Unicart64 - The FPGA based cartridge for Commodore 64

Hi,

here is my version of NUFLI picture converter (not compatible with the "official" one).

c64bmpconv-4.5.zip

You can convert .BMP files into .PRG and quick test it in VICE (drag & drop).

Example: test.bmp --> test.bmp.prg

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c64bmpconv.exe test.bmp -nufli -basic -color:0 -res-ratio-crop -pal:vice.pal -dith:80

Regards and enjoy !

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2024 to all fans of lovely C64 !

I would like to present you new firmware(s) for Unicart64.

FW_UC64_2023-09-13.zip

Description:

All previous hardware functionality is inside.

FW UC64230913 - new Blitter controller

• faster SD card controller
• faster SD card - SRAM copy DMA controller
• full NUFLI picture displayer
• NUFLI title screen + Wave player

FW UC642309MV - new Blitter controller ("MV" = Movie)

• !!! REU unit removed / NOT SUPPORTED !!!
• faster SD card controller
• faster SD card - SRAM copy DMA controller
• full NUFLI picture displayer
• full NUFLI title screen + Wave player
• full NUFLI Movie player (max. 25 FPS, special filesystem FS1 needed)

Full NUFLI parameters:

• 320 x 200 pixels, HiRes mode
• underlying 7 of 8 HiRes sprites, no multicolor, X expanded
• bitmap foreground color priority over the sprites
• FLI bad line on every line (200x)
• no FLI bug on left side, no AFLI column on right side (full screen covered)

Audio parameters:

• 15.6 kHz sample frequency, 1 sample on every pixel line (PAL system)
• Mono
• 8 bit samples played over Master volume SID register $D418 (in reality 6/7 bit sample)
• supported both SID models 6581 & 8580\

So, happy C64 multimedia playing !!!

Enjoy !

And here are new commander versions available.

SDCMDUC 3.8

SDCMDUC-3.8.zip

This commander is compatible with older FW versions.

Supports:

.T64, .D64 images file browsing/loading.

SDCMDUC 4.3

SDCMDUC-4.3.zip

This commander needs new FPGA FW versions - UC64230913 or UC642309MV.

Supports:

.T64, .D64 images file browsing/loading,

dedicated player for pictures, audio waves.

FS1CMDUC 1.4

FS1CMDUC-1.4.zip

This commander needs new FPGA FW version - UC642309MV.

Supports:

dedicated player for pictures, audio waves and movie/video files.

You can see here the result of multimedia playing/testing.

Demo video

Another demo links:

Previous demo, video, audio testing on Unicart64

C64 picture displaying demo on Unicart64

C64 video playback demo on Unicart64

Soon, I plan to publish here my converter (Windows OS on PC) for creating of C64 multimedia files .

Video playback needs to have special FS1 filesystem on SD card. I plan to publish the command line tool to create & maintain basic operations on FS1 filesystem (create, file list, copy files).

Hi Michael,

yes, it can be done.

A little bit analysis:

The SID format does not contain the standard music data, instead of this there is special code + data inside.

So, after loading to memory respecting the address I start the code, and after playing SDCMDUC will be destroyed in memory and user should boot again from the start. So, yes as a "one shot" starting without returning back to SDCMDUC.

But, first I plan to work on converters and FS1 commander for PC to manage multimedia files better, still under construction.

Peter

Converter to create Unicart64 multimedia files (for HW blitter controller):

C64BlitAV 3.4

pasted-from-clipboard.png

c64BlitAV.txt

Examples:

Picture: c64blitAV.exe test.png -pic -dith:80 -res-ratio-crop -frame:1

Wave & Picture: c64blitAV.exe test.wav -wav -extpic:testnufli.bin

Wave & Picture: c64blitAV.exe test.mp4 -wav -dith:80 -res-ratio-crop -frame:11760

Video: c64blitAV.exe test.mp4 -video -dith:80 -res-ratio-crop

C64 Audio Video Blitter Converter 3.4

Usage: c64blitAV.exe [filename] [-mode]

[-mode] C64 graphics mode:

[-pic] Hires NUFLI blitter mode 320x200 picture

[-wav] Wave blitter audio 16 kHz, title NUFLI picture

[-video] Video blitter file 320x200, Audio 16 kHz

-audio_stream: select audio stream, def. 1st available (0..)

-video_stream: select video stream, def. 1st available (0..)

-fps: video frames per seconds, def. max. 25 fps

-dith: dithering 0..99

-resize resize without ratio (change of ratio resolution)

-res-ratio-crop resize with ratio using crop/cutting picture

-res-ratio-full resize with ratio displaying full picture

-border: left/right border color, def. 0 (black)

-color: left/right strip color, def. 0 (black)

-pal: <filename>.pal, external palette, 16 colors BGRA

-extpic: <filename>.bin, external blitter NUFLI for wave

-frame: frame number (1..) for picture / wave

This is command line tool to manage FS1 filesystem, still under development.

