's graphics, the
background color is stored in the C64's color register at 53281. The
actual color this gadget contains depends on what COLOR MODE you are using.
If you are using 16 or 20 COLOR MODE, this gadget will contain a mirror
image of one of the C64's 16 colors (it will contain the same color as one
of the other gadgets). If you are using one of the other COLOR MODES: 2,
4, or 8, then it will contain it's own independent color. The next 16
gadgets represent the C64's 16 colors, with the first gadget representing
the C64's color 0 and the last gadget, of the 16, representing the C64's
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color 15. The last three color gadgets are only used for A64's 20 COLOR
MODE. They represent three of the C64's color registers that are used for
two of it's graphics modes. For the people who know a little bit about the
C64's graphics, the C64 color registers are at 53282-53284 and are used for
multicolor text and extended background color text modes. These three
gadgets are like the background color gadget and will contain a mirror
image of one of the C64's 16 colors.
NOTES: The four gadgets described above, the background color gadget and
the three gadgets used by 20 COLOR MODE, are different from the
other 16 COLOR GADGETS. While the other 16 COLOR GADGETS represent
actual C64 colors that the C64 can not change, these four gadgets
represent color registers within the C64 that can be changed to any
one of its 16 colors. Seeing how the C64 can change the color in
these registers, thus changing the color in the gadgets that
represent them, any changes you make to these gadgets will be
temporary. If you want to change one of these four gadgets and have
its color preserved when A64 is re-entered you must find the other
gadget (in the other 16 gadgets) that contains the same color as the
gadget you want to change and then modify that gadget to the color
you want. For example, using the default C64 colors, the background
color gadget will contain the color blue and will be a mirror image
of the seventh COLOR GADGET, which will also contain the color blue.
If you change the color of the seventh COLOR GADGET to white and
then re-enter A64, the background color will be changed to white,
the color you selected in the seventh COLOR GADGET. If you had only
changed the color in the background color gadget and re-entered A64
the background color would be changed back to blue, the color in the
seventh COLOR GADGET.
When selecting a COLOR MODE of less than 20, all unused COLOR
GADGETS will be disabled.
SLIDER GADGETS
The SLIDER GADGETS are the three long, multicolored gadgets located below
the COLOR GADGETS. These gadgets are used to change A64's colors. More
specifically, they allow you to change the color contained in the selected
COLOR GADGET. On the Amiga, colors are formed by adding a combination of
RED, GREEN and BLUE color parts. These SLIDER GADGETS represent these
three color parts with; RED on top, GREEN in the middle and BLUE on the
bottom. Each one of these gadgets contain 16 different colors. By
selecting one of these colors you will change the selected COLOR GADGET to
that color. You will note that every time you select a color that all the
colors in the SLIDER GADGETS will change, this is to show what new colors
are available within a certain range from the color you just selected. All
of the Amiga's 4096 possible colors can be achieved by changing the
settings of these three gadgets.
COLOR MODE GADGET
The COLOR MODE gadget is the located at the top, right hand side of the
color screen. It is shown by the words "COLOR MODE:" followed by a gadget
containing a number. This gadget allows you to pick how many colors A64
will use to draw the C64 display. The possible settings are: 2, 4, 8, 16
and 20. Each setting corresponds to the number of colors that A64 will
use. These color modes also relate to how many bitplanes are used to make
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the C64 display. The Amiga uses bitplanes to make up its screens (You do
not need to fully understand bitplanes to grasp this example, but what you
should understand is that the more bitplanes that are used, the more colors
that can be displayed at one time and the more work A64 has to do to
display them. By lowering the number of bitplanes, we lower the number of
available color, but also decrease the amount of work A64 has to do to draw
the screen, resulting in A64 running faster). The following chart shows you
how many colors the Amiga is capable of displaying for a certain number of
bitplanes and how many colors A64 will display for the same number of
bitplanes:
NUMBER OF NUMBER OF NUMBER OF
BITPLANES AMIGA COLORS A64 COLORS
--------- ------------ ----------
1 2 2
2 4 4
3 8 8
4 16 16
5 32 20
20 COLOR MODE
There are only 16 colors on the C64, but because of differences in the way
that the Amiga and the C64 make their screens A64 uses more than 16 colors
to display all of the C64's colors. In addition to the C64's 16 colors,
A64 needs one color for the background color and it also uses three
additional colors for two of its graphics modes (See COLOR GADGETS in the
COLORS section). That brings our total up to 20 colors needed for A64 to
draw the C64's screen. That's how we get 20 COLOR MODE. When using this
COLOR MODE A64 can replicate the C64's screen perfectly. The confusion
starts when we start changing the COLOR MODE and lowering the number of
bitplanes. When we start lowering the COLOR MODE, we start losing colors.
A64 handles this slightly different for 16 COLOR MODE than it does for the
2, 4 & 8 COLOR MODES. We will explain this by separating 16 COLOR MODE
from the 2, 4 & 8 COLOR MODES and explaining them separately.
16 COLOR MODE
With 16 COLOR MODE A64 uses four bitplanes. This allows us to have a
maximum of 16 colors, exactly the number the C64 has, but remember, A64
needs other colors. A64 needs a maximum of 20 colors and we now only have
16, four colors short. A64 handles this by replacing the missing colors
with other available colors. The first colors A64 can replace are the
three colors mentioned above, that were needed for two of A64's graphics
modes. These three colors are only used for 20 COLOR MODE and can be
ignored for all other COLOR MODES. Getting rid of these three colors
brings our total colors, needed by A64, down to 17. This still leaves us
with one color too many. The way A64 handles this, is to replace one of
the C64's colors. A64 replaces the C64's color 15 (light gray) with the
C64's color 1 (white). This means, when using 16 COLOR MODE, whenever
something is supposed to be displayed in color 15 it will be displayed in
color 1. This replacement was picked, because the default color 1 (white)
looks very close to the default color 15 (light gray). For all practical
purposes, this is the only difference between 16 COLOR MODE and 20 COLOR
MODE. With 16 COLOR MODE all colors will look the way they should, except
color 15 will be replaced with color 1.
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2, 4 & 8 COLOR MODES
The remaining three COLOR MODES: 2, 4 & 8, are all handled by A64 in the
same way. With these COLOR MODES A64 must replace more colors, the lower
the color mode, the more colors that need to be replaced. The way A64 does
this is by taking the number of allowed colors (the COLOR MODE number) and
reserving one color for the background color and using the remaining colors
for the C64 colors. Because of the limited number of colors provided by
these COLOR MODES A64 sets aside one color for the background color that
will be different than all the remaining colors, this is slightly different
than the 20 & 16 color modes, where the background color is always a copy
of one of the C64's colors. For example, in 8 COLOR MODE, A64 uses 1 color
for the background color, leaving 7 colors free for C64 colors. In 4 COLOR
MODE, A64 uses 1 color for the background color, leaving 3 colors free for
C64 colors and in 2 COLOR MODE A64 uses 1 color for the background color,
leaving 1 color free for C64 colors (this is the equivalent of a monochrome
mode). The following chart shows what colors are replaced by these COLOR
MODES:
The 2, 4 & 8 COLOR MODE numbers correspond to the COLOR GADGETS
starting with the second gadget in, from the left (skip the 1st color
gadget, the background color gadget).
C64 COLOR 8 COLOR MODE 4 COLOR MODE 2 COLOR MODE
--------- ------------ ------------ ------------
0 1 1 1
1 2 2 1
2 3 3 1
3 4 1 1
4 5 2 1
5 6 3 1
6 7 1 1
7 1 2 1
8 2 3 1
9 3 1 1
10 4 2 1
11 5 3 1
12 6 1 1
13 7 2 1
14 1 3 1
15 2 1 1
The different COLOR MODES supported by A64 may seem very confusing, but
they are really not that complicated once you start using them. Included
with The A64 package is a C64 program named "64Colors." It is located in
the directory "64Prgs." We suggest you use this program and experiment
with the different COLOR MODES to see their effect on the C64's colors.
NOTES: Each COLOR MODE has its own color palette containing the number of
colors supported by the COLOR MODE (i.e., 16 COLOR MODE has its own
palette of 16 colors). When changing COLOR MODES the new COLOR
MODE's palette will be switched in and the previous palette, and any
changes you made to it, will be preserved. This is the same as if
you had selected the OK gadget for the changes, so before changing
COLOR MODES make sure any colors that you changed are they way you
want them.
