[Coco] easy tape file transfer from PC to CoCo

[Shain Klammer]

Although I still think the idea (cassette relay) is good, Roger's utility is
likely only a conversion utility - not an emulator.  I would presume that a
program like "The Glove" loads, *runs* and then loads data.  I would think
that converting something like "The Glove" would involve manually
'recording' extra blank time between the sections.

If you are using Digital Audio Player with your Coco, you could try and wire
an external "mini" jack to the play/pause button of your player; however,
this could be problematic (without an extra, external, circuit) as most
players are set up to 'press' for pause, 'press again' to play.

sk

2008/11/19 Joel Ewy <jcewy at swbell.net>

> 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
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Coco mailing list
> >> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> >> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >>
> >>
> >
> > --
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> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> >
> >
>
>
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