Family BASIC Data Recorder: Difference between revisions
m (describe hardware, provide link to NES equivalent schematic, add same references as on Family basic keyboard) |
(add ccovell's findings. replace links to enri's with web-archive, although unfortunately it doesn't have the actual png schematics) |
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== Software == | == Software == | ||
It is not known whether Family BASIC uses [[wikipedia:Kansas City Standard|Kansas City Standard]] encoding, [[wikipedia:Bell 103 modem|Bell 103]] or [[wikipedia:Bell 202 modem|202]], or some other arbitrary home-grown convention for encoding the audio on the tape. | It is not known whether Family BASIC uses [[wikipedia:Kansas City Standard|Kansas City Standard]] encoding, [[wikipedia:Bell 103 modem|Bell 103]] or [[wikipedia:Bell 202 modem|202]], or some other arbitrary home-grown convention for encoding the audio on the tape. | ||
Castle Excellent's recorder handling code mostly exists between $8000 and $80FE, and provides save games using the 1200 baud variant of Kansas City Standard. | Castle Excellent's recorder handling code mostly exists between $8000 and $80FE, and provides save games using the 1200 baud ('CUTS') and ''bit-reversed'' variant of Kansas City Standard. | ||
Wrecking Crew uses the [http://www.sharpmz.org/tapeprob01.htm tape format] from the [[wikipedia:Sharp MZ|Sharp MZ]] personal computer. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
Reverse-engineered schematics by [http://www2.odn.ne.jp/~haf09260/ | Reverse-engineered schematics by [http://web.archive.org/web/20120404115452/www2.odn.ne.jp/~haf09260/ Enri]: | ||
* http://www2.odn.ne.jp/~haf09260/Famic/Fambas.htm | * http://web.archive.org/web/20091023182153/http://www2.odn.ne.jp/~haf09260/Famic/Fambas.htm | ||
* Also available [http://atariusa.com/Famicom_Schematics/FC%20Family%20Basic%20Keyboard%20and%20Sound%20Circuit%20Schematic.png here] and [http://atariusa.com/Famicom_Schematics/FC%20Keyboard%20Key%20Schematic.png here] | * Also available [http://atariusa.com/Famicom_Schematics/FC%20Family%20Basic%20Keyboard%20and%20Sound%20Circuit%20Schematic.png here] and [http://atariusa.com/Famicom_Schematics/FC%20Keyboard%20Key%20Schematic.png here] | ||
* [http://forums.nesdev.org/viewtopic.php?p=109242#p109242 ccovell identified Wrecking Crew's encoding] | |||
Revision as of 03:31, 25 March 2013
"Manufactured by Matsushita/Panasonic for Nintendo, the recorder was released in 1984 only in Japan as an addition to the Family BASIC Keyboard to save data from BASIC programs created by users. Also, Castle Excellent, Excitebike, Mach Rider and Wrecking Crew can use this device in order to save tracks/stages created by users." — from wikipedia
Hardware interface
The Family BASIC Keyboard provides two ⅛" (3.5mm) monaural phone jacks which can be plugged into the data recorder. This circuit will provide the same interface on the NES.
Input ($4016 write)
7 bit 0
---- ----
xxxx xExS
| |
| +- 1-bit DAC audio to audio cassette
+--- When 0, force audio readback to always read as binary 0 (5V)
The audio to the cassette recorder goes through a first-order highpass at 100Hz and is attenuated to 5mVPP at the input to the recorder.
Output ($4016 read)
7 bit 0
---- ----
xxxx xxAx
|
+-- 1-bit ADC audio from audio cassette
Because of how magnetic tape works, playing back the tape will produce a signal that is the lowpassed derivative of the original. Then this audio from the cassette recorder goes through a highpass with corner frequency of 800Hz before being discretized. In simulation, at least square waves of frequency 1200 to 2400 Hz appear to be recovered by this processing.
Software
It is not known whether Family BASIC uses Kansas City Standard encoding, Bell 103 or 202, or some other arbitrary home-grown convention for encoding the audio on the tape. Castle Excellent's recorder handling code mostly exists between $8000 and $80FE, and provides save games using the 1200 baud ('CUTS') and bit-reversed variant of Kansas City Standard. Wrecking Crew uses the tape format from the Sharp MZ personal computer.
References
Reverse-engineered schematics by Enri:
