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-
- THE SYSTEM MENU
-
-
- PAR PORT
-
- KEY SEQUENCE: None
-
- A64 can use the parallel port with either it's hardware
- interface or with Amiga devices like Amiga printers, but it can
- only access one or the other at any one time. The PAR PORT menu
- option allows you to switch between the two different ways that
- A64 can use the parallel port.
-
- The PAR PORT menu option has two settings: AMIGA and A64. You can
- select one or the other of these settings and selecting one
- automatically unselects the other. The current selected setting
- is shown by displaying a checkmark next to it.
-
- When A64 is selected A64 will use the parallel port for it's
- hardware interface.
-
- When AMIGA is selected A64 will use the parallel port for Amiga
- devices.
-
- Please note that A64 V2.0 handles the parallel port differently
- than in previous versions. You no longer have to set the PAR
- PORT menu option to AMIGA for other programs to access the
- parallel port while A64 is in memory. The AMIGA setting is used
- to tell A64 that you want to use an Amiga device with A64.
-
- IMPORTANT NOTE: See PAR PORT BUG in the KNOWN BUGS section!
-
-
- SER PORT
-
- KEY SEQUENCE: None
-
- A64 can use the serial port with either modems or other types
- of Amiga devices like Amiga printers, but it can only access one
- or the other at any one time. The SER PORT menu option allows
- you to switch between the two different ways that A64 can use the
- serial port.
-
- The SER PORT menu option has two settings: AMIGA and A64. You can
- select one or the other of these settings and selecting one
- automatically unselects the other. The current selected setting
- is shown by displaying a checkmark next to it.
-
- When A64 is selected, A64 will use the serial port for modems
- only. You will be unable to use the serial port for any other
- purpose or with any other Amiga program.
-
-
- 3-7
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- When AMIGA is selected you can use the serial port for other
- devices like serial printers or with other programs.
-
- NOTES: Unlike the PAR PORT menu option you must set the SER PORT
- option to AMIGA when you want to access the serial port
- from another program while A64 is memory.
-
- You should not change the SER PORT setting to AMIGA while
- A64 is running a C64 telecommunications program. This
- could cause the C64 program to lose data and possibly
- crash, forcing you to reset A64.
-
-
- MODEMS
-
- A64 supports Amiga modems. To use an Amiga modem with A64 you
- must make sure the SER PORT menu item is set to A64 (See SER PORT
- in the SYSTEM MENU section). You do not have to set BAUD, PARITY
- or other telecommunications parameters with either A64 Prefs or
- the WorkBench Preferences program. The C64 program that A64 is
- running will set these parameters. A64 does not support BAUD
- rates of 50 and 75 which are available on the C64, but it does
- support all BAUD rates from 110 to 19200, however you may find
- that BAUD rates over 2400 will significantly slow down A64.
-
-
- DRIVES
-
- KEY SEQUENCE: [RIGHT AMIGA] [D] (Drives)
-
- The Commodore 64 allows you to connect up to four disk drives to
- it. A64 is no different in that it also allows you to utilize up
- to four drives, but unlike the C64, A64 allows you to use not
- only C64 drives, but you can also use Amiga drives as well. The
- C64 uses device numbers to access its drives. Numbered 8-11.
- A64 uses these same numbers and the DRIVES menu option allows you
- to assign a type of drive to these numbers.
-
- When selecting DRIVES you will be prompted with a requester
- containing a number of gadgets. The function of each gadget is
- as follows:
-
- DRIVES GADGETS
-
- On the left side of the DRIVES requester are the numbers 8-11,
- these numbers correspond to the C64's device numbers mentioned
- above. To the right of each of these numbers are two gadgets.
- The first gadget (going left to right) allows you to switch
- between a C64 drive or an Amiga drive for that particular device
- number. This is displayed by showing the word C64 or AMIGA. If
- you want to assign a C64 drive to a device number you set this
-
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- 3-8
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- gadget to C64 or if you want to assign an Amiga drive to a device
- number you set this gadget to AMIGA. The second gadget is a
- string gadget and it is only used when you set the first gadget
- to AMIGA. If you set the first gadget to C64 then this gadget
- will be disabled. The purpose of the second gadget is to tell
- A64 what Amiga device you want to assign to a device number.