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The drawing of the C64's screen is the most time consuming part of
A64. The general rule is that the more graphics a C64 program uses,
the more work A64 has to do to display them and the slower A64 will
run the C64 program. You can help compensate for this extra work,
by lowering the COLOR MODE. When you lower the COLOR MODE you
decrease the number of bitplanes that A64 has to draw to making A64
run faster. We strongly recommend that you lower the COLOR MODE to
at least 16 whenever possible. 16 COLOR MODE will handle most C64
programs with no dramatic decrease in color resolution. Also note
that if you are running an A1000 with 512k or an A500 or A2000 with
1mb or less, selecting 16 COLOR MODE, which eliminates the 5th
bitplane, will give you a more noticeable speed increase.
OK GADGET
Selecting OK will preserve all changes to the COLORS settings. They will
become the current COLORS settings and become active immediately.
CANCEL GADGET
Selecting CANCEL will ignore all changes to the current COLORS settings in
the current COLOR MODE and abort the procedure. CANCEL will not cancel out
changes to the COLOR MODE setting itself nor will it restore changes made
to another COLOR MODES' colors.
NOTES: When the A64 Colors screen is open the A64 Prefs screen will become
"locked" and you will not be able to access any of A64 Prefs menus
until you close the A64 Colors screen (when A64 Prefs screen is
locked it will say "SCREEN LOCKED" on its title bar).
A64 COLORS is still in the early stages of development. Future
versions of it will have many more features that you would expect
from a color selection screen of this type (i.e., COPY, SWAP,
SPREAD, etc.). Also, the proportional gadgets response will be
much faster (these are the sliding gadgets at the left of the screen
that allow you to change colors).
BORDERS
KEY SEQUENCE: None
The BORDERS menu option allows you to toggle the C64's borders on and off.
Because the Amiga does not support a true border around its screen, a
border around the entire C64 screen can not be emulated efficiently. To
support programs that need borders, for such things as changing the border
color to signify some status within the program, A64 supports a border on
the top and bottom of the screen. Changing the status of the borders will
have no effect on the operation of A64, but may make some programs look
better.
The BORDERS menu option has two settings: ON and OFF. You can select one
or the other of these settings and selecting one automatically unselects
the other. The current selected setting is shown by displaying a checkmark
next to it. To turn the on borders, select ON, and to turn the borders
off, select OFF.
NOTE: The borders will not be visible until re-entering A64.
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SCREEN REFRESH
KEY SEQUENCE: None
The SCREEN REFRESH menu option allows to change the way A64 draws the C64
screen. A64 supports two ways of drawing the C64 screen, each having its
own advantages and disadvantages. The two ways A64 can draw the C64's
screen are as follows:
DIRECT MODE
When A64 is in DIRECT MODE it writes to the Amiga's screen directly. This
means, when the C64 is performing an operation that changes some part of
the C64's screen A64 make the same change immediately to the Amiga's
screen. This way of drawing directly to the Amiga's screen has the
advantage of showing changes of the C64's screen immediately resulting in
smoother screen updates, but has the disadvantage of having the tendency
to slow down A64 when alot of changes are happening to the C64's screen
seemingly at one time. For example, scrolling in games. DIRECT MODE is
the default setting for the way A64 draws the screen and it is suggested
that you use this setting for most C64 programs.
SAMPLE MODE
When A64 is in SAMPLE MODE it draws the changes in the C64 screen at a set
SAMPLE rate. This means that A64 will SAMPLE the C64 graphics a couple of
times per second to see what has changed and then draw the changes. This
way of drawing the screen, by taking samples of the C64 graphics, has the
advantage of being faster when alot of changes are happening to the C64's
screen seemingly at one time. For example, scrolling in games, but has the
disadvantage of making the screen updates appear jerky and at times out of
sequence. When using C64 programs that are real graphics intensive you can
select SAMPLE MODE to make them run faster.
The SCREEN REFRESH menu option has two settings: SAMPLE and DIRECT which
represent the two modes described above. You can select one or the other
of these settings and selecting one automatically unselects the other. The
current selected setting is shown by displaying a checkmark next to it.
Select SAMPLE for SAMPLE MODE and select DIRECT for DIRECT MODE.
NOTE: There are times in A64 when SAMPLE MODE will override DIRECT MODE,
because SAMPLE MODE can perform the screen updates more efficiently.
When you are running a C64 program that uses a graphics technique
called "raster interrupts" and more than one graphics mode is used at
one time SAMPLE MODE will automatically be selected, regardless of
the menu option setting.
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THE TOOLS MENU
SAVE SCREEN
KEY SEQUENCE: [F1]
The SAVE SCREEN menu option allows you to save the currently displayed C64
screen as an IFF file. After saving the screen you can then load it into
any Amiga graphics program that supports IFF pictures, like Deluxe Paint.
When selecting SAVE SCREEN you will be prompted with a requester asking you
to enter the name of the file you wish to save the screen as. Use the
requester's string gadget to enter the name and then press the RETURN key
to save the file. You can also use the requester's other gadgets to select
the following:
OK, Save the screen. (Pressing RETURN does the same.)
CANCEL, Abort the procedure.
NOTE: The filename can contain any legal AmigaDOS path name, limited to 31
characters in length.
3-17
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A64 PREFS NOTES
This section contains miscellaneous information about A64 Prefs that did
not fit into other sections of the manual.
When in A64 Prefs you can press [F10] to toggle the title bar on and off.
When A64 is running some programs and you bring up A64 Prefs, you may
notice some images disappear from the C64 screen, this is normal. These
images are called "sprites." Sprites are independent graphics images and
not part of the screen in the normal sense. Because A64 Prefs does not
support C64 sprites, they will disappear from the screen when it is
entered. An example of a sprite is the Amiga's mouse pointer.
When A64 is running some programs and you bring up A64 Prefs, you may
notice the background changes color, this is normal. This can happen if a
C64 program is using a graphics technique called "raster interrupts" and
the background color is different in areas on the same screen. Because A64
Prefs does not support multiple background colors on the same screen, as
A64 does, it will display the last background color used for its background
color.
You should never attempt to bring up A64 Prefs while I/O (INPUT/OUTPUT) is
in progress. This means that whenever A64 is loading or saving from a disk
drive, accessing a modem or using a printer, you should wait until the
operation is completed before bringing up A64 Prefs. This warning should
especially be noted when accessing C64 devices. Bringing up A64 during
I/O should not "crash" A64, but may result in a "C64 crash" forcing you to
reset A64 and/or the C64 devices that you interrupted. To be on the safe
side you should heed this warning.
If at anytime you try to bring up A64 Prefs and the title bar does not
appear and/or the screen goes blank this means A64 Prefs has not yet been
entered correctly. The most likely cause of this is the Amiga has brought
up a system requester on the WorkBench screen. You must clear this
requester before A64 Prefs will be entered correctly. To do this, follow
this procedure:
1. Use the following key sequence to get access to the WorkBench
screen:
[LEFT AMIGA] [N]: Send Workbench to front, A64 Prefs to back
2. Perform the action requested by the requester or select CANCEL.
3. If A64 Prefs does not appear automatically after handling the
requester use the following key sequence or depth arrange the
WorkBench screen to get to A64 Prefs:
[LEFT AMIGA] [M]: Send Workbench to back, A64 Prefs to front
NOTE: If there is not a system requester on the WorkBench screen then
A64 is stuck somewhere and you will have to reboot your Amiga to
get everything back to normal. Every precaution has been taken
to make sure this doesn't happen.
3-18
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UTILITIES
The A64 Package comes with a number of utility programs serving a variety
of functions. The majority of these utility programs are for helping with
the transfer of C64 programs and data to the Amiga. These utilities allow
you to access C64 disk drives and printers directly from AmigaDOS and most
of them must be run from the CLI. In the following sections we will
outline each utility and how to use it.
UTILITIES SUMMARY
The following list gives a brief summary of the utilities included with
The A64 Package. A couple of the headings need explanation. The heading
HDW is short for HarDWare interface and is used to signify if the utility
directly needs A64's hardware interface. The heading ENV is short for
ENVironment and is used to state what environment the utility is to be used
in. The different environments are: WB - the utility is meant to be used
with the WorkBench, but can also be used from the CLI, CLI - the utility
is used from the CLI only, C64 - the utility is meant to be used on the
C64, and A64 - the utility can be used by both A64 and the C64. Please
note that the utilities with their environment set to C64 or A64 are
actual Commodore 64 programs, all other utilities are Amiga programs. Also
note that just because a utility does not use the hardware interface
directly does not mean that the utility will be useful without it. For
example the utility "Pet2ASCII" will convert a file from PetASCII to ASCII,
but to use it you must first transfer a C64 program to an Amiga disk.
