ROMLOAD - ROM image loading tool
Inspired by Sean Young's SCROM, ROMLOAD started as a fairly simple tool to load and execute a ROM in a Konami Sound Cartridge like Snatcher and SD-Snatcher.
It supports Konami Sound Cartridges which are expanded to 128 kB RAM which allows loading ROM images up to 1MegaROM to be loaded, and with an ESE-SCC (which can have up to 512 kB RAM) up to 4MegaROM ROM images can be loaded.
- full MSX-DOS2 support
- after load
- reset MSX
- start ROM image (also disk-enabled)
- on-the-fly conversions from
- Konami without SCC
- ASCII 8 kB
- ASCII 16 kB
- Super Lode Runner
- Cross Blaim
- MSX-DOS2 Kernel
- on-the-fly patching of
- system language
- system version
- manual patching
- special support for
- Page 0 ROM images
- BASIC in ROM
- disabling ROM images
- changing of CPU settings
- changing CPU speed on Ciel MSX2+
- changing CPU speed on MSX2+
- changing CPU mode on MSXturboR
- second Konami cartridge
- boot ROM image with SCC-I mode
- ESE-SCC support with up to 512 kB
- ignore detection of a Sound Cartridge or ESE-SCC in a slot
- loading a ROM image even though it wouldn't fit
- second usage format which fits on a WIDTH 80 screen
(keeps the detected slot visible)
Planned features include:
- user interface
- screen width 40
- disk browser
- CPU selector
- support for other cartridges like
- LPE FlashG
- MegaFlashROM
- MegaRAM
- Zemmix Boxes
- support to fetch conversion options
- SRAM support
- extra on-the-fly conversions like
- Korean special mappers
ROMLOAD is written by Albert Beevendorp, © 1997/2001-2010 by The New Image
News
24 December 2010 - Released version 1.99v!
This version supports auto detection of Konami without SCC, includes improvements in conversion formats and more.
New in this version:
- Improved /0 implementation
- Minor tweak in support for MSX-DOS 2 Kernel in a Sound Cartridge
- Removed /C for Konami without SCC specification. Konami without SCC detection attempt when no conversion switches were given
- Fixed bug in command line switches parser, some switches could be lower case only
- Use low speed mode (Z80, 3.58 MHz) for compatibility, unless forced otherwise
- Fixed small bug in ASCII8 mapper init
- Added 50Hz/60Hz init /S[:<Hz>]
27 June 2008 - After almost a year since our request, MSX Resource Center finally stopped violating our copyrights. To celebrate, we are happy to announce you ROMLOAD 1.99u. This version includes the patches that were released for 1.99t and support for ESE-SCC! This makes it more suitable for loading ROM files in ESE MSX System 3.
New in this version:
- Fixed support to run 16 kB mapped games in the SD-Snatcher Sound Cartridge
- Added support to run the MSX-DOS 2 Kernel in a Sound Cartridge
- Added reformatted usage output to make everything fit a WIDTH 80 screen
- .ROM is now the default extension
- Fixed subslot number display when detected in an expanded slot
- Fixed bug causing non-existing Sound-Cartridges to be detected
- Added support to use ESE-SCC up to 512 kB of RAM in stead of a Sound Cartridge
- Updated /P to enable patching up to 64 blocks within the limits of the ROM image
4 December 2006 - Released version 1.99t!
This version supports Cross Blaim, fixes a bug in the Super Lode Runner implementation and more.
New in this version:
- Rewritten the Sound Cartridge detection code. It doesn't use the Konami detection code anymore
- Fixed a bug which couldn't run the correct dump of Super Lode Runner
- Added support for Cross Blaim
- Added support to run 16 kB mapped games in the SD-Snatcher Sound Cartridge
- Added support to run BASIC text in ROM without requiring a reset
- Added support to change CPU mode on MSXturboR, Panasonic FS-A1WX, Panasonic FS-A1FX, Panasonic FS-A1WSX or Ciel Expert 3 before starting up the ROM image