- This is done by typing in the device name that you want to assign
- to a device number. This name can be any Amiga drive or any
- valid AmigaDOS path name. Some examples of valid device names
- are: df0:, df1:, dh0:, and RAM:. You can also use directory
- names like df0:TheA64Package/64Prgs or volume names like
- WorkBench 1.3:
-
- For example, you want to load the C64 program named "64Colors"
- and this program is located on the A64 disk in the 64Prgs
- directory, which itself is in the directory TheA64Package. With
- the A64 disk in df0: you would do the following:
-
- 1. Select the DRIVES menu option with either the mouse or key
- sequence.
- 2. When the requester appears change drive 8 to AMIGA. This
- is done by clicking on the first gadget (going left to
- right) next to the number 8.
- 3. The string gadget will then become enabled. Select the
- string gadget and type in the following:
-
- df0:The64Package/64Prgs [RETURN]
-
- 4. Select the OK gadget so your changes will be preserved.
- 5. Exit A64 Prefs using the EXIT PREFS menu item in the
- PROJECT menu.
- 6. When you are back in A64 type in the following:
-
- LOAD"64COLORS",8 [RETURN]
-
- A64 will then load the program from the path you assigned to
- drive 8, "df0:The64Package/64Prgs." You can now RUN the program
- as if were loaded from a C64 drive. Now whenever you perform an
- action involving drive 8 A64 will act as if "df0:The64Package/
- 64Prgs" is drive 8. Please note that you could also have
- assigned drive 8 to just df0: and typed the following when you
- re-entered A64: LOAD"THEA64PACKAGE/64PRGS/64COLORS",8 [RETURN]
-
- WORK DIR GADGET
-
- For certain functions involving Amiga drives A64 needs to create
- temporary files. A64 creates these temporary files when loading
- the directory of an Amiga disk or reading from the C64 command
- channel 15. The WORK DIR gadget is used to tell A64 where to
- put these files. To change the WORK DIR setting click on the
- string gadget and then enter the name of the directory where you
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- 3-9
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- want A64 to put these files. We recommend using a RAM disk
- for these files.
-
- OK AND CANCEL GADGETS
-
- Selecting OK will preserve all changes to the DRIVES settings and
- selecting CANCEL will ignore any changes and abort the operation.
-
-
- AMIGA DRIVES
-
- A64 supports Amiga drives for the loading and saving of programs
- and data. These drives can be floppy drives, hard drives and RAM
- drives. But before you attempt to use any of these with A64 you
- must understand an important fact about using them. They are not
- as compatible as using a C64 drive with A64 and their use is
- limited. The reason for this is that C64 disk drives are what is
- referred to as "intelligent devices." This means that C64 drives
- have ROM and RAM (memory) giving them the ability to run programs
- just like the C64 does. Basically they are computers! The C64
- can transfer a program or send a command to the C64 disk drive
- telling it to perform some internal action. This action happens
- totally independent of the C64. This ability is used for
- everything from reading drive errors to copy protection. Amiga
- drives on the other hand are not "intelligent devices." They
- have no accessible RAM or ROM and basically rely on the Amiga to
- perform all actions. Because of this fact, Amiga drives will not
- work with C64 copy protection. They only support very simple
- operations. If you try to perform some action with an Amiga
- drive that it can not handle an error requester will appear (See
- A64 ERRORS in the PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS section). You can avoid
- these incompatibilities by using C64 disk drives whenever
- possible. A64 supports all communications with C64 disk drives
- and when using them these incompatibilities do not exist.
-
- NOTES: A64 supports the following file types with Amiga drives:
- PRG, SEQ and USR. Relative (REL) files are not supported.
- Please note that file types are not saved with the file on
- Amiga drives, but the file formats are identical to the
- C64's (PRG files include load address, SEQ and USR do
- not).
-
- A64 V2.0 supports loading the directory of Amiga drives.
- You load a directory in the same way that you would from
- a C64 drive, by typing LOAD "$",x (x is the drive number
- 8-11).
-
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- 3-10
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- PRINTERS
-
- KEY SEQUENCE: [RIGHT AMIGA] [P] (Printers)
-
- The Commodore 64 allows you to connect up to two printers to
- it. A64 is no different in that it also allows you to utilize up
- to two printers, but unlike the C64, A64 allows you to use not
- only C64 printers, but you can also use Amiga printers as well.
- The C64 uses device numbers to access its printers. Numbered
- 4 & 5. A64 uses these same numbers and the PRINTERS menu option
- allows you to assign a type of printer to these numbers.
-
- When selecting PRINTERS you will be prompted with a requester
- containing a number of gadgets. The function of each gadget is
- as follows:
-
- PRINTERS GADGETS
-
- On the left side of the PRINTERS requester are the numbers 4 & 5,
- these numbers correspond to the C64's device numbers mentioned
- above. To the right of each of these numbers are two gadgets.