UTILITY NAME HDW ENV FUNCTION
------------ --- --- --------
64Cmd YES CLI Send a command to a C64 drive
64Dir YES CLI Read the dir of a C64 drive
64Print YES CLI Print an Amiga file to a C64 printer
64Status YES CLI Read a C64 drives' status
64ToAmiga YES CLI Copy a file from a C64 drive to an
Amiga drive
AmigaTo64 YES CLI Copy a file from an Amiga drive to a
C64 drive
InstallA64Font NO WB Install A64's font to FONTS:
Pet2ASCII NO CLI Convert a file from PetASCII to ASCII
PrintFile NO WB Print an Amiga file to an Amiga printer
StripLoadAddr NO CLI Strip the load address from a file
64Colors NO A64 View the C64's colors
SaveROMs NO C64 Save the C64's ROMs
CONVENTIONS FOR THE CLI BASED UTILITIES
Here are some general conventions for using the CLI based utilities that
will help make them easier to use:
For all the CLI based utilities except one, 64Status, you may enter the
utilities name alone to get it's usage (for 64Status enter ? after its name
to get its usage).
For example, if you type: 64ToAmiga [RETURN]
4-1
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The utility will print a short copyright message followed by a usage
line that shows the syntax of the input that the utility expects. A
usage line appears like this:
Usage: 64ToAmiga <source filename> <destination filename> [file type]
A utilities usage line shows what parameters are needed by the utility and
incloses these parameters with symbols:
When you see a parameter inclosed in < > this parameter is required by
the utility and must be entered for the utility to function properly.
When you see a parameter inclosed in [ ] this parameter is optional. If
you don't enter anything for this parameter the utility will use some
default value for it.
NOTE: When using the CLI commands that require A64's hardware interface
you should make sure the interface and the correct device for the
utility is connected before attempting to use the utility. Failing
to do this can lock-up your Amiga.
4-2
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64Cmd
PURPOSE: Send a command to a C64 disk drive
USAGE: 64Cmd <command string> [drive]
<command string> is a valid C64 drive command string.
[drive] is a C64 drive, specified as df8:, df9:, df10: or
df11:. df8: is the default.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: YES
64Cmd will allow you to send a command to a C64 disk drive. It supports
all of the standard Commodore DOS commands. Some examples of using 64Cmd
are:
FORMAT: Format a disk
USAGE: 64Cmd N0:<disk name>,<2 digit id> [C64 drive]
EXAMPLE: 64Cmd N0:testdisk,64 df8:
SCRATCH: Delete a file
USAGE: 64Cmd S0:<filename> [C64 drive]
EXAMPLE: 64Cmd S0:testfile df8:
RENAME: Rename a file
USAGE: 64Cmd R0:<new name>=<old name> [C64 drive]
EXAMPLE: 64Cmd R0:testfile2=testfile1 df8:
For more information on C64 drive commands see your 1541 disk drive user's
manual.
4-3
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64Dir
PURPOSE: Get a directory listing of a C64 disk
USAGE: 64Dir <search string> [drive]
<search string> is a valid C64 search string.
[drive] is a C64 drive, specified as df8:, df9:, df10: or
df11:. df8: is the default.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: YES
64Dir will allow you to get a directory of a C64 disk. Some examples of
using 64Dir are:
64Dir $ df8:
Will list the entire directory of drive 8.
64Dir $:a* df9:
Will list only the files that begin with "a" on drive 9.
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64Print
PURPOSE: Print a file to C64 printer
USAGE: 64Print <filename> <device> [option]
<filename> is the name of the file you wish to print.
<device> is a C64 printer number, either 4 or 5. The
default is 4.
[option] can be either A for ASCII or B for Binary The
default is A. The difference between these options
is that A will convert the file from ASCII to
PetASCII before printing it and B will not do any
conversion of the file.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: YES
64Print will allow you to print a file to a C64 printer. Some examples of
using 64Print are:
64Print testfile
Will print the file "testfile"
64Print testfile2 B
Will print the file "testfile2" without any ASCII conversions.
4-5
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64Status
PURPOSE: Read a the status of a C64 disk drive
USAGE: 64Status [drive]
[drive] is a C64 drive, specified as df8:, df9:, df10: or
df11:. df8: is the default.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: YES
64Status allows you to read the status of a C64 disk drive. When a C64
drive encounters an error it will flash its read light off and on. You
can use 64Status to find out what caused the error. An example of 64Status
is:
64Status df8:
Will read the status of drive 8.
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64ToAmiga
PURPOSE: Copy a file from a C64 drive to an Amiga drive.
USAGE: 64ToAmiga <source filename> <destination filename> [file type]
<source filename> is a C64 filename.
<destination filename> is an Amiga filename.
[file type] can be either P for PRG file or S for SEQ
file. The default is P.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: YES
64ToAmiga will allow you to copy a file from a C64 disk drive to an
Amiga disk drive. Some examples of using 64ToAmiga are:
64ToAmiga df8:testfile df0:
Will copy the file "testfile" from the C64 drive 8 to the Amiga
drive 0.
64ToAmiga df8:testfile2 df0:64Prgs/testfile S
Will copy the sequential file "testfile2" from the C64 drive 8
to the file "testfile" in the directory 64Prgs on Amiga drive
0.
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AmigaTo64
PURPOSE: Copy a file from an Amiga drive to a C64 drive.
USAGE: AmigaTo64 <source filename> <destination filename> [file type]
<source filename> is an Amiga filename.
<destination filename> is a C64 filename.
[file type] can be either P for PRG file or S for SEQ
file. The default is P.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: YES
AmigaTo64 will allow you to copy a file from an Amiga disk drive to a
C64 disk drive. Some examples of using AmigaTo64 are:
AmigaTo64 df0:testfile df8:
Will copy the file "testfile" from the Amiga drive 0 to the C64
drive 8.
AmigaTo64 df0:64Prgs/testfile df8:testfile2 S
Will copy the sequential file "testfile" from the directory
64Prgs on the Amiga drive 0 to the file "testfile2" on the C64
drive 8.
4-8
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InstallA64Font
PURPOSE: Install the A64 Font to FONTS:
USAGE: InstallA64Font
ENVIRONMENT: WorkBench or CLI
INTERFACE: NO
Install A64 Font will allow you to install the A64 font to the current
FONTS: directory. This font is needed by A64 and it must be installed on
any WorkBench disk that you use with A64.
To run InstallA64Font from the WorkBench follow this procedure:
1. Double-click the InstallA64Font icon.
2. A window will appear asking you to enter the name of the drive
containing The A64 Package. When this window appears enter the
drive name and press RETURN. For example, if the disk containing
The A64 Package is in drive 0, enter: df0: [RETURN].
The font will then be installed to the fonts directory on your WorkBench
disk.
See RUNNING A64 in the GETTING STARTED section for more information.
4-9
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Pet2ASCII
PURPOSE: Convert a file from PetASCII to ASCII.
USAGE: Pet2ASCII <source filename> [destination filename]
<source filename> is the name of the file you want to
convert
[destination filename] is the name of the file you want
to output the converted file to. If not specified then
<source filename> will be overwritten by the converted
file.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: NO
Pet2ASCII will allow you to convert a file from PetASCII to standard ASCII.
The C64 does not use standard ASCII. "ASCII" stands for "American Standard
Code for Information Interchange" and is a standardized method for the way
that many computers represent certain information, namely english text.
This manual was written on an Amiga which uses ASCII codes to represent
each letter and symbol. The C64 has it's own form of ASCII called
PetASCII. The Commodore 64's PetASCII is quite a bit different from
standard ASCII and for the Amiga to represent it correctly it must be
converted to standard ASCII.
Some examples of Pet2ASCII's usage are as follows:
Pet2ASCII testfile
Will covert the file "testfile" from PetASCII to ASCII.
Pet2ASCII testfile testfile.asc
Will covert the file "testfile" from PetASCII to ASCII, leaving
file "testfile" unchanged and the converted file in
"testfile.asc".
4-10
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PrintFile
PURPOSE: Print a file
USAGE: PrintFile [filename]
ENVIRONMENT: WorkBench or CLI
INTERFACE: NO
PrintFile will allow you to print a file to an Amiga printer. It can be
used from either the CLI or the WorkBench. To use it from the WorkBench
double-click its icon and then enter the name of the file you wish to
print. After entering the filename press the RETURN key to print the file.
