[Coco] Copying a data/binary file from disk to cassette

Bob Devries devries.bob at gmail.com
Sat Jan 5 00:00:39 EST 2008


Phil,
the $1A at the end of a file may have been from being sent from one computer 
to another using XMODEM file transfer. That protocol uses the $1A (Ctrl-Z) 
as padding to get even 128-byte blocks.

Really the best way to transfer such multi-block files is to use a utility 
such as TAPEUTIL to transfer them.

Either that or painstakingly figure out the start address and length of each 
block (they should be 128 bytes long in an EDTASM created file), and add 
them all up., then use LOADM and SAVEM to create a single record file.

--
Regards, Bob Devries, Dalby, Queensland, Australia

Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me
the capacity to be his spokesman,
so that I know how to help the weary.

website: http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bdevasl
my blog: http://bdevries.invigorated.org/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil" <phil.salathe at gmail.com>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 2:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Coco] Copying a data/binary file from disk to cassette


> Bob wrote:
>
>>The code which is at the end of Marble Maze, inserts a command into the 
>>command line buffer, which BASIC executes when the LOADM has completed. 
>>This method is used quite often.
>
> Aha!  I assume the code is basically the equivalent of "EXEC [address]"?
>
> In any event, I used a hex editor to delete those 16 bytes, leaving the 
> postamble intact, and it worked like a charm -- the game loaded but 
> without autostarting, enabling me to CSAVEM, and I just CLOADed the game 
> (Marble Maze) onto real hardware without a hitch.  I know that not every 
> self-executing program will necessarily be so easy to change, but this one 
> worked out very nicely.
>
> By the way, the .bin I had also originally had about 225 bytes of $1A with 
> the occasional $0D after the postamble.  I'm assuming it was just junk or 
> padding?  I deleted those too when I removed the autostart.
>
> For those games that were written with Disk EDTASM (were there many?), or 
> for others that have multiple data blocks that can't be deleted, is there 
> any other tactic I should use?  ("C'mon, just get an old PC with a 5-1/4" 
> drive" is, no doubt, the proper answer...)
>
> Once again, thanks so much --
>
> -- Phil
>
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