Epyx Fast Load

Last updated

The Epyx Fast Load is a floppy disk fast loader cartridge made by American software company Epyx in 1984 for the Commodore 64 home computer. It was programmed by Epyx employee Scott Nelson, who was originally a programmer for Starpath [1] and later designed the Epyx Vorpal fastloading system for the company's games.

Contents

Description

The Epyx Fast Load cartridge was a bestseller for the C64. Epyx-fastload.jpg
The Epyx Fast Load cartridge was a bestseller for the C64.

Epyx Fast Load allows programs to load from the Commodore 1541 disk drive at 2,500 bytes per second, approximately five times faster than the normal speed. [2] Since it is stored on a cartridge, and thus provides instant access without requiring any hardware modification of the C64 or the disk drive, the Fast Load quickly became a very popular peripheral among C64 users.

In addition to disk acceleration, the cartridge also provides a built-in version of the Commodore DOS Wedge. This dramatically reduces the number of keystrokes needed to load or save files or perform disk operations, and makes the cartridge even more convenient.

Epyx Fast Load incorporates a machine language monitor. Although it does not include an assembler, as most "standard" C64 ML monitors do, it includes a wide array of powerful debugging tools. These include disassembly, single-stepping, and an automatic machine code relocator.

A crude disk editor is also included with the cartridge, which displays raw data from floppy disks in classical hex+ASCII split screen mode. Among other things, the disk editor can be used to enter cheat codes and do the home computer equivalent of ROM hacking.

In the unusual case of software that doesn't work with the Fast Load, the cartridge can be disabled via a menu command, thus avoiding the need to physically remove and reinsert it.

While the original 1984 version of the Fast Load will not work with the SD2IEC floppy drive emulation system, [3] newer variants of the cartridge do support it.

Reception

In a review of three Commodore 64 fast loaders, Ahoy! wrote that Fast Load "is surprisingly transparent to all the forms of commercial copy protection we have looked at ... In terms of greatest convenience and speed, we place our bets on" it. [4] Commodore Microcomputers found that Fast Load did not speed up all software but was very effective when it did. The magazine recommended buying the cartridge for the DOS Wedge and fast copying, with fastloading as a bonus. [5] A review of five fast loaders in the magazine found that "Fast Load performed well during testing" and approved of its ease of use and documentation. However, the table included in the article showed that the cartridge only significantly sped up loading times for four of nine applications and games, not benefiting the others. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore 1541</span> External 5 1/4-inch floppy disk drive for the Commodore C64 homecomputer

The Commodore 1541 is a floppy disk drive which was made by Commodore International for the Commodore 64 (C64), Commodore's most popular home computer. The best-known floppy disk drive for the C64, the 1541 is a single-sided 170-kilobyte drive for 5¼" disks. The 1541 directly followed the Commodore 1540.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore 64</span> 8-bit home computer introduced in 1982

The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International. It has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest-selling single computer model of all time, with independent estimates placing the number sold between 12.5 and 17 million units. Volume production started in early 1982, marketing in August for US$595. Preceded by the VIC-20 and Commodore PET, the C64 took its name from its 64 kilobytes(65,536 bytes) of RAM. With support for multicolor sprites and a custom chip for waveform generation, the C64 could create superior visuals and audio compared to systems without such custom hardware.

<i>Jumpman</i> (video game) 1983 video game

Jumpman is a platform game written by Randy Glover and published by Epyx in 1983. It was developed for the Atari 8-bit computers, and versions were also released for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and IBM PC compatibles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore 1540</span>

The Commodore 1540 is the companion floppy disk drive for the VIC-20 home computer. It was introduced in 1982. It uses single-sided 5¼" floppy disks, on which it stores roughly 170 kB of data utilizing Commodore's GCR data encoding scheme.

Commodore BASIC, also known as PET BASIC or CBM-BASIC, is the dialect of the BASIC programming language used in Commodore International's 8-bit home computer line, stretching from the PET (1977) to the Commodore 128 (1985).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creative Micro Designs</span>

Creative Micro Designs, Inc. (CMD) was founded in 1987 by Doug Cotton and Mark Fellows. It is a computer technology company which originally developed and sold products for the Commodore 64 and C128 8-bit personal computers. After 2001 it sold PCs and related equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore SX-64</span> Portable version of the Commodore 64 computer

The Commodore SX-64, also known as the Executive 64, or VIP-64 in Europe, is a portable, briefcase/suitcase-size "luggable" version of the popular Commodore 64 home computer and the first color portable computer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epyx</span> Defunct video game developer and publisher

Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and video game publisher active in the late 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983. Epyx published a long series of games through the 1980s. The company is currently owned by Bridgestone Multimedia Group Global.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Final Cartridge III</span>

The Final Cartridge III was a popular extension cartridge which was created for the Commodore 64 and Commodore 128, produced by the Dutch company Riska B.V. Home & Personal Computers. It offered a fast loader, increasing the speeds of the disk drive, and a freezer, allowing the program execution to be stopped to be resumed later.

