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C64 EasyFlash 3 fails to upload .crt files?


zezba9000

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6 hours ago, carlsson said:

I've only used the smaller EasyFlash. Do the CRTs need to be one slot each, i.e. 1 MB large?

 

Many would suggest the 1541 Ultimate which also has cartridge slots, though I'm sure it should be possible to get your EasyFlash 3 going too.

I'm not sure what it expects as I can't find that documentation anywhere. If it does what tool would I even use for that?

Also if you have the older EasyFlash could you share a .crt rom that works with it if you have one on hand?

 

Is the 1541 Ultimate a cart that supports more rom types? Do roms load and run on the actual C64 hardware? When I looked it up it looked like a complete standalone mini PC.

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I have two EasyFlash carts... original and the '3' model. Both can be hooked to your PC or Mac to get files onto them with special software or you can use a 1541 SD solution with software on the C64 side. EasyFlash3 has that software built in, so yes - it's a relatively easy process. Need to remember that as per typical with these "convenient" modern devices, not all .crt files work on them though. The .crt (or .prg) files need to be modified to work with it. This site has packs available ready to go:

 

https://csdb.dk/search/?seinsel=releases&search=easyflash&all=1

 

...look for files that say 'EasyFlash release'. And going by memory, think of a slot as a directory, where you place multiple .crt or .prg files in there. Of course, the larger the program, the fewer of them you'll be able to stuff into one slot.

 

Once you get these things set up, there is nothing simpler. Turn on the computer, navigate a menu and press a key to select your game. Boom!   

 

More info:

 

https://rr.pokefinder.org/wiki/Easyflash

https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/EasyFlash

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9 minutes ago, save2600 said:

I have two EasyFlash carts... original and the '3' model. Both can be hooked to your PC or Mac to get files onto them with special software or you can use a 1541 SD solution with software on the C64 side. EasyFlash3 has that software built in, so yes - it's a relatively easy process. Need to remember that as per typical with these "convenient" modern devices, not all .crt files work on them though. The .crt file need to be modified to work with it. This site has packs available ready to go:

 

https://csdb.dk/search/?seinsel=releases&search=easyflash&all=1

 

...going by memory, think of a slot as a directory, where you place multiple .crt or .prg files in there. Of course, the larger the program, the fewer of them you'll be able to stuff into one slot.

The whole issue is there are no docs for what tool to use to get a proper .crt file and ones I've tried don't work.

How do you upload .prg files? I only see "Start PRG" not "Write PRG" like there is for "Write CRT".

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6 minutes ago, zezba9000 said:

The whole issue is there are no docs for what tool to use to get a proper .crt file and ones I've tried don't work.

How do you upload .prg files? I only see "Start PRG" not "Write PRG" like there is for "Write CRT".

There's more options than that in both the software for the PC and C64 to upload files to the cart. I'd have to boot my system to see what's all there, but I don't remember having such problems as you seem to be having. Take a look through those Wiki pages if you haven't...

 

http://skoe.de/easyflash/doku.php?id=downloads

 

EasyProg I believe is what you want...

 

 

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11 minutes ago, save2600 said:

There's more options than that in both the software for the PC and C64 to upload files to the cart. I'd have to boot my system to see what's all there, but I don't remember having such problems as you seem to be having. Take a look through those Wiki pages if you haven't...

So I used "ndefpack 1.0.1" to create a .crt from a single .prg file of "The Battle of Midway" for testing.

The .crt works perfect in RetroArch but fails to upload with EasyFlash saying the file is to short.

 

But I can't figure out how to pad the file correctly.

 

 

Also starting the .prg directly with EasyTransfer 1.2.0 results in just a blank screen and nothing happens after that.

Edited by zezba9000
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Can someone send me a .crt file they know works with their EasyFlash 3?

Using ndefpack or a Python2 script I got that converts prg to crt both work with RetroArch just fine but fail to upload to EasyFlash / EasyProg as it gives a file error.

 

I really just want to make sure that has nothing to do with the issue. For all I know I'm running into some stupid driver error on Win10.

