A utility by Nocash which converts a disk image to a cartridge.
The tool hasn't been tested on the GX4000 so cartridges that are created may not work on it. You should test this to be sure.
In addition if the game/program has any of the following it will not work on GX4000:
- It uses keyboard or requires keyboard input to get into the game
- It uses 128K ONLY (or it's a bad "crack" that requires 128K to work even though the game itself would work in 64K).
However, the tool is easy for the non-programmer to use.
Technical
The created cartridge image has the OS, BASIC and Amsdos embedded in it and the data from the disk image (tracks/sectors).
Page 0 is OS. Page 1 is BASIC. Page 2 contains part of the disk image data. Page 3 contains AMSDOS. Page 4 onwards contains disk image data.
The OS, BASIC and AMSDOS are based on CPC6128 ROMs and have all been patched.
BASIC patches
BASIC has been patched in the following way:
- Offset &33 has been set to 0. It is the first character of " BASIC 1.1" text.
This stops the BASIC ROM from printing this text.
- Offset &D7 has been set to 0. It is the first character of "Ready" text. This stops the BASIC ROM from printing this text.
- At offset &af9, the code has been changed from:
LD HL,&ac8a
to
CALL &d583
- Part of the text "Random number seed ?" at offset &1583 (&D583 in the CPU address space) has been patched with the following code:
ld hl,&ac8a ld a,&aa cp (hl) ret nz pop af ld (hl),' ' scf ret