MAME RC2014 machine

[Robb Bates]

I'm trying to get Visual Studio Code to launch MAME with the RC2014 machine so I can use it to debug my code with DeZog.

I can launch MAME manually, and it will connect to VSC and I can step through the BIOS/BDOS.

But I need to be able to add my compiled .COM file to a disk image to be able to access it within the CP/M on MAME.  But I'm having trouble with the whole command line options and disk formatting and such.  Here's the mame line in my tasks.json

C:\\Users\\robbb\\Documents\\MAME\\mame.exe rc2014zedp -bus:6 fdc_smc -flop1 C:\\Users\\robbb\\Documents\\test\\Build\\test.img -ui_active -window -debugger gdbstub -debug -debugger_port 12000

Does anyone use this same setup and do you have a tasks.json that I can copy/modify?

Spencer, I saw your name in some of the RC2014 MAME machine code.  I'm hoping you know exactly what I need to do.

Thanks,

Robb

[Robb Bates]

I'm getting this error:

Fatal error: Device 3.5" high density floppy drive load failed: Unable to identify image file format

I'm using wbw_fd144 as the -f option for mkfs and cpmcp

[Wayne Warthen]

My understanding is that MAME wants floppy disk formats with metadata such as TD0 and IMD.  The RomWBW floppy disk images are raw sector data intended to be written to real media.

Thanks, Wayne

[Robb Bates]

More info.

I am now able to properly access the wordstar floppy image in MAME.

So it seems like I am unable to create a properly formatted floppy image.

I'm using this command:

mkfs.cpm -f wbw_fd144 test.img

Then using cpmcp to copy files to it.

cmpcp -f wbw_fd144 test.img test.com 0:test.com

Wayne,  the fact that I can access your wordstar floppy image shows that I can actually access a floppy image.  I just somehow can't create my own.

I don't think it's MAME that cares about the floppy format, I think it's the rc2014 MAME machine floppy controller that cares what the format is in.

Robb

[Robb Bates]

Where can I find the command for creating the wordstar floppy image?  I might be able to mimic that.

Robb

[Wayne Warthen]

Look at Build.cmd in the Source/Images directory of the distribution.

I have a vague recollection that mkfs does not actually create a file of exactly 1.44MB.

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[Robb Bates]

Wait, I think I found it.

Looks like you're using the linux dd command?

I'm on windows, so that's not going to help.

Robb

[Spencer Owen]

On Sat, 20 Dec 2025, 22:42 Robb Bates, <robb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Spencer, I saw your name in some of the RC2014 MAME machine code.  I'm hoping you know exactly what I need to do.

I've no idea why my name is in there. An RC2014 MAME sounds really cool, although I have never run it, let alone written any code for it.

Looking at the rest of this thread, it seems like you got it all.working though.

Spencer 

[Alan Cox]

There are a bunch of versions of dd available for windows. They don't all seem to get raw media right but they do get file editing correct.

Alan

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[Wayne Warthen]

On Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 4:58:54 PM UTC-8 Robb Bates wrote:

Looks like you're using the linux dd command?

Hmmm... no, I'm not using dd in the Windows build.  I am pretty sure the Windows build just creates a file of the right size filled with 0xE5.  Essentially, just the same as a formatted floppy disk in CP/M.  I think I did this with PowerShell, but there are many ways to do it.  RomWBW includes a Windows version of srecord (srec_cat) that would work well.  Then I use cpmcp to add the files.

Regardless, it appears you have it all working now.  Looks interesting.  I intend to try it when I get home from my holiday travels.

-Wayne

[Robb Bates]

Well, I came to the conclusion that I didn't need to use a floppy image anyways.  MAME simulates the slow floppy read process accurately.  Yay? but boo.  And I was loading the combo image for no reason.  I just could hit C at the boot menu and drop into CPM.  So then I ended up creating a CF image for my files and that worked.

Spencer, maybe what the credits with your name for was the RC2014 and not the code.

Robb

[Alan Cox]

On Sun, 21 Dec 2025 at 17:50, Robb Bates <robb...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, I came to the conclusion that I didn't need to use a floppy image anyways.  MAME simulates the slow floppy read process accurately.  Yay? but boo. 

You can disable that if you can figure out the correct incantations. For some people that and floppy noises are important. There's a reason EmulatorKit doesn't emulate floppy delays.

Alan