You can also pass PrintFile a filename by selecting a document icon and
holding down one of the SHIFT keys while double-clicking the PrintFile
icon. For example if you want to print the file "ReadMe":
1. Select the ReadMe icon by clicking the left mouse button on it once.
2. Press one of the shift keys on the Amiga keyboard.
3. Double-click the PrintFile icon while still holding down the shift
key.
PrintFile will then be started and automatically start printing the file
"ReadMe."
To run PrintFile from the CLI enter the following:
PrintFile [filename]
PrintFile will then be started and automatically start printing the file
you specified.
When PrintFile is done printing a file it does not close itself. This
allows you to print multiple files without restarting it. To quit
PrintFile select the close gadget at the top left hand corner of its window.
4-11
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StripLoadAddr
PURPOSE: Strip a C64 load address from a file
USAGE: StripLoadAddr <filename>
<filename> is the name of the file you want to strip the
load address from.
ENVIRONMENT: CLI
INTERFACE: NO
StripLoadAddr will allow you to strip a load address from a C64 file. The
C64 adds a two byte load address to the start of its PRG files that tells
it where to load the file. When transferring these files to the Amiga
you may wish to strip this load address. An example of using StripLoadAddr
is:
StripLoadAddr testfile
Will strip the load address from the file "testfile."
4-12
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C64 PROGRAMS
The A64 Package comes with a couple of Commodore 64 programs, located in
the directory 64Prgs. These programs are as follows:
SaveROMs
SaveROMs is for saving the C64 ROMs to disk. It is meant to be run on a
C64 because A64 does not contain the C64's ROMs. To use this program
see INSTALLING THE C64's ROMs in the TECHNICAL section.
64Colors
64Colors is a simple BASIC program that allows you to view the C64 colors.
It was included with The A64 Package so you could experiment with A64's
COLOR MODES while using it (See COLORS in the A64Prefs section).
For information on how to load and run this program see DRIVES in the
SYSTEM MENU section.
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TECHNICAL
THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE
The A64 Package is very large and fills over 70% of 3.5" floppy disk,
because of this, the entire package will not fit on a WorkBench disk. Some
users may wish to fit parts of The A64 PAckage onto a WorkBench disk,
especially if they only have one disk drive. This can be done by
separating A64 from the rest of The A64 Package. Please note that if you
do separate The A64 Package into different parts you may not distribute
them. The A64 Package may only be distributed in its entirety.
We are not going to discuss the exact details of how to extract parts of
The A64 Package, but what we will do is tell you what directories and files
are needed to run just A64. Listed below is a directory listing of The
A64 Package. Directories and Files that appear with an "*" before their
name must appear as listed for A64 to run. All other files may be moved
or removed. Please note that the "*" is not part of the name of the
directories and files and appears only to show what should stay as listed.
Please note that if you want to have the ability to install the A64 Font
onto a WorkBench disk you will need the files marked with "#". Again, this
symbol is not part of the names, but is used to signify them.
*TheA64Package
A64Utilities (dir)
!.info .info
64Cmd 64Dir
64Print 64Status
64ToAmiga AmigaTo64
Pet2ASCII StripLoadAddr
64Prgs (dir)
64Colors SaveROMs
#Fonts (dir)
#A64 (dir)
#6
#A64.font
*64Fonts (dir)
*CharROM.64font
.info *A64
*A64.config *A64.info
A64Utilities.info *BASIC.data
InitA64 #InstallA64Font
#InstallA64Font.info *KERNAL.data
*Lic Manual
Manual.info PrintFile
PrintFile.info ReadMe
ReadMe.info Registration.form
Registration.form.info *ROM
*Title
*TheA64Package.info
5-1
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THE KEYBOARD
KEYBOARD DIFFERENCES
There are some minor differences between the C64 keyboard and the Amiga's.
The way A64 maps the keyboard is pretty much "what you see is what you
get." In most cases the legends on the keys represent their equivalent
function.
The exceptions to this are:
AMIGA KEY C64 EQUIVALENT
--------- --------------
ESC RUN/STOP
BACKSPACE (BACKARROW) CLR/HOME
HELP RESTORE
LEFT AMIGA COMMODORE
`~ BACK ARROW
\| LYRA
[{ [ (when shifted gives PI)
]} ] (when shifted gives shift @)
NOTE: The key sequence [RUN/STOP] [RESTORE] that is used to stop C64 BASIC
programs, can be done by pressing [ESC] [HELP].
A PROBLEM WITH THE KEYBOARD
Because of differences in a small number of keys on the keyboards of the
C64 and the Amiga, a minor problem can occur with certain key sequences.
This problem is rare and under normal typing situations should not be
apparent. It is related to pressing one or more of the shift keys and
one of the numeric or punctuation keys simultaneously. What will happen
is that A64 will think you pressed a key that you didn't and an unwanted
character will appear on the screen. If this happens use the DEL key to
delete the unwanted character. Please note that this is not a "BUG" in
A64, but is related to the way that the C64 reads the keyboard.
THE NUMERIC KEYPAD
The numeric keypad on the Amiga keyboard is fully supported. It should be
noted that shifting the keys on the keypad will give the C64 equivalent and
not the Amiga's equivalent.
For example, using the key sequence: [SHIFT] [2]
On the Amiga: [SHIFT] [2] (2 key at top left of keyboard) produces the '@'
[SHIFT] [2] (2 key on the numeric keypad) produces the '"'
On the C64: [SHIFT] [2] produces the '"'
NOTE: By using the numeric keypad and it's C64 shifted equivalents you will
eliminate most of the keys that can cause the problem listed above.
5-2
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UNUSED KEYS
There are a few of keys on the Amiga keyboard that are unused by A64. They
are as follows: TAB, F9, F10 and RIGHT AMIGA. Also, when pressed
simultaneously the two ALT keys will invoke A64 Prefs, but have no meaning
when pressed by themselves.
5-3
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A64 AND MULTITASKING
A64 is the first true multitasking Commodore 64 emulator. A64's
multitasking ability gives it power and flexibility and allows it to be a
stable and reliable program (Multitasking programs are MUCH easier to debug
and improve than programs that take over your Amiga). We hope you'll agree
with us when we say "it's A64's multitasking ability that sets it apart
from the other C64 emulators."
Until now, everyone thought a program like a C64 emulator had to take over
your Amiga, because it needs to run as fast as possible and needs system
resources that the Amiga's operating system usually uses. A64 manages to
run faster than the other C64 emulators, use all the Amiga resources it
needs and still leave the Amiga's operating system intact. We can not even
begin to explain what went into getting A64 to accomplish this amazing
feat. What we can say is that A64 should work just fine with any program
that follows the rules of multitasking programming on the Amiga. There have
been times that we forgot that we were running A64 because we exited back
to the WorkBench or the CLI to do something else and then after hours of
running other programs we remembered that A64 was still in memory and we
went back to it and found it working perfectly. The only programs that A64
may not work with are programs that take over, some part of or all of, your
Amiga, like some games and other emulators. Which brings up to our next
point. A64 can not multitask itself. Even though A64 is capable of
multitasking it still takes over system resources that can not be shared
with other programs, so one copy of A64 can not share these resources with
another copy of A64.
A64 AND MEMORY
A64 is a very memory hungry program and in its full capacity it will take
up over 300k of your Amiga's memory. If your Amiga has less than 1mb of
RAM, more likely than not, A64 will not run. There are some things that
users with 512k can do to get A64 to work. If they install the C64's ROMs
(See INSTALLING THE C64's ROMs in the TECHNICAL section) they can save
about 135k of RAM, but doing this will greatly decrease A64's speed.
Please note that it is not the installation of the C64's ROMs that slows
down A64, but rather the fact that 512k users do not have enough RAM to use
A64's ROM emulation, which runs dramatically faster than the C64's ROMs
by themselves. Users with 1mb or more can install the C64's ROMs with no
decrease in speed, just added compatibility. Other things can also be done
to save memory, like: make sure there are no other programs running, don't
load the WorkBench and remove all external drives. None of these options
are really desireable and for that reason we recommend at least 1mb of RAM
when using A64.