- The first gadget (going left to right) allows you to switch
- between a C64 printer or an Amiga printer for that particular
- device number. This is displayed by showing the word C64 or
- AMIGA. If you want to assign a C64 printer to a device number
- you set this gadget to C64 or if you want to assign an Amiga
- printer to a device number you set this gadget to AMIGA. The
- second gadget is a string gadget and it is only used when you
- set the first gadget to AMIGA. If you set the first gadget to
- C64 then this gadget will be disabled. The purpose of the second
- gadget is to tell A64 what Amiga device you want to assign to a
- device number. This is done by typing in the device name that
- you want to assign to a device number. This name can be any
- Amiga output type device. For example PAR: or SER:.
-
- You should note that using an Amiga printer with A64 can cause
- conflicts for the serial or parallel ports. To avoid this make
- sure when using Amiga printers that you set the PAR PORT or SER
- PORT to AMIGA, depending on the printer type you are using (See
- PAR PORT and SER PORT in the SYSTEM MENU section).
-
- CONVERTS CRs GADGET
-
- The C64 uses a different character than the Amiga to end a line
- of text sent to a printer. The C64 uses a Carriage Return (CR)
- and the Amiga uses a Line Feed (LF). The Convert CRs gadget will
- allow you to convert all CRs to LFs that are being sent to the
- printer. This gadget has two settings, YES and NO. Selecting
- YES will enable the conversion of CRs and selecting NO will
- disable this feature. Please note that this feature is only used
- when using Amiga printers and the conversion will not occur when
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- 3-11
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- using C64 printers, regardless of of this gadgets setting.
-
- CONVERT ASCIIs GADGET
-
- The C64 uses a different way of representing characters than the
- Amiga. The C64 uses PET ASCII to represent characters while the
- Amiga uses normal ASCII. The Convert ASCIIs gadget will allow
- you to convert all characters being sent to the printer from PET
- ASCII to normal ASCII. This gadget has two settings, YES and NO.
- Selecting YES will enable the conversion of ASCIIs and selecting
- NO will disable this feature. Please note that this feature is
- only used when using Amiga printers and the conversion will not
- occur when using C64 printers, regardless of of this gadgets
- setting.
-
- OK AND CANCEL GADGETS
-
- Selecting OK will preserve all changes to the PRINTERS settings
- and selecting CANCEL will ignore any changes and abort the
- operation.
-
-
- GAME PORTS (JOYSTICKS)
-
- KEY SEQUENCE: [RIGHT AMIGA] [G] (Game port)
-
- The GAME PORTS menu option allows you to tell A64 what kind of
- input devices are connected to the Amiga's game ports (Game ports
- are the ports that you plug your Amiga mouse and joysticks into).
-
- In the following explanation of the GAME PORTS menu option,
- reference is made to each port in the following manner: port 1
- means the port that your Amiga's mouse is normally plugged into
- and port 2 means the other port. By default, port 1 on the Amiga
- corresponds to port 1 on the C64 and port 2 on the Amiga
- corresponds to port 2 on the C64.
-
- When selecting GAME PORTS, you will be prompted with a requester
- containing a number of gadgets. The function of each gadget is
- as follows:
-
- SWAP PORTS GADGET
-
- Selecting SWAP PORTS will swap the game ports on the Amiga. This
- is shown by toggling the gadget between YES and NO. The meaning
- of both are as follows:
-
- NO, The Amiga's game ports act as normal. Port 1 on the Amiga
- corresponds to port 1 on the C64 and port 2 on the Amiga
- corresponds to port 2 on the C64.
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- 3-12
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- YES, The Amiga's game ports are swapped. Port 1 on the Amiga
- will become port 2 on the C64 and port 2 on the Amiga will
- become port 1 on the C64. This swapping of the ports is in
- reference to the actual game ports on the Amiga and not the
- PORT 1 and PORT 2 gadgets described below.
-
- For example, you are using a C64 program that requires a joystick
- in port 1. Instead of unplugging your Amiga's mouse from port 1
- you can plug the joystick into port 2 and select YES as the SWAP
- PORTS setting. Now A64 will read the joystick as if it was
- plugged into port 1. Please note that you must still set the
- PORT 1 gadget to JOYSTICKS as described below. Also note that
- SWAP PORTS only effects how A64 reads the game ports and not how
- the Amiga and WorkBench read them. With proper use, SWAP PORTS
- will allow you to use almost any C64 program and not have to
- unplug your Amiga's mouse, unless of course both game ports are
- required by the C64 program.
