+videofx Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Can some please tell me how to make DDP's from file? Can I do it on the Adam or do I need to do it on a PC? Do I need emulator? Please let me know. I made a deal with Maxell and have a large supply of Maxcell Pro 60 minute cassette and anyone who wants a DDP I can sell it for $5.00 plus shipping including printed cassette label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 What is your hardware configuration on the Adam? Do you have a Disk Drive, IDE CF Card setup, ADE or VDD SD drive, Serial Interface, Modem? What are your options re your PC(s)? Do you have an older system that you can boot into DOS and has a 5 1/4” FDD? We need some basic info and not just a scream for help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+videofx Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Just now, NIAD said: What is your hardware configuration on the Adam? Do you have a Disk Drive, IDE CF Card setup, ADE or VDD SD drive, Serial Interface, Modem? What are your options re your PC(s)? Do you have an older system that you can boot into DOS and has a 5 1/4” FDD? We need some basic info and not just a scream for help. I didn't know what you needed to know so I just asked in general My Adam config: 2 - 5.25" Coleco Adam drive 1 - ADE No Serial or modem I have a retro PC with DOS 5 and 5.25" 360K floppy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Great! You have an ADE and this will be the simplest as well as fastest method. - copy the DISK or DDP images files you want to place on an actual Adam DDP or Disk onto the ADE SD card - copy the File Manager v3.0 disk image file onto the ADE SD card - place the SD card into the ADE and turn on your Adam - using Williams Hick’s Image Manager program, mount File Manager in ADE drive #1, mount the program you want to copy to an ADAM DDP into ADE drive #2 and press the Computer Reset to boot File Manager - place a blank ADAM DDP into the drive - use the block copy options and copy blocks 0-159 from the disk image mounted in drive #2 to the Data Drive you inserted the DDP into (probably data drive #1) starting at block #0 You say you bought Maxell cassettes. Well, there is no easy way to format these audio cassettes into DIGITAL Data Packs for use on the Adam without a dual deck cassette player and also a drill to make the necessary alignment holes on the back of the Maxell cassette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+videofx Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 No Problem I have a recording studio so I have a dual cassette and have already drilled the tapes. I just need to know how to format them You said to copy blocks 0 to 159, will there be a file larger than 160 blocks? Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) Take a step back first before answering your latest question... Since you have 2 Adam Disk Drives and an old PC that you can boot to DOS and use the DOS program DCOPY to write an Adam disk image file directly onto a formatted ADAM 5 1/4” disk. Another program you will find useful is the DOS program “The Adam Connection” for formatting ADAM disks on a PC (save wear and tear on your ADAM drives) as well transferring individual files (not whole image files) back and forth. Also, Adam Image Manager works great for working with Adam image files in the Windows environment. All the above is available on www.adamarchive.org As far as making your own ADAM DDPs from audio cassettes, place the ADAM DDP in the first cassette drive and the audio cassette in the second and proceed to dub it. You will probably have to play with the recording levels a couple times... trial and error. There is an informative “How to” available on the Adam Archive that you can download. Edited June 30, 2020 by NIAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Over the years, there were larger sizes Disk Drives made available either by modding Coleco’s FDD or made brand new by Micro Innovations. Most disk images out there are the standard 160K variety but there are some that are: - 320K (5 1/4”) - 720K (3 1/2”) - 1.44Mb (3 1/2”) As I am sure you know, the ADAM DDP is 256K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+videofx Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 so if a DDP is 256k and disk is 160K so doesn't each DDP file contain 256K or 2 disk images worth of information ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, videofx said: so if a DDP is 256k and disk is 160K so doesn't each DDP file contain 256K or 2 disk images worth of information ? A DDP can store 64K smaller than 2 full disk contents (160K x 2 = 320K). There are a small amount of programs that span multiple disks and in most cases it is better off to copy them to multiple DDPs due to how the program is setup to look for certain files on specific disks especially if they use specific block load routines compared to filename load routines. You can play around with the 320K blank data pack image file that is in the archive. This is an extended data pack format that was developed in the late 80s by E&T Software specifically to offer the ability to store the contents of 2 160K disks. Over time, it proved unreliable due to compressing the format of the data pack to make it possible to store more data on the same 60 minute cassette. Examples of Coleco made software that spans 2 disks are SmartLetters & Forms and Richard Scarry’s BEWE, but the overall program sizes are less than 256K so they fit in 1 data pack. Edited June 30, 2020 by NIAD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+videofx Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Does the size of the DDP file indicate if you need 1 disk or 2 disk images to create the DDP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Just now, videofx said: Does the size of the DDP file indicate if you need 1 disk or 2 disk images to create the DDP? Not per say. The actual DDP image file size will always be 256K (discounting the extended format DDPs that I mentioned previously)... this is a standard. However, most DDP images files have far fewer than 256 blocks used and for that matter, less than 160 of actual blocks used. So most DDP image files can be copied safely to a 160K disk image file without fear of any data loss. Where you will