Different memory configurations can make a dramatic difference in the speed
of A64. The worst case is running A64 on a 512k RAM system and the best
case is running A64 on a 68020 based system with 32 bit RAM. On a 68020
based system speeds of well over 100% can be reached (We have not yet been
able to try A64 on a 68030 based system, but we estimate speeds of around
200% for some programs. See 680x0 SUPPORT in the TECHNICAL section). We
normally recommend at least 1mb of RAM no matter how your Amiga is
configured and this statement can be elaborated. If you are running A64
on an Amiga 1000 we recommend at least 1mb of RAM. If you are running A64
on an A500 or A2000 we recommend at least 1.5mb. The reason for this
5-4
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difference is not because A64 will not run on A500s or A2000s with only
1mb, it's because A64 will run faster if these machines have more than 1mb.
This is because A500's and A2000's with only 1mb don't have what is called
FAST RAM. This is RAM that can not be used by graphics and as a result
programs run faster when using it. We also recommend running the program
"FastMemFirst," found in the System drawer of the V1.3 WorkBench, before
running A64. This program will force A64 (and other programs) to use this
FASTer memory first.
680x0 SUPPORT
Basically most of the programs in this release of The A64 Package were
designed to work with the 68000 microprocessor only. The utility programs
that use A64's hardware interface can be made to work with any
microprocessor as long as if a 68020 is used its cache is turned off. All
other utilities will work with any microprocessor. A64 itself can NOT be
made to run with other microprocessors. It does a check of the installed
microprocessor and will not run if the wrong one is installed. We
currently have a separate version of A64 that runs with 68010 and 68020
microprocessors and it is VERY impressive. We are working on having just
one version of A64 that will work with ALL the 680x0 microprocessors. When
we have completed making all programs in The A64 Package 680x0 compatible
we will release them as an update.
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ROMS
WHAT IS ROM
ROM is short for "READ ONLY MEMORY." A ROM is a computer chip that is
capable of storing a program and like its name implies, it is READ ONLY,
which means you can not change the program it contains. ROM unlike RAM
(your computer's memory) does not loose its contents when your computer is
turned off. Computers usually come with ROM to tell it what to do when
it's turned on. Your Amiga uses a ROM called "KickStart."
THE C64's ROMS
The C64 has two ROMs that contain its operating system. One ROM holds the
C64's BASIC and the other ROM holds the C64's KERNAL. A64 does not come
with the C64's BASIC or KERNAL, because they are copyrighted. Before you
start worrying that A64 will not work without them, this is NOT the case.
A64 contains a very complex C64 ROM emulation which allows A64 to run most
C64 programs, without the C64's ROMs.
A64'S ROMS
NOTE: This section of the manual gets a little technical by discussing
machine language. If you are not familiar with machine language you
should still read this section and and try to follow it as best you
can, it contains some important information about A64.
As mentioned above, A64 comes with a very complex C64 ROM emulation, this
ROM emulation will handle the majority of C64 programs, but not all of
them. To explain what A64's ROM emulation will and will not handle we need
to discuss machine language.
The C64's ROMs contain machine language programs. Machine language
programs are made up of opcodes. Opcodes are machine language instructions
that tell the computer to perform some tiny operation, like move a value
from one place to another or perform some kind of operation to a value. It
takes many, many opcodes to perform even the simplest operations on your
computer. The C64's ROMs contain many thousands of these opcodes. The
C64's ROMs are located in the C64's memory map at 40960-49151 (BASIC) and
57344-65535 (KERNAL), these numbers are called addresses. To access the
C64's ROMs and the opcodes they contain you need to JUMP to one of these
addresses. With BASIC this done with the command "SYS."
For example, to reset the C64 (or A64), you can type the following:
SYS 64738 [RETURN]
This will cause the C64 (or A64) to enter the KERNAL ROM at address 64738
and start executing machine language opcodes starting at that address.
If you were to disassemble (a disassembler is a program that turns machine
language into a readable form) one of the C64's ROMs, you would get a
listing similar to this:
5-6
-
40960 LDX #10
40962 LDA #138
40964 STA 1024
40967 ...
NOTE: This listing is only used as an example and is not part of the C64's
ROMs.
The listing shows ROM addresses followed by the opcode stored at each
address. Please note that the addresses are not perfectly consecutive,
this is because different opcodes have different lengths. If A64 was to
JUMP into the ROMs, using the above example, it would handle JUMPING in at
all of the shown addresses: 40960, 40962, 40964 and 40967. The problem
occurs if A64 tried to JUMP in at one of the addresses not shown, the
addresses between opcodes. Because of the way machine language is, it is
possible for an opcode to have another opcode contained within it. For
example, if you disassembled the same code as above, but started at address
40963, you would get a listing like this:
40963 TXA
40964 STA 1024
40967 ...
The opcode "TXA" at address 40963 is contained within the opcode "LDA #138"
at address 40962. This is what A64 will not handle, when emulating the
C64's ROMs, the JUMPING into the ROMs between opcodes. If you are running
a program that tries to JUMP into the C64's ROMs between opcodes A64 will
trap it and display an error requester telling you "PROGRAM TRYING TO
EXECUTE BETWEEN OPCODES." This problem is only apparent when JUMPING into
the C64's ROMs between opcodes and is not a problem when running C64
programs that use the same technique to JUMP within themselves. This
problem can be corrected by installing the C64's ROMs into A64.
INSTALLING THE C64 ROMS
Installing the C64's ROMs into A64, basically involves saving the contents
of the C64's ROMs (this must be done on a C64) to a C64 disk and then
copying them to your A64 disk. Installing the C64's ROMs into A64 is not
difficult, but it does require a few small steps to accomplish. Once the
C64's ROMs are installed you never have to worry about them again. A64
will automatically load the C64's ROMs and use them whenever the above
mentioned problem occurs.
To install the C64 ROMs you need the following:
A C64
A C64 disk drive (i.e., 1541)
A64's hardware interface
A 5 1/4" disk, formatted on a C64, with at least 20k free
(NOTE: You can format the C64 disk with the utility 64Cmd).
and the following programs that are included with The A64 Package:
SaveROMs
AmigaTo64
64ToAmiga
StripLoadAddr
5-7
-
The following procedure outlines the installation of the C64 ROMs. Part of
it has to be done on a C64 and the rest must be done from the CLI on an
Amiga. Your current directory from the CLI should be TheA64Package.
For example, with the disk containing The A64 Package in drive 1, you
should type:
cd df1:TheA64Package
The first thing you need to do is copy the C64 program "SaveROMs" from
The A64 Package to a C64 disk. This program is used to save the Commodore
64's ROMs to a C64 disk.
1. Install A64's hardware interface and connect a C64 disk drive to it
(See INSTALLING A64'S HARDWARE INTERFACE in the GETTING STARTED
section).
2. With a C64 disk in the C64 drive, use the utility "AmigaTo64" to
transfer the program "SaveROMs to the C64 disk. To do this type the
following from the CLI:
A64Utilities/AmigaTo64 64Prgs/saveroms df8: [RETURN]
(Note "saveroms" is in all lowercase letters)
Now that the C64 program "SaveROMs" is on the C64 disk you need to load and
run it on a C64:
1. Either unplug the C64 disk drive from the interface or use another
C64 disk drive and connect it to a C64.
2. With the C64 disk containing the program "SaveROMs" in the C64 disk
drive type the following on the C64:
LOAD "SAVEROMS",8 [RETURN]
3. After the program is done loading type:
RUN [RETURN]
4. You will then be prompted to insert a disk into drive 8 and press
any key when ready.
5. After pressing any key the C64 ROMs will be saved to the C64 disk.
Now that the C64's ROMs are saved to a C64 disk you need to transfer them
to your disk containing The A64 Package.
1. If you need to reconnect the C64 disk drive to your Amiga with A64's
hardware interface, do so.
2. With the program "64ToAmiga" transfer the files BASIC.rom and
KERNAL.rom from the C64 disk to your disk containing The A64
Package. To do this type the following from the CLI:
A64Utilities/64ToAmiga basic.rom BASIC.rom [RETURN]
and then:
A64Utilities/64ToAmiga kernal.rom KERNAL.rom [RETURN]
5-8
-
3. After the C64's ROMs are installed onto The A64 Package disk you
must run "StripLoadAddr" on them before A64 can use them. To do this
type the following from the CLI:
A64Utilities/StripLoadAddr BASIC.rom [RETURN]
and then:
A64Utilities/StripLoadAddr KERNAL.rom [RETURN]
The C64's ROMs are now installed. A64 will automatically load and use them
when needed.
