A7800 Emulator Update

[Trebor]

A7800 v0.188-03

What's new?

• Keypad Controller emulation fixed.
• Updated default mappings for Console and Player 2.
• Console temperature/Color palette selection added.
• Fixed graphics glitch in Super Skateboardin' status area.
• User interface improvements including streamlined menus.
• Verified (real-time) load and save state support.
• Full illustrative manual added to the download archive.
• Optional display enhancement effects: HLSL with YIQ, CRT-geom(-deluxe), super-eagle, hq series, (super) xbr lineup.

 

For quick and easy portable install steps and more details, see the main thread post over in the Atari 7800 forum.

[Master Phruby]

I keep roms and bios in D:\Game Library\Atari 7800. How do I get it to recognize that path? I've modified the a7800.ini but that does nothing.

[Lordmonkus]

Thanks for this Trebor, this has become my go to 7800 emulator. I wonder if the same thing can be done for the 5200 Mame driver because that is in need of an update badly.

[Trebor]

I keep roms and bios in D:\Game Library\Atari 7800. How do I get it to recognize that path? I've modified the a7800.ini but that does nothing.

 

Short solution:

Delete the "cfg" folder that is likely present and containing files with config data overriding the A7800.ini settings.

 

If sharing the folder with MAME, just delete any 'a7800' related files* inside of the cfg folder.

 

Keep in mind, any input customization that was performed for the consoles will be cleared as well, if the respective *.cfg file is deleted.

 

Not as short solution:

 

The inherited/typical MAME behavior and compatibility present is sub-folder data overrides the root/main *.ini configuration data.

 

Presuming A7800 was ran at least once prior to the "swpath" update made to the a7800.ini file, a cfg folder would have been generated with respective a7800 file(s) containing a default path setting for the cartridge roms (software). That overrides the manual adjustment made to the *.ini file for swpaths.

 

Alternatively, the respective 'a7800' cfg file(s) that were generated can be edited instead of deleted with Notepad. They can be modified to include the preferred path instead of what was stored when the file was originally generated. The line should be easy to spot, but just to be clear:

<device instance="cartridge" directory="roms" />

Change to:

<device instance="cartridge" directory="D:\Game Library\Atari 7800" />

Performing this alternate solution will also retain any input customizing that was performed for the system(s).

 

 

*To help sort possible configuration files that will be present, dependent upon whether the respective system is ran, here is a list of files that may be present and their corresponding console system:

a7800.cfg = Atari 7800 (NTSC) Cool

a7800u1.cfg = Atari 7800 (NTSC) Warm

a7800u2.cfg = Atari 7800 (NTSC) Hot

a7800p.cfg = Atari 7800 (PAL) Cool

a7800pu1.cfg = Atari 7800 (PAL) Warm

a7800pu2.cfg = Atari 7800 (PAL) Hot

[Master Phruby]

The config files don't look like that. I've deleted the cfg folder and in the a7800.ini file I put in

#

# CORE SEARCH PATH OPTIONS

#

homepath .

rompath "bios;roms;D:\Game Library\Atari 7800"

hashpath hash

samplepath samples

What's missing? It just recreates the cfg folder. I've even created a a7800.cfg file with this

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<!-- This file is autogenerated; comments and unknown tags will be stripped -->

<mameconfig version="10">

<system name="Atari 7800 (NTSC) Cool" />

<device instance="cartridge" directory="D:\Game Library\Atari 7800" />

</mameconfig>

Why doesn't this work?

[Trebor]

....

<system name="Atari 7800 (NTSC) Cool" />

...

Why doesn't this work?

 

It should be one of the following:

 

<system name="a7800">

<system name="a7800u1">

<system name="a7800u2">

<system name="a7800p">

<system name="a7800pu1">

<system name="a7800pu2">

 

Substitute according to the name of the corresponding cfg file.

[Trebor]

....

#

# CORE SEARCH PATH OPTIONS

#

homepath .

rompath "bios;roms;D:\Game Library\Atari 7800"

hashpath hash

samplepath samples

 

What's missing? ...

 

A modified "swpath" to go along with the modified "rompath": Also, the defaults can be removed if not being utilized, and no quotes are necessary for the path.

 

rompath                   D:\Games Library\Atari 7800
swpath                    D:\Games Library\Atari 7800 

Tested the above, and it works perfectly.