-
- PORT 1 AND PORT 2 GADGETS
-
- Selecting PORT 1 or PORT 2 will allow you to change the input
- device for the corresponding C64 game port. This is displayed by
- changing the name of the input device for the corresponding port.
- Both of these gadgets work in the same way, except that PORT 1
- corresponds to the C64's port 1 and PORT 2 corresponds to the
- C64's port 2. These gadgets ALWAYS correspond to the C64's game
- ports and not the Amiga's, regardless of the status of the SWAP
- PORTS gadget described above. That means if a C64 program
- requires a joystick in port 1 you MUST set the PORT 1 gadget to
- JOYSTICKS. Currently there are only two supported settings for
- these gadgets:
-
- JOYSTICKS: Selects joysticks for the corresponding C64 port.
- NO DEVICE: Acts as if there is no device connected regardless of
- what is actually plugged in.
-
- OK AND CANCEL GADGETS
-
- Selecting OK will preserve all changes to the GAME PORTS settings
- and selecting CANCEL will ignore any changes and abort the
- operation.
-
- NOTE: While the PORT 1 gadget is set to JOYSTICKS and SWAP PORTS
- is set to NO the Amiga's mouse will interfere with the
- keyboard and characters will appear on the screen when the
- mouse is moved. This is normal. The same thing will
- happen if you plug an Amiga mouse into port 1 of the C64.
- This problem can be avoided by setting SWAP PORTS to YES or
- setting the PORT 1 gadget to NO DEVICE. Also note, because
- of the way the SWAP PORTS gadget works this problem can
- also be created with the Amiga's game port 2.
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- 3-13
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- KEYBOARD
-
- KEY SEQUENCE: None
-
- A64 supports two separate keyboard layouts, one for the United
- States and one for Germany. The KEYBOARD menu option allows you
- to switch between the two keyboard layouts.
-
- The KEYBOARD menu option has two settings: US and GERMAN. You can
- select one or the other of these settings and selecting one
- automatically unselects the other. The current selected setting
- is shown by displaying a checkmark next to it.
-
- When US is selected A64 will use the United States keyboard
- layout.
-
- When GERMAN is selected A64 will use the German keyboard layout.
-
-
- KEYBOARD DIFFERENCES
-
- There are some minor differences between the C64 keyboard and the
- Amiga keyboards. The way A64 maps the keyboard is pretty much
- "what you see is what you get." In most cases the legends on the
- keys represent their equivalent function. The keys that have a
- different function than their legends are:
-
- For the US keyboard:
-
- AMIGA KEY C64 EQUIVALENT
- --------- --------------
- ESC RUN/STOP
- BACKSPACE (BACKARROW) DEL/INST
- DEL CLR/HOME
- HELP RESTORE
- LEFT AMIGA COMMODORE
- `~ BACK ARROW
- \| £ (ENGLISH POUND)
- [{ [ (when shifted gives PI)
- ]} ] (when shifted gives shift @)
-
- For the German keyboard:
-
- AMIGA KEY C64 EQUIVALENT
- --------- --------------
- ESC RUN/STOP
- BACKSPACE (BACKARROW) DEL/INST
- DEL CLR/HOME
- HELP RESTORE
- LEFT AMIGA COMMODORE
- `~ BACK ARROW
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- 3-14
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- \| £ (ENGLISH POUND)
- SHIFT 3 #
- ß /
- SHIFT / ?
- ^U @
- ^O : (when shifted gives [)
- ^A ; (when shifted gives ])
- [ (KEYPAD) (
- ] (KEYPAD) )
-
- The three keys: ^U, ^O and ^A can not be correctly typed on
- the US keyboard. They are meant to represent the chars on
- the right side of the German keyboard just to the left of the
- RETURN key (the ones with two dots above them).
-
- NOTE: The key sequence [RUN/STOP] [RESTORE] that is used to stop
- C64 BASIC programs, can be done by pressing [ESC] [HELP].
-
- A PROBLEM WITH THE KEYBOARD
-
- Because of differences in a small number of keys on the keyboards
- of the C64 and the Amiga, a minor problem can occur with certain
- key sequences. The problem is related to pressing one or more of
- the shift keys and one of the numeric or punctuation keys
- simultaneously. What will happen is that A64 will think you
- pressed a key that you didn't and an unwanted character will
- appear on the screen. If this happens use the BACKSPACE key to
- delete the unwanted character. You can decrease the frequency of
- this problem by using the RIGHT SHIFT key, instead of the LEFT
- SHIFT key, when typing shifted punctuation symbols or use the
- numeric keypad to enter shifted punctuation symbols. Please note
- that this problem is not really a "bug" in A64, but is related to
- how the C64 reads the keyboard.
