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Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:18 am
by nbla000
OK, option 5 LOAD FROM CASSETTE fixed.
Change the code in $AF42 from:
Code: Select all
af42 A2 FF LDX #$FF
af44 78 SEI
af45 9A TXS
af46 D8 CLD
af47 4C 54 AF JMP $AF54
to:
Code: Select all
af42 A2 FF LDX #$FF
af44 78 SEI
af45 9A TXS
af46 D8 CLD
af47 4C 2F FD JMP $FD2F
By changing the JMP in $AF47 we substitute the internal "exit to basic" code to the standard vic-20 start sequence code so the standard Vic-20 prompt appears and we can load the data file from tape or disk:
LOAD"WORDS",8,1
Then by hitting [RESTORE] (Page UP on VICE) the game restarts and you may select option 4 CASSETTE WORDS successfully.
I've used the e5frog 4K fixed version (with $a000 $a001 fixed pointers) so for the full fixed ROM, by starting from the original 8K dumped rom, you need only the first 4K then these changes:
From:
Code: Select all
a000 2f fd
af47 4C 54 AF JMP $AF54
afae FD FD FD SBC $FDFD,X
afb1 FD FD FD SBC $FDFD,X
afb4 FD FD FD SBC $FDFD,X
to:
Code: Select all
a000 ae af
af47 4C 2F FD JMP $FD2F
afae 20 8D FD JSR $FD8D
afb1 20 18 E5 JSR $E518
afb4 4C 4A AF JMP $AF4A
As buzbard said, the data file address starts from $1800 and the data file format is 8 letters for each word (spaces used for lower letter's words)
Example:
Code: Select all
HOUSE STRENGTHMIRROR COMPUTERCALENDARTOWEL DENIM TWENTY GUESS TRIBE
There is a fixed number of words (without end markers) in the data file, the max lenght file is $600 bytes HEX = 1536 bytes / 8 bytes for each word =
192 words.
so the last byte used in memory is $1DFF, from $1E00 starts the video memory of course.
It seems there is also an easter egg/hidden text in this cartridge:
Code: Select all
RECRUIT BEACON COSMOS SWAP AVER WARRANTYDISK HEXAGON GAZEBO 1982 CHARLES GOLDMAN
This is a text sequence at the end of $600 bytes in rom and it sounds strange to me, what do you think ?
Maybe Charles Goldman is the Programmer and 1982 the year ? and the other words ? who knows ?
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 10:53 am
by buzbard
nbla000 wrote:It seems there is also an easter egg/hidden text in this cartridge:
Code: Select all
RECRUIT BEACON COSMOS SWAP AVER WARRANTYDISK HEXAGON GAZEBO 1982 CHARLES GOLDMAN
This is a text sequence at the end of $600 bytes in rom and it sounds strange to me, what do you think ?
Maybe Charles Goldman is the Programmer and 1982 the year ? and the other words ? who knows ?
I initially copied those words as well to the cassette words list, but when the file is loaded you can see the words appear at the top of the screen. They get deleted as soon as the screen is cleared by the program, so I took them out.
Yes, I agree, Charles Goldman is the programmer and 1982 is the year.
If you look at the picture that Mayhem posted in the first post, you can see "COPYRIGHT ©1982" on the sticker.
I've also noticed a glitch in the ROMs word list. The word AFFLUENT starts at $AE6F which is not evenly divisible by 8, it should start at $AE70 which is evenly divisible by 8.
So this:
Code: Select all
00000E60 42 4C 49 54 5A 20 20 20-4D 49 58 45 53 20 20 41 BLITZ MIXES A
00000E70 46 46 4C 55 45 4E 54 20-43 49 47 41 52 20 20 20 FFLUENT CIGAR
should look like this:
Code: Select all
00000E60 42 4C 49 54 5A 20 20 20-4D 49 58 45 53 20 20 20 BLITZ MIXES
00000E70 41 46 46 4C 55 45 4E 54 43-49 47 41 52 20 20 20 AFFLUENTCIGAR
Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 11:04 am
by Mayhem
Ian only had the cartridge, so can't help there with instructions etc. Great work on the patching though
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 4:41 am
by nbla000
buzbard wrote:I've also noticed a glitch in the ROMs word list. The word AFFLUENT starts at $AE6F which is not evenly divisible by 8, it should start at $AE70 which is evenly divisible by 8.
So this:
Code: Select all
00000E60 42 4C 49 54 5A 20 20 20-4D 49 58 45 53 20 20 41 BLITZ MIXES A
00000E70 46 46 4C 55 45 4E 54 20-43 49 47 41 52 20 20 20 FFLUENT CIGAR
should look like this:
Code: Select all
00000E60 42 4C 49 54 5A 20 20 20-4D 49 58 45 53 20 20 20 BLITZ MIXES
00000E70 41 46 46 4C 55 45 4E 54 43-49 47 41 52 20 20 20 AFFLUENTCIGAR
Yes I've noticed this too but I've not fixed it because is a nice original bug of the program
Btw since is a patched version, I may fix it too, what do you think ?
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:40 pm
by buzbard
As long as it's labeled as a "Patched" version, I don't see any harm.
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:13 pm
by e5frog
Glad you sorted it out and the missing autostart also got its explanation, didn't realize I had done a mistake, but it wasn't a good patch anyway since the load and save didn't work. Will try the new patch instead...
Of course you should fix that bug, strange way of making a list and have an even eight bytes instead of endmarkers after each word. I guess the programmer thought that was easier. Perhaps it could be patched to an 8k cart with a very large word list...
On the Fairchild Channel F Hangman each letter is coded with five bits, so eight letters in five bytes. Though that was a good space saver - it was fun making a Swedish version of it and encode a new word list.
EDIT:
Uploaded the new nlba000 version here:
http://channelf.se/files/vic/BOMBA04K_patch2.prg
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:48 pm
by e5frog
Made a disassembly as well, might be of interest maybe - in case you don't like to do it in VICE.
http://channelf.se/files/vic/BOMBA04K_patch2.7z
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 6:59 pm
by Kweepa
How good is that Interactive Disassembler?
Does the free version (5.0) do everything the 6502 needs?
I would love to disassemble a bunch of games...
Aww, I tried the free version and the demo version and neither disassembles 6502.
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:51 am
by e5frog
It's pretty good, it's the only one I have managed to do any 6502 disassembling with apart from the VICE monitor.
There was one called AP, newer understood how it worked.
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 7:23 am
by nbla000
OK, thank you.
This version fixes the word list error "MIXES" "AFFLUENT" too, we may consider it as the definitive patch.
Maybe I will release an Italian Cassette Word list by editing the buzbard's file with an HEX editor, does someone want to add a own words list ?
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:03 am
by nbla000
Mayhem wrote:Yeah, he's fine with it. I think he has a Megacart already, he queried being able to get an update at some point...
Mega-Cart firmware
updated (rev.21) with "Bomber Word" in the
Cartridge Games section.
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:12 am
by e5frog
Lets hope not as it's called "Bomber Word" because there is bombing of words.
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:37 am
by nbla000
Opss
Name fixed, thanks for the info
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:01 am
by e5frog
BTW.... Has there been any recent hardware changes to the Mega-Cart or will it work if I simply download the new version (can I?) and program my spare unused 27C801 roms and swap? (I solder and desolder PLCC32 chips several times per week)
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:37 pm
by 6502dude
e5frog wrote:.... I simply download the new version (can I?) and program my spare unused 27C801 roms and swap? (I solder and desolder PLCC32 chips several times per week)
Yes, you should be able to update by desolder old roms and soldering new ones in place.