dtvwiki

About DTVTrans+

DTVTrans+ is software and hardware for transferring data from a PC to the C64DTV via a cable connected between the PC’s printer port and the DTV’s joystick or user port. The software consists of a non-interactive program to be run on the DTV and a PC command line program that controls transfers. The software is fully usable and has been tested under w2k and GNU/Linux, but should work fine under NT/w2k/XP and even w98. Current transfer rates are roughly 15Kbytes/s dependent on the load on the PC. This is roughly 38x standard C1541 speed.

DTVTrans+ has been extended by 1570 using code by tlr and Spiff. It is based on DTVTrans by Daniel Kahlin/tlr.

• DTVTrans is the original version by tlr.
• DTVTrans+, the version available on this page, is maintained by 1570.
  • Pro: flash functionality (dtvtrans sync).
  • Pro: typing functionality (dtvtrans type).
• dtv2ser+usb is another variant by lallafa.
  • Pro: connects to a USB or serial port.
  • Pro: flash functionality.
  • Pro: typing functionality.
  • Pro: powerful client software with many convenience functions.
  • Con: hardware is difficult to build
    • There is a simpler Arduino-based variant.

Features of DTVTrans+

• Read/write DTV RAM
• Read/write DTV flash memory
• Use easter egg BASIC PROMPT to type texts

Using the type feature, it is possible to reflash the DTV with only Joyport 2 mod required (= six wires: +5V is only required for autofire joysticks).

Components/Compatibility

For the cable, BAT85 Schottky-barrier diodes (hole-mount type) are recommended. If you want smaller diodes, go for BAT48 (Minimelf) or BAT54 surface-mount diodes. Other low Vf-types may work, but if you are unsure, ask someone who has experience. 1N4148’s will not work.

Some motherboards, especially those in notebooks, may have trouble communicating through this cable. USB<->Parport adapters will not work either.

Verified working:

• ASUS P4PE + BAT54, Windows (tlr)
• ASUS A7N8X Deluxe + BAT85 (streetuff)
• ASUS A7N8X-E + 1N4148(!), Linux (tixiv)
• ASUS M2N32 using PCI parallel port + BAT85 (spiff)
• IBM T20 Notebook + BAT85 (streetuff)
• IBM T21 Notebook + BAT54, Linux (tlr)
• Intel 865PERL + BAT85 (spiff)
• MSI KT3V + 1N5822 (nojoopa)
• VIA EPIA-5000 + 1N5822 (nojoopa)
• ASRock K7S8XE+ (Winbond W83697HF super i/o) + BAT54 (1570)
• DELL GX620 + 1N4148, Linux (abraXxl)
• ASUS A7N8X (without E) + 1N4148, Linux (abraXxl)

You do not need to connect the reset/PotX line unless you want to use the “dtvtrans reset” command.

Getting started

DTVTrans consists of a program on the DTV side and one on the PC side. The DTV side just listens for requests from the PC side and has no user interface. The DTV side of DTVTrans has to be transferred and started on the DTV somehow.

No floppy connected to the DTV

• Connect cable
• Run dtvtrans c on the PC to tristate the printer port (DTV keyboard might get garbled otherwise)
• Run the DTVTrans bootstrap BASIC program (included in download, see README.txt). This can be done using two ways:
  • Boot to BASIC, manually type in the program. A keyboard connector is necessary for this.
  • Use the dtvtrans type feature with the easter egg BASIC PROMPT (see README.txt). Only Joy2 port required for this.
  • Type RUN using the DTV joystick if the typing process went okay.
• Check the program before running it. It disables DTV keyboard so fixing errors after run is difficult.
• PC: **dtvtrans boot mlboot_.prg** - copy and execute second stage transfer helper program (to $cf08/53000)
• PC: **dtvtrans boot dtvtrans_.prg** - will copy (to $0801) and execute DTVTRANS\_.PRG in DTV RAM (installs to $018000)

You probably want to use dtvtrans sync then to flash a DTV Flash File System image containing DTVTrans.

Floppy connected to the DTV

Just copy **dtvtrans_.prg** to a disk and start it on the DTV.

Usage

• Run dtvtrans c on the PC to tristate the printer port (DTV keyboard might get garbled otherwise)
• Start dtvtrans .prg on the DTV
• Then, use dtvtrans on the PC side to transfer data.

usage: dtvtrans [OPTION]... ` [OPTION]... [``]`

Valid options:
-r              use raw format for files (no load address)
-l              use prg format for files (has load address)
-n              do not enable safe setup timing on the DTV
-b `       block size (default: 1024)` `-p ``       port address (default: /dev/parport0)` `-f              force pre 1.0 protocol` `-v              be verbose` `-s              simulate/dry run (sync command only)` `-d              output debugging information` `-h              displays this help text` `-V              output program version`

   Prefixing ADDRESS with an r means reading from DTV Flash ROM instead of its RAM.

