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Emulators Inc. |
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The Internet's home for Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, and Apple Macintosh emulation
Contents:
Contact Info:
Emulators Inc.
14150 NE 20th Street
Suite 302
Bellevue, WA 98007
U.S.A.
phone: 206-236-0540
fax: 206-236-0257
email: emulators@msn.com
or info@emulators.com
GEMULATOR CLASSIC / GEMULATOR 96
Atari ST/STE Emulators
for MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, OS/2 Warp,
Windows 95, and Windows NT
In 1992, Branch Always Software released the world's first Atari ST emulator - GEMULATOR. Since then, thousands of Atari ST users around the world have been using Gemulator to turn their PCs into powerful Atari ST and STE clones.
Gemulator can be thought of as a TOS upgrade and 68000 accelerator for your PC. It can function as a basic Atari 1040ST, or as a souped up upgraded model. Unlike a real Atari ST or STE computer, there is no 4 megabyte memory limit, no 640x400 graphics limit, and no 8 MHz speed limit. Gemulator makes use of as much memory, graphics resolution, and speed that your PC can deliver. Today's newest Pentium computers allow Gemulator to run at about 15 (yes, that's fifteen) times the speed of a 1040ST and display up to 1600x1200 graphics. Drop in a set of Mac ROMs and Gemulator can even run Mac software!
By the way, if you happen to be driving around Seattle or attending a computer show on the west coast, don't be surprised to see Darek driving around in the GEMULATOR-MOBILE:
We offer two different versions of Gemulator, one for DOS users and one for Windows users:
Gemulator 96
Our most powerful emulator, with Atari ST and Atari STE emulation, runs on notebook, laptop, and desktop PCs running Windows. It is the fastest Atari ST emulator available, running 2 to 5 times faster than similar more expensive emulators. Gemulator 96 costs only $69.95. Future versions of this emulator will add Atari TT and Mac II support.
Gemulator Classic
The original Gemulator for MS-DOS, now available for free! Gemulator Classic is designed for use on PCs too slow or too old to run the latest versions of Windows. Gemulator Classic requires only 2 megabytes of RAM, a 386 or faster, and any MