Here's a quick introductory lesson to ROMs with the important bits you need to know (by Bryce):
1. # The CPC hardware is designed to (theoretically) take up to 256 external ROMs# Each ROM can be up to 16K and are numbered starting from 0.# The ROM can contain a program or utility.# The programs are started using an "RSX" command: ie: A command with the bar "|" in front - Such as |M to start Maxam.# Standard ROMBoards or the MegaFlash allow you to install these. Older ROMBoards usually only supported 6 or 8 ROMs and each ROM was an individual EPROM chip. Whereas modern versions (SF2, Inicron, RamCard, MegaROM, MegaFlash) support up to 32 ROMs and have combined several virtual ROMs within a single larger chip.# Many programs and utilities were released on ROM for three good reasons:##They start instantly, because they don't actually need to be loaded.##They are always present in the background and can be called/started without needing to insert a disk or tape. (useful for utilities such as Basic expansions or Disc utilities)##They usually run directly from the ROM, not from RAM, so the RAM is still 99.9% empty. (useful for text editors and compilers because the RAM is free to be used for data)# The Hardware: The CPC can choose which ROM chip is associated with the 16K area starting at &C000. This is usually the reserved for the contents of the screen (RAM), but the address range is shared with ROM Memory. On start up, the CPC checks whether any ROMs are installed. The CPC464 only checks for ROMs in positions 7-0, but the 6128 checks for ROMs in positions 15-0. (I write 15-0 because they really are scanned in the reverse order). If a ROM is present, the CPC checks what commands the ROM offers and saves them in a table in RAM (This is why I said the RAM is 99.9% free and not 100%).# There are two special ROM positions: ROM 0 is reserved for Basic (known as a type &80 ROM), ROM 7 is reserved for the Disc Operating System - Not present on a 464, AMSDOS on a 6128.# The CPC464 has one internal ROM (0) which can be overwritten by a ROMBoard to replace Basic. The 6128 has internal ROMs 0 and 7 (0 can be overwritten but not 7). The CPC Plus series can overwrite both 0 and 7.# The Plus CPCs don't have internal ROMs, it was "out-sourced" to the Cartridge. The cartridge is actually situated in ROM positions 128 onwards, but the ASIC in the Plus re-maps the cartridge ROMs to 0 and 7 for compatibility.
2. Each ROM can be up to 16K and are numbered starting from 0.== Getting started ==
3. The ROM can contain A nice collection of expansion ROMs in a program or utility.single zipped file, download here [[Cholo ROM Pack]]
4. The programs are started using an "RSX" command: ie: A command with the bar "|" in front - Such as |M to start Maxam.== Other sources ==
5. Standard ROMBoards or the MegaFlash allow you to install these. Older ROMBoards usually only supported 6 or 8 ROMs and each Look also [[ROM was an individual EPROM chip. Whereas modern versions Table|here]] (SF2, Inicron, RamCard, MegaROM, MegaFlashThe ROM Table) support up to 32 ROMs and have combined several virtual ROMs within a single larger chip.
