.a78 to .bin?

[SoundGammon]

How does one convert .a78 to .bin files to make roms/eproms?

Edited June 28, 2020 by SoundGammon

[KevinMos3]

For games up to 128Kb, you just remove the header.  For 144Kb games, it's been so long I don't remember.  But, I think it was something like taking the bytes after 128K and putting them at the beginning, or vice versa.  You can look at them in a hex editor to see.

[+SmittyB]

4 minutes ago, KevinMos3 said:

But, I think it was something like taking the bytes after 128K and putting them at the beginning, or vice versa.

I think that's specifically for compatibility with cuttle carts. Just stripping the 128 byte header is good enough for a Mateos cart. Speaking of which, he hosts a tool to strip the header on his website to convert a78 to bin for that purpose.

http://www.vectrex.hackermesh.org/a7800converter/

 

 

[KevinMos3]

4 hours ago, SmittyB said:

I think that's specifically for compatibility with cuttle carts. Just stripping the 128 byte header is good enough for a Mateos cart.

I'm not familiar at all with cuttle carts or the Mateos carts.  But, now that I read his question again asking about eproms, actual 144K cartridges are made of 2 eproms: a 128Kb and a 16Kb.  That's when you cut the beginning or trailing (still don't remember which) 16K off the rom.  The header must already have been stripped of course.

 

4 hours ago, SmittyB said:

http://www.vectrex.hackermesh.org/a7800converter/

Good to know.  I always just use (and recommend) a hex editor, but your advice there is probably much more welcomed. 

[RevEng]

The 7800header utility that comes with 7800basic and 7800AsmDevKit also allows you to add, edit, or remove a78 headers. It's a command-line app, but if you prefer you can just drag and drop a file onto it, and after that it's pretty easy to steer.

[SoundGammon]

On 6/28/2020 at 3:57 AM, SmittyB said:

I think that's specifically for compatibility with cuttle carts. Just stripping the 128 byte header is good enough for a Mateos cart. Speaking of which, he hosts a tool to strip the header on his website to convert a78 to bin for that purpose.

http://www.vectrex.hackermesh.org/a7800converter/

 

 

Thanks!