MiSTer FPGA Forum

Hi,

I would like to load tap preserved files from cassettes with Turbo Load.

In a .tap preserved file (tape), you have all the programs saved one per one (because all of them are recorded after each other in one preserved file).
Then, I would like to put the virtual position of each program (as the datassette counter) to run Turbo Load program at the beginning and jump to the correct position to load the program/game.

Another example, 007 A View To a Kill preserved tap game (it's only one file too). It has different missions and you need to reset your c64 after finish each one to load the following (because at the end there are completely independent programs) and when you are using a real datassette, you need to move to the correct position.

There is a tool named TAP Manager (v.1.6.0 or later), that you can download from http://www.manosoft.it/ that generates an index file (.idx). You can choose between to type of index files (Princess or Ultimate 64):

Thanks for your big job, its awesome!!
Shark

sharklodon wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2022 3:16 pm Hi,

I would like to load tap preserved files from cassettes with Turbo Load.

In a .tap preserved file (tape), you have all the programs saved one per one (because all of them are recorded after each other in one preserved file).
Then, I would like to put the virtual position of each program (as the datassette counter) to run Turbo Load program at the beginning and jump to the correct position to load the program/game.

Another example, 007 A View To a Kill preserved tap game (it's only one file too). It has different missions and you need to reset your c64 after finish each one to load the following (because at the end there are completely independent programs) and when you are using a real datassette, you need to move to the correct position.

There is a tool named TAP Manager (v.1.6.0 or later), that you can download from http://www.manosoft.it/ that generates an index file (.idx). You can choose between to type of index files (Princess or Ultimate 64):


148040490-d25776de-1be4-443d-b28b-26fb6ddadf30.png


Thanks for your big job, its awesome!!
Shark

akeley wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:01 pm You should post this on github, here the exposure is much lower.

fierman wrote: ↑Wed Aug 17, 2022 10:47 am While it is a good idea, the implementation of index files is specific for non-native devices like u64. Addons like 1541u do not support .idx and it is not even complete in VICE as yet, so I don't think it would be a very straightforward job to undertake.

sharklodon wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:45 am

fierman wrote: ↑Wed Aug 17, 2022 10:47 am While it is a good idea, the implementation of index files is specific for non-native devices like u64. Addons like 1541u do not support .idx and it is not even complete in VICE as yet, so I don't think it would be a very straightforward job to undertake.

Hi,

Index is supported on Tapuino too. Ultimate 64 is a FPGA, then this function is implemented.

Regards,
Shark

fierman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:35 am

sharklodon wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:45 am

fierman wrote: ↑Wed Aug 17, 2022 10:47 am While it is a good idea, the implementation of index files is specific for non-native devices like u64. Addons like 1541u do not support .idx and it is not even complete in VICE as yet, so I don't think it would be a very straightforward job to undertake.

Hi,

Index is supported on Tapuino too. Ultimate 64 is a FPGA, then this function is implemented.

Regards,
Shark

Yes, that is what I said. It is implemented in non-native devices. They have their own hardware/firmware.

sharklodon wrote: ↑Tue Aug 23, 2022 4:04 pm

fierman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:35 am

sharklodon wrote: ↑Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:45 am

Hi,

Index is supported on Tapuino too. Ultimate 64 is a FPGA, then this function is implemented.

Regards,
Shark

Yes, that is what I said. It is implemented in non-native devices. They have their own hardware/firmware.

Of course, but it's implemented in a FPGA (Ultimate 64 Elite board).

grizzly wrote: ↑Tue Oct 18, 2022 3:45 am I do agree that for preservation this is something that probably need to be there.
And on the plus side kids of today and tomorrow will experience a part of the horror all us more then half dead people had to endure , only missing the 20min + loading times and it´s complete.

LamerDeluxe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 18, 2022 10:01 am

grizzly wrote: ↑Tue Oct 18, 2022 3:45 am I do agree that for preservation this is something that probably need to be there.
And on the plus side kids of today and tomorrow will experience a part of the horror all us more then half dead people had to endure , only missing the 20min + loading times and it´s complete.

And then hopefully it will also be possible to partly overwrite a file on tape when saving, so that the game you've worked on for days, gets destroyed instantly.

Hi,

The .idx file format supposedly follows this rather simple pattern:

0x14 Silkworm
0x8306a The Great Gianna Sisters

Offsets are in hexadecimal and start with “0x”. Remember that 0x14 is where the data starts (TAP tape format):

0x14 obviously means "start at the 21st byte of the tap file",
0x8306a means "start at the 536683rd byte of the tap file", etc ...

Follow this threat: https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=71915

-TAP tape format:

Bytes (hex) -> Description
0000-000B -> File signature "C64-TAPE-RAW"
000C -> TAP version (0 - original, 1 - updated, 2 - halfwave extension)
000D -> Computer platform (0 - C64, 1 - VIC-20, 2 - C16, Plus/4, 3 - PET)
000E -> Video standard (0 - PAL, 1 - NTSC, 2 - OLD NTSC, 3 - PALN)
000F -> Future expansion
0010-0013 -> File data size (little endian; not including the header)
0014-xxxx -> File data

Thanks and best regards,
Shark

And an example to process .idx files:

https://github.com/GideonZ/1541ultimate ... ype_tap.cc

Implemented by Gideon on his Ultimate64 (fpga cartridge).

Thanks,
Shark

Another example, It's a video loading tap files from an index file (Using an Ultimate-II):

If someone could add it to the c64 framework, would be awesome.

Regards,
Shark