Mega-Cart

akator · Post by **akator** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:11 pm

I got an email that I was on the list for a MegaCart.

One of the saddest days in my life. I am crushed.

We aren't in a good place financially, and I've been selling off my collection. It is bad enough to be in that position, selling off things I love, and the VIC is one of the things I have to part with.

Then, finally, I get an email about the MegaCart. I so wanted to buy it, but I can't. Salt in a wound.

I hope that at least someone here will get bumped up in the list and get the MegaCart I have so wanted...

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Wed May 04, 2011 6:40 am

Sorry for that

tokra · Post by **tokra** » Sat May 14, 2011 9:26 am

Just got my Mega Cart on Wednesday (*WOOHOO*) and been playing around with it quite a lot.

As I use an uIEC-device I'm wondering about the different levels of SJLOAD support. Am I right to assume that Mega Cart off the shelf options include the full SJLOAD07 which resides either at $b000 or $0400 ?

And then there is the SJLOAD08 BASIC that can be manually installed to $9e00 on the Mega-Cart directly that just speeds up LOAD and can be started by SYS40000 ?

A few questions:

- why isn't SJLOAD08 BASIC installed on the MegaCart already upon delivery? Took me a few days to figure out that I need to install separately and it greatly improves the MegaCart, when SJLOAD is neatly hidden away in an area that the VIC otherwise does not use

- it says in the docs:

To manually activate SJLOAD speedup for "Jiffy" drives, from basic prompt type SYS40000 (for VIC+32K+3K or VIC+3K configurations) with any other Vic configuration type POKE40320,0:SYS40000

Why is the extra poke needed if the lower 3K is not active? Is information otherwise stored in that area?

- is there a way to have SJLOAD08 BASIC start automatically on Reset, like the 07 version? Having to type in the SYS is easy enough, but still manual... I suppose I could use the external-boot feature of the MegaCart to just execute the SYS...

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun May 15, 2011 12:39 pm

nbla000 wrote:POKE40320,0:SYS40000

tokra wrote:Why is the extra poke needed if the lower 3K is not active?

POKE40320,0 enables access to the NVRAM chip, which is used to store data for both the $0400 .. $0FFF (RAM 1..3), as well as the I/O 2 and I/O 3 address range ($9800 .. $9FFF).

The NVRAM normally is disabled, when the 3K expansion is switched off. That howevers makes SJLOAD08 BASIC also disappear, unless the NVRAM is re-enabled.

tokra · Post by **tokra** » Sun May 15, 2011 3:39 pm

Thanks, that explains it.

I was playing with the MC-BOOT feature today, but sadly it would not work on my uIEC as expected. I found out this is because the uIEC is resetted any time the VIC is resetted, since I have the version that gets power from the tape-port. The uIEC would not be ready before the MegaCart boot feature would give up on finding the boot-file. This also explained why the file browser always got into what seems an empty directory when I started it. The uIEC was just not ready yet.

I tried my old SD2IEC then, which has external power and on that the boot-feature and file browser worked like expected there.

Can the Mega Cart maybe be patched in NVRAM so that the boot-feature waits a little longer for the drive to come live?

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Wed May 18, 2011 11:33 am

tokra wrote:I was playing with the MC-BOOT feature today, but sadly it would not work on my uIEC as expected. I found out this is because the uIEC is resetted any time the VIC is resetted, since I have the version that gets power from the tape-port. The uIEC would not be ready before the MegaCart boot feature would give up on finding the boot-file. This also explained why the file browser always got into what seems an empty directory when I started it. The uIEC was just not ready yet.

I know the problems and I've noticed that it depends also from the SD-Card used.

There is a solution for both MC-BOOT and CBM-FileBrowser not documented yet sorry...

Press and hold the ESC key on Boot then leave the ESC key when your SD-device is ready, that's all.
The Mega-Cart will record the delay and it will use this time for next boots before to check for the external device

Can the Mega Cart maybe be patched in NVRAM so that the boot-feature waits a little longer for the drive to come live?

Not required, the firmware is already designed for this event

About SJLOAD, maybe Brian forgot to load the SJLOAD08 PAL or NTSC on NVRAM but as you discovered you may download the installer from the mega-cart.com site.
This is a special version that resides on Mega-Cart's NVRAM and it's required for fast access on sd2iec based drives for EasyLoad and FileBrowser (F7 / F8 on boot)

If you want simply start the vic (unexpanded, +3K, +32K) with SJLOAD 08 enabled, just select the proper item from the SOFT RESET MENU, it is already integrated, you may both lock the SOFT RESET MENU or the specific Memory configuration too if you want, just hold 5 or 6, thake a look here for further info.

For Vic +32K, the SJLOAD resides on 3K expansion area while for other configurations, SJLOAD resides on BLK5 of course.

6502dude · Post by **6502dude** » Fri May 20, 2011 2:24 pm

nbla000 wrote:About SJLOAD, maybe Brian forgot to load the SJLOAD08 PAL or NTSC on NVRAM but as you discovered you may download the installer from the mega-cart.com site.
This is a special version that resides on Mega-Cart's NVRAM and it's required for fast access on sd2iec based drives for EasyLoad and FileBrowser (F7 / F8 on boot).

Opps

Yes, I have forgotten this step.
People with MegaCarts numbered between #0209 to #0235 will need to do this update.

tokra · Post by **tokra** » Mon May 23, 2011 5:14 am

Thanks, nbla000, that did the trick.

BTW: I noticed the old serial no. easter egg doesn't work anymore. I suppose it's been hidden away in the new carts again. Even a ROM-dump didn't get me far. Any hints?

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:12 am

tokra wrote:Thanks, nbla000, that did the trick.

Thanks to you for the question.

BTW: I noticed the old serial no. easter egg doesn't work anymore.

Removed the serial no. easter egg but does not mean that...

robinsonmason · Post by **robinsonmason** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:42 am

Put my order in! All excited to review it for a second edition of my Commodore 64 Walkabout book.

rhurst · Post by **rhurst** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:46 am

Yeah, you're going to love it.

SparkyNZ · Post by **SparkyNZ** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:05 pm

rhurst wrote:Yeah, you're going to love it.

Is there still a 10-12 week lead time on the Megacart? I have sent 2 emails asking about this but have received no reply.. makes me extra nervous about ordering one when there's no response.

Cheers
Sparky

6502dude · Post by **6502dude** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 10:42 am

SparkyNZ wrote: Is there still a 10-12 week lead time on the Megacart? I have sent 2 emails asking about this but have received no reply.. makes me extra nervous about ordering one when there's no response.

Sorry, super busy with day job currently and reply will follow shortly.
There is little risk for you placing order since payment is not requested until 5 business days before your MegaCart order is ready to ship.

16KVIC20 · Post by **16KVIC20** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:15 am

Well Mega Cart #280 arrived in Essex this morning, in bomb proof packaging. I've been playing it non stop for the last 3 hours, even nearly missed my lunch, and that NEVER happens! I'm just typing this before I go back to it!

Thank you Brian and the team that put this wonderful piece of kit together!

PS, If any of you know about the secrets to find the easter eggs, please feel free to PM me.

16KVIC20 · Post by **16KVIC20** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 12:39 pm

I found some extras involving F2, are they all the easter eggs, or are there more to be found? Great extras by the way.

I never knew Blitz was called City Bomber in USA/Canada. I think the "music" is slightly different too.