MACH 5: Difference between revisions

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''MACH 5'' by ''Access Software'' was available around 1984 and a follow up named ''MACH 128'' was introduced to the market a little later. Like most speeders in this category the cartridge was well known mostly in the USA.
''MACH 5'' by ''Access Software'' was available around 1984 and a follow up named ''MACH 128'' was introduced to the market a little later. Like most speeders in this category the cartridge was well known mostly in the USA.


''JC @ [https://basicbytes.ca Basic Bytes]'' resolved the mystery we had about some MACH-5 dumps next to sending us an unknown ROM!
''JC @ [http://www.basicbites.ca/ Basic Bites]'' resolved the mystery we had about some MACH-5 dumps next to sending us an unknown ROM!
 
The discovery led to renaming the binaries and suffixing them with '''_128''' as they come with one added function when being bundled onto a MACH-128 ROM: '''''TOGGLE C128 KEYS'''''. On powerup screen a "true" MACH-5 will display e.g. '''MACH-5 LOADER V.2A ENGAGED!''' while the ''C128'' bundled ROM comes with e.g. "MACH-5 V.1B '''WITH WARP-DRIVE!'''".
Many thanks again for noting that as we somehow completely ignored this (or didnt dive deep enough) so far.


The discovery led to renaming the binaries and suffixing them with '''_128''' as they come with one added function when being bundled onto a MACH-128 ROM: '''''TOGGLE C128 KEYS'''''. On screen a "true" MACH-5 will display e.g. '''MACH-5 LOADER V.2A ENGAGED!''' while the ''C128'' bundled ROM comes with e.g. "MACH-5 V.1B '''WITH WARP-DRIVE!'''".
Many thanks again for noting that as we somehow completely ignored (or didnt dive into this ROM enough) so far.


==Functionality==
==Functionality==
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It currently boils down to: "Only v.2A is compatible with both NTSC and PAL. Other versions are NTSC-only, except for v3.A, which supports 1571 double-sided mode and 1581, and is compatible with NTSC/PAL only with 1581. With 1541/1571 it is NTSC-only."
It currently boils down to: "Only v.2A is compatible with both NTSC and PAL. Other versions are NTSC-only, except for v3.A, which supports 1571 double-sided mode and 1581, and is compatible with NTSC/PAL only with 1581. With 1541/1571 it is NTSC-only."


The discovery described above makes this description sound strange as one would expect that MACH-5 version bundled for MACH-128 would work with 1571 drives.
The discovery described above makes this description sound strange as one would expect that MACH-5 versions bundled for MACH-128 would work with 1571 drives.


Hands up whenever you feel like investigating!
Hands up whenever you feel like investigating!
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To create the eprom contents for a real "MACH 128" cartridge EPROM a "MACH 5" and a "MACH 128" ROM have to be concatenated - Under linux e.g.
To create the eprom contents for a real "MACH 128" cartridge EPROM a "MACH 5" and a "MACH 128" ROM have to be concatenated - Under linux e.g.
  cat MACH_5*.bin MACH_128.bin > MACH_128_full.bin
  cat MACH_5*.bin MACH_128.bin > MACH_128_full.bin
should work. Add a ''loading address'' whenever burning the resulting file a C64/C128 :)
should work. Add a ''loading address'' whenever burning the resulting file using a C64/C128 eprommer :)
It does not make much sense to join these binaries for emulator use.
It does not make much sense to join these binaries for emulator use.


C128 emulation in VICE currently ''lacks'' ''CRT'' support, so running MACH-128 binaries currently won't work. '''STILL''' we want your ROMS! JC from [https://basicbytes.ca Basic Bytes] created a Youtube video on '''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x08JWFDaCqY Dumping a Commodore 128 Cartridge ROM]''' - [mailto:rr@pokefinder.org ReplayResources] awaits your results.
C128 emulation in VICE currently ''lacks'' ''CRT'' support, so running MACH-128 binaries currently won't work. '''STILL''' we want your ROMS! JC from [https://basicbites.ca Basic Bites] created a Youtube video on '''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x08JWFDaCqY Dumping a Commodore 128 Cartridge ROM]''' - [mailto:rr@pokefinder.org ReplayResources] awaits your results.


==Tech==
==Tech==
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* more ''MACH-5'' ROM Dumps
* more ''MACH-5'' ROM Dumps
* more ''MACH-128'' ROM Dumps
* more ''MACH-128'' ROM Dumps
==Tech==
Ripped again from [https://sourceforge.net/p/vice-emu/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/vice/src/c64/cart/mach5.c mach5.c] from the [http://sourceforge.net/projects/vice-emu/ VICE emulator]
<pre>
    This cart has 8Kb ROM mapped at $8000-$9FFF.
    The $9E00-$9EFF range is mirrored at $DE00-$DEFF.
    The $9F00-$9FFF range is mirrored at $DF00-$DFFF.
    a write to IO1 selects 8K Game mode
    a write to IO2 disables the cartridge
</pre>




