VICE - Configuring CMD RAMLink

[hendrb01]

Configuring CMD RAMLink emulation in VICE

In this post we will configure VICE to emulate the CMD RAMLink. The CMD RAMLink allows a high speed RAMDisk of up to 16MB and allow for a high speed parallel connection with the CMD Hard Drive. It is also compatible with the SuperCPU. The RamLink can support a CMD Native Partition as well as emulated 1541, 1571, and 1581 (including subdirectories.) partitions.

You will need to download a copy of the RAMLink Rom, available at https://sourceforge.net/p/vice-emu/patc ... #f993/b952. I have created and placed the .bin file in a folder called ROMs.

We must create an empty text file that will become the RAMCard image file.
In File Explorer, browse to where you want to keep your RAMCard Image. I use VICE/Disks

Right click and select New > Text Document.

Name the new document filename.ram

RAMCard Filename.jpg (76.75 KiB) Viewed 21838 times

Once you have the ROM image place it somewhere you can easily find (I put my ROMS in VICE/ROMs), Then launch x64SC or x64SCPU.
Once loaded go to Preferences > Settings > Cartridges > RAMLink.

RAMLink Settings.jpg (85.65 KiB) Viewed 21838 times

Click the check box next to Enable RAMLink, select the Size in MB of the RAMCard you wish to emulate (There is no reason not to select the max 16MB..).

Click the Radio Button next to Normal under the mode settings.

Next we must select the Image file to use (This is where the contents of the RAMCard will be saved, this is NOT your RAMLink.bin file.).

Select RAMCard Image.jpg (95.9 KiB) Viewed 21838 times

Click the Browse Button

Browse to the location of the file you created earlier. VICE/Disks/<filename.ram>
Select the file, and click Open/Create.

Close the settings window.

Next we will go ahead and attach the RAMLink cartridge image.

Attach cartridge.jpg (223.79 KiB) Viewed 21838 times

Go to File > Attach Cartridge Image.

In the lower left hand corner select cartridge type Utilities - cartridge ID RAMLink.
Select the RAMLink ROM file. ramlink.bin.

If you want the cartridge to be attached when VICE is started, click Set cartridge as default.
Click Attach.

The emulated C= 64 should now restart and if everything is working, you will see the following screen.

RAMLink startup screen.jpg (228.43 KiB) Viewed 21838 times

You should now be able to perform a directory on the RAMDisk (Default device 16).

RAMLink Directory.jpg (75.22 KiB) Viewed 21838 times

Thank you for visiting Brent's World Forums, please join the forums and contribute.

If you have any questions about the instructions listed here, please post them as reply's. I will not answer DM or email questions regarding forum posts.

[Cube Inc]

So I set up a RAMLink today as you suggested Brent, and tried loading DS2... I thought I had somehow switch warp mode on and then I burst out laughing in stunned disbelief when I realized that no, that's just how fast the CMD hard drive loads with the parallel connection through the RAMLink! That is seriously insane! It's blink-and-you'll-miss-it fast!

I'm really starting to ponder now how my life would have been different had I had such things when I was a kid on a "real" Commodore 64...

Once again, thanks for the great write-up... You made it look easy and as it turned out - it was!

[hendrb01]

Thanks,

I definitely appreciate the feedback.

[Bucko]

Brent, can you post the docs to setting the Ramlink up to autoboot Image? I know it's something like setting the drive # to 7 then having a file added to the image. Can you fill us in??

[Cube Inc]

Bucko, you can autoboot just about anything from Vice with the -keybuf option - the RAMLink is not necessary. (It probably is on real hardware though.)

For example, to start Vice, load the directory of drive 8 and list it, you could do so with the following command:

Code: Select all

x64sc -keybuf "load\"$\",8\nlist\n"

Or to autoboot Image 3.0:

Code: Select all

x64sc -keybuf "load\"boot 3.0\",8,1\n"

This makes it really easy to have individual configurations saved in a bash script (Linux) or batch file (Windows) for not only pre-configuring the hardware and disk drive assignments, but then you can automatically run whatever commands on the emulated C64 that you want. You could even stack things like CMD CP commands to make sure your hard drive is in the correct partition before attempting to load the boot file without having to change the startup partition in the hard drive itself. As far as automating startup [things], I've been finding the -keybuf parameter VERY useful!

[Bucko]

Thanks Bud!! I appreciate it.. I will play with it soon, I want to try to make my Image autoboot because it's a lot easier to autoboot when I am away from home via RealVNC then trying to type on the C64 screen 100 times per digit to get it to work! LOL I will give it a shot..

AL

[Bucko]

Dang just added it to my bash file, and it works like a charm... Thanks Cube!!!

[Cube Inc]

Glad I could help! I discovered that feature while I was looking into the whole "missing key-presses" issue with Vice.