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ejaquay edited this page Dec 18, 2024 · 3 revisions

VCC Quick Start Guide

In response to many user requests, we are including this Quick Start Guide to get you up and running as fast as possible.

To start the VCC emulator, just double click the VCC icon on your Windows Desktop or click the VCC menu item in your Windows Start Menu. Alternately, VCC can be started from the windows command line by going to the VCC installation folder (using cd command) and typing: VCC

Unless you have a previous installation of VCC the emulation will start as a Tandy Color Computer 3 just as you bought it from Radio Shack, which consists of:

Color Computer 3 (Installation Defaults)

  • 128k memory
  • PC Keyboard remapped to match the Coco 3 layout
  • Cassette Tape interface for loading tape images
  • Bitbanger (RS232) Port for printing listings to a PC file of your choice.
  • Cartridge Slot empty.

Here are a few "Quick Start Configurations" of some standard Coco 3 setups you can use to get you started. These are basic setups. You will eventually tweak these settings to your preferred system. After making changes press [F9] twice to restart the emulation.

This guide is to get you started and not an explanation of it's components. Description of components used can be found in the User Guide.

Settings shown here are found in the Configuration and Cartridge menus.

$\textcolor{red}{Version Note:}$ In versions of VCC previous to 2.1.9.1 the Auto Start settings were in Configuration/Misc. In versions previous to 2.1.9.0 the configuration settings were in a single "Tabbed" dialog reached by Configuration/Config.

Gaming

A good setup for playing Coco 3 games under RSDOS.

  • Audio: Use defaults
  • CPU
    • Overclocking: Set to minimum
    • Memory Size: 512k (unless game requires more)
    • CPU: Some games will require the HD6309 (Nick Marantez's "GunStar" for example), but most run fine with MC6809
    • Auto Start Emulation: Checked
    • Auto Start Cart: Checked
  • Display
    • Monitor Type: Choice based on game requirements, most Coco 3 games will use RGB but some do require CMP for colors (ie Zaxxon)
    • Frame Skip: Default
    • Scan Lines: Unchecked unless you like the look of blanked odd scanlines
    • Force Aspect: Checked
    • Throttle Speed: Checked
  • Keyboard Mapping: Coco (DECB), unless you are more comfortable with a PC keyboard setup, then use "Natural (OS-9)
  • Joysticks: Select the Joysticks of your choice
  • Tape: Default unless using a tape based game
  • BitBanger Defaults
  • Cartridge: Insert "mpi.dll"
    • MPI Slot 4: Insert "fd502.dll"
    • MPI Slot 1: If using a cartridge based game, insert cart here
    • MPI Config: If using a cart based game, move Slot selector slider to the slot in which the game is inserted, otherwise, set it to Slot 4 for the disk controller
    • FD-502 Drive 0: If using disk based game, insert game disk here unless otherwise instructed by the game. Some games use Drive 1 as it's "game data" disk.

Orchestra90

This setup is for using the Orchestra90 Program Pak.

  • Audio Use defaults
  • CPU
    • Overclocking: Set to minimum
    • Memory Size: 512k
    • CPU: MC6809
    • Auto Start Emulation: Checked
    • Auto Start Cart: Checked
  • Display
    • Monitor Type: RGB (doesn't really matter)
    • Frame Skip: Default
    • Scan Lines: Unchecked unless you like the look of blanked odd scanlines
    • Force Aspect: Checked
    • Throttle Speed: Checked
  • Keyboard Mapping: Coco (DECB), unless you are more comfortable with a PC keyboard setup, then use "Natural (OS-9)
  • Joysticks: None
  • Tape: Defaults
  • BitBanger Defaults
  • Cartridge: Insert "mpi.dll"
    • MPI Slot 4: Insert "fd502.dll"
    • Slot 1: Insert "orch90.dll"
    • MPI Config: set it to Slot 1 for the Orchestra90cc Program Pak
    • FD-502 Drive 0: Insert music disks here

$\textcolor{red}{Note:}$ Orchestra90 will only use Drive 0 for it's music disks. Disks must be formatted for RSDOS and ONLY used with Orchestra90.

OS-9/NitrOS9

A basic VCC setup for using OS-9/NitrOS9 with a Hard Drive. Virtual disks for this system can be found on the internet. The nitros9 ease of project is a good place to start.

  • Audio Use defaults
  • CPU
    • Overclocking: Set as desired. Can effect game play.
    • Memory Size: 2048k
    • CPU: MC6809 or HD6309, depending on OS9/NitrOS9 version.
    • Auto Start Emulation: Checked
    • Auto Start Cart: Unchecked
  • Display
    • Monitor Type: RGB
    • Frame Skip: Default
    • Scan Lines: Unchecked
    • Force Aspect: Checked
    • Throttle Speed: Checked
  • Keyboard Mapping: Natural (OS-9)
  • Joysticks: Tandy Hi-res
  • Tape: Default
  • BitBanger Defaults
  • Cartridge: Insert "mpi.dll"
    • MPI Slot 4 Insert "fd502.dll"
    • MPI Slot 3: Insert "harddisk.dll"
    • MPI Config: Set to Slot 4
    • FD-502 Drive 0: Insert OS9/NitrOS9 boot disk (containing emudsk module if using harddrive)
    • FD-502 Config: Leave Disk Basic checked unless you are using Drivewire or HDBDOS. Clock at 0dfF50-50 checked.
    • Hard Drive 0 Insert OS9/NitrOS9 system disk (.VHD)
    • Hard Drive 1 Insert your data or backup drive.
    • DriveWire If using DriveWire4, set server address and port.

Game Master Cart (GMC)

This setup is for using the GMC Program Pak.

  • Audio: Use defaults
  • CPU
    • Overclocking: Set to minumum
    • Memory Size: 512k
    • CPU: MC6809
    • Auto Start Emulation: Checked
    • Auto Start Cart: Unchecked
  • Display
    • Monitor Type: RGB
    • Frame Skip: Default
    • Scan Lines: Unchecked
    • Force Aspect: Checked
    • Throttle Speed: Checked
  • Keyboard Mapping: Coco (DECB)
  • Joysticks: None
  • Misc
  • Tape: Default
  • BitBanger Defaults
  • Cartridge: Insert "GMC.dll"
    • Select GMC ROM Select the GMC compatible ROM to use with the GMC. Alone, the GMC does absolutely nothing.

Enjoy!

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