PCUAE Atari2600+ USB Rom Loader

[Helron]

Hi Spanner. Thanks for your great work!

Changes at Stellas configuration seem not to be saved permanently.

I tried several times to change settings for my joysticks (USB Quickshot + CX40) and for "Game select/reset".

Worked fine for one session but after reboot everything is set back to default.

Thanks in advance! Martin

 

[Spanner]

On 4/26/2024 at 7:47 PM, CmdrFanBer said:

Hi Spanner !  I was playing with 2600+ last night, using PCUAE 4.1.1. and it worked great at laoding cartridges. I activated cartridge loading via the .txt file, since my usb OTG is a mini-usb a thus is plugged into the internal port, son no USB controllers for me. Maybe that'll address Atarimonster's problem, just play the cartridges in PCAUE Stella (it's the same as the factory one, I assume). BUT I have one question in that regard :  How do I remove Stella's on-screen messages ?  (It says "Stella-0.7" at the bottom).

And if it's not too to much to ask :  Is there any way that I can fit PCUAE, just the 2600+ components, on a 2 GB stick (1.84 gb available after formatting) ?

I see what we can do..
just order a Atari Gamestation Pro so going to try and add PCUAE to that too now...

[Spanner]

49 minutes ago, Helron said:

Hi Spanner. Thanks for your great work!

Changes at Stellas configuration seem not to be saved permanently.

I tried several times to change settings for my joysticks (USB Quickshot + CX40) and for "Game select/reset".

Worked fine for one session but after reboot everything is set back to default.

Thanks in advance! Martin

 

What on the Atari2600 plus, weird when I did it and changed the Select and Reset so it used the ones on the Atari2600 Plus it remembered them, the stella files are in `PCUAE USB Drive:\.options\atarifiles` it has a `stella.sqlite3` files in there it save the settings too, I think, it created them when I ran PCUAE Stella, there are 3 files.

Edited April 29 by Spanner

[CmdrFanBer]

On 4/29/2024 at 4:23 PM, Spanner said:

I see what we can do..
just order a Atari Gamestation Pro so going to try and add PCUAE to that too now...

Thanks a huge lot (again) !

Some reports from using 4.1.1 on the 2600+ :  still no paddle support; Retroarch 7800 works great; Cartridges load without issues with switch on "Color" but not with Ctrl+Bkspc; Stella works great with the menu and the cartridges.

Would the "Difficulty" switches on the back of the 2600+ work with PCUAE Stella ?  I mean, they're actual switches and Stella seems to expect button-type controls.

Congrats on the Gamestation !  Those controllers are so cool, I almost envy you for getting them.

[Spanner]

I bought a load of USB-C adapters to see if I could get the USB-C and USB Stick working on the Atari2600 Plus but it didn't work out, glad a got them now cause I made a power cable for the joystick on the Atari Gamestation Pro with them and a USB A to A Cable...
Just got mine...  and yes thats a Quickshot Python 1M, I got in the 90s, best joystick they made, still going strong..  I like the music on the Atari Gamestation Pro Menu...  I like 80s music and synth, anyone know who made the music...?

Edited May 1 by Spanner

[Spanner]

I do now have a Atari Gamestation Pro board on my site too...  https://thec64community.online/board/90/atari-gamestation-pro

Edited May 1 by Spanner

[Spanner]

On 5/1/2024 at 2:43 AM, CmdrFanBer said:

Thanks a huge lot (again) !

Some reports from using 4.1.1 on the 2600+ :  still no paddle support; Retroarch 7800 works great; Cartridges load without issues with switch on "Color" but not with Ctrl+Bkspc; Stella works great with the menu and the cartridges.

Would the "Difficulty" switches on the back of the 2600+ work with PCUAE Stella ?  I mean, they're actual switches and Stella seems to expect button-type controls.

Congrats on the Gamestation !  Those controllers are so cool, I almost envy you for getting them.

