[Coco] easy tape file transfer from PC to CoCo

[Joel Ewy]

Shain Klammer wrote:
> I believe that the addition of cassette saving will be of great benefit to
> the Rainbow IDE.  May I request that you make your COCOTAPE.EXE available to
> those of us who have not yet acquired the IDE.  (Was there a similar utility
> "CAS2WAV.EXE"?)
>
> Additionally, why not add the ability to recognize and utilize the Coco's
> cassette relay?  This could be done with any soundcard that has a DB15
> joystick port or via a cheap USB joypad - adding a jack wired to a button's
> contacts (or keyboard?)...
>
> sk
>
>   
That would be a very good idea.  I once tried loading the game "The
Glove" over the cassette port from a portable digital audio player.  It
didn't work properly because "The Glove" expects to be able to stop the
tape and then resume loading its level data when it's ready.  Adding an
interface for the tape relay would increase compatibility with programs
like "The Glove".

JCE

> 2008/11/16 Roger Taylor <operator at coco3.com>
>
>   
>> Btw, I also plan to put an option in the menu of the MPROM driver disk for
>> loading the ROM image from tape.  The disk load option won't be removed.
>>
>> The catch is that the software can't peek at the ROM file to know if it's a
>> LOADM type or raw ROM data, so there will be two modes: Load raw ROM file
>> from tape, and Load binary file from tape.
>>
>> The original MPROM software wants a LOADM'able ROM image, which sucks.
>>  I've since added a Load raw ROM data from disk in the menu.  It takes a
>> while to load while the LOADM option is almost instant.  From Rainbow, if
>> you built a ROM image such as a Disk Operating System, or game, you have to
>> put ORG $C000 at the top and choose "CoCo LOADM" for the object type.  To
>> build a raw ROM image, you have to choose "8k ROM" for the object type.  ORG
>> $C000 can remain but the file won't be LOADM'able, ofcourse.  Either way, an
>> option in the new MPROM software will let you load raw or LOADM fromt tape
>> or disk.
>>
>> This is where the live tape audio in the IDE comes into play... are you
>> following now?  In about 5 minutes or less you could click GO to build your
>> project, first choosing "Load raw ROM from tape" on the real CoCo, wait a
>> minute, hit '2-Program EPROM'.  From source code to ready EPROM in less than
>> 5 minutes, thanks to the "forgotten CoCo cassette cable".
>>
>> For those who aren't following this whole procedure I'm describing, I'm
>> making it so terribly simple that it's almost silly.  Ofcourse you'd have to
>> be familiar with the Rainbow IDE for the PC, and the MPROM system for the
>> CoCo.  Having those two systems plus a cassette cable is all you'd need to
>> produce EPROM software in lightning speed.
>>
>> This is a start.  Eventually I'd like to put support in the IDE for some
>> popular Windows-based EPROM burners, but until I purchase and test, don't
>> hold your breath on that just yet.  MPROM comes first.
>>
>> --
>> Roger Taylor
>>
>> http://www.wordofthedayonline.com
>>
>>
>> --
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>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>>
>>     
>
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