Using an iPod with the Apple 1 Cassette Interface

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Using an iPod with the Apple 1 Cassette Interface

I have uploaded an Apple 1 Game in aiff (lossless) format that can be used to load through the Cassette interface from an iPod or iPhone.

http://www.applefritter.com/node/24580

Move the file to the iPod through iTunes then connect the iPod to the cassette "From Tape" connector using a 3.5mm stereo miniplug cable. It is best to use a stereo cable because a mono cable will short the Right output of the iPod to Gnd. When loading set the iPod volume to maximum or a little lower. It is useful to have an audio splitter so you can hear the ipod output. The recording is mono and appears on both channels. The game is Hamurabi adapted from 101 Basic Computer Games.

The record loads at 004A.00FFR 0400.0FFFR and runs at E2B3 after Basic is loaded. You can determine whether the load was successful by looking at the last two bytes of the loaded file. Due to the variable length nature of the encoding format it is very unlikely that the last two bytes would be correct if there was a read error anywhere on the record. On this tape the last two bytes, 00FE.00FF should read as 00 ED and 0FFE.0FFF should read as 51 01. If the load at full volume fails turn down the volume about 10% and try again. If you can look at the iPod output with an oscilloscope you can check the volume level. I was able to load successfully over a p-p voltage range of 0.4V to 2V. Note that the LED indicator on the cassette interface will not light up even at 2 volts so if the light is on the volume is too high.

I have several Apple 1 Game files of this quality. They are pretty large files so I am planning to set up a Web site to put these on. I am also writing a description of how to write to the iPod and how i was able to recover the files from my old cassette tapes that were not all in very good shape.

You can look at the file with a free program "Audacity" for Windows and MAC. I used that program to process my files.

wsander

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Thanks for the info! I had be

Thanks for the info! I had been planning on doing the same thing as soon as I get my cassette interface. Have you attempted to record into the ipod as well?

Also, if you're looking for a place to post the files, you can set up a blog at my site, apple-1.org and upload the files there if you want.

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Can someone post Apple 1 basi

Can someone post Apple 1 basic in AIFF format? This would save me having to type it in WOZ style!

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Basic

I will upload a basic file tonight and a report on writing to the iPod.

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Apple 1 Basic Posted

http://www.applefritter.com/node/24583

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Would this work or also short it?

Before I try this out and/or start cutting up cables to build a custom stereo-to-mono cable.

Could combining a 3.5mm stereo splitter and mono cable from the Panasonic tape recorder  (see below) work to load/save programs with the Apple-1 ACI and/or Apple II from/to an iPod or Audacity? Or will this also short the righ or left output from the iPad or MacBook?

Obviously using a tape recorder will work with a mono-to-mono cable, but that's purely nostalgic torture to remind me how much it su%%ed using a tape even back in the 80s. :-D

 

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Play

why so complicated?I also use a stereo cable (on both sides) and it still works,I just play the "program music" with an Apple Macbook, and I can adjust the volume for this (approx. 66% is ideal).At most it can be that the signals are played on the left channel and your adapter hangs on the right, then you just have to switch the T piece.

 

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I was worried about shorting

I was worried about shorting or damaging something, but if a stereo-to-stereo cable works that's a lot easier. Thanks for the info and the volume level tip.

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A WARNING ABOUT STEREO CABLES ON THE ACI !

The above discussion thread brought up the issue of which cable to use with the ACI and rises the (justified) concern about shorting out a STEREO channel.

 

I recommend custom made cables having a STEREO plug on one end and a MONO plug on the other end (the MONO plug goes into the ACI). A pair of these cables can be cheaply made by buying a STEREO cable of twice the needed length with 3.5mm plugs on both ends, cut it in half, and then mount two MONO 3.5mm plugs on the ends. Only the TIP of the STEREO plug (one channel) gets connected to the TIP of the MONO plug.  The STEREO channel on the RING of the STEREO plug stays open (not connected). Which is L and which is R I don't have in my head, sorry. I just use a circuit beeper to find which is which so as to leave the ring unconnected.

 

The reason for this is, of course, a possible short on one STEREO channel. This definitely happens if you plug a MONO plug into a STEREO outlet (don't do that !). But even if you use STEREO cables, depending on the nature of the ACI input connector, this connector (if it's the MONO type) may also short one of the STEREO channels to ground (the one on the "RING"). I have measured that and so the danger is real.

 

This info has been in my "Tips & Tricks for Apple-1 builders" since many months but it's only available to those who buy my IC kits and then contact me. A few buyers never do that (perhaps they are afraid I would send them spam emails ?) and so they live like mushrooms, in the dark, and never get my "Tips & Tricks". Well, some daring personalities may want to find out all the pitfalls by themselves. It's sure a lot of interesting brain calisthenics !

 

Back in the day when consumer electronics were not designed by idiots, you could plug a MONO cable into a STEREO outlet and no damage to the amplifier would happen despite of the short. Components were sized such that they tolerated the short. Since these super sophisticated circuit design techniques (pun intended) have been forgotten in the half century since then, there is definitely a risk that a shorted channel could die. All is in an IC now and robust overcurrent protection would be cheap to implement. But the world today is so pervaded with evil that they may have left that protection circuit out on purpose, so every time you plug the wrong cable (not theirs) in, you have to buy a new device, because nobody can repair these tiny things anymore. Never try to explain with incompetence when malice would increase profits. I wonder how many millions of US$ the pharmaceutical / healthcare mafia can make from each damaged / paralyzed / helpless victim of their  "vaccine". This may be the next big business boom. But it's off topic and so I promise to stop right here. Just keep in mind they created a huuuuge aftermarket for permanent medication of 10's if not 100's of millions of people. Invest accordingly !

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I am glad I asked and will

I am glad I asked and will use a custom  (ACI) mono-to-stereo (iPod/MacBook) cable for this purpose. Thank you UncleBernie !

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