I made a setup with only the Atari2600 in it that you wanted, its PCUAE v4.3.0 Atari2600 Basic Version so its not been released yet and it has not been tested so put it on a spare USB Drive to test it, if it says it has a virus, its a false positive because it has scripts in the exe setup file so please ignore:

pcuae-v4.3.0-main-atari-2600-plus-basic-edition-no-modes-no-games-standalone-setup.exe

Edited May 7 by Spanner

[CmdrFanBer]

Gee Spanner, What an A**hole of me not checking my mail !  So sorry for not answering sooner !  (Work, family, life ... adult life in general 🙂  )

 

This is so great, you having put together a 4.3.0 "beta" just because I asked. It's great, I wil test it on the USB Stick I mentioned. Maybe it will compel more members to use PCUAE, since theoretically this will enable them to "just dig up" any old USB Stick from their drawers and put it to some noble use (That's what I did with the C64 Mini !  This is a 2Gb USB 1.1 Memorex stick I've had since I don't remember when, excellent quality though).

Don't worry about the virus warnings :  all of us here are mature enough to ignore them !

Changing subject , I took my 64 Gb stick from THEA500 (yeah, she's "brainless" right now) to use PCUAE on the 2600+ and stuck an old USB Hub to the internal OTG, to use a keyboard mostly. But then the cable started bothering me (I wanted to close the top cover !), so I put my 2.4 Ghz mouse dongle and the mouse worked like a charm on Stella from 2-3 meters away (until the cat knocked it off the table and broke it). Sooo.... it got me thinking about the user interface and all those wnoderful shortcuts you put into PCUAE and logged into Amazon.com and ordered a wireless, handheld mini keyboard, to try as a "2600+ remote" , here's the link :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CE70TZC/ref=ewc_pr_img_7?smid=A114NNDZXPI2CS&psc=1

iPazzPort 2.4G Mini Wireless Keyboard       $17.99 + shipping

 

It's cheaper than most controllers, and you can use your 2600+ with "period-accurate" controllers while toggling options with a "remote control" that won't look out of place next to your TV, HomeTheater, etc ....   Well,  let me know what you think, while the box arrives (They take some time to get to my country).

 

Oh, by the way .....  Have you looked any further into the paddle issue ?  (Just checking, no pressure: the "native" handling is not great but it's what there is)

 

Keep up the good work , you're the Nr. 1  "Hero Of the Retro-Mini Community"

Edited May 16 by CmdrFanBer

[CmdrFanBer]

On 5/1/2024 at 12:56 PM, Spanner said:

I bought a load of USB-C adapters to see if I could get the USB-C and USB Stick working on the Atari2600 Plus but it didn't work out, glad a got them now cause I made a power cable for the joystick on the Atari Gamestation Pro with them and a USB A to A Cable...
Just got mine...  and yes thats a Quickshot Python 1M, I got in the 90s, best joystick they made, still going strong..  I like the music on the Atari Gamestation Pro Menu...  I like 80s music and synth, anyone know who made the music...?

Sorry for double-posting, but this in response to another thing entirely ...

 

Spanner, that Quick-Shot looks killer and it brings back memories too :   I had the QuickShot, and the black on red QuickShot II but they got lost somehow.  I've kept my 2 Wico Command Control, though, one simple "bat-handle" with the stick-or-base fire selector and the interchangeable-handle one (just the pistol grip is left) with the 1-or-2 fire selector. The QuickShots were truly quicker with the microswitches, but noisy and they felt a bit flimsy, versus the Wicos, which are silent and virtually indestructible.

[CmdrFanBer]

Testing PCUAE v4.3.0 Atari 2600+ Basic Edition (beta, see download above) on 2 Gb Stick  (Memorex MiniTravelDrive USB 2.0)

 

1) Pole Position II (PCUAE Mode default) loads flawlessly

 

2) Atari2600-1.bin loads flawlessly (actually bogus "Galaga" from PCUAE drive, it's really PAL River Raid with cheap mods), same Retroarch mode as Pole Position II

 

3) "Run-from-USB" folder empty; Won't load "10-Games-In-1" Adventure, stopping at "loading game failed" message
 

4) Stella Cartridge Mode; Shows Stella Mode screen, then "insert" prompt, then "dumping" prompt, and loads Adventure from "10-in-1" with wide borders all around (integer scaling?) and Stella version number at bottom (will check settings later to adjust this). Select and Reset work as expected, but atari-port joystick doesn't (needs set-up via Stella Menu probably).
 

