Commodore 64: Freeload (+clones) loader

@DrWatson

Published in 

C64 tape formats

 · 3 years ago

Genuine Freeload can be found on...

• Barbarian
• Combat School
• IK+. Platoon
• Robocop
• Slapfight
• Wizball
• etc..

Clones of the Freeload file format can be found on..

• 180
• Alleykat
• Paradroid
• Angleball
• Kromazone
• Spore
• etc..

(see notes below)

-------------------

Threshold : $0168 (360) clock cycles (TAP byte $2C).
Bit 0 : $24
Bit 1 : $41
Endianess : MSbF
Pilot byte : $40 (*128)
Sync byte : $5A

Then...

2 bytes : Start address (LSBF)
2 bytes : End address (LSBF)
n bytes : Data
1 byte : Checksum (0 XOR all data bytes)

Notes:
This exact same file format is used by the "Graftgold" and the "180" loaders, also by Mastertronics "Invade-a-load" and "Load-n-play" loaders which differ only in that they use 64 pilot bytes instead of 128.