Edited by zezba9000
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Previously I used the Java based Draco Cart Maker and thought images need to be about 1 MB each, unlike ndefpack which creates CRTs as large as their content is. However I see that some of the published EF games on CSDb are only a half megabyte and should supposedly work so perhaps that is not the matter.

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6 hours ago, Mayhem said:

And two excellent updates in one go...

 

https://csdb.dk/release/?id=139401

"GhostNGoblinsAndCommandoArcade_EF_N0S.crt" starts to copy then gives error "This file seems to be too short." on the C64 screen.

Also tested with a .crt @carlsson sent me with the same issue.

I've also tried multiple USB cables and different USB ports.

image.png.92f00e5347fd9de358294a705378730b.png

image.png.7a5981e04b36486ef6f3b3e034c86c76.png

B/W Mini TV is what the C64 is connected to for testing.

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Looks like I'm running into the same issue others have had here: https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63356&sid=358166cd6d88649c1d2d58f9a86d6fc0

 

I bet its some driver issue with Win10. Wonder if I use some old WinXP computer the issue might go away.

 

Sounds like if I get an SD2IEC I can flash the cart from that... but if SD2IEC works what is the point of EasyFlash lol.

Edited by zezba9000
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19 minutes ago, save2600 said:

^  much faster loading (understatement). Not having to deal with the clunkier than shit DOS, fewer keystrokes, convenience of using a cartridge, etc.   :)

Well got a SD2IEC so I can program the EasyFlash. Man what a nightmare.  Really wish there was just a basic SD cart for C64.

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Well, a programmable multi cartridge and a memory card based mass storage device necessarily are not the same thing. I'm not sure how a basic SD cartridge world work. Either it would be restricted to single filed programs and use a fake loader like the EasyFlash already does to load PRG files, or it would need to be more or less a full floppy drive emulator which brings us to the Ultimate series. In between there used to be the UK1541 device and of course Pi1541 but the latter two are drive emulators and natively don't play cartridge images anyway.

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15 hours ago, carlsson said:

...I'm not sure how a basic SD cartridge world work...

Just a simple item list of .prg or .crt files that can be read from an SD card and launched (take the EverDrive approach). I only care about the C64 as a legacy game console.  Its not like people are using them as actual work computers anymore.

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Even as a games machine, people expect the more advanced floppy based games to work as well, which is why the SD2IEC is not enough, people required the Ultimate series.

 

In principle, someone could write a cartridge friendly program that automatically loads a directory from drive 8 and lets you select a file to run. You could probably even allow it to navigate folders on the drive. That way, you could combine an EasyFlash or even a simple 8/16K cartridge with an SD2IEC to make the memory card based multicart without any further engineering. Actually I made a program myself that fits on a 8K cartridge that does LOAD"*",8,1 using the Dreamload turbo. It kind of works for not too large single filed programs and was useful when putting up a C64 in kiosk mode at an expo, connected to either a floppy drive or a SD2IEC. The fact that the cart was inserted and somehow protected meant that even power cycling the computer would get the desired software to load back.

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11 minutes ago, carlsson said:

Even as a games machine, people expect the more advanced floppy based games to work as well, which is why the SD2IEC is not enough, people required the Ultimate series.

 

In principle, someone could write a cartridge friendly program that automatically loads a directory from drive 8 and lets you select a file to run. You could probably even allow it to navigate folders on the drive. That way, you could combine an EasyFlash or even a simple 8/16K cartridge with an SD2IEC to make the memory card based multicart without any further engineering. Actually I made a program myself that fits on a 8K cartridge that does LOAD"*",8,1 using the Dreamload turbo. It kind of works for not too large single filed programs and was useful when putting up a C64 in kiosk mode at an expo, connected to either a floppy drive or a SD2IEC. The fact that the cart was inserted and somehow protected meant that even power cycling the computer would get the desired software to load back.

What is stopping a cart from acting like normal game carts that came out back in the day but one that just loads up a navigation screen to in turn load stuff off its own SD card?

So EasyFlash SD basically.

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