5) Stella Mode; Game selection GUI loads and is usable with Joystick 1, albeit a bit "jumpy"; Atlantis loads instantly, Select and Reset work, but Joystick 1 doesn't (will check Stella settings later to configure the joysticks). White-on-red message still shows at the bottom of game screen.
 

6) Retroarch Mode; "Run-from-USB" is empty, so the GUI loads instead and is a lot more readable on my coaxial-connected CRT TV than the Stella GUI (again, will check Stella settings later). Joystick 1 enables to navigate to "Start Directory" and then to "ATARI_VCS_2600", then to select "Centipede", but.... Suggested Cores are Genesis Plus GX and PicoDrive (F*** You ! Retroarch). Can't go back with Joystick 1, so it's a mandatory reset. Since I can't use regular keyboard on internal OTG, I think I'll configure Joystick 2 for hotkeys and menu duties (I don't have a buddy for player 2). Did a Manual Scan of "ATARI_VCS_2600" folder using Custom Name (Atari VCS/2600), ".bin" as file extension and Stella2014 as Default Core, then a reset (off, on) because I have no keyboard connected to internal OTG. Centipede loaded right away from the custom playlist, but no "Select" and "Reset", so I can't play until I find a way around keyboard use (will use Joystick 2, most likely), and hav to get rid of "Frames" overlay and bilinear filter (looks awful on my CRT TV). But Retroarch works great in Full Screen
 

7) Color/B&W in "Color" position, connected to PC ! ; Yar's Revenge loads right away from "10-In-1" Cartridge and everything works as expected (I even suck at all levels, as expected), plus I can access the USB to change options, USB loads, etc.
 

Dumper Mode; Some wild resetting, then "Dumping Cartridge", then Yar's starts normally. Turn 2600+ off, color/B&W goes to "Color", connect to PC, then turn 2600+ on and .... voilá, "atari2600.bin" is in the "Dumper-Download" folder. Testing on Stella-Win64 reveals it's indeed Yar's Revenge.
 

9) Color/B&W in "Color" position, "4-In-1" & Paddles; Video Olympics works as expected, all switches and the jittering and lag (the computer kills me 21-2 at variation 1!), but these are Atari Firmware Issues, not PCUAE's fault.
 

10) PCUAE Mode, "4-In-1" & Paddles; Loading Game Failed
 

11) Dumper Mode, "4-IN-1" & Paddles; Video Olympics shows up in Glorious Black & White ! ... Difficulty, Select and Reset work .... but the Paddles do work at all.
 

12) Stella Cartridge Mode, "4-IN-1" & Paddles; Video Olympics loads, Select and Reset work but Diffculty A-B do not, and the Paddles just respond to button pushes, but button 1 acts as B&W switch. Ball movement seems jerky also.

 

Conclusion: The PCUAE "2600plus-only" version works just as the regular one, warts and all, and 4.3.0 brings some stability and added features, which fall outside the scope of my test since I don't like to run Non-VCS-or-7800 stuff on the 2600+, Non-C64orC128 stuff on TheC64, Non-Sega stuff on the Genesis Mini, etc.. I mean, that's why I buy all those separate consoles !, I'm sure there are other members here who can test the other stuff.

 

Spanner, sorry for the long post, but I feel like I owed you a thorough test of this "light" PCUAE, since you compiled it just because I asked about 2 Gb Sticks. And you did an awesome job, as always.

 

So, deep thanks to Spanner, The "Mini-Console Hero". 😀

Edited May 17 by CmdrFanBer