This is the complete toolset for macOS and worfklow guide (macOS host oriented) to manufacture EasyFlash3 cartridges.
If this doesn't work for you, please bug me and not Skoe since he wasn't involved in this work at all.
xcode-select --install
Follow the instructions at brew.sh:
/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
brew install acme cc65 libftdi0 cmake confuse imagemagick
brew install wxmac --with-static
(confuse and cmake are required for the FT245 tools, see below)
The Homebrew recipe for exomizer is broken (segfaults), so get the exomizer binary from here: www.popelganda.de/relaunch64.html.
Put it somewhere in the $PATH.
This is a crt format conversion tool that comes with Vice.
Not strictly needed in the manufacturing process but it needs to be in the $PATH if you want to build your own menu.crt image.
easp is the tool required to program the CPLD, this is the very first step to do on an new EF3 before flashing the menu.
The Makefile of the original easp package has been modified to generate a statically linked that doesn't depend on homebrew libs so that it can be moved to another computer.
To compile:
cd ManufacturerTools/easp-2014-01-09
make
To program the CPLD put the EF3 jumpers in the PROG position, plug the EF3 in the C64, plug in the USB cable, power the C64 on, then:
easp -p 0x6001 -v <svf_file>
If this is a cartridge where the PID has already been changed (explained below):
easp -p 0x8738 -v <svf_file>
For the original easp distribtuion including win32 and linux binaries go to:
https://bitbucket.org/skoe/easp/downloads/
In order for macOS (and Windows/Linux) to recognize an EasyFlash 3 as such, the product identifier (PID) of the FT245 must be changed from the default (0x6001) to the one expected by the EF3 driver and tools (0x8738).
The official instructions by Skoe explain how to do it with the official, Windows-only, FTDI tools
However, this can be done without leaving macOS with two example tools that come with the libftdi library:
build/examples/eeprom: dumps eeprom's contentsbuild/ftdi_eeprom/ftdi_eeprom: to customize the PID, S/N, etc.
To compile:
cd ManufacturerTools/FT245/libftdi-1.*
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="/usr/local" ../
make
TODO: these tools are not statically linked and will depend on homebrew libraries (libconfuse and libusb).
NOTE: the EF3 need not be plugged into the C64 for neither tool to work.
To dump raw eeprom contents (for backup purposes, or to test communication with the FT245 chip):
eeprom -v 0x0403 -p 0x6001 >dump.eeprom
or
eeprom -v 0x0403 -p 0x8738 >dump.eeprom
... depending on the actual PID of the FT245.
To read the EEPROM and parse the FT245 config (this can be done without plugging the EF3 in the C64):
ftdi_eeprom --device i:0x0403:0x6001 --read-eeprom ef3.conf
To reprogram the PID, serial number and creator string into the FT245 EEPROM:
First edit the provided ManufactureTools/FT245/ef3.conf and replace the creator string and serial number with your own, then:
./ftdi_eeprom --flash-eeprom ef3.conf
easytransfer is a GUI tool to upload CRT files to an EF3, run PRGs and format/dump d64 images to a real floppy connected to the C64 via USB.
ef3xfer is its CLI counterpart.
These tools will only work if the FT245 PID has been changed to 0x8738 as explained above.
To compile:
cd EasyTransfer
make
The results are easytransfer (GUI tool) and ef3xfer (CLI tool) in EasyTransfer/out/easytransfer/.
Run the tools with the EF3 plugged in the C64, the C64 on, the USB cable plugged in and the EF3 jumpers in the DATA position.
Examples for ef3xfer:
ef3xfer -c cart.crt # write cart.crt to cart
ef3xfer -x prog.prg # upload and run prog.prg
Not strictly needed, but you might want to customize and/or recompile the C64-side flashing tool (EasyProg):
cd EasyProg
make
The result is easyprog.prg
cd EasySplit
make
The result is EasySplit/out/easysplit/easysplit.
Note: untested
First:
cd EasySDK/tools
make
The result is bin2efcrt, required by the next step:
cd EF3BootImage
make
The results are ef3-init.crt and ef3-menu.crt in EF3BootImage/.
Use the former to completely overwrite the menu and slot data. Use the latter to just update the menu while keeping data (kernals, slot names and such).
As an example, the menu image in this repo comes modified with a light green background.
EF3's menu background image is in EF3BootImage/efmenu/src/background.iph in Interpaint format.
For Interpaint to read the file:
- It must end with a right-padded ".HRES" suffix
- Must be of type PRG (not SEQ)
- Uncheck the PROJECT -> MULTICOL option in Interpaint.
The other IPH files in that directory seem to be older versions of the background.
A ready-made D64 with Interpaint and all current backgrounds is in ManufacturerTools/Interpaint.