How to run *.bin files in Vice ?

[Vicman *1970]

Hi,
i've tried to run "Donkey Kong (1983)(Atari)[o][merged].bin" from the TOSEC-Set in Vice, but it don't work for me......

It should be a "merged" cartridge image.
So, i used "attach cartridge image" in $A000.

But i only get a blue-white screen....

also same problem to run the "merged" cartridge game "Defender (1983)(Atari)[merged].bin"

any idea ? are the files corrupt ?
(already tried to rename them in *.a0 , *.crt etc...)

[Kananga]

AFAIK, Donkey Kong uses more than 8K so the bin file is probably larger than 8K and you can not load it to $A000.
There is a two file version on zimmer which you can use instead.

[Vicman *1970]

AFAIK, Donkey Kong uses more than 8K so the bin file is probably larger than 8K and you can not load it to $A000.

also tried it with $4000, $2000.....etc

There is a two file version on zimmer which you can use instead.

Yes, i know , but i would like to know if these *.bin files (donkey kong, defender etc...) works in vice.
I didn't matched it....maybe someone else can give it a try

[Mayhem]

Defender uses $60 and $A0, did you try the merged file at $60? Donkey Kong though is $20 and $A0, so not sure how a combined file works. Unless it's just meant to be loaded in +16k RAM and started?

[eslapion]

It should be a "merged" cartridge image.

NO!

So, i used "attach cartridge image" in $A000.

By doing that, you're placing the data destined for $2000 into the $A000 area and trying to overwrite the BASIC ROM with the data destined for $A000

But i only get a blue-white screen....

Which is what you should get...

also same problem to run the "merged" cartridge game "Defender (1983)(Atari)[merged].bin"

Same thing as above with the difference that Defender normally occupies $6000-$7FFF and $A000-$BFFF.

any idea ? are the files corrupt ?

Do it the proper way and load the game as the two separate files it should be.

I Never heard of merged files or what they are supposed to be used with.

Added edit:
Back in the early 1980s, the Sorel VIC-20 club created a solution for the fact that the normal version of VICMON will not save the data in the $A000-$BFFF area.

They altered 8k RAM carts and 16k RAM carts so you could toggle the expansion between BLK2 and BLK5. So, you could load a sort of "merged" Donkey Kong into BLK1 and 2, flip a switch which effectively "transported" the data loaded into BLK2 to appear in BLK5, reset the VIC and get your game.

This not only provided a means to overcome the saving area problem of VICMON, it also had the effect of "merging" all 16k games that used BLK1 and BLK5 (such as Donkey Kong and Lunar Leeper) or BLK3 and BLK5 (such as defender and A.E.).

If this is what you're dealing with then load Donkey Kong to the $2000 area, then use an ML monitor to transfer the data located at $4000-$5FFF to $A000-$BFFF then reset the VIC.

[Vicman *1970]

@Mayhem :

Defender uses $60 and $A0, did you try the merged file at $60? Donkey Kong though is $20 and $A0, so not sure how a combined file works. Unless it's just meant to be loaded in +16k RAM and started?

Yes, i used all..$20, $40, $60...etc

@eslapion :
Thanks for the big explanation

Code: Select all

If this is what you're dealing with then load Donkey Kong to the $2000 area, then use an ML monitor to transfer the data located at $4000-$5FFF to $A000-$BFFF then reset the VIC.

Well, i haven't the knowledge , how to do this....i'm only a collector & gamer

But thank you both, now i know these "merged"*.bin-files seems not made to run (better) on vice.....

[Mike]

Back in the early 1980s, the Sorel VIC-20 club created a solution for the fact that the normal version of VICMON will not save the data in the $A000-$BFFF area.

As I've found out lately, this is not a limitation of VICMON itself, but rather of the KERNAL tape routines. The tape routines fail with addresses beginning at $8000 or higher. With disk access, no problems in that case (with VICMON or other KERNAL clients in general).

[eslapion]

As I've found out lately, this is not a limitation of VICMON itself, but rather of the KERNAL tape routines. The tape routines fail with addresses beginning at $8000 or higher. With disk access, no problems in that case (with VICMON or other KERNAL clients in general).

Oh!

Well, that's good to know!! I always assumed there was no way to save anything at addresses higher than $7FFF on the VIC except by using special trick routines.