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* ''MACH-5'' NTSC V.2A .bin and .crt
* ''MACH-5'' NTSC V.2A .bin and .crt
* ''MACH-5'' NTSC V3.A .bin and .crt
* ''MACH-5'' NTSC V3.A .bin and .crt
* ''MACH-128'' v1a and v2a .bin
* ''MACH-128'' V.1A, V.1B and V2.A .bin
* ''MACH-128'' v2a with MACH-5 NTSC V.1B (v2) Texthack by "WAHLS" .bin (thx to Josh!)
* ''MACH-128'' v2a with MACH-5 NTSC V.1B (v2) Texthack by "WAHLS" .bin (thx to Josh!)
* ''MACH_128_Utilities.D64'' - while the header says ''MACH 5'' this disk came with the 128 version
* ''MACH_128_Utilities.D64'' - while the header says ''MACH 5'' this disk came with the 128 version
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* [[:File:MACH_5_Addendum_for_Version_2B_(10-Oct-1985).pdf|PDF: MACH 5 Instruction Manual Addendum for v2b]]
* [[:File:MACH_5_Addendum_for_Version_2B_(10-Oct-1985).pdf|PDF: MACH 5 Instruction Manual Addendum for v2b]]
* [[MACH 5 Manual Project64.txt|TXT: MACH 5 Manual Project64.txt]]
* [[MACH 5 Manual Project64.txt|TXT: MACH 5 Manual Project64.txt]]


==Weblinks==
==Weblinks==

Latest revision as of 23:23, 23 September 2024

MACH 5
MACH 5 package front.jpg

MACH 5 by Access Software was available around 1984 and a follow up named MACH 128 was introduced to the market a little later. Like most speeders in this category the cartridge was well known mostly in the USA.

JC @ Basic Bites resolved the mystery we had about some MACH-5 dumps next to sending us an unknown ROM!

The discovery led to renaming the binaries and suffixing them with _128 as they come with one added function when being bundled onto a MACH-128 ROM: TOGGLE C128 KEYS. On powerup screen a "true" MACH-5 will display e.g. MACH-5 LOADER V.2A ENGAGED! while the C128 bundled ROM comes with e.g. "MACH-5 V.1B WITH WARP-DRIVE!". Many thanks again for noting that as we somehow completely ignored this (or didnt dive deep enough) so far.


Functionality

  • Fast serial I/O (1541 floppy disk drives, 1571 and 1581 with later versions)

Lord Crass tested this cartridge a little more excessively and even though the 1581 is not mentioned on manuals we found so far, it is supported by Mach5 v3a cartridges. It currently boils down to: "Only v.2A is compatible with both NTSC and PAL. Other versions are NTSC-only, except for v3.A, which supports 1571 double-sided mode and 1581, and is compatible with NTSC/PAL only with 1581. With 1541/1571 it is NTSC-only."

The discovery described above makes this description sound strange as one would expect that MACH-5 versions bundled for MACH-128 would work with 1571 drives.

Hands up whenever you feel like investigating!


Emulation

To create the eprom contents for a real "MACH 128" cartridge EPROM a "MACH 5" and a "MACH 128" ROM have to be concatenated - Under linux e.g. 

cat MACH_5*.bin MACH_128.bin > MACH_128_full.bin

should work. Add a loading address whenever burning the resulting file using a C64/C128 eprommer :) It does not make much sense to join these binaries for emulator use.

C128 emulation in VICE currently lacks CRT support, so running MACH-128 binaries currently won't work. STILL we want your ROMS! JC from Basic Bites created a Youtube video on Dumping a Commodore 128 Cartridge ROM - ReplayResources awaits your results.

Tech

The usual theft from mach5.c from the VICE emulator reads: 

    This cart has 8Kb ROM mapped at $8000-$9FFF.

    The $9E00-$9EFF range is mirrored at $DE00-$DEFF.
    The $9F00-$9FFF range is mirrored at $DF00-$DFFF.

    a write to IO1 selects 8K Game mode
    a write to IO2 disables the cartridge


Missing

  • more MACH-5 ROM Dumps
  • more MACH-128 ROM Dumps


Binaries

Cartridge_Speeder_all_rr.c64.org.rar contains:

  • MACH-5 NTSC V.1A .bin and .crt
  • MACH-5 NTSC V.1B .bin and .crt in two versions
  • MACH-5 NTSC V.2A .bin and .crt
  • MACH-5 NTSC V3.A .bin and .crt
  • MACH-128 V.1A, V.1B and V2.A .bin
  • MACH-128 v2a with MACH-5 NTSC V.1B (v2) Texthack by "WAHLS" .bin (thx to Josh!)
  • MACH_128_Utilities.D64 - while the header says MACH 5 this disk came with the 128 version


Weblinks

MACH 128 commercial(?) clone
Retrieved from "https://rr.pokefinder.org/rrwiki/index.php?title=MACH_5&oldid=5881"