Turgen System 8.6.7

[baktra]

A new version of the cassette authoring tool has been released and brings the following enhancements:

• Improved status bar that displays total duration of the generated signal or total number of bytes written to tape images.
  Now you know how much of a tape side your programs will occupy
• Signal or tape image generators can be executed in a preview mode. In the preview mode, no output is generated, but all checks take place and total duration of the generated signal or total number of bytes written to tape images are determined and displayed in the status bar.
  This will help you to determine if the signal will fit in a tape side with a single click without wasting disk space or wearing-off your precious SSD. Works both for WAVE files and Audio output.
  
• Error messages displayed by the signal or tape image generators are aggregated and displayed in a single window. The error messages also include input file name, so it is easier to identify offending playlist items.
  If you screw 50 playlist items, you don't need 50 clicks to dismiss all error messages. Just a single click.
  
• Batch processing now supports also tape images on input. Use the new TAPE-IMAGE-CONVERTOR keyword.
  Now you can include .cas files in your batches
  

For full list of news and download, please refer to the project pages.

 

Unfortunately, no support for Czechoslovak Turbo D yet.

Edited March 30, 2017 by baktra

[baktra]

I have updated the website of Turgen System a bit. Now it should be more obvious what the utility can do for you (I hope...).

Also a new infographics is available for download from the website. It tries to explain Turgen System in one page.

[Rybags]

Does Turgen support generating tapes without start/stop bits?

Or in fact does this encoding technique actually exist in a usable state?

It would require bit-banging both ways by the Atari and sufficient bit transitions such that clock reset could be done at regular intervals - so, not a true 4/5 saving but could approach that.

[baktra]

Does Turgen support generating tapes without start/stop bits?

Or in fact does this encoding technique actually exist in a usable state?

It would require bit-banging both ways by the Atari and sufficient bit transitions such that clock reset could be done at regular intervals - so, not a true 4/5 saving but could approach that.

 

No it doesn't.

PWM-based turbo Systems supported by the TS are based on bit-banging, but standard FSK records are a different beast.

 

On one hand, TS can be easily modified not to generate start/stop bits, on the other hand creating a bit-banging loader for Atari is a different story.

[ijor]

Does Turgen support generating tapes without start/stop bits?

Or in fact does this encoding technique actually exist in a usable state?

It would require bit-banging both ways by the Atari and sufficient bit transitions such that clock reset could be done at regular intervals - so, not a true 4/5 saving but could approach that.

 

Some years ago we already had a couple of threads about bypassing Pokey and doing tape custom encoding. I don't think anybody actually implemented something. But the conclusion then, at least mine, is that it should be feasible to achieve something significant.

 

Possible ideas range from just increasing the word size, to advanced encoding like RLL. The latter might not be easy or even possible, but in theory should almost double the effective bitrate (900 bps vs 480 bps). A bit-banged loader doesn't sound too difficult.

 

[baktra]

I was always wondering...

• Are there any macOS users? Turgen System should work with this amazing OS, well... theoretically at least. As am I rather a second-hand ThinkPad T/X-series buyer, I will never have that experience :-)
• Anyone compiles from the source code? That would be awkward, because the Java .jar files are portable. If so, then why?
  Or is the source code just for studying?

I've also noticed increased downloads of XEX2CAS 2.6.0 and also Visual XEX2CAS 1.1. That might indicate I should continue at least some kind of maintenance. Are there any enhancement requests (or bug reports) for these two small tools?

[baktra]

Two bugs were found in the latest version and several versions before.

 

When converting binary load files...

1. If an INIT segment begins in record n and ends in record n+1, silence is inserted or IRG is elongated after record n instead after record n+1. All plugins that create blocks of a regular length (this includes the Standard plugin) are affected. The reason is that the DOS2Binary class didn't calculate end RBA of the segments correctly.
   The bug has highest impact on the Standard plugin.A typical symptom is that the generated .CAS or .WAV works with emulator but doesn't work with real hardware (because real data recorder requires some time for STOP/START).
2. Automatic IRG elongation of the Standard plugin elongated IRGs after records with INIT segment by 100 ms instead of 1000ms. This also can result in problems when converting binary load files and loading them using real data recorder. This can be circumvented by entering 1,1,1.... in the Silence list.

 

A Hotfix turgen.jar is available for download to fix both bugs until a new version is released.

XEX2CAS and Visual XEX2CAS share the same problem. Versions 2.6.1 and 1.2 of these utilities have this bug fixed.

 

My thanks to AtariAge member ndary, who discovered the bug and patiently tested several fixes.

[lemiel]

This Sitre http://www.vitoco.cl/atari/sitre/(sorry lost google translation link on my mobile) is something to add to Turgen?

Found it in here http://atariage.com/forums/topic/264255-bootable-disk-menu-programs/ .

Edited April 25, 2017 by lemiel

[baktra]

This Sitre http://www.vitoco.cl/atari/sitre/(sorry lost google translation link on my mobile) is something to add to Turgen?

Found it in here http://atariage.com/forums/topic/264255-bootable-disk-menu-programs/ .

 

That would be interesting especially for owners of the umnodified data recorders. This system increases speed, block size and reliability.

As I am already planning this kind of loader for converting binary load files, I can try to "borrow" this SITRE System. I will need to figure out the file format and "extract" the loader. Thanks for the tip.

One thing that scares me a bit is the title screen and block counter displayed during the loading process. That can prevent some programs from loading.

Edited April 25, 2017 by baktra

[baktra]

Version 8.6.8 has been released. Primarily, it fixes the bugs mentioned above.