Gameline Modem

[+Mitch]

So here it is at last, the Gameline Modem ROM dump.

 

This was really a pain to dump and I want to thank William Cassidy for loaning out his Gameline Modem several times. And also Eckhard Stolberg for looking at all of my attempted dumps and finally writing a custom version of the dumping software so we could get a good dump.

 

Just a note that the dump does not work in any emulators at present due to it's weird banking configuration. It has 4K of ROM and 12K of RAM with the ROM being banked in 1K segments.

 

Mitch

GameLine4K.bin

[S1500]

It would be fun to hook up the gameline to a regular system, have it dial the system a fake gameline service. You would have a Rube Goldberg-esque cuttle cart.

[+Allan]

Does it work on a Cuttle Cart one or two?

 

Allan

[Rom Hunter]

So here it is at last, the Gameline Modem ROM dump.

 

This was really a pain to dump and I want to thank William Cassidy for loaning out his Gameline Modem several times. And also Eckhard Stolberg for looking at all of my attempted dumps and finally writing a custom version of the dumping software so we could get a good dump.

 

Just a note that the dump does not work in any emulators at present due to it's weird banking configuration. It has 4K of ROM and 12K of RAM with the ROM being banked in 1K segments.

 

Mitch

Many thanks, Mitch.

 

It will be added to our database asap.

 

[+Mitch]

Does it work on a Cuttle Cart one or two?

 

Allan

 

No, though it may partially work on a CC2 if someone wants to write a banking file for it. The actually Gameline modem has a plug for a phone cord (it is a modem) so replicating that would not be possible on a CC2.

 

Mitch

[jhd]

So, has someone disassembled the ROM enough to ascertain what phone number it dials to connect to the server?

[Thomas Jentzsch]

So, has someone disassembled the ROM enough to ascertain what phone number it dials to connect to the server?

Not yet.

 

But I removed a check at the beginning. Now it boots to the 1st screen.

GameLine (hack).bin

[+Mitch]

So, has someone disassembled the ROM enough to ascertain what phone number it dials to connect to the server?

Not yet.

 

But I removed a check at the beginning. Now it boots to the 1st screen.

 

Cool!

 

Mitch

[roland p]

Found a story about this cartridge:http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Lair/9260/gameline.html

[Glenn Jupp]

Oh, wow. Thanks to Mitch and all for getting this done. Terribly interesting.

 

And don't forget the information Kevin Horton had on the hardware of the thing.

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20000118025908/tripoint.org/kevtris/gameline.htm

 

http://atari2600.org/pipermail/stella/2001-August/007818.html

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the first link has off-white text on a white background. Just select everything to see what it all says.

Edited October 6, 2009 by Glenn Jupp

[GrizzLee]

Oh, wow. Thanks to Mitch and all for getting this done. Terribly interesting.

 

And don't forget the information Kevin Horton had on the hardware of the thing.

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20000118025908/tripoint.org/kevtris/gameline.htm

 

http://atari2600.org/pipermail/stella/2001-August/007818.html

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the first link has off-white text on a white background. Just select everything to see what it all says.

 

Cool,

 

Now, I would like to see the SuperCharger demo cart dumped.

 

-Lee

[+Mitch]

Cool,

 

Now, I would like to see the SuperCharger demo cart dumped.

 

-Lee

 

Loan me one and I'll give it a go.

 

Mitch

[CPUWIZ]

Cool,

 

Now, I would like to see the SuperCharger demo cart dumped.

 

-Lee

 

Hmm, never thought about that, since it isn't a cart. For those of you who don't know what Lee is talking about:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/33557-picture-of-a-supercharger-in-store-demo-unit

[Omegamatrix]

So here it is at last, the Gameline Modem ROM dump.

 

This was really a pain to dump and I want to thank William Cassidy for loaning out his Gameline Modem several times. And also Eckhard Stolberg for looking at all of my attempted dumps and finally writing a custom version of the dumping software so we could get a good dump.

 

Just a note that the dump does not work in any emulators at present due to it's weird banking configuration. It has 4K of ROM and 12K of RAM with the ROM being banked in 1K segments.

 

Mitch

Cool! I'll take this one off of the dumps needed list.

[Godzilla]

great work guys, as a fellow gameline owner, i'm always curious to learn more about this cart

[Primordial Ooze]

Any idea on why it woun't get further then "Read Manual, Press Reset?" I would assume its locking up because it can't find the modem, but need someone to confirm.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dino Dash Derby

[tetrode kink]

So, has someone disassembled the ROM enough to ascertain what phone number it dials to connect to the server?

If someone posts a recording of the modem dialing, I can tell you what numbers it dials. I have a pretty good ear for those tones. I used to amaze my friends by [usually] accurately telling what number was being punched on a touch-tone phone. It's been a while, so I'd probably have to enlist the help of Cool Edit to extend the tones, but I'm confident I can do it.

 

Just a thought.

 

-tet

[Pioneer4x4]

So, has someone disassembled the ROM enough to ascertain what phone number it dials to connect to the server?

If someone posts a recording of the modem dialing, I can tell you what numbers it dials. I have a pretty good ear for those tones. I used to amaze my friends by [usually] accurately telling what number was being punched on a touch-tone phone. It's been a while, so I'd probably have to enlist the help of Cool Edit to extend the tones, but I'm confident I can do it.

 

Just a thought.

 

-tet

I'm sure that would not be needed (It would be cool to see though!). I would bet it is pulse dialing, just count the clicks. If not, I'm sure there MUST be something on the web to detect the tones.

