Denial

Thanks Mike, that is very cool. :) And you're right, I've completely forgotten to post details from the README markdown file here - it's included in the download package ZIP I added to the 2025 Releases post (which includes the binary and full sourcecode) but didn't actually mention that anywhere. :...

Name: FAST-40 Author: Mark Johnson Released: May 2025 Code: Assembler Video: PAL/NTSC Requirements: VIC-20 with minimum 8K RAM expansion Description: Display reconfiguration cartridge to provide a 40x23 text screen. Utilises 3K expansion if present. Compatible with FE3 and JiffyDOS Kernal. FAST-40....

The JiffyDOS crash has been resolved. Mathom pointed me at the JiffyDOS shop, so I bought a copy of the ROM image and then did a whole bunch of testing and differential comparisons between stock ROM and JiffyDOS code. Obviously JiffyDOS makes quite a few changes and (having never used it) I had assu...

Yah that's my point I guess. I could spend another year tuning and adding features, but for whom? FAST-40 is something I wanted to do to prove that I could, more than anything else. I've achieved my personal objective - it exists and does what I wanted it to do, and seems pretty robust - which means...

Ah I see. Interesting. FAST-40 uses a 960-byte non-contiguous text buffer to handle the actual character code storage for what is then rendered to the bitmap. That buffer is either tucked into the top of BLK0 or the top of whichever highest of BLK1/2/3 has RAM in it. The vectored CHROUT replacement ...

Well that [FAT|VIC]-40 CTRL-key functionality is cool - I probably hit every key except SHIFT trying to 'unfreeze' it. :lol: Your points about PET emulation are interesting, but FAST-40 wasn't really built to be a PET emulator or to provide an API for programmers to play with the high-res screen. Th...

After I'd packaged Beta 3 last night I spent a happy hour doing that benchmark I mentioned. We're not officially at v1.0 yet but the code is unlikely to change much between now and that point, so I thought I'd have a play with the competition. Here's the result. https://images2.imgbox.com/1a/12/uaWr...

And so... Beta 3 is now available for testers to play with. Please download from the link you already have. Changes in this build: Includes the Beta 2A fix where Stack poisoning caused mayhem in the insert and delete key handlers (reported by tokra@denial ) Fixed a bug where deleting a character fro...

Beta 2A just dropped, which fixes a bug in character insert/delete which I inadvertently introduced as a side-effect of the cursor blink phase timer tweak.

And so... Beta 2 is now available for testing. https://images2.imgbox.com/01/c9/lZ83FMX9_o.png If you already have a link, just download the package again to get the new build. If you volunteered but haven't yet received a link, check your PMs. :) Changes in this build: Fixed a bug where entering lo...

I'm currently working on a bug reported by tokra where entering BASIC lines over 40 characters long triggers a syntax error (despite the code being built to handle 88-character lines :oops: ). If you LOAD a program with lines longer than 40 characters it's all good, so this is a screen-editor issue....

It is, and I'd completely forgotten there was a thread on it already. If a mod wants to move these posts to the end of it and nuke this thread, I have no objection! I mothballed the project (and indeed all retro-related stuff I had going-on at the time) as Real Life CPU cycles went to 100% and I had...

Hi all, I used to have an account here many moons ago but the credentials are lost to the mists of time, so I'm starting afresh. And what better way to begin again than with a new product release for our favourite breadbin-shaped friendly computer. I hereby nervously present... FAST-40 (Beta 1) - a ...