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- WHAT:
- Emulator of C= 64 for Amiga computers with 68020 or higher.
-
- WHY:
- Because A64 (both 2.0 and 3.0) sucks IMO. And I think the Amiga deserves
- good emulators like the PC has. (Update: I've seen Frodo now - good try,
- but way slower than mine... I think I can beat it.)
-
- HOW:
- First you need 3 files: C64.BASIC, C64.KERNAL, C64.CHARSET.
- These must be exactly 8192, 8192, and 4096 bytes big.
- These are just dumps of real C= 64 roms. They are not included for legal
- reasons, but I think several other emulators actually include them.
- Put these files in the current directory or in the same directory you store
- the executable (only helps for KS 2.04 and higher).
- You can now start the emulator. You can LOAD files that are in RAM: or C64:
- (assign it where you have you your files). The fileformat is the same as
- A64 uses. Disk images are not supported.
- The keyboard is mapped nearly 100% like a real C= 64 so the keys wont
- always match the Amiga keyboard. The RESTORE key is not mapped at all.
- The joystick port of your Amiga maps to both C= 64 joystick ports.
- Bank switching is supported.
- Hires character mode is the only mode supported.
- Sound isn't supported.
- There is no restart option, you have to quit the emulator with the ESCAPE
- key or left mouse button.
-
- SPEED:
- No. Unless you have an 040/060 that can write 7M/s to chipram. Then perhaps.
- Unlike many other emulators (but like Frodo!) the relative speed of the
- screen update and the cpu speed does not change, it will always run
- internally like a 1MHz PAL C= 64, and never faster than a real C= 64.
- (Later versions might have adjustable speeds here.)
-
- WHY SELECT AXF-64:
- It does a few things that A64 doesn't. It can do raster bars. It can do
- raster interrupts and screen changes on a per line basis. It was made with
- big cpus in mind.
-
- TODO:
- Make limited (not raster interrupt splitable) sprites if you have AGA.
- First to come is multicolour character mode. I have ideas and all, but I
- need to test a little to see if I can make it fast enough.
- AGA support. Not only align bitplanes for more DMA time under AGA, but also
- use other algorithms to reduce chip bus activity.
- Sprites. I have code and ideas for that too.
- Bitmap modes.
- All timers. I have ready code for that too.
- Sound. Not sure what to do with this. Perhaps kludge in something with
- PlaySID?
- Support disk images.
- Make different screen update modes for different configurations.
-
- New in Alpha 15:
- Oooops! Sorry to all who downloaded Alpha 13. It relied on my patched Kernal
- to sniff LOADing :(((. Fixed now, and tested with the ROM that comes with
- Frodo.
- Copperlist building logic improved.
- Code simplified giving smaller size and more speed (a case of blowing the
- 040 caches methinks).
-
- New in Alpha 16:
- Redid the bankswitch logic for the VIC II chip. Seems to work better now,
- but I still have some unresolved cases for what to do when $D000 ram is
- banked in.
- Looked at raster interrupts, and they don't look good :-(.
- I got it a little better, but it still needs work...
-
- New in Alpha 17:
- Fixed raster interrupts. Seems to be working 100%.
-
- New in Alpha 18:
- Fixed bug in LOAD patch (returned wrong end of file address).
- Basic programs still bugs :( (but a little less...).
- Swapped '<-' and 'DEL' key on request.
-
- New in Alpha 19:
- Fixed idiotic bank switch bug.
-
-
- Since I'm doing my military service at the moment updates may be far and
- few between, and I wont have any email until summer 1995.
- I'll snailmail new updates to a friend of mine who will upload them.
-
- -Børge Nøst
-