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 Post subject: Convert 1mbit images for 8mbit carts - is it possible?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:47 pm 

Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:54 pm
Posts: 65
Does a tool exist to do this?

Specifically, I noticed there are some OSS language image for the 1mbit carts and I was wondering if its possible to convert those to 8mbit carts. It would be even better if it were possible to put more than one language on a cart.

The ultimate cart (for me) would have BASIC XL or XE, Action!, and MyDOS.

Is this possible? I remember there was a MyDOS cart once. I can't remember if it was a homebrewed thing or a commercial product. I do remember you booted with the cart installed but then yanked it of the machine. That aspect is something I would prefer to do without

-Steve Sheppard


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 Post subject: Re: Convert 1mbit images for 8mbit carts - is it possible?
PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:21 pm 

Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:54 pm
Posts: 65
OK, after much head scratching (and a little cursing) I managed to cobble together an Action! cart for an 8mbit flashcart.

To make this work I took my image of an Action! cart and then separated the 4K banks, 0, 3, 4, and M and then grouped them together as three 8K combined banks, 0-M, 3-M, 4-M. The banks are stored thusly: 0-M at offset 0 and mirrored at 127, 3-M at offset 3, and 4-M at offset 4. All other banks are empty (zero).

I don't own the USB programmer and I couldn't find a way to find a way to get Maxflash Cartridge Studio build a flasher ATR for a complete .BIN. I also made a cursory attempt at using the Perl script from linux (because I no longer own a Windows box). I finally just concatenated the segments together. I then tacked on the beginning of a working flasher ATR.

The cart seems to be OK. I compiled some of my old programs on my 800XL but that's hardly an exhaustive test. Hopefully I didn't overlook something basic.

No modifications to the original Action! image were necessary but I think that will change as I work toward my goal of a multipurpose cart.

I'm enclosing the .bin and flasher ATR.

Attachment:
action_8mbit.zip


-Steve Sheppard


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 Post subject: Re: Convert 1mbit images for 8mbit carts - is it possible?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:59 pm 

Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 1:33 pm
Posts: 89
Nice work!


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 Post subject: Re: Convert 1mbit images for 8mbit carts - is it possible?
PostPosted: Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:04 pm 

Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2004 10:34 am
Posts: 261
Location: NL
Today I converted the AtariMax 1Mbit Mac/65 image to an AtariMax 8Mbit Mac/65 image. It was probably too easy (which means... It can't be true, that it is so easy).

The only thing I did was did:
1. I created an empty 8Mbit .BIN file with the AtariMax Studio software.
2. I opened the AtariMax 1Mbit Mac/65 file with an Hex editor
3. I opened also the 8Mbit .BIN file from step #1 in an Hex editor.
4. I copied all date from the 1Mbit Mac/65 file to the Atarimax 8Mbit file
5. Make sure in step 4, that you have PASTE as OVERWRITE (not INSERT) data.
6. I saved the file, and burned this into the 8Mbit cart, and it works great.

I am rather positive this should work with all other available images.


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 Post subject: Re: Convert 1mbit images for 8mbit carts - is it possible?
PostPosted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 4:20 pm 

Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:54 pm
Posts: 65
Sysop*Marius wrote:
Today I converted the AtariMax 1Mbit Mac/65 image to an AtariMax 8Mbit Mac/65 image. It was probably too easy (which means... It can't be true, that it is so easy).

The only thing I did was did:
1. I created an empty 8Mbit .BIN file with the AtariMax Studio software.
2. I opened the AtariMax 1Mbit Mac/65 file with an Hex editor
3. I opened also the 8Mbit .BIN file from step #1 in an Hex editor.
4. I copied all date from the 1Mbit Mac/65 file to the Atarimax 8Mbit file
5. Make sure in step 4, that you have PASTE as OVERWRITE (not INSERT) data.
6. I saved the file, and burned this into the 8Mbit cart, and it works great.

I am rather positive this should work with all other available images.

Thanks for the information, Marius. However, some months ago Steve provided a nice all-in-one plus utilities image (see link below) so I had no need to pursue this idea any further.

I believe Steve is still working at that image.

-SteveS

Link
viewtopic.php?p=6431#p6431


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