I've blown my budget but what the heck ... paid!

Uploaded recently.
ftp://arnold.c64.org/hardware/alienflash/

073_AirborneRanger_1987_Microprose.EF-fixed2.crt 249 KB
All Time Heroes (easyflash).crt 498 KB
GameCollection.crt 930 KB
jumpmnsptaxi.crt 658 KB
lastninja12.crt 882 KB
last_ninja_remix_ef_patched2.crt 522 KB
mmm.crt 1027 KB
mmzmkde.crt 882 KB
mmzmken.crt 882 KB
myth_ef_patched.crt 498 KB
ninja3efv2.crt 530 KB
Ocean's All Star Hits 2 (Alien Flash, pal).crt 1027 KB
ToolCollection.crt 465 KB

enjoy.
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Please help me.
where can I get the original alien flash tools bootscreen?
My Alien Flash starts with the Alien Flash Minitools.

DerSchatten, PM sent

Can someone tell me how to start the individual slots directly from BASIC?

The control bits can be changed using basic, for example, type POKE 56834,132 in BASIC, this will turn the LED on. However because ROM Slots launch in Ultimax mode, you can not launch a ROM slot directly from BASIC. You will have write a small bit of code to launch a ROM Slot.

Have a read of the "Alien Flash Register Description" PDF, available on the Alien Flash Wiki.

The values at $DE00 & $DE01 would depend on what ROM Slot you wish to launch. $DE02 controls what cartridge mode you wish to use and $DE03 will lock and unlock some of the control registers. So depending on what you are doing you will need to place the correct values into the control registers.

Stingray wrote:

If you wanted to launch a ROM SLOT, you would usually set up the control registers then JMP ($FFFC) and you would usually place your code somewhere lower than $1000 (because in Ultimax mode you won't have RAM higher than $1000). example: LDA #$00 STA $DE03 LDA #$00 STA $DE00 LDA #$00 STA $DE01 LDA #$05 STA $DE02 LDA #$00 STA $DE03 JMP ($FFFC) You will have to do this in Machine Code (the exception to this is if all you are doing is switching in a 8K cartridge ROM at $8000) because switching in Ultimax mode and 16K cartridge mode will play around with your BASIC and KERNAL ROMs killing your BASIC program before it gets to the end.

Here is a better explanation of launching ROM Slots (includes BASIC listing ).

To launch a ROM Slot the appropriate values must be set in the Alien Flash's control registers.

Start of by placing $40 (064) in $DE03, this sets the "A19-A22 UNPROTECT" bit allowing you to write to A19-A22 address bits in $DE00 & DE01 (these are the bits that select the ROM Slot).

Place values required for the desired ROM Slot into $DE00 & $DE01. The highest two bits of $DE00 and the lowest two bits of $DE01 are used to select ROM Slots.

To make things simple here is a list of values for the different ROM Slots.

ROM Slot 0: $DE00 = $00 (000) - $DE01 = $00 (000)
ROM Slot 1: $DE00 = $40 (064) - $DE01 = $00 (000)
ROM Slot 2: $DE00 = $80 (128) - $DE01 = $00 (000)
ROM Slot 3: $DE00 = $C0 (192) - $DE01 = $00 (000)
ROM Slot 4: $DE00 = $00 (000) - $DE01 = $01 (001)
ROM Slot 5: $DE00 = $40 (064) - $DE01 = $01 (001)
ROM Slot 6: $DE00 = $80 (128) - $DE01 = $01 (001)
ROM Slot 7: $DE00 = $C0 (192) - $DE01 = $01 (001)
ROM Slot 8: $DE00 = $00 (000) - $DE01 = $02 (002)
ROM Slot 9: $DE00 = $40 (064) - $DE01 = $02 (002)
ROM Slot A: $DE00 = $80 (128) - $DE01 = $02 (002)
ROM Slot B: $DE00 = $C0 (192) - $DE01 = $02 (002)
ROM Slot C: $DE00 = $00 (000) - $DE01 = $03 (003)
ROM Slot D: $DE00 = $40 (064) - $DE01 = $03 (003)
ROM Slot E: $DE00 = $80 (128) - $DE01 = $03 (003)
ROM Slot F: $DE00 = $C0 (192) - $DE01 = $03 (003)

Then place the value $00 (000), or $05 (005) into $DE02 ($05 will override the Alien Flash jumper).

Now place a value of $00 (000) into $DE03 to clear the "A19-A22 UNPROTECT" bit.

Reset with "JMP ($FFFC)", probably also a good idea to do a SEI before changing any of the Alien Flash control registers.

