Date : Thu, 19 Apr 2001 14:50:06 -0700 (PDT)
From : Thomas Harte <t.harte@...>
Subject: Various tape topics
Just to say, that for my Electron emulator I devised a completely accurate
tape file format - UEF. And tools to grab tapes to this format, and to
output them again (specifically MakeUEF and FreeUEF) are available on the
web site for my emulator - http://electrem.emuunlim.com
MakeUEF is not perfect, since it was written when I was still very unsure
about tape reading, and as such it goes out of its way to validate the data
it reads, with the result that it currently only supports valid ROM format
data - i.e. with the correct header and valid CRCs. To make this completely
clear : this is a problem with the MakeUEF program, not the UEF file format.
Also, because I wrote this from an Electron point of view, I didn't allow
specifically for baud rates other than 1200 in the file format before 0.8
(for which I shall upload the full specs within a week), so you will find
that data that is converted to the PC then free'd changes baud rate if it
was saved at 300 baud.
MakeUEF open source and is available for DOS, Windows console and UNIX with
Open Sound System. FreeUEF is only available for DOS and Windows, but a
similar tool has been written in Python by Wouter Hobers which can convert
UEF files (at least the subset that are created by MakeUEF anyway) to wave
files, so that should be doable on almost any 32bit computer.
Therefore, these tools offer methods of doing two things mentioned on this
list recently - re-strengthening old tapes, and compiling tapes as computer
data files. Which is why I'm posting this.
My Electron emulator (ElectrEm), BeebEm and B-Em all support the UEF file
format. The next version of ElectrEm will even be able to capture a UEF in
real time from the sound card and simultaneously have it load in the
emulator, which will get around the excessive validation of MakeUEF for
Electron programs at least. I hope to seriously update MakeUEF at a later
date.
Actually, the reason that I posted the original question about minidiscs and
tape data is that I'd like to test these new features of my Electron
emulator by saving some data and reloading it (I've had success now with
wave, aiff and au files, but that feels a little fake) and I also have some
problem wave files sent to me by users of MakeUEF in the past which I could
save to minidisc and try for a more genuine test, but I don't own a cassette
player or recorder. Or indeed any cassettes.
Anyway, just thought I'd make that clear.
-Thomas
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