CSL Cart...

[Scouter3d]

Hi,

As promised a rough Memorymap comparing CV, Laser 2001 (Salora Manager) and the upcoming CSL Cart...

TOM:0)

memorymaps.jpg

[Mobsie]

Wow, great! Thank you.

[MADrigal]

Did you load the 20Kb ROM I sent you? Or did you try a different one to the one I figured and sent?

Thanks, no, i used one, where the 2K area was mirrored, but then found out it did not Need to be ;0)

TOM:0)

I sent you a non-mirrored version, it was 2K data + 2K blank + 16K data. I was quite sure that mirroring was not needed in Chopper Rescue, but you know... mirroring the data would not damage execution, and may turn useful in case the game really needs mirroring at a further stage.

[MADrigal]

Yes, mirrored stuff is not needed. i make the test with ALL carts, all work fine without the mirrored part. No game make the wrong address access.

I am pretty sure that BASIC82A needs mirroring, but you're not probably interested in using it on L2001

[MADrigal]

Thanks *very* much for the exhaustive memory map! I finally understand about the mirroring to $0000 you were talking about.

One question: is the BASIC you're using on the CSL coming from a Salora Manager, or from a Laser 2001?

Have you got both ROM dumps?

I would like the CSL to have a Laser 2001 BASIC because that one uses a "standard" character set as opposed to the Salora Manager, which has typical Finnish characters.

[@username@]

I sent you a non-mirrored version, it was 2K data + 2K blank + 16K data. I was quite sure that mirroring was not needed in Chopper Rescue, but you know... mirroring the data would not damage execution, and may turn useful in case the game really needs mirroring at a further stage.

Then that should be really interesting. The cart entry is $781F, reset to $7800 - so you've effectively made yours jump into hyperspace! There is nothing at $7000, as you suggest.

I am pretty sure that BASIC82A needs mirroring, but you're not probably interested in using it on L2001

It's a single byte change. I know what it is, do you?

Have you got both ROM dumps?

No. Fortunately, I have been blessed with the largest crystal bollocks this side of the pepsi-cola mountains. Tom has mastered the tuning of his dilethium crystals to receive the random bytes I change and magically make them re-program the PIA etc - all with the aid of a smiling MMU hamster!

I would like the CSL to have a Laser 2001 BASIC because that one uses a "standard" character set as opposed to the Salora Manager, which has typical Finnish characters.

I should care what you want because ?

I give my time freely to this project, and as such, I expect others to accept what we decide goes in the final product.

Should you decide to make your own product, please feel free to put whatever you like in it.

[MADrigal]

> It's a single byte change. I know what it is, do you?

No I don't. What's the problem?

> No. Fortunately, I have been blessed with the largest crystal bollocks this
> side of the pepsi-cola mountains. Tom has mastered the tuning of his
> dilethium crystals to receive the random bytes I change and magically
> make them re-program the PIA etc - all with the aid of a smiling MMU
> hamster!

Do you know that here's people on this forum owning a Laser 2001 and may have dumped the BASIC ROM? Do you know that there's people in the MESS team who could have dumped the BASIC ROM? Do you authorise me to suppose that you may have got access to a dump you didn't do yourself? Or is this too much asking?

> I should care what you want because ?

Not talking to you, I was talking to Tom. I don't care if you care about my wants or not.

> I give my time freely to this project, and as such, I expect others to accept
> what we decide goes in the final product.

I also give my time to my project. I accept your contributions, and you should accept my contributions. There are several ways to contribute, that's programming, testing, collecting data, giving feedback and opinions.

Apparently you don't accept requests, suggestions and opinions. So I am guessing myself. Why do you keep on coming to this forum? Just to boast of your successes? It seems so to me, since you don't want suggestions, you don't want opinions, all you do is coming here, boasting of what you do, gathering compliments and offending when you get critics or suggestions (oh yes, you never asked for suggestions, you don't need any...).

> Should you decide to make your own product, please feel free to put whatever you like in it.

I don't need you to set me free to do what I want. Again, your arrogance and provocations are not appropriate on this forum. As I previously stated, you're more than welcome as long as you respect other people and stop challenging them. If you keep on posting scornfully you'll be obviously banned. And I want to make this clear, I don't hide myself behind sarcasm.

[Scouter3d]

Hi,

Time for some news about the CSL Cart...

Loading from audiosignal is now optimized and works flawless from PC-Soundcard and even (in mp3 format) from an iPod (or other mp3 devices...)

Loading of original Salora Manager files works perfect.

The Reset Switch now acts in the same way as on the CV (start game) instead of on the Laser 2001/ Manager where it starts Basic... (So all the original games can be loaded and played in exactly the same way as from cartridge on the CV)

We did a lot of testing with all the originals and Michaels upcoming new Games and they simply work!

OK - enough words see for your self ;0)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVa1YsQnpuw

TOM:0)

[MADrigal]

The video is impressive!

There's something "new" which I didn't expect. Talking about the "tape interface".

Isn't the CSL module working with the "usual" CreatiVision tape player?

And what about the "CSL loader"? Where does it come from? Is it "embedded" in the BASIC, as part of the "CRUN" command routine? Or is it a common "BASIC program" which is stored into the cassette/WAV file?

Last question about the RESET key. Why doesn't the game "freeze to BASIC" when pressing RESET? How did you manage the "vector" in zeropage, to prevent the "reset game" to go back into BASIC?

[Scouter3d]

Hi Madrigal,

The CSL Cart works also with the "normal" Creativision Tape Player (then you can save and load from tape, and load games that you have transfered from wav to tape, or load original Salora Manager tapes... Sadly loading original Laser 2001 tapes will most likely not work, as they have a different timing... but there are only 2 people i know who actually own original Laser 2001 Tapes and one of them is me ;0) and i will surely convert my tape to be loadable on the CSL...)

But: if you want to load from PC-Soundcard or iPod / mp3 Player you will need the little tapeinterface to connect the CV to PC (amplifies and "rectifies" the audiosignal to CV TTL Level, like it also happens inside the CV Tape module)... (you can also use one of these Cassette Adapters, They sold for Car Radios without CD/Line Input... and place it in your Creativision Tapedrive - i tried this also with my CV-Datasette Interface and one of these Cassette Adpters...)
The small tapeinterface will be available with the CSL Cart (an can be used also with BASIC on the normal CV)

The CSL Loader is a small BASIC program, that loads the Binary part (Cartridge Image) and starts it.
The CSL Loader (in combination with an addition to the CSL BIOS) does the "RESET Trick". (Loader sets a "flag" that a CV Cartimage is loaded and the BIOS Routine then sets the right vectors for RESET)

PS: The CSL works with all Versions of the CreatiVision (MKI, MKII, Dick Smith Wizzard, and also on the rare Versions like Funvision, Hanimex Rameses although i have not tested them (as i do not own one of these beauties...)

TOM:0) (Up to his elbows in the CV / CSL Hardware)

PS: If some english words, that should be small are written BIG, its my german Spellchecker, that changes things automatically... (its becomes ist also...)