NOTE: If you are running A64 with 512k RAM, installing the C64's ROMs will
replace A64's ROM emulation and save you about 135k of RAM, but will
result in A64 running slower. Because A64's ROM emulation operates
much faster than the C64 ROMs do, A64 will try to use its ROM
emulation whenever possible and if you are running A64 with 1mb or
more, the C64's ROMs will only be used as a fail-safe when the above
mentioned problem occurs.
5-9
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PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
I can't get programs in The A64 Package to recognize a C64 disk drive.
First of all make sure the hardware interface is installed correctly
(See INSTALLING A64'S HARDWARE INTERFACE in the GETTING STARTED
section). If you think the interface is installed correctly then try
turning the disk drive of and then on again, this will reset the disk
drive. The C64 disk drives may need to be reset from time to time when
running A64. If you are running a C64 program that used copy
protection you may have to reset the drive to clear it.
When trying to load a C64 program the C64 disk drive light comes on but the
program doesn't load and A64 appears to have locked up.
The program you are trying to load may be using a technique called
"FAST LOADING." FAST LOADING is a technique used to to speed up
communications with a C64 disk drive. A64 can not handle FAST LOADING
(See INCOMPATIBILITIES in the PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS section). If this
situation occurs you will have to reset the C64 drive and then reset
A64.
I think my hardware interface is faulty.
We have a VERY low failure rate with our hardware interfaces. Usually
when a problem occurs it is because of something not being done
correctly or by trying to do something that A64 will not handle. If you
think you're interface is bad you can run the program "64Status" to
test it (See 64Status in the UTILITIES section). If this program works
as its supposed to then your interface is not faulty and the problem
lies somewhere else. Please note that if the 64Status program doesn't
work it is still possible that the interface is still not faulty. We
know of a couple of people who have "blown" their parallel port by
plugging in the interface or some other piece of hardware with their
Amiga turned on. Before concluding that the interface is faulty you
should try using some other piece of hardware on your Amiga's parallel
port like a parallel printer or digitizer. If they work, and the
interface doesn't, then you probably do have a faulty interface. You
could also try to test the interface on someone elses Amiga. If you
do have a faulty interface we will replace it (See REPLACEMENTS on page
2).
When moving the mouse strange characters appear on the screen and the
keyboard doesn't work.
See GAME PORTS in the SYSTEM MENU section.
For more information on other possible problems see A64 PREFS NOTES in the
A64 PREFS section.
6-1
-
A64 ERRORS
A64 has quite an extensive error handling system. A64 does its best to
tell you when it can't do something by displaying a requester. These
requesters are called error requesters and they display an error in three
ways:
1. At the top of the requester will be the type of error, either FATAL
or NON-FATAL. The meaning of each is as follows:
FATAL ERRORs are just as the name implies, FATAL to A64. If you
get a fatal error this means that A64 has encountered some
situation that will forbid it to continue and it will have to exit
back to WorkBench. After you handle the requester, by selecting
one of its gadgets, a fatal error will force A64 to remove itself
from memory and return you to the WorkBench. Fatal errors usually
occur only during the loading and initialization of A64.
NON-FATAL ERRORs are a little more forgiving than FATAL errors.
They signify that A64 has encountered some situation that it can
not currently handle, but which is not serious enough to cause A64
to exit back to the WorkBench. After you handle the requester, by
selecting one of its gadgets, A64 will automatically leave you in
A64 Prefs to try to correct the situation that caused the error.
After being put into A64 Prefs your choice of action depends on
what caused the error. If you are unable to correct the situation
that caused the error then you should reset A64 (See RESET A64 in
the PROJECT MENU section).
2. Following the type of error will be an eight digit error number.
This error number is an error code that represents the exact cause
and location of the error.
3. In the middle of the requester will be one or two lines of text
giving a short description of the error.
At the bottom of the error requester are two gadgets, labeled CONTINUE and
DEBUG. Their functions are:
CONTINUE will cause A64 to remove the requester. You will then either
be returned to WorkBench or put into A64 Prefs depending on the type of
error (FATAL or NON-FATAL) discussed above.
DEBUG will cause A64 to put up an Alert showing the internal state of
A64 when the error occurred. This information will probably not mean
anything to you, but it can be invaluable to us for tracking down
errors. After viewing the information in the Alert press a mouse
button to remove the Alert. You will then either be returned to
the WorkBench or put into A64 Prefs depending on the type of error
(FATAL or NON-FATAL) discussed above.
NOTE: In the appendices of this manual is an ERROR REPORT. If you are
experiencing problems with a particular C64 program, or if you
encounter an error that is not in the error list, you can send us
a copy of the ERROR REPORT containing the information displayed
in the Alert. We will try to correct as many errors as possible
for future releases.
6-2
-
ERROR LIST
The following list contains A64's possible errors. The errors are shown by
the error number followed by a line stating the error, which should be the
same text that appears in the error requester. Below the line stating the
error is a short comment on what caused the error, how to correct it and
what section of the manual to check for more information.
Errors that state "Should NEVER happen" should never occur, but if they do
the probable cause is that something has corrupted your Amiga's memory or
that you are out of memory.
The appearance of a "x" in an error number means, that digit of the error
number will contain some unpredetermined value. There may be a comment
stating what the digit will be.
Error numbers that start with 8 are FATAL errors. All other errors are
NON-FATAL.
Multiple error numbers mean that the error can be generated in more than
one place in A64.
$80000001 COULD NOT OPEN: DOS LIBRARY
Should NEVER happen.
$80000002 COULD NOT OPEN: GRAPHICS LIBRARY
Should NEVER happen.
$80000003 COULD NOT OPEN: DISKFONT LIBRARY
Make sure the file diskfont.lib is in your WorkBench's Libs
directory (See THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL
section).
$80000004 COULD NOT OPEN: CIA A RESOURCE
Should NEVER happen.
$80000005 COULD NOT OPEN: CIA B RESOURCE
Should NEVER happen.
$80000006 COULD NOT OPEN: MISC RESOURCE
Should NEVER happen.
$80000007 OUT OF MEMORY, COULD NOT ALLOCATE: C64 MEMORY MAP
You do not have enough RAM available to run A64 (See A64 AND
MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$8f000108 COULD NOT OPEN OR READ: BASIC.DATA
$8f000208 Make sure the file BASIC.data is in the TheA64Package
directory (See THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL
section).
$8f000109 COULD NOT OPEN OR READ: KERNAL.DATA
$8f000209 Make sure the file KERNAL.data is in the TheA64Package
directory (See THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL
section).
6-3
-
$8f00010a COULD NOT OPEN OR READ: CHARROM.64FONT
$8f00020a Make sure the file CharROM.64Font is in the 64Fonts directory
(See THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL section).
$8000000b OUT OF MEMORY, COULD NOT ALLOCATE: A64 ROM BUFFER
You do not have enough RAM available to run A64 (See A64 AND
MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section). You may be able to correct
this error by installing the C64's ROMs (See INSTALLING THE
C64's ROMs in the ROMs section).
$8f00010c COULD NOT OPEN OR READ: ROM
$8f00020c Make sure the file ROM is in the TheA64Package directory (See
THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL section).
$8000000d COULD NOT: INSTALL A64 ROMs
This error should never occur, if it does something has
probably corrupted the Amiga's memory.
$8000000e A64 WILL NOT RUN WITH INSTALLED MICROPROCESSOR
You are trying to run the wrong version of A64 for your Amiga
(See 680x0 SUPPORT in the TECHNICAL section).
$8000000f YOU CAN NOT RUN TWO COPIES OF A64 SIMULTANEOUSLY
A64 can not multitask itself (See A64 AND MULTITASKING in the
TECHNICAL section).
$80010000 OUT OF MEMORY, COULD NOT ALLOCATE: CHIP RAM 1
You do not have enough RAM available to run A64 (See A64 AND
MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$80010001 OUT OF MEMORY, COULD NOT ALLOCATE: CHIP RAM 2
You do not have enough RAM available to run A64 (See A64 AND
MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$80010002 OUT OF MEMORY, COULD NOT ALLOCATE: CHIP RAM 3
You do not have enough RAM available to run A64 (See A64 AND
MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$8f010x03 COULD NOT OPEN OR READ: TITLE
$8f010x04 Make sure the file Title is in the TheA64Package directory (See
$8f010x05 THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL section).
$8f010x06 The "x" in the error number will be either 1 or 2.