run into issues is with programs that are coded to load from a specific drive # like the original Super Games by Coleco. These Super Games also place data/program code throughout the entire data pack and use block load routines instead of filename loading routines. Most of these issues have been addressed in the Software Archive that I and a couple others assembled years ago and is available on www.adamarchive.org or www.sacnews.net/adamcomputer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamcomputer fan Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Can you homebrew a Donkey Kong Junior Cassette game for the adam computer? I have the rom here it is. How much you want? Donkey Kong Super Game (1984) (Coleco) (1).ddp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamcomputer fan Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 On 6/29/2020 at 4:49 PM, NIAD said: Great! You have an ADE and this will be the simplest as well as fastest method. - copy the DISK or DDP images files you want to place on an actual Adam DDP or Disk onto the ADE SD card - copy the File Manager v3.0 disk image file onto the ADE SD card - place the SD card into the ADE and turn on your Adam - using Williams Hick’s Image Manager program, mount File Manager in ADE drive #1, mount the program you want to copy to an ADAM DDP into ADE drive #2 and press the Computer Reset to boot File Manager - place a blank ADAM DDP into the drive - use the block copy options and copy blocks 0-159 from the disk image mounted in drive #2 to the Data Drive you inserted the DDP into (probably data drive #1) starting at block #0 You say you bought Maxell cassettes. Well, there is no easy way to format these audio cassettes into DIGITAL Data Packs for use on the Adam without a dual deck cassette player and also a drill to make the necessary alignment holes on the back of the Maxell cassette. Can you homebrew me a Donkey Kong Junior cassette game? I have the cassette rom here it is? How much you want? Donkey Kong Junior Super Game (1984) (Coleco) (5 Screen Rev. 13 Prototype).ddp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adamcomputer fan Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 On 6/29/2020 at 10:08 AM, videofx said: Can some please tell me how to make DDP's from file? Can I do it on the Adam or do I need to do it on a PC? Do I need emulator? Please let me know. I made a deal with Maxell and have a large supply of Maxcell Pro 60 minute cassette and anyone who wants a DDP I can sell it for $5.00 plus shipping including printed cassette label. Can you homebrew me a Donkey Kong Junior cassette game? I have the cassette rom here it is? How much you want? Donkey Kong Junior Super Game (1984) (Coleco) (5 Screen Rev. 14 Prototype).ddp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+videofx Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 9 minutes ago, Adamcomputer fan said: Can you homebrew me a Donkey Kong Junior cassette game? I have the cassette rom here it is? How much you want? Donkey Kong Junior Super Game (1984) (Coleco) (5 Screen Rev. 14 Prototype).ddp 256 kB · 1 download $5.00 plus shipping. Let me first test the image Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 25 minutes ago, videofx said: $5.00 plus shipping. Let me first test the image You’ll need to copy the DK Jr. Super Game DDP image file to a Right Directory DDP (ie: a Repurposed Buck Rogers DDP or create a new DDP from a cassette using a Buck Rogers DDP as the master). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+videofx Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 Thanks for that. I was planning on creating A new DDP using Buck rogers as the master. So I have a new DDP that I made using buck rogers. Is it still just a matter of copying blocks 0-159? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 16 hours ago, videofx said: Thanks for that. I was planning on creating A new DDP using Buck rogers as the master. So I have a new DDP that I made using buck rogers. Is it still just a matter of copying blocks 0-159? It depends if the DDP image file was made from an original DK Jr SG DDP or if it was made from a modified version that allows it to work from a disk as well. Ultimately, it should be OK seeing as the program is actually under 64K in size and Coleco supplied it on a “short tape”. Best practice, just copy blocks 0-255 from the DDP image file to blocks 0-255 on the destination. To verify, play thru all the screens, enter a name for the Hall of Fame, make sure the HoF displays, select # to return to the players/skill select screen. If that all works, you made a good copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 To follow up, seeing as I haven't used Walters Software Co. SmartDSK III & Utilities since the 90s, I forgot that they include a copy utility that will allow you to copy a Super Game that is setup to work only from a Right Directory DDP to a Center Directory DDP. The copy program actually arranges the program data correctly on the right block #s of the Center Directory DDP seeing as the Super Games use specific block # load routines and not filename loading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wil57 Posted July 18, 2022 Share Posted July 18, 2022 On 3/11/2021 at 10:40 PM, NIAD said: You’ll need to copy the DK Jr. Super Game DDP image file to a Right Directory DDP (ie: a Repurposed Buck Rogers DDP or create a new DDP from a cassette using a Buck Rogers DDP as the master). hello , possible to copy all adam games to a cassette? I pay every cassette (im from France). Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIAD Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 On 7/18/2022 at 12:51 PM, wil57 said: hello , possible to copy all adam games to a cassette? I pay every cassette (im from France). Thanks. Contact Milli ( 8 Bit Milli Games Home page ) seeing as he has all the required equipment and the supplies needed to make Data Packs (cassettes) with the games that you want. Seeing as he buys in larger quantities for his business, he can offer a much better price per data pack. You can also try posting your request on the Coleco ADAM Facebook Group seeing as Milli frequents it often and there are numerous other people on there from France. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.