JAMMArcade.net – Page 244

C64 Easyflash cartridge

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Nov 102011

Got a little free time today to mess with my Easyflash cartridge for the Commodore 64.
The main reason for getting this was to play Prince of Persia but its a fantastic device that ill be using for playing many games.

Mine came with the new Prince of Persia game already flashed onto it but wanted to have a play around myself.
The reprogramming is all done via the C64 itself using the Easyprog program so no external programmer is required although an SD device is highly recommended.

If your using an SD2IEC device then the Fastloader option needs to be disabled in the OPTIONS menu or it will hang at this screen (thanks for the heads up Steve).

My mate Stiggy has already written a nice little writeup on this device and he stated that flashing a file took him just under 40 minutes. Not totally sure how big the file was but I tried to copy Last Ninja 1 & 2 over which is 882KB and using JiffyDOS took just under 10 minutes.

After this the game loads pretty much like you would expect from a normal cartridge. Im very impressed with this thing. Now to find more goodies to try out.

Loading times with JiffyDOS

General 1 Response »

Oct 302011

This post is mainly to make Stiggy drool a little.
It shows the loading times difference between the standard C64 kernel and JiffyDOS using the SD2IEC.
The videos show Last Ninja 2 loading from the FB64 program on a C64c. Try to ignore all the crack screens etc and take note of the actual loading screens.

Standard C64 kernal

Using JiffyDOS

C64c Original/JiffyDOS dual booting

General, Guides Comments Off

Oct 292011

Sometime back I modified my C64c with a switch to change between the original kernel and the JiffyDOS kernel. I did this because JiffyDOS is incredible for loading games from the SD2IEC but it doesn’t support loading from tape at all.
I needed to make another one up. Turns out I forgot how to! so here it is mainly for my own sanity.

Get a 27C256 eprom
Get a copy of the original C64c kernel. This should be 16KB in size, if its 8KB then that’s from the older breadbin C64.
Get a copy of the original C64 basic ROM. This is number 901226-01. This should be 8KB in size.
Get your copy of JiffyDOS for the C64. This should be 8KB in size.

Place all these files in a directory and open a command prompt (assuming your using Windows).

I renamed my files to something a bit more meaningful, “kernel.bin” “basic.bin” and “jiffy.bin”.
Type the following command:
“copy /b kernel.bin+basic.bin+jiffy.bin new.bin”

This creates a new binary file called “new.bin” and it should be 32KB in size.

Burn “new.bin” to a blank 27C256 eprom
Lift up leg 27 of the eprom so it doesn’t make contact with the socket pin.
Solder the common leg of a switch to pin 27
Solder one side of the switch to a 4.7k resistor connected to +5v
Solder the other side of the switch to GND

This should now give you a fully working switchable C64c.

Note: This only works for the newer C64c version. A 27C256 eprom isn’t pin compatible with a breadbin version without more modifications.
Also, JiffyDOS is still being sold and is not downloadable from my site nor will I provide it to anyone asking.

ZX Spectrum repair log #2

Computer Repair Logs, Repair Logs Comments Off

Oct 222011

The second of the ZX Spectrums I got recently, which is motherboard only, gave absolutely nothing on the screen
Replaced the usual ZTX650 for a ZTX651 and the one next to it which is a ZTX213.
This one also had the capacitor above them missing. Replaced this for a 4.7uF 50v one and tested.

All working again

Operation Wolf PALs added

PAL Updates Comments Off

Oct 222011

I dumped the 4 PAL16L8s from Op Wolf this morning.
~~I haven’t yet had this board up and running so these are untested. If someone could verify these for me I would be most grateful.~~

EDIT: Tested these now and they seem to work fine
They are:
B20-09.IC19
B20-10.IC84
B20-11.IC85
B20-12.IC92

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