The Commodore 64 amassed a large software library of nearly 10,000 commercial titles, covering most genres from games to business applications, and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore DOS</span> Operating system

Commodore DOS, also known as CBM DOS, is the disk operating system used with Commodore's 8-bit computers. Unlike most other DOSes, which are loaded from disk into the computer's own RAM and executed there, CBM DOS is executed internally in the drive: the DOS resides in ROM chips inside the drive, and is run there by one or more dedicated MOS 6502 family CPUs. Thus, data transfer between Commodore 8-bit computers and their disk drives more closely resembles a local area network connection than typical disk/host transfers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GEOS (8-bit operating system)</span> 8-bit graphical operating system

GEOS is a discontinued operating system from Berkeley Softworks. Originally designed for the Commodore 64 with its version being released in 1986, enhanced versions of GEOS later became available in 1987 for the Commodore 128 and in 1988 for the Apple II. A lesser-known version was also released for the Commodore Plus/4.

<i>Summer Games</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Summer Games is a sports video game developed and published by Epyx based on sports from the Summer Olympic Games. Released in 1984 for the Commodore 64, it was ported to the Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit computers, and Master System.

The DOS Wedge is a piece of Commodore 64 system software that was popular in its time. It was written by Bob Fairbairn, and was included by Commodore (CBM) on the 1541 disk drive Test/Demo Disk and also packaged with the C64 Macro Assembler. The DOS Wedge was referred to in the 1541 drive manual as DOS Support and on the software startup screen as DOS MANAGER. The original design was developed by Bill Seiler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore 64 peripherals</span>

The Commodore 64 home computer used various external peripherals. Due to the backwards compatibility of the Commodore 128, most peripherals would also work on that system. There is also some compatibility with the VIC-20 and Commodore PET.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast loader</span> Software acceleration program for file loading

A fast loader is a software program for a home computer, such as the Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum, that accelerates the speed of file loading from floppy disk or compact cassette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MSD Super Disk</span>

The MSD Super Disk were a series of 5¼-inch floppy disk drives compatible to some degree with the Commodore 1541 disk drive. produced by Micro Systems Development for use with Commodore 8-bit home computers. Two different versions of the MSD Super Disk were available: the single-drive model, SD-1; and the dual-drive model, SD-2.

Blue Board is a bulletin board system software created by Martin Sikes (1968–2007) for the Commodore 64 in the 1980s in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and sold worldwide. Due to optimized code and memory allocation, Blue Board boasted very fast performance for a BBS on that hardware platform. In fact, Blue Board was faster than most if not all BBSs run on 8-bit computers. This speed combined with its use of the ASCII character set and XModem file transfer protocol rather than PETSCII and the Commodore-specific Punter protocol sometimes led users to believe that they were calling a BBS running on a much larger and faster computer.

IDEDOS is a ROM-based disk operating system written in 6502/65816 assembly language for the Commodore 64, 128 and SuperCPU. Its main purpose is to control ATA(PI) devices connected to an IDE64 cartridge and present them like normal Commodore drives. Additionally it supports networked drives (PCLink) and has a built-in machine code monitor and file manager.

'Commodore 64 disk/tape emulation and data transfer' comprises hardware and software for Commodore 64 disk & tape emulation and for data transfer between either the C64 computer, the Commodore 1541 disk drive or Commodore 1530 Datasette tape deck, and newer computers.

References

  1. The Dot Eaters - Epyx | The Dot Eaters, Scott Nelson, one of the former Starpath programmers, had created a decathlon game for the Supercharger called Sweat!, but when the company merges with Epyx the project is shelved.
  2. Perry, Tekla S.; Wallich, Paul (March 1985). "Design case history: the Commodore 64" (PDF). IEEE Spectrum. 22 (3): 48–58. doi:10.1109/MSPEC.1985.6370590. ISSN   0018-9235. S2CID   11900865. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  3. Murray, Mike (26 July 2017). "SD2IEC Manual (How to use the SD2IEC on the C64)". The Geek Pub. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  4. Kevelson, Morton (May 1985). "Disk Spinners, Part II". Ahoy!. pp. 33–38. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  5. Bobo, Ervin (July–August 1985). "Fast Load". Comodore Microcomputers. Contemporary Marketing Inc. p. 32. Retrieved 2024-09-28.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  6. Benford, Tom (September–October 1985). "The Fast-Loader Grand Prix". Commodore Microcomputers. pp. 26–28.