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LODE RUNNER + CFFA3000 question

Olivier

Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
48
Location
Seattle, WA
Hello,

I've a question about games that require additional floppies to work, and how to make them work in a CFFA3000 environment: I downloaded the Lode Runner game and its data DSK images from Asimov, but when I boot the game from CFFA3000 USB D1 assignment, my floppy drive (the physical drive on slot 6) will spin and require the data disk inside. If I "ADTPRO" the data disk into a real floppy, the game from the image on CFFA3000 USB D1 works.

Now my question: can I play Lode Runner on my Apple II without floppies nor floppy drives? I copied the data DSK image to the USB D2 (CFFA3000 Disk 2 assignment), but when I use the remote pushbutton board to switch to disk 2, the red led goes on, but Lode Runner still tries to read from the floppy :(

What am I missing?

Thanks!

Olivier.
 
That's because those games are directly accessing the Disk II controller card. Try installing CFFA in slot 6. I am not a CFFA user and I have not payed attention to its manual but if CFFA is designed to emulate the Disk II controller it will work in most cases. There are several partial SD card emulators of the Disk II drive that in turn plug to Disk II controller so they are supposed to work with most software that directly controls the Disk II controller card.
 
Now my question: can I play Lode Runner on my Apple II without floppies nor floppy drives? I copied the data DSK image to the USB D2 (CFFA3000 Disk 2 assignment), but when I use the remote pushbutton board to switch to disk 2, the red led goes on, but Lode Runner still tries to read from the floppy :(

What am I missing?
You need to stack both DSKs in D1 in the CFFA3000 assignment screen. Then the pushbutton will rotate through them. When you assigned the second disk to D2, pushing the button didn't do anything - because there was only one disk assigned to D1!
 
I was suspecting something along the lines of what George wrote, and didn't know how the CFFA3000 switch works... I'll give a try to David's tip and report back tomorrow (my A2 is at work :)).
 
I was suspecting something along the lines of what George wrote,
His concept was correct, but the execution was not... you don't want/need to put the CFFA3000 in physical slot 6. The assignment of virtual slot 6 is independent of the slot the card is actually in.
and didn't know how the CFFA3000 switch works... I'll give a try to David's tip and report back tomorrow (my A2 is at work :)).
Nice place to have the Apple II. ;-) Load up two disks in D1, and push the button - you'll see the little cursor selection rotate through the disks in the list in real time. That should give you a better feel for how it works.
 
His concept was correct, but the execution was not... you don't want/need to put the CFFA3000 in physical slot 6. The assignment of virtual slot 6 is independent of the slot the card is actually in.
I guess CFFA does a full address decode. Therefore it can be plugged in any slot. But what happens if there is a physical Disk II controller plugged in slot 6 and responding to the same address space?
 
I guess CFFA does a full address decode. Therefore it can be plugged in any slot. But what happens if there is a physical Disk II controller plugged in slot 6 and responding to the same address space?
Badness ensues. There's a bus fight. If you want to use the virtual Disk II support, you set it for a slot that is otherwise unoccupied. It's all in the manual. ;-)
 
Ha ha, light bulb moment when I loaded up the game and its data disk in D1, and pushed the D1 button as you suggested Dave- because I indeed saw the little cursor rotate through these two disks.

I still don't have luck running Lode Runner from ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/games/action/lode_runner/LodeRunner%20Corrupt%20Computing%20Crack.dsk and ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/games/action/lode_runner/loderunner-data.dsk (while copying this latter dsk image on a floppy works), but I guess that's another problem (I can also see from read from ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/games/action/lode_runner/loderunner-data.txt that this data dsk is not the official data file).

Note that if I leave a real floppy drive connected to slot #6, the game disk image will still try to get the data from there, regardless of my button switchboard state. But at least, the switchboard buttons work, and it's probably now the disk image playing tricks on me. I can dig more from there, unless someone figured it out already?

Thanks both for your help!
 
Remove the Disk II controller from slot 6 and try to run the game only from CFFA. Don't know how since I don't plan reading the CFFA's manual but CFFA must be adjusted to emulate controller & drive on slot 6.
 
Note that if I leave a real floppy drive connected to slot #6, the game disk image will still try to get the data from there, regardless of my button switchboard state.
You can't have a real controller in slot 6 while the CFFA is emulating a controller in slot 6. You get one or the other, but not both.

As to the disk images themselves - you may also want to turn off RWTS speed enhancement (Other settings->Patch dos RWTS for speed).
 
Apologies for the confusion. My CFFA is on slot 7 and emulating a controller on slot 2. The game booting from the USB key still looks for its data disk at slot 6 if there's a drive connected to the controller there. I've just tried removing the controller all together and moving the CFF3 from slot 7 to slot 6 but now I can't boot from the CFFA anymore, even after moving it back to slot 7 :( (I tried the M key but also the call -14800 and call -14544).