 

As a side note, I was digging around my garage Saturday looking for something, and found a dirty, torn piece of paper on a shelf. I picked it up and it is my registration paper for the gameline I had! It has the serial number written on it. There is a small change I have pieces of it buried in the bottom of some box of junk, I would like to find out if I still have it.

[tetrode kink]

If someone posts a recording of the modem dialing, I can tell you what numbers it dials. I have a pretty good ear for those tones. I used to amaze my friends by [usually] accurately telling what number was being punched on a touch-tone phone. It's been a while, so I'd probably have to enlist the help of Cool Edit to extend the tones, but I'm confident I can do it.

 

Just a thought.

 

-tet

I'm sure that would not be needed (It would be cool to see though!). I would bet it is pulse dialing, just count the clicks. If not, I'm sure there MUST be something on the web to detect the tones.

 

As a side note, I was digging around my garage Saturday looking for something, and found a dirty, torn piece of paper on a shelf. I picked it up and it is my registration paper for the gameline I had! It has the serial number written on it. There is a small change I have pieces of it buried in the bottom of some box of junk, I would like to find out if I still have it.

HA! Pulse dialing; forgot about that. Late '70s, early '80s, there were still a lot of rotary-dial phones in use.

 

That reminds me of something else I used to "amaze" my friends by doing: Dialing a phone number, using the "pulse-by-hand" method, on a perfectly good touch-tone phone. Electrically, dialing a "5" (for example) on a rotary-dial phone is the same as punching the hookswitch five times real fast. I could dial a whole phone number like that. OK, the reason I said I "amazed" my friends with that is because only one of my friends was really impressed; he was the only one who asked me to do it more than once...

 

Ahh, good times.

 

Yeah, there should be something on the web that can decode numbers from touch-tone pairs, assuming the modem in question dials in tones. It's not too hard to decode by ear, really, if you have a good ear for tones of any kind. Fortunately cell phones still make the old standard tone pairs when you hit their number buttons (for those of us who don't have touchscreen-only smartphones and still have those ancient cellys with physical buttons for numbers! ) Anyway, listening carefully to modem dialing tones and punching phone buttons to compare and match will work in a pinch.

 

-tet

[+batari]

That reminds me of something else I used to "amaze" my friends by doing: Dialing a phone number, using the "pulse-by-hand" method, on a perfectly good touch-tone phone. Electrically, dialing a "5" (for example) on a rotary-dial phone is the same as punching the hookswitch five times real fast. I could dial a whole phone number like that. OK, the reason I said I "amazed" my friends with that is because only one of my friends was really impressed; he was the only one who asked me to do it more than once...

I worked at a grocery store when I was just out of high school, and they had a phone in the back with no dial or buttons, so they thought it could only receive calls. I assume you figured out how to pulse-by-hand dial from listening to a modem pulse-dial, as I did.

 

Anyway, I showed a few people how to dial out, thinking they would call friends and stuff, but before long, people were calling 1-900 numbers Management never figured it out, even after getting a huge phone bill.

[Pioneer4x4]

You could also trick a pay phone like in the movies, it was 1 click for nickel, 2 for dime, 3 for quarter. Anyway, I was going to scan the sheet I found, and forget where I put it!

[Godzilla]

the 2600... old phone hacking at 2600hz... hacking magazine called 2600... and the gameline... all connected...

[A.J. Franzman]

Just don't post anything VCS-related to the *.2600 newsgroups, unless you're hungry for some flames.

[Shquata]

So, has someone disassembled the ROM enough to ascertain what phone number it dials to connect to the server?

If someone posts a recording of the modem dialing, I can tell you what numbers it dials. I have a pretty good ear for those tones. I used to amaze my friends by [usually] accurately telling what number was being punched on a touch-tone phone. It's been a while, so I'd probably have to enlist the help of Cool Edit to extend the tones, but I'm confident I can do it.

 

Just a thought.

 

-tet

I'm sure that would not be needed (It would be cool to see though!). I would bet it is pulse dialing, just count the clicks. If not, I'm sure there MUST be something on the web to detect the tones.

 

As a side note, I was digging around my garage Saturday looking for something, and found a dirty, torn piece of paper on a shelf. I picked it up and it is my registration paper for the gameline I had! It has the serial number written on it. There is a small change I have pieces of it buried in the bottom of some box of junk, I would like to find out if I still have it.

 

 

Little to no knowledge about all the electronics , but I do think it tries to dial digitaly the first time and if it sits a minute or 2 (or maybe 3 ? ) without any switches or anything else being touched , the attemps after that are pulse dialing

 

So much for my 2 cents

The Old Guy

[tetrode kink]

I worked at a grocery store when I was just out of high school, and they had a phone in the back with no dial or buttons, so they thought it could only receive calls. I assume you figured out how to pulse-by-hand dial from listening to a modem pulse-dial, as I did.

 

Anyway, I showed a few people how to dial out, thinking they would call friends and stuff, but before long, people were calling 1-900 numbers Management never figured it out, even after getting a huge phone bill.

Cool story!

 

As to how I learned how pulse dialing worked, I can neither confirm nor deny from where I didn't not learn about it, nor whether it wasn't not from the phone phreaking craze that was or was not happening at the time...

 

OK, I can confirm that I indeed did not learn it from phone phreaking, as in Woz calling the Vatican for free with his little blue box, etc. I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere; I think it was when I read about Strowger switches. We didn't have an encyclopedia in the house, and of course there was no Discovery Channel at the time, so I must have read it in a book from the public library.

 

BTW, I wish I had known about phreaking, since it was happening at exactly the time I was a benignly-mischievous, "how stuff works"-hungry teenager. I just wasn't plugged in to the right info streams, I guess.

 

-tet