So here we go with an example to launch ROM Slot 2:

* code must be place below memory address $1000
SEI
LDA #$40
STA $DE03
LDA #$80
STA $DE00
LDA #$00
STA $DE01
LDA #$05
STA $DE02
LDA #$00
STA $DE03
JMP ($FFFC)

Now for some untested BASIC programming. We can poke the code into memory and jump to it with an SYS. When we poke the code into memory we will also poke in the values for desired ROM Slot.


10 FORR=0TO28:READD:POKE319+R,D:NEXT
20 SYS319
100 DATA 120 (SEI)
110 DATA 169,064 (LDA #$40)
120 DATA 141,003,222 (STA $DE03)
130 DATA 169,128 (LDA #$80) (Change 128 as required)
140 DATA 141,000,222 (STA $DE00)
150 DATA 169,000 (LDA #$00) (Change 000 as required)
160 DATA 141,001,222 (STA $DE01)
170 DATA 169,005 (LDA #$05)
180 DATA 141,002,222 (STA $DE02)
190 DATA 169,000 (LDA #$00)
200 DATA 141,003,222 (STA $DE03)
210 DATA 108,252,255 (JMP ($FFFC))

Of course, do not include what I have in brackets. The last value in DATA line 130 can be changed with other values for $DE00 from the list given earlier. The last value in DATA line 150 can be changed with other values for $DE01 from the list given earlier.

Please note completely untested fingers crossed, no mistakes.

The updated version with the addresses correctly entered worked just fine.

Thanks for the very clear instructions.

Is there an area where the program could be safely stored so you could use less input from basic to start a specific slot?

Hi e5frog,
A safe place would be at $02A7 (679).

Yes, I had address order messed up at first you caught me before I had a chance to fix it up

Will have to send you an email soon and catch up

I was thinking maybe you could store it on some ram on the cart maybe.

Don't remember any details really on the hardware structure.

What if you wrote the program, it was stored on the cart's memory and after you had reset you could just poke in a new slot number and run the program again - unless some other program used the same ram.

e5frog,
I suppose you could modify the BASIC listing to store the machine code at $02A7 (679), and get rid of the SYS line.

From then on you just need to type:
POKE 686,128 (or other value from list)
POKE 691,0 (or other value from list)
SYS 679

If you just want the code to reside there until needed you could end the BASIC program with a NEW or maybe a SYS 64738.

The BASIC program could be saved, then the .PRG file can be programmed onto the Alien Flash (using AFGUI).

I tried that but I wasn't able to start it again after starting slot 2 and slot 0 of the cart. I guess if you have made the contents yourself in the different slots you could avoid using that memory area.
Didn't try new or the restart sys though.

So there's no ram in the cart itself where it could be saved just in case other programs use this area of ram for various unpacking routines or whatever?

Yes, you can use the Alien Flash RAM I am surprised the code at $02A7 got overwritten so easily thought it would have been kinda safe to use. Are you able to jump onto IRC http://www.c64irc.com or irc.c64irc.com?

I've just tried with slot 2 where I have Last Ninja 3 and slot 0 where there's the minitools, don't know which one breaks it but neither works by itself.

Don't wonder as much for my own sake, I just reset and press button 1-F for another slot. But after trying a few times it started to get boring typing the program back in again. The 1541U-II doesn't have stand alone mode and I didn't feel like making place for the 1541-II on the table as well.

At least there's a way so the question has gotten an answer, the small routine can be placed in any memory area available really. The two mentioned are good ones.

Some screenshots from some of the latest EasyFlash stuff, Turbo Charge looks great! and check out that new title screen for Biggles by STE'86.

Turbo Charge +5HD [Easyflash, Pal] - John64


Biggles +9DIF [Easyflash] - Nostalgia


Mountie Mick's Death Ride +6 DFH & Easyflash - Nostalgia

Works fine! Thanks!

Old news I know, Prince Of Persia released for EasyFlash!
Prince of Persia [EasyFlash, PAL/NTSC] - Mr. SID

Alien Flash Transfer Program - A simple Windows app for programming the Alien Flash is available at the Alien Flash Wiki. This software is a prototype version, so may have some small bugs.


A nice feature is that you can Drag and Drop files (EasyFlash .crt, PRG files, D64 images and AR 4.1 up .crt images) into the .exe or icon to start the application.


When used with Alien Flash Tools (the default Alien Flash menu that comes on the Alien Flash) installed, it also allows you to custmize the ROM SLOT selection menu

Got mine today, thanks so much Stingray! The damn german customs charged me an additional 18 Euros of import tax, but what the heck.
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I wrote the minitools stuff to my cart. Is there a way to get the standard menu back?
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Thanks Stingray, this is very useful for many users who had problems to flash AF.


German AlienFlash Wiki page updated ...
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Looks great, glad you have improved your programming skills this much.

Would like a "Backup ROM SLOT" as well for the next release.