Putting back the controller on slot 6 and booting from floppy works (so all is not lost)

Setting the CFFA DIP switches 3 and 6 does make it go into self tests (I don't know where detailed debug logging goes).

It reminds me of when I got the CFFA a year ago but I don't remember what I did to move to a working configuration. Rats!

I'll let the machine cool down and try booting again from the CFFA later today.

Notes: the RWTS switch didn't change anything (that's what I tried first before trying to change the card to a different slot). Yes, having the A2 at work is nice (and it can be a curse too ;)).
 
Apologies for the confusion. My CFFA is on slot 7 and emulating a controller on slot 2. The game booting from the USB key still looks for its data disk at slot 6 if there's a drive connected to the controller there. I've just tried removing the controller all together and moving the CFF3 from slot 7 to slot 6 but now I can't boot from the CFFA anymore, even after moving it back to slot 7 :(
Ok, hold on. Games will be assuming they're coming from slot 6 most of the time, especially for DOS games. You shouldn't be pulling the rug out from under the game by booting from slot 2 and then having the game default to slot 6 (which is what dumb games do). If you want to be virtual, make the CFFA's virtual slot 6 take over, and remove (or move) your real disk II controller to slot 2.

Leave the CFFA3000 in slot 7, configure virtual Disk II to be in slot 6, and move your physical Disk II controller to slot 2.
 
OK thanks Dave, that makes sense (I was assuming indeed that games wouldn't hardcode the drive to look for). I'll switch to your recommended layout as soon as I can get back CFFA3000 to boot again.
 
FYI Dave, my CFFA card is up and running again (shout out to Dave Lyons (I had a firmware corruption)) and your recommended config allows me to play Lode Runner from the card only (no more attempts from the game to access my floppy drive). Very nice, thank you! I'm also glad I learned how to use the CFAA switchboard :)
 
old thread revival!

Im having the same problems as the OP, but I do not have the remote pushbutton equipment. I am trying to run 'Abysalzone' which has 2 dsk files. I setup d1 with the 2 dsk files, then boot. It will load up to the point of the page where it will ask for the other dsk. Without the pushbutton how do I access the dsk 2 and continue on? I have also put the dsk1 to d1 and dsk2 to d2 but that didn't solve my problem?. Is there a physical keyboard key that I press or do I have to go back into cffa3000 menu and manually select dsk2 then boot?.

Cffa3000 newb.
 
Im having the same problems as the OP, but I do not have the remote pushbutton equipment. I am trying to run 'Abysalzone' which has 2 dsk files. I setup d1 with the 2 dsk files, then boot.
Ok, then you need a remote pushbutton or you need to get back into the menu (probably not possible while inside the game without a GS). Some 2-disk games will be happy if you insert one disk into each of the virtual drives (Disk II #1 and Disk II #2). See this part of the intro video:

"How do I add multiple disks, and select which one to use?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seIf-_o5SdQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=432
 
ok so ive run into a problem. Much to what the OP's original question, a few games being run on my IIgs (rom3) keeps accessing the physical disk (slot 6). I reconfigured my cffa3000 disk ii (virtual) to slot 6 from its original slot 4 configuration just for curiousity, now when I boot the computer and go into control panel, there is no cffa3000 menu anymore. ugh.. anybody know how I can get my cffa3000 back online, and proper configuration so that I can get multiple dsk programs to run without accessing the physical disk?.

current computer setup:

IIgs rom 3.
Cffa 3000 card is in slot 7
I had the virtual disk ii setup on slot 4. and control panel slot 2 & 4 set as 'your card'. (re: changed disk II setup to slot 6 (no physical disk ii card in that slot but being a iigs I guess its the disk port and now no cffa3000 seen).

thanks for any help on this.
 
Slot 6 and 7 must be set for your card. (if your cffa3000 is in slot 7).

Then you can see you cffa again.

Later,
dabone
 
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Cffa 3000 card is in slot 7
Boot the computer, get to an Applesoft or monitor prompt. From Applesoft:
]CALL 50992
From the monitor:
*C730G
and you'll be in the menu system. If you want the CFFA3000 to play the role of the disk controller in slot 6, you must set slot 6 to "Your card." Otherwise the built-in controller will take over.

Edit:
For posterity... those numbers are listed in the CFFA3000 manual (p. 9 in version 1.2). It's easy to remember the numbers in hex; it's Cx30, where x is the slot number the CFFA3000 is plugged into!
 
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thanks david that did the trick on getting the card back online! I will change s6 to your card and see if that will run multiple dsk.
 
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