$80010007 COULD NOT OPEN: TITLE SCREEN
If this error occurs you are probably out of memory (See A64
AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$80010008 COULD NOT OPEN: TITLE WINDOW
If this error occurs you are probably out of memory (See A64
AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$80010009 COULD NOT OPEN: A64 SCREEN
If this error occurs you are probably out of memory (See A64
AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
6-4
-
$8001000a COULD NOT OPEN: A64 WINDOW
If this error occurs you are probably out of memory (See A64
AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$8001000b COULD NOT OPEN: A64 6 FONT
Make sure you have installed the font with InstallA64Font (See
RUNNING A64 in the GETTING started section and InstallA64Font
in the UTILITIES section). If you still get this error after
installing the font you are probably out of memory (See A64 AND
MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$8001000c COULD NOT OPEN: TOPAZ 8 FONT
Should NEVER happen.
$8f01010d COULD NOT OPEN OR READ: LIC
$8f01020d Make sure the file Lic is in the TheA64Package directory (See
THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL section).
$00020000 COULD NOT OPEN: REQUESTER
If this error occurs you are probably out of memory (See A64
AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$00020001 COULD NOT: LOCK A64 PREFS SCREEN
This error should never occur, if it does something has
probably corrupted the Amiga's memory.
$0f020102 COULD NOT OPEN OR READ: CONFIG FILE
$0f020202 The configuration file your trying to load can not be loaded.
Check the spelling of the filename (See LOAD CONFIG in the
PROJECT MENU section). If this error occurs when A64 is
loading then it can not read the file A64.config and you
should make sure this file is in the TheA64Package directory
(See THE A64 PACKAGES FILE STRUCTURE in the TECHNICAL section).
$0f020103 COULD NOT OPEN OR WRITE: CONFIG FILE
$0f020303 For some reason A64 can not create the configuration file you
requested. Make sure you've specified the correct drive and
that the disk is write enabled. (See SAVE CONFIG in the PROJECT
MENU section)
$00030000 COULD NOT TAKE: PARALLEL PORT
Some program has exclusive use of the Amiga's parallel port.
You must make the program release the parallel port before A64
can use it (See PAR PORT in the SYSTEM MENU section).
$00040000 A64 DOES NOT OWN THE PARALLEL PORT
You are trying to access the parallel port when A64 does not
own it. Select A64 in PAR PORT menu option (See PAR PORT in
the SYSTEM MENU section).
$00040001 ERROR TRYING TO WRITE TO AN AMIGA DEVICE
$00040002 Some problem has occurred when trying to write a file to an
$00040003 Amiga drive. Make sure you've specified the correct drive and
that the disk is write enabled. (See DRIVES and AMIGA DRIVES
in the SYSTEM MENU section).
6-5
-
$00040004 ILLEGAL ACCESS TO AMIGA DEVICE CAN NOT USE COMMAND CHANNEL 15
The C64 program you are running is trying to access a disk
drive in a way that an Amiga drive can not handle (See AMIGA
DRIVES in the SYSTEM MENU section).
$00040005 ERROR TRYING TO SAVE TO AN AMIGA DEVICE
$00040006 Some problem has occurred when trying to save a file to an
$00040007 Amiga drive. Make sure you've specified the correct drive and
that the disk is write enabled. (See DRIVES and AMIGA DRIVES
in the SYSTEM MENU section).
$00040008 ERROR TRYING TO LOAD FROM AN AMIGA DEVICE
$00040009 Some problem has occurred when trying to load a file from an
$0004000a Amiga drive. Check the spelling of the filename and the DRIVES
settings (See DRIVES and AMIGA DRIVES in the SYSTEM MENU
section).
$0004000b ERROR TRYING TO READ FROM AN AMIGA DEVICE
$0004000c Some problem has occurred when trying to read a file from an
$0004000d Amiga drive. Check the spelling of the filename and the DRIVES
settings (See DRIVES and AMIGA DRIVES in the SYSTEM MENU
section).
$80050000 COULD NOT OPEN: MSGPORT
Should NEVER happen.
$80050001 COULD NOT OPEN: REPLY PORT
Should NEVER happen.
$80050002 COULD NOT OPEN: INPUT DEVICE
Should NEVER happen.
$80050003 COULD NOT: ADD IEHANDLER
Should NEVER happen.
$80050004 COULD NOT: DOIO.
Should NEVER happen.
$80060000 COULD NOT TAKE: CIA A: SERIAL DATA INTERRUPT
You are running another program that is utilizing a low level
function of your Amiga. The other program must be exited
before A64 will run (See A64 AND MULTITASKING in the TECHNICAL
section).
$80060001 COULD NOT FREE: CIA A: SERIAL DATA INTERRUPT
Should NEVER happen.
$80070000 COULD NOT TAKE: CIA B: TIMER B INTERRUPT
You are running another program that is utilizing a low level
function of your Amiga. The other program must be exited
before A64 will run (See A64 AND MULTITASKING in the TECHNICAL
section).
6-6
-
$80080000 COULD NOT TAKE: CIA B: TOD INTERRUPT
You are running another program that is utilizing a low level
function of your Amiga. The other program must be exited
before A64 will run (See A64 AND MULTITASKING in the TECHNICAL
section).
$80080001 COULD NOT FREE: CIA B: TOD INTERRUPT
Should NEVER happen.
$00080002 PROGRAM HAS OVER 25 RASTER IRQs
A64 will support up to 25 raster IRQs per screen, this is the
equivalent of 1500 interrupts per second and we've not yet come
across a C64 program that utilizes anywhere near this many. If
you get this error we would like to hear about it.
$00080003 PROGRAM DOING UNIMPLEMENTED RASTER IRQ AT SCAN LINE 0
A64 will handle raster IRQs at every scan line except 0. This
is because of a problem with the raster IRQ handler and will be
fixed in a future version.
$00090000 COULD NOT TAKE: SERIAL PORT
Some program has exclusive use of the Amiga's serial port.
You must make the program release the serial port before A64
can use it (See SER PORT in the SYSTEM MENU section).
$00090001 RS-232 ERROR: RECEIVE BUFFER OVERRUN
A64 is not keeping up with the data coming in over the serial
port. This has not been a problem so we have never seen this
error.
$00090002 RS-232 ERROR: RECEIVE BUFFER FULL
A64 is not keeping up with the data coming in over the serial
port. This has not been a problem so we have never seen this
error.
$000c0000 ILLEGAL VIC MODE:
Should NEVER happen.
$000d0x01 BLITTER VSIZE ERROR: VSIZE = 0
$000d0x03 Should NEVER happen. The "x" in the error number will be the
$000d0x05 number 1-6.
$000d0x02 BLITTER VSIZE ERROR: VSIZE > 8
$000d0x04 Should NEVER happen. The "x" in the error number will be the
$000d0x06 number 1-6.
$000e0000 COULD NOT OPEN OR WRITE: IFF OUTPUT FILE
$000e0001 For some reason A64 could not create the IFF file you've
requested. Make sure you've entered the filename correctly
(See SAVE SCREEN in the TOOLS MENU section).
$000e0002 OUT OF MEMORY, COULD NOT ALLOCATE: IFF FILE BUFFER
A64 does not have enough memory to perform the operation (See
A64 AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
6-7
-
$000f0000 A64 HARDWARE INTERFACE IS NOT INSTALLED
A64's hardware interface is not connected to the Amiga. You
must connect it (See INSTALLING A64's HARDWARE INTERFACE in the
GETTING STARTED section).
$00100000 OUT OF MEMORY, COULD NOT ALLOCATE: CHIP RAM
A64 does not have enough memory to perform the operation (See
A64 AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$00100001 COULD NOT OPEN: COLOR SCREEN
If this error occurs you are probably out of memory (See A64
AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$00100002 COULD NOT OPEN: COLOR WINDOW
If this error occurs you are probably out of memory (See A64
AND MEMORY in the TECHNICAL section).
$xxxxxxxx PROGRAM TRYING TO EXECUTE BETWEEN OPCODES AT PC: $xxxxxxxx
The program is executing between opcodes. This error can be
corrected by installing the C64 ROMs (See ROMs in the TECHNICAL
section).
$xxxxxxxx UNKNOWN OPCODE: $xx AT PC: $xxxxxxxx
A64 has encountered an unknown opcode. This could be caused
either a C64 crash or A64 trying to execute certain
unimplemented "undefined opcodes." Many of the 6502's
undefined opcodes have been supported, but we lack good
documentation on them, so when in doubt we left it out. If
anyone out there has any documentation on the 6502's undefined
opcodes we would greatly appreciate getting a copy so we could
fully implement the 6502's undefined opcodes.