-
- THE NUMERIC KEYPAD
-
- The numeric keypad on the Amiga keyboard is fully supported. It
- should be noted that on the US keyboard shifting the keys on the
- keypad will give the C64 equivalent and not the Amiga's
- equivalent. The German keyboard has the same shift values for
- the numeric keys on both the C64 and the Amiga.
-
- For example, using the key sequence: [SHIFT] [2]
-
- On the Amiga: [SHIFT] [2] (2 key at top left of keyboard)
- produces the '@'
-
- [SHIFT] [2] (2 key on the numeric keypad) produces
- the '"'
-
- On the C64: [SHIFT] [2] produces the '"'
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- 3-15
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- NOTE: By using the numeric keypad and it's C64 shifted values you
- will eliminate most of the keys that can cause the problem
- listed above.
-
- SPECIAL KEYS
-
- There are a few keys on the Amiga that will perform a special
- function when pressed. These keys and their functions are as
- follows:
-
- KEYS FUNCTION
- ---- --------
-
- ALT, ALT When the two ALT keys are pressed simultaneously
- from C64 mode, A64 Prefs will be started.
- TAB Force A64 to redraw the screen, this can be done in
- both C64 mode and in A64 Prefs.
- F9 Enter A64Mon, this can be done in both C64 mode and
- in A64 Prefs.
- F10 Toggle title bar on and off. This can be done in
- A64 Prefs only.
-
- UNUSED KEYS
-
- There are a couple of keys on the Amiga keyboard that are unused
- by A64 while in C64 mode. They are as follows: F10 and RIGHT
- AMIGA. Also, when pressed simultaneously the two ALT keys will
- invoke A64 Prefs, but have no meaning when pressed by themselves.
-
-
- SUPERSTATE
-
- KEY SEQUENCE: None
-
- A64 can run C64 programs in one of two modes. The SUPERSTATE
- menu option allows you to switch between these two modes.
-
- The SUPERSTATE menu option has two settings: ON and OFF. You can
- select one or the other of these settings and selecting one
- automatically unselects the other. The current selected setting
- is shown by displaying a checkmark next to it.
-
- When ON is selected A64 will run C64 programs in SUPERSTATE mode.
-
- When OFF is selected A64 will run C64 program in C64 mode.
-
- For a complete explanation of these modes please read the
- following section.
-
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- 3-16
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- A64'S THREE MODES OF OPERATION
-
- A64 has three modes of operation: PAUSE MODE, C64 MODE and
- SUPERSTATE MODE. The three modes are explained as follows:
-
- PAUSE MODE
-
- A64 is in PAUSE MODE whenever you are in A64 Prefs or in A64Mon.
- While in PAUSE MODE you have complete access to the entire Amiga
- system and multitasking is completely functional. When in PAUSE
- MODE the current C64 program that A64 is running will be paused.
-
- C64 MODE
-
- A64 is in C64 MODE whenever you exit A64 Prefs to the C64
- environment. That means whenever A64 is actually running a C64
- program A64 is in C64 MODE. While in C64 MODE you do not have
- access to the Amiga system, including A64 Prefs. To get access
- to A64 Prefs and the WorkBench you must put A64 into PAUSE MODE
- by pressing the two ALT keys simultaneously. While A64 is in
- C64 MODE multitasking is not disabled and any programs that were
- running when C64 MODE was entered will still be running, however
- A64 does control a substantial amount of the Amiga system while
- in C64 MODE and most programs will not be permitted to receive
- ant I/O. For example if a program is running and it expects
- keyboard or mouse input it will never get it while A64 is in C64
- MODE.
-
- SUPERSTATE MODE
-
- SUPERSTATE MODE is an extension of C64 MODE. These two modes are
- identical except while in SUPERSTATE MODE A64 takes over your
- Amiga even more. While in SUPERSTATE MODE multitasking will be
- totally disabled and all programs that are running (except for
- A64) will be stopped. SUPERSTATE MODE allows A64 to run slightly
- faster, but disallows the use of Amiga drives and printers from
- within A64. You exit SUPERSTATE MODE to PAUSE MODE in the same
- way as from C64 MODE, by pressing the two ALT keys simultaneously.
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- 3-17
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