A64 (emulator)
Encyclopedia
A64, a Commodore 64
emulator
for the Commodore Amiga
, was developed and published by the now-defunct software company Questronix, and distributed as shareware
. The non-registered version was free of charge, but was limited to ten minutes of use at a time. The registered version, costing US$
80, had no time limit and came with a special hardware adapter to connect a Commodore 1541
disk drive to the Amiga's parallel port
.
A64 is a completely system-legal program, emulating the Commodore 64 through AmigaOS
system libraries. When starting, the emulator first displays a copyright message while it loads its internal data, and then, with a click of the left mouse button, the display changes to the familiar light blue Commodore 64 screen. However, because of the differences between the Commodore 64 and Amiga keyboard layouts, and particularly with the unusual mapping Questronix used, keyboard input might take some getting used to.
A64 has some extras that a real Commodore 64 is inherently unable to provide. The most useful of these is an integrated MOS 6510
machine language monitor, which can be invoked at any time during the emulation. While in the monitor, the emulated Commodore 64 is frozen in place, giving the user full reign over its internal memory and registers. Of course, the emulator also allows machine language program input through 6510 mnemonic
codes, rather than raw numeric values. Another extra feature is that the 16-colour palette of the Commodore 64 is fully customisable from the Amiga's palette of 4096 hues.
A64 supports Commodore 64 disk drives as the devices 8 through 11, just like a real Commodore 64. These drives can be either simulated, mapped onto directories on the Amiga's filesystem, or real 1541 compatible drives accessed through the hardware adapter. A64 does not support the Commodore Datasette.
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
emulator
Emulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
for the Commodore Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, was developed and published by the now-defunct software company Questronix, and distributed as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
. The non-registered version was free of charge, but was limited to ten minutes of use at a time. The registered version, costing US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
80, had no time limit and came with a special hardware adapter to connect a Commodore 1541
Commodore 1541
The Commodore 1541 , made by Commodore International, was the best-known floppy disk drive for the Commodore 64 home computer. The 1541 was a single-sided 170 kilobyte drive for 5¼" disks...
disk drive to the Amiga's parallel port
Parallel port
A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers for connecting various peripherals. In computing, a parallel port is a parallel communication physical interface. It is also known as a printer port or Centronics port...
.
A64 is a completely system-legal program, emulating the Commodore 64 through AmigaOS
AmigaOS
AmigaOS is the default native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. It was developed first by Commodore International, and initially introduced in 1985 with the Amiga 1000...
system libraries. When starting, the emulator first displays a copyright message while it loads its internal data, and then, with a click of the left mouse button, the display changes to the familiar light blue Commodore 64 screen. However, because of the differences between the Commodore 64 and Amiga keyboard layouts, and particularly with the unusual mapping Questronix used, keyboard input might take some getting used to.
A64 has some extras that a real Commodore 64 is inherently unable to provide. The most useful of these is an integrated MOS 6510
MOS Technology 6510
thumb|300px|Image of the internals of a [[Commodore 64]] showing the 6510 CPU . The chip on the right is the [[MOS Technology SID|6581 SID]]...
machine language monitor, which can be invoked at any time during the emulation. While in the monitor, the emulated Commodore 64 is frozen in place, giving the user full reign over its internal memory and registers. Of course, the emulator also allows machine language program input through 6510 mnemonic
Mnemonic
A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
codes, rather than raw numeric values. Another extra feature is that the 16-colour palette of the Commodore 64 is fully customisable from the Amiga's palette of 4096 hues.
A64 supports Commodore 64 disk drives as the devices 8 through 11, just like a real Commodore 64. These drives can be either simulated, mapped onto directories on the Amiga's filesystem, or real 1541 compatible drives accessed through the hardware adapter. A64 does not support the Commodore Datasette.