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BMC64 FAQ

Contents

Can I switch the machine to NTSC?

Answer: Yes, in V3.0 or higher, do this from the Machine->Switch menu.

Be aware that some demos/games will not run if the machine is NTSC. If you mix those two settings, your machine will likely run fast/slow, not look good or have audio issues (or all of the above).

Why does the video look soft/stretched/dark?

Answer: By default, the scaling_kernel option softens the scaled image. You can change this (see above). Also, some monitors seem to stretch the canvas to full width rather than keep the aspect ratio. You can change the hdmi mode and frame buffer aspect ratio in config.txt to suit your needs. Just keep in mind that NTSC machine timing must have a 60hz mode and PAL machine timing must have a 50hz mode. This isn't something you normally care about in an emulator but because the machine is actually timed to the vertical blank signal of the video device, it matters. I also recommend changing the mode to match your monitor/TV's native resolution. That should avoid any unnecessary extra processing your monitor/TV might do which can add lag. Also, place your Monitor/TV into 'Game' mode if possible.

Things you can fiddle with for video:

hdmi_mode in config.txt framebuffer_aspect in config.txt (i.e. framebuffer_aspect=0x00070009 for 7:9) scaling_kernel (google for available algorithms)

Can I change option 'X' in VICE?

Answer: Most video options are fixed right now to make sure video is rendered properly. VICE settings are read from 'vice.ini' located in the root of the emulator's partition. If there is no UI support for the option you are looking for, you can try setting it there using VICE documentation.

Hey, isn't the real thing running at 50.125Hz?

Answer: Yes, the original machine ran at 50.125Hz for PAL and 59.826Hz for NTSC. So, yeah, you'll be about 0.25% off in terms of timing. If you really want 50.125Hz, you can try this custom HDMI mode (only applies to HDMI):

[C64/PAL/HDMI/768x544@50.125Hz]
sdtv_mode=18
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=87
hdmi_timings=768 0 24 72 96 544 1 3 2 14 0 0 0 50 0 27092000 1
machine_timing=pal-custom
cycles_per_second=985257
scaling_params=0,384,272,768,544

This mode will match the timing of the original machine (for the purists) but may not be compatible with all monitors:

For NTSC, this mode will match the real timing very closely. But again, since it's not a standard resolution, it may not work on all monitors.

[C64/NTSC/HDMI/VICE 768x525@59.825Hz]
sdtv_mode=18
hdmi_group=2
hdmi_mode=87
hdmi_timings=768 0 24 72 96 525 1 3 10 9 0 0 0 60 0 31415829 1
machine_timing=ntsc-custom
cycles_per_second=1022708
scaling_params=0,384,246,768,492

Why is audio not coming out of HDMI or the analog jack?

Answer: Sometimes the code that auto detects whether audio should be piped through HDMI vs analog jack doesn't work. You can force audio to where you want it with a audio_out=hdmi or audio_out=analog parameter. The default is audio_out=auto. This ends up in cmdline.txt but you should set it in every machine config in machines.txt you want it to show up for.

How do I get Dolphin DOS to work?

Answer: Follow these steps.

From: http://rr.pokefinder.org/wiki/Dolphin_DOS

From the menu:

Machine -> ROMS -> Change Kernal ROM -> kernel-20-1.rom
Drives -> Change ROM -> 1541 -> c1541-20-6.rom
Drive 8
   Change Model -> 1541
   Options -> Parallel Cable -> Standard
   Options -> RAM 6000 On

Why won't PetRescue attach in Plus4Emu?

Answer: Plus4Emu is picky about the size of the disk images it attaches. PetRescue has extra sectors but for some reason, the d64 image is 197376 bytes which doesn't complete a full track. To get it to attach, you will have to pad it with extra 0's. The size after padding should be 200960.

On Linux, this command will work:

truncate -s +3584 petrescue.d64

Why am I seeing errors when saving settings?

Answer: If you get a "Problem saving!" error when trying to save GPIO, video, or other settings, the most common cause is an underpowered power supply. BMC64 needs to write to the SD card to save settings, and a supply that can't deliver enough current will cause those writes to fail even though the machine otherwise appears to run fine. This has been reported even on setups that worked with older BMC64 releases.

Things to check:

  • Use a supply rated for at least 2.5A (Pi 3) at a steady 5V.
  • Avoid USB-C phone chargers and USB-C-to-micro-USB adapters/cables. They frequently negotiate a lower voltage or can't sustain the current the Pi needs, which leads to exactly this kind of intermittent SD card write failure.
  • Use a good quality micro-USB cable.

The official Raspberry Pi supply is a known-good option: https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/micro-usb-power-supply/

If the errors continue after ruling out power, try a different, freshly formatted (FAT32) SD card from a reputable brand.

What do I put on the SD card?

Answer: See INSTALLATION.md for the required ROMs. The SD-card layout is shown below:

C64/
    kernal
    basic
    chargen
    d1541II
    dos1541  (optional)
    dos1571  (optional)
    dos1581  (optional)
    dosCMDHD (optional)
    dos2000  (optional)
    dos4000  (optional)
    rpi_sym.vkm
/C128
    kernal
    basichi
    basiclo
    charg64
    chargen
    kernal64
    basic64
    z80bios (optional)
    d1541II (optional)
    dos1571 (recommended)
    rpi_sym.vkm
    bootstat.txt
/VIC20
    basic
    chargen
    kernal
    d1541II
    rpi_sym.vkm
    bootstat.txt
/PLUS4
    kernal
    kernal.005
    kernal.232
    3plus1hi
    3plus1lo
    basic
    c2lo.364
    d1541II (optional)
    dos1551 (recommended)
    rpi_sym.vkm
    bootstat.txt
/PLUS4EMU (Available for Pi3 Only)
    p4kernal.rom
    p4_ntsc.rom
    p4_basic.rom
    3plus1.rom
    dos1541.rom (optional)
    dos1551.rom
    dos1581.rom (optional)
    p4fileio.rom (optional)
    p4fileio.rom (optional)
/PET
    basic1
    basic2
    basic4
    characters.901640-01.bin
    chargen
    edit1g
    edit2b
    edit2g
    edit4b40
    edit4b80
    edit4g40
    rpi_buus_pos.vkm
    rpi_buus_sym.vkm
    rpi_grus_pos.vkm
    rpi_grus_sym.vkm
    hre-9000.324992-02.bin
    hre-a000.324993-02.bin
    kernal1
    kernal2
    kernal4
    waterloo-a000.901898-01.bin
    waterloo-b000.901898-02.bin
    waterloo-c000.901898-03.bin
    waterloo-d000.901898-04.bin
    waterloo-e000.901897-01.bin
    waterloo-f000.901898-05.bin
kernel.img (C64 kernel for Pi0)
kernel7.img (C64 kernel for Pi2)
kernel8-32.img (C64 kernel for Pi3)
kernel.img.vic20
kernel7.img.vic20
kernel8-32.img.vic20
kernel.img.c128
kernel7.img.c128
kernel8-32.img.c128
kernel.img.plus4
kernel7.img.plus4
kernel8-32.img.plus4
kernel8-32.img.plus4emu (for Pi3 only)
fixup.dat
bootstat.txt
config.txt
cmdline.txt
machines.txt
snapshots/
    C64/
    C128/
    VIC20/
    PLUS4/
    PET/
disks/
    C64/
    C128/
    VIC20/
    PLUS4/
    PET/
tapes/
    C64/
    C128/
    VIC20/
    PLUS4/
    PET/
carts/
    C64/
    C128/
    VIC20/
    PLUS4/
tmp/
    (used by the emulator sometimes)