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How to flash 128kb roms to 8Mb Maxflash cart?


Poison

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I read manual, but I do not find how to do it:( There is no problém to flash Space Harrier. works perfectly, but how to flash normal 128kb carts? I have USB programmer, choose - Cartridge - Program - MaxFlash 8Bit Flash Cartridge - than choose rom image (for example Commando, crime buster etc . . ) and MaxFlash Cartridge studio write me, that image size is bad. How can I convert shorter rom images for 8bit flash cart?

thanks for help:)

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This may not always work, but you can simply repeat the binary 8 times to 'pad' it to full size.

This typically ensures that the expected last bank contain the same 8KB.

So when the next bank change occurs (0x00->0x0F) this is selected fine.

The problems would occur where cart disable is required as in the 1Mbit cart this requires access to $D510 and on an 8Mbit to $D580 and so the 1Mbit code on an 8Mbit cart in this instance merely selects another bank.

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Not quite sure what's happened with that binary, appears that instances of the byte '0x00' have been replaced with '0x20' and so the execution fails pretty quickly. (compared against the cart image on Atarimania). Also this would be an XEGS model of bank switching which would not be compatible with the AtariMax scheme.

 

Having re-read the post, are you trying to put the full 128K rom image into a Workbook? Of course would not have space due to the overheads of the selection menu. Typically you'd use the Cartridge / Program menu to write the rom image direct to a physical cartridge.

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Not quite sure what's happened with that binary, appears that instances of the byte '0x00' have been replaced with '0x20' and so the execution fails pretty quickly. (compared against the cart image on Atarimania). Also this would be an XEGS model of bank switching which would not be compatible with the AtariMax scheme.

 

Having re-read the post, are you trying to put the full 128K rom image into a Workbook? Of course would not have space due to the overheads of the selection menu. Typically you'd use the Cartridge / Program menu to write the rom image direct to a physical cartridge.

 

not to work book, I need flash maxcart 8mbit with roms with 128kb. There are many of 128kb roms. And I bought maxcart for use with them. Space Harrier works perfect, but it is 1mb rom. WHen I try to flash cart woth shorter rom . . Studio show me error with bin lenght. Workbook know only 8kb roms, or xex files.

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So I think what I said in post two holds true, 128KB images are not necessarily compatible when made into a 1024KB image.

 

Taking a file, e.g. cart128K.rom, from a Command Prompt you can use:

copy cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B cart1024K.rom

 

As a test I took the XEGS cart image from AtariMania for Commando and performed the above to produce a 1MB cart image and this runs in Altirra.

 

Similarly, the Maxflash software should now let you burn the produced 1024KB file direct to the 8Mbit cart.

 

So I'd recommend testing first in emulation and burn to cart if OK.

If you have trouble with specific carts then PM me.

 

Note: I am assuming that you are NOT wanting to combine different 128KB carts into one 'compilation' cart?
This is technically possible but would require a) a menu and b) re-mapping of their bank selection code

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So I think what I said in post two holds true, 128KB images are not necessarily compatible when made into a 1024KB image.

 

Taking a file, e.g. cart128K.rom, from a Command Prompt you can use:

copy cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B + cart128K.rom /B cart1024K.rom

 

As a test I took the XEGS cart image from AtariMania for Commando and performed the above to produce a 1MB cart image and this runs in Altirra.

 

Similarly, the Maxflash software should now let you burn the produced 1024KB file direct to the 8Mbit cart.

 

So I'd recommend testing first in emulation and burn to cart if OK.

If you have trouble with specific carts then PM me.

 

Note: I am assuming that you are NOT wanting to combine different 128KB carts into one 'compilation' cart?

This is technically possible but would require a) a menu and b) re-mapping of their bank selection code

 

I created this 1mb image vith your commands. Flashing finished OK, but cart cant boot. Atari boot to basic:(

Commando.rar

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The XEGS bank switch scheme switches banks at $8000 and has a fixed bank at $A000. Atarimax is different with switched banks at $A000 and no fixed bank. You are not going to get the XEGS binary to run on the Atarimax cart without some significant modifications.

 

It's this dilemma that motivated me to dust off my old Atari programming references back in 2009. I converted XEGS Mario Bro's and Battlezone to the Atarimax format.

 

http://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=886&hilit=tep392

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The XEGS bank switch scheme switches banks at $8000 and has a fixed bank at $A000. Atarimax is different with switched banks at $A000 and no fixed bank. You are not going to get the XEGS binary to run on the Atarimax cart without some significant modifications.

 

It's this dilemma that motivated me to dust off my old Atari programming references back in 2009. I converted XEGS Mario Bro's and Battlezone to the Atarimax format.

 

http://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=886&hilit=tep392

 

ok, it is a pity because this was that reason, why I bought maxcart :( :( So are there any cart which I can use for XEGS 128kb, 64Kb, 32, 16 and 8 Kb cart roms?

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In this case it maybe worthwhile covering with us which titles you'd like to play and whether you use a machine with > 64K RAM.

 

There are already quite a few conversions of titles to an XEX format that put the 'banks' in the additional memory and have adjusted the code accordingly. Those you could setup in an AtariMax workbook. Also, search for those titles in the AtariMax forums to to see if they have been handled already.

Edited by Wrathchild
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ok, it is a pity because this was that reason, why I bought maxcart :( :( So are there any cart which I can use for XEGS 128kb, 64Kb, 32, 16 and 8 Kb cart roms?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. On a positive note, the maxflash carts work great for 8k bins, xex's and ATR's. I've actually used mine to copy ATR's to my 810 floppy drive. I put the source ATR and a copy disk ATR on the cart, boot the copy disk off cart, then select the source disk on the cart with a keystroke I don't remember at the moment, then copy from cart to 810 drive. It's not elegant, but it works. ;-)

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The answer you might be looking for is The!Cart.

The MyIDE2 would be my second choice for what you want.

Atariage members ProWizard and Jac! are better at explaining these two choices.

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/215811-thecart-new-128mb-flash-cartridge/

 

http://www.wudsn.com/productions/atari800/thecartstudio/help/TheCartStudio.html

 

http://www.mega-hz.de/Angebote/THE!CART/THE!CART_EN.htm

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can I play Space Harrier and Moria VBXE from that?I need one cart for ALL:)

 

and Iam really really disapointed from AtariMax cart:( Because in manual is not information, that is not possible to flash 128kb carts, but in Maxcart studio (with USB programmer, I bought) is in Menu view many differet carts to flash:(

 

can I use USB programmer of MaxCart for TheCart flashing?

 

ach jo, se na to vykašlu:) Mám prostě smůlu

Edited by Poison
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The AtariMax carts are some 12+ years old whereas The!Cart looks to have been designed to cover the deficiencies you highlight by supporting the different Cart models.

 

Not so unlucky, the AtariMax cart will still do a lot for you! (Though if you did get a The!Cart then the space available on that will pretty much let you store most games to date!)

 

Emulation is another good way to check these things. e.g. you wouldn't be able to attach a 128KB AtariMax or XEGS image as an 1024KB AtariMax cart.

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