- main feature, file data are saved in one sequence of physical sectors, to be prepared for video controller (FPGA blitter) speed

- must be started as Administrator (Windows OS) to access physical sectors

- must be specified drive letter, e.g. E: (removable, SD card containing free "unallocated space"), usually partition #0 (FAT32) & Unallocated space for other partitions

- only root directory, no subdirectories yet

- filename max. 32 chars

- max. 256 files in directory

C64 File System 1.4

c64filesystem-1.4.zip

C64 File System 1.4

Usage: c64filesystem.exe [drive:]

-drive: Logical volume assigned letter, e.g. E

-file: External file for reading/writing

-fs1-filename: FS1 file name for reading/writing

-fs1-create Create new C64 FS1 logical disk

-fs1-format Format existing C64 FS1 logical disk

-fs1-list Listing of C64 FS1 logical disk

-fs1-setdir Set directory, e.g. for listing, copy etc.

-fs1-read C64 FS1 read file

-fs1-write C64 FS1 write file

-fs1-delete C64 FS1 delete file

Examples (SD card in drive E:):

Show current state of the disk: c64filesystem.exe -drive:E -fs1-list

Create FS1 disk filesystem: c64filesystem.exe -drive:E -fs1-create

Format existing FS1 filesystem: c64filesystem.exe -drive:E -fs1-format

Write file to FS1 filesystem: c64filesystem.exe -drive:E -fs1-write -fs1-filename:Connor-Bedard-2023-WCHJ.bin -file:d:\CPS\Emulator\C64-Movie-Blitter\new-video\BEST_OF_CONNOR_BEDARD_2023_IIHF_WORLD_JUNIORS.mp4.bin

Read file from FS1 filesystem: c64filesystem.exe -drive:E -fs1-read -fs1-filename:wch2023-final-can-ger.bin -file:out1.bin

Maybe, I forgot to explain that SDCMDUC has support for uploading of .BIN & .REU files (any binary with this extension) into 8 MB SRAM on Unicart64.

Press RETURN key on .BIN or .REU files.

Select Slot 0..7, it means which MB of 8 MB in SRAM (8 MB -> 8 slots).

sdcmduc-return-load-bin-reu-1-slot.jpg

Select Segment 0..7, it means which 128 kB block of 1 MB in SRAM (1 MB -> 8 segments).

sdcmduc-return-load-bin-reu-2-segment.jpg

Select Bank 0..7, it means which 16 kB block of 128 kB in SRAM (128 kB -> 8 banks).

sdcmduc-return-load-bin-reu-3-bank.jpg

So, you can upload any .BIN or .REU binary file into SRAM wherever you want in any physical address in 16 kB steps.

This is very useful for initializing of external memory before start of emulated REU, GeoRAM, or RAMcart devices.

Another feature of the SDCMDUC is loading .PRG & .P00 files into C64 memory.

Press RETURN key, the file will be loaded into memory and in case of BASIC starting line inside will be started automatically.

Press SHIFT+RETURN key, the file will be loaded into memory and following menu will appear on the screen to continue.

sdcmduc-shift-return-load-prg-p00.jpg

0 - file will be not started, Unicart64 hardware remains in default configuration (Easyflash, SD controller, IO2RAM controller to access SRAM)

1 - Unicart64 hardware will change to be REU controller only

2 - Unicart64 hardware will change to be REU controller only + RESET

3 - Unicart64 hardware will change to be GeoRAM controller only

4 - Unicart64 hardware will change to be GeoRAM controller only + RESET

5 - Unicart64 hardware will change to be RAMcart controller only

6 - Unicart64 hardware will change to be RAMcart controller only + RESET

So, this is useful to initialize internal C64 64 kB RAM before start of emulated REU, GeoRAM, or RAMcart devices.

Alternative bootable Slot-0 Easyflash image I'm using to have "all in one".

Instead of EF3 main menu I have created just this alternative one .

ef-sys-240219-cps-menu.zip

Note: This works only on Unicart64 hardware !

ef-menu-1.png

Originally, I have developed the "memory map" and corresponding "starters" to start/boot various cartridges/kernals.

The cartridge images occupied the Slot-6 & Slot-7 of the Flash ROM.

Due to possibility of flashing individually all images into flash the space is larger and not optimal.

The new alternative is based on "packed images", so space is used much more better.

Now, it is not possible to flash it individually therefore I have preloaded "the best" images (fixed).

On other hand the slots 6 & 7 can be free for EF images and everything is inside slot-0 !

Enjoy !

C64 bmp converter 4.6

c64bmpconv-4.6.zip

Here is my the newest version of NUFLI picture converter (not compatible with the "official" one).

It produces C64 pictures as a programs (.PRG files).

But now, using new "-header" option it produces also the container format .FLI (I have created that )

You can also run .PRG pictures, but it cannot go back to commander.

Displaying .FLI pictures is designed to have possibility go back to commander !

SDCMDUC 4.9

SDCMDUC-4.9.zip

This commander has new features:

FLI Dispayer:

This is displaying of .FLI files !

Use F-keys F1/F3/F5/F7 to exit.

SID Player:

PSID player only (RSID is not supported !)

This player is not perfect, it plays always on native C64 frequency 50/60 Hz, always on raster $FF pixel line.

It supports multi songs inside PSID file !

Use F-keys F1/F3 to stop song and go UP/DOWN, F5 to start, F7 - exit.

Playing .SID files is designed to have possibility go back to commander !

Enjoy !