$xxxxxxxx PC ERROR
A64 is trying to execute at an illegal C64 address. The only
way we know of this error occurring is if a C64 program tries to
execute in the CHAR ROM area, a very unlikely occurrence, but
we have learned that if something is possible on a C64, someone
has done it. If you encounter this error we would like to hear
about it.
6-8
-
INCOMPATIBILITIES
Alot of time has been spent trying to make A64 as compatible as possible.
Unfortunately the only way to get 100% compatibility with a C64 is to use a
C64. Listed below are the things that A64 does not currently handle:
FAST LOADERS
The biggest problem with compatibility is related to disk I/O. We all know
how slow the 1541 disk drive is and alot of software manufactures try to
correct this problem by writing custom disk drive routines, called FAST
LOADERS, to load and save programs faster than the normal rate. These
routines are VERY time critical and must be run at 100% speed, with no
interruptions, to function properly. Also these routines vary from program
to program. A FAST LOADER that works with one program will not work with
another. The only way to emulate these routines is to write a custom
loader for each program that utilizes a FAST LOADER. Seeing how there are
literally hundreds of FAST LOADER programs out there it would be nearly
impossible to emulate all of them.
There is no way to tell if a program uses a FAST LOADER until you try to
load it. The must likely result of trying to load a program that uses one
is the C64 program will stop and disk drive motor and or light will stay
on. If this happen you must reset both A64 and the disk drive to abort
the operation (See RESET A64 in the PROJECT MENU section).
Future revisions of A64 may emulate some FAST LOADERS. If you have a
program that uses a FAST LOADER and you would like to see A64 run it, put
the name of it on the registration form or write us a letter. We will
spend the time working on the must requested programs.
CASSETTE PORT, USER PORT and CARTRIDGE PORT
Seeing how the cassette, user and cartridge ports are not present on the
Amiga they are not supported by A64. There is an exception to this in that
Amiga modems are supported where C64 modems are normally connected to the
C64 user port (See MODEMS in the SYSTEM MENU section). Also cartridge
programs that have been converted to run from disk should work.
6-9
-
KNOWN BUG
Although we have painstakingly tried to make A64 bug free, a bug turned up
during testing and was not corrected in time for this release. This bug is
easily avoided and we do plan on trying to correct it in a future release.
We hope no other bugs have escaped our attention, but if you do come across
one, please let us know so that we can try to correct it.
The bug involves the PAR PORT menu option in the SYSTEM menu. When this
option is set to A64 and you try to access the parallel port from another
program a GURU MEDITATION error will occur. This bug seems to be in the
Amiga's parallel device handler. It appears that the parallel device
handler is not doing the correct error handling when the parallel port is
not available for use. The way to avoid this bug is whenever you want to
access the parallel port from another program besides A64 make sure the PAR
PORT menu option is set to AMIGA.
NOTE: This bug is not present for the serial port.
6-10
-
WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE
We can just about guarantee at least one revision of The A64 Package, there
has been just too much work already done, on other features, not to update
it. As far as, when The A64 Package will be updated and how many new
features are added, depends on how many people support The A64 Package, by
sending in the license fee. The more response we get, the more willing
we'll be to spend the time adding new features and to get new versions of
The A64 Package out there.
The features that have been worked on (or at least given some serious
consideration), that didn't make it into this release of The A64 Package,
are almost too numerous to mention. We have put together a list of some of
the more important features that we would like to add to future versions.
If you have any suggestions or comments about new features, we would like
to hear about them, put them on the registration form when sending in the
license fee.
SOUND: We realize that many of you think sound support is VERY
important and so do we. We have a very talented programmer working
solely on sound support and he has made excellent progress with this
complex programming task. He will complete the sound support in the
very near future and it will be included with the next release.
A64MON: A64Mon is an Amiga based, C64 system monitor. A64Mon is a
powerful C64 debugging and hacking tool, it give you the ability to
stop any C64 program, that A64 is running, and examine its internals.
A64Mon is an Amiga program, so it runs totally transparent to the C64
program that A64 is running, there is no stopping it from working.
A64Mon has numerous features and commands that make "monitoring" a C64
program a snap. Some of its features include: PetASCII dump,
disassembler, chip dumps, hex dump, edit memory, saving from and loading
to the C64's memory map, all command output can be sent to Amiga disks
or printers and it's all done in the Amiga environment. A64Mon was
used quite extensively during the development of A64 and we found it
an invaluable tool for finding out "what is the C64 program doing."
A64Mon is about 80% completed and it will be be included with the next
release.
AMIGA PRINTERS: A64 will have the ability to use Amiga printers in the
same way it's able to use Amiga drives.
AMIGA DRIVES: While the Amiga drive support is fully functional, it can
be improved. Some of the drawbacks of Amiga drives are outlined in the
AMIGA DRIVES section.
C64 DEVICES: This one is a big one. The A64 Package comes with some
utility programs that allow you to transfer C64 programs to and from
Amiga disks. The key to these utilities is the ability to access C64
devices directly from AmigaDOS. By using this ability several other
programs can be developed, like: a full featured, Amiga based, file
transfer program and device drivers to use C64 disk drives and printers
as Amiga devices so they can be used with ANY Amiga program. Quite a
bit of work has already been done in this area, but to fully develop
these features, The A64 Package needs alot of support.
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MODEMS: Amiga modem support is still in development and should be
completed by the next release.
INPUT DEVICES: A64 will support more C64 input devices, like paddles
and C64 mice. We have also considered using the Amiga's mouse to
emulate certain C64 input devices.
FAST LOADERS: We would like to support some FAST LOADERS in the future.
A couple that we've considered are: GEOS and ISEPIC. Let us know if
you have others in mind.
FILE REQUESTERS: Full featured file requesters in A64 Prefs.
A64 PREFS SETTINGS: A64 Prefs will have many more settings that allow
you to fine tune A64 to run a C64 program. A64 was designed to be able
to do many things at variable rates; like redraw the screen, handle C64
interrupts and other things that effect the speed of A64. In the
future A64 Prefs will give you the ability to change these rates to
make A64 run faster.
COLOR SCREEN: The A64 COLORS' screen is still in development and when
it's completed it will have many new features, like: UNDO, COPY, SWAP,
SPREAD, etc. It should be noted that the COLORS' screen is fully
functional as is and should not contain any bugs.
SPRITES: A64 fully supports the C64's sprites, but work can be done in
a number of areas concerning them, especially their flickering.
FONTS: A64 will have the ability to change, load and save C64 fonts and
maybe the ability to convert C64 fonts to Amiga fonts.
And the list could go on and on...
NOTE: Even if this list already contains the features that YOU would like
to see added to The A64 Package, you should still let us know what
they are, to help us decide what features are more important to add
first.
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ERROR REPORT
We have supplied an ERROR REPORT that you can send to us if you are
experiencing difficulties with running a certain C64 program on A64. This
error report will help us to track down problems more easily and to get
better revisions of A64 out quickly. We realize that the majority of the
people using A64 will not use these error reports, but if some of you do it
will make our job a little easier. If it is possible, you may also send us
a copy of the program that caused the problems. We realize that it is not
practical to expect anyone to do this, but if some of you do it could save
us a great deal of time by eliminating the need to track down the program.
Please note that QuesTronix does not endorse copyright infringement and you
should note a programs copyright status before sending it to us.
A
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A64 ERROR REPORT A64 VERSION ___________________
(from title screen)
C64 PROGRAM NAME _______________________________________ VERSION ____________
MANUFACTURER ________________________________________________________________
TYPE OF PROGRAM: GAME ___ GRAPHICS ___ UTILITIES ___ SOUND ___ BUSINESS ___
EDUCATION ___ OTHER (Specify) ____________________________
WHAT AMIGA MODEL ARE YOU USING ______________________________________________
HOW IS YOUR AMIGA CONFIGURED (Ex. RAM, Special boards, hard disk) ___________
_____________________________________________________________________________
FILL IN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IF APPLICABLE (It is obtained by selecting
DEBUG when an error requester occurs).
INTERNAL ERROR #: $____________
D0: $____________ D1: $____________ D2: $____________ D3: $____________
D4: $____________ D5: $____________ D6: $____________ D7: $____________
A0: $____________ A1: $____________ A2: $____________ A3: $____________
A4: $____________ A5: $____________ A6: $____________ A7: $____________
PC: $____________ SR: $____________
PLEASE GIVE A DISCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM (Be as specific as possible) _______
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
(Please use a separate ERROR REPORT for each C64 program).
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