Cartridges in Disk Format?

[Tempest]

Is it possible to somehow convert cartridges to disk images (ATR or some similar format) so they can be used with a SIO2PC cable?

 

Tempest

[ndary]

most of the atari cartirges games exist in files format. most where hacked

some does not work 100% like the original (reset trap, lifes..etc..)

 

there are several utilites to run cartriges images from disk (.atr), try the PILL / SUPER PILL or other like cartirges, you will need to dump the orginal cartrige into disk/.atr file.. and the PILL will emulate the cartrige..

 

this is ok for 8k/16k, for the XEG cartrige.. there are some attempt to convert some of this games to files (disk), but they only work a 128k computer.. since the XEG cart banks where replaced with Xe extra memory banks... but the conversion is not possible on any XEG games.. (games that switches banks with DLI routine are harder to do)..

 

Maybe the SuperHollex can be the solution for you

[Nukey Shay]

I dunno. You can use an emulator to do a straight copy of the area that the cartridge occupies...heck, you could probably even let Dos figure out the disk file header for you by transferring an H: file to a D: file But a problem would arise if the cartridge program attempts to write over itself or forces a cold restart (which would have no effect to the program if it is still a Rom cartridge). To get around that you would either need to alter the program, or fool the computer into "thinking" that the program is in Rom (by way of inserting a "dummy" cartridge). That's the only way I know of to do it.

[analmux]

The OS-B Vblank interrupt checks if there's a cartridge present. It keeps a check variable at address 1022. There's a 1 in it if cartridge is loaded, and a 0 if not.

 

Just put off the Vblank with

 

poke 54286,0

 

and you can pull a cartridge from the cartridge port, or put one in. (slowly, and with great care).

 

By this you can fool the OS that still thinks that f.e. there is no cartridge, and then copy the data from cartridge in RAM, then remove the cartridge carefully, and put the Vblank on again. Now you can save the data on disk.