6. Many programs and utilities were released on ROM for three good reasons: -They start instantly, because they don't actually need to be loaded. -They are always present in the background and can be called/started without needing to insert a disk or tape. (useful for utilities such as Basic expansions or Disc utilities) -They usually run directly from the ROM, not from RAM, so the RAM is still 99.9% empty. (useful for text editors and compilers because the RAM is free to be used for data) 7. The Hardware: The CPC can choose which ROM chip is associated with the 16K area starting at &C000. This is usually the reserved for the contents of the screen (RAM), but the address range is shared with ROM Memory. On start up, the CPC checks whether any ROMs are installed. The CPC464 only checks for ROMs in positions 7-0, but the 6128 checks for ROMs in positions 15-0. (I write 15-0 because they really are scanned in the reverse order). If a ROM is present, the CPC checks what commands the ROM offers and saves them in a table in RAM (This is why I said the RAM is 99.9% free and not 100%). 8. There are two special ROM positions: ROM 0 is reserved for Basic (known as a type &80 ROM), ROM 7 is reserved for the Disc Operating System - Not present on a 464, AMSDOS on a 6128. 9. The CPC464 has one internal ROM (0) which can be overwritten by a ROMBoard to replace Basic. The 6128 has internal ROMs 0 and 7 (0 can be overwritten but not 7). The CPC Plus series can overwrite both 0 and 7. 10. The Plus CPCs don't have internal ROMs, it was "out-sourced" to the Cartridge. The cartridge is actually situated in ROM positions 128 onwards, but the ASIC in the Plus re-maps the cartridge ROMs to 0 and 7 for compatibility. === Rom Pack Download === Cholo has created [[File:RomPack By Cholo.zip|this ROM pack]] to get you started. The contents are as follows: Amram 2 - Sideways RAM toolkit ROM (19xx)(Silicon Systems)(AMRAM2.ROM).zipAmsdos 720K (19xx)(-)(720KAMSD.ROM).zipAmstrad Eprom Programmer (19xx)(Fleet Microsystems Ltd & F.Kup)(FLTEPRM.ROM).zipAmstrad Toolkit v1.4 (1986)(Bee Bug Soft)(TOOLKIT.ROM).zipBos v2.1 (1987)(Vortex Gmbh)(BOS21.ROM).zipCage Comms v1.1 (19xx)(D. Gorski and I. Hoare)(CAGE11.ROM).zipCommunication Interface Unit Driver Softare 1.5 (1986)(Panda Electronics Ltd)(PIADR.ROM).zipComstar v1.25 #1 (1986)(Honeysoft-Pace)(COMSTAR1.ROM).zipComstar v1.25 #2 (1986)(Honeysoft-Pace)(COMSTAR2.ROM).zipCopy Lock v6.0 (1988)(Romantic Robot)(COPYl60.ROM).zipCopymate + v3.2 (1990)(Marco Vieth)(De)(COPYM32.ROM).zipCpc 464 Basic (1985)(Amstrad)(BASIC.ROM).zipCpc 464 Modified Os (19xx)(-)(Da)(CPC464DK.ROM).zipCpc 464 Os (1985)(Amstrad)(OS.ROM).zipCpc 464+ and 6128+ Basic (1991)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(BASIC.ROM).zipCpc 464+ and 6128+ Os (1991)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(OS.ROM).zipCpc 464+ Plus A2 (1991)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(ROMPLUSADOS.ROM).zipCpc 664 Amsdos (1985)(Amstrad)(AMSDOS.ROM).zipCpc 664 Basic (1985)(Amstrad)(BASIC.ROM).zipCpc 664 Os (1985)(Amstrad)(OS.ROM).zipCpc 6128 Basic (1985)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(Fr)(FBASIC.ROM).zipCpc 6128 Basic (1985)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(Sp)(BASIC.ROM).zipCpc 6128 Basic (1986)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(BASIC.ROM).zipCpc 6128 Os (1985)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(Fr)(F6128OS.ROM).zipCpc 6128 Os (1985)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(OS.ROM).zipCpc 6128 Os (1985)(Amstrad-Locomotive)(Sp)(S6128OS.ROM).zipCPM Accessory Rom 1 (1988)(Graduate Software)(CPMACC1.ROM).zipCPM+ #1 (1988)(Graduate Software-Digital Research-Amstrad)(CPM1.ROM).zipCPM+ #2 (1988)(Graduate Software-Digital Research-Amstrad)(CPM2.ROM).zipDisc Demon v1.1 (1986)(Bee Bug Soft)(DDEMON.ROM).zipDisc Power (19xx)(-)(DISCPWR.ROM).zipDiscology Disccopier (1987)(Meridien Software)(DISCOLOG.ROM).zipDiscology Filecopier (19xx)(-)(Fr)(DISCFILE.ROM).zipDiscology v6.0 (19xx)(Meridien Software)(DOLOGY6.ROM).zipDk'Tronics Speech Rom v1.1 (19xx)(Dk'Tronics)(DKSPEECH.ROM).zipDos Copy v1.3 and Crime v1.3 (1991)(-)(DOSCRIME.ROM)[ROM v2.1].zipDragon Breed Rom 1 (19xx)(Dragon Breed)(DBREED1.ROM).zipExtended Basic v1.1 (1986)(John Morrison)(EXBASIC.ROM).zipHack It-Le Hackeur (19xx)(Siren Software)(En-Fre)(HACKEUR.ROM).zipJL Utilities v1.2 (19xx)(J0rn Lorentzen-JLCS)(JLUTIL12.ROM).zipJL Utilities v2.1 (19xx)(J0rn Lorentzen-JLCS)(JLUTIL21.ROM).zipJm Eprom Programmer (1985)(John Morrison)(JMPEPRM.ROM).zipJm Maxidos v1.2 (19xx)(Nemesis)(MAXIDOS.ROM).zipK.D.S Serial Interface & Comms Pack 5 v4.2B (19xx)(K.D.S. Electronics)(KSERIAL.ROM).zipKns Rom 6128 v1.01 (1989)(MFW)(KNSROM.ROM).zipLock Smith (1985)(Bee Bug Software)(LOCKS.ROM).zipMaster File 128 v2.2 (19xx)(Campbell Systems and GoldMark)(MFILE128.ROM).zipMaster File 464 v1.1 (1984)(Campbell Systems and Amsoft)(MFILE464.ROM).zipMicro Music Creator #1 (1988)(First Byte)(MMC1.ROM).zipMicro Music Creator #2 (1988)(First Byte)(MMC2.ROM).zipMicro Style Rom v2.11 (1989)(Micro Style - PotPlant Systems)(STYLE.ROM).zipMultiface 2 (19xx)(Romantic Robot)(MULTFACE.ROM).zipNigdos 2.24 (1988)(-)(NIGDOS.ROM).zipNirvana 1.1 (1990)(GoldMark Systems)(NIRVANA.ROM).zipNwc Utilities 1.1 (19xx)(Nwc)(NWCUTIL.ROM).zipOdd Job 2.2 (1985)(Pride Utilities-GoldMark)(ODDJOB22.ROM).zipPro Skey - Procopy v1.2 and Speed Key (1990)(Nemesis)(PROSKEY.ROM).zipProgrammer's Toolbox 1.0a (19xx)(-)(TOOLBOX.ROM).zipProgrammers Tool Box v1.2a (19xx)(-)(PT12A.ROM).zipRodos v2.11 (19xx)(Romantic Robot)(RODOS211.ROM).zipRodos v2.15 (19xx)(Romantic Robot)(RODOS215.ROM).zipRom Dos (1988)(Kds Electronics)(ROMDOS.ROM).zipRom Dos XL (1992)(Siren Software Ltd - Kds Electronics)(ROMDOSXL.ROM).zipRom Dos XL v4.88 (1993)(Siren Software Ltd)(RDOSXL48.ROM).zipSuper Power Mailing List (1985)(Micro Power Ltd)(MAIL.ROM).zipSuper Rom v1.0 (1991)(Vorax)(SUPER.ROM).zipSuper Romplus - Auto Rom Control System 1.6 (1986)(Britannia Software Ltd)(ARCS16.ROM).zipSystem-X v2.1 (1985)(Pride Utilities)(SYSX21.ROM).zipT3m Rom (19xx)(-)(T3MROM.ROM).zipTransmat v2.1 (1985)(Pride Utilities)(TMAT21.ROM).zipUNCR v2.4 - Cruncher Accessory ROM for CPM (1988)(Graduate Software)(CPMCRCH.ROM).zipUtility Suite (19xx)(-)(ROB3ROM.ROM).zipVorax's CPM Plus Rom #1 (19xx)(Graduate - Vorax)(CPM1.ROM).zipVortex Ram - Expansion Card ID (19xx)(Vortex)(De)(VRAMID.ROM).zipX-Ddos (1987)(-)(XDDOS111.ROM).zipXROM Eprommer v1.16 (1986)(Timatic Systems)(XROM.ROM).zip [[Category:Hardware]][[Category:Software]][[Category:Applications]][[Category:DATA Storage]][[Category:Cartridges]][[Category:Peripherals]]