Valid commands:
clear/clr/c     clear port (tristate)
read/rd/r       read mem
write/wr/w      write mem
verify/vfy      verify mem
go/g/sys        execute mem (go)
reset/rst       reset the DTV (works only if PotX line is connected to reset pin on the DTV)
sleep           sleep a number of seconds
sync            sync flash memory
type            type text using BASIC PROMPT easter egg (start on J)
boot/bt/b       send file to boot.prg/mlboot.prg
info            query server type and configuration
init            BASIC init
load            BASIC load
save            BASIC save
run             BASIC run
exit            BASIC exit

EXAMPLES
 dtvtrans clear
 dtvtrans rd 0x0400-0x0800 screen.prg
 dtvtrans rd 0x0400,1024 screen.prg
 dtvtrans rd basicprg.prg
 dtvtrans wr cool_demo.prg
 dtvtrans wr 0x020000 cool_demo.prg
 dtvtrans -r rd r0x000000-0x200000 complete_flash_image.bin
 dtvtrans g 0xfce2
 dtvtrans type boot.txt
 dtvtrans sync complete_flash_image.bin
 dtvtrans -s sync current_flash_image.bin new_flash_image.bin
 dtvtrans sync current_flash_image.bin new_flash_image.bin

Notes

• ERROR: got/sent block, chk=$xx problems? Try the “-f” parameter.
• dtvtrans sync
  • …the command variant with two files as parameters (first: current flash content, second: content to be flashed) flashes only differences between the two images. It is much faster than the one-parameter variant that reads the whole 2MB of flash first, especially if used in tandem with DTVFSEdit.
  • …works only with dtvtrans running in RAM. It does not work with dtvtrans running from Flash (i.e., dtvtrans in DTVMON). Just transfer dtvtrans_.prg from the DTVTrans+ download and start that as a workaround. Otherwise sync will bail out after transfer of the first 64k block (error message “NO DTVTRANS FOUND IN RAM” on the DTV).
  • …should be used with images that contain any crucial programs (menu, dtvtrans.prg, …) first. Otherwise, in case transfer/flashing fails after writing the directory (part of the first 64k block) but before writing the actual file data (later blocks), files will not be accessible.
  • …uses image files compatible with VICEplus. Test images in VICEplus before flashing.
  • …cannot flash $00xxxx area. This is a safety feature.
  • …erases flash sectors only if needed (= bits currently set to 0 have to be reset to 1).
  • …waits 20 seconds for each 64k block to let the flash helper finish.
• dtvtrans type
  • …assumes that the ‘cursor’ in the virtual keyboard is positioned on ‘J’ on start.
  • …is a bit picky about timing. Background programs on the PC might interfere with the typing process, leading to garbled output.
    • If you get garbled characters after some correct lines: (on the PC) stop typing (CTRL-C), dtvtrans c, (on the DTV) manually move the cursor to an empty line, enter a “J”, (on the PC) remove the lines already typed from boot.txt, add empty line at start of boot.txt, dtvtrans type boot.txt
• DTVTrans/DTV side resides at $018000 and therefore blocks transfers of long files.
  • To move DTVTrans+ 1.0pre1 to higher memory, POKE2482,84:POKE2121,84 before first RUN or use DTVTrans in DTVMON installed to Flash.
  • DTVTrans+ 1.0pre3 can be configured via cfg_dtvtrans_bank in config.asm. Segment 84 is already default there.
• The cable of DTVTrans and DTVTrans+ is the same. Also, the C64DTV client is the same for DTVTrans and DTVTrans+.

Download

• dtvtransplus-1.0.zip - source and windows/C64DTV binaries (2008-11-24)
  • Windows: dtvtrans.exe that fixes sync not waiting 20 secs between blocks (2012-02-23)
  • In case your DTV aborts to basic after erasing a flash block, quickly enter RUN to retry.
  • If you encounter transfer errors, try -f and -n parameters.
  • Compiling using a recent GCC might need this patch.
• Old versions
  • dtvtransplus-1.0pre3.zip - source and windows/C64DTV binaries (2008-10-18: fixed flashing AT49BV163A)
    • There have been reports about failing transfers with this version. For the time being, do not use the one parameter sync variant and always specify “-f”.
  • dtvtransplus-1.0pre1.zip - source and windows/C64DTV binaries (2007-11-03, Win binary fixed 2007-12-27)
    • type is not reliable in this version. AT49BV163A chips cannot be flashed with this version.
  • dtvtrans-0.6.zip - original DTVTrans without sync and type functionality (2007-01-03)

The transfer software requires giveio.sys to be installed, as it needs direct parallel port access.
Download: directio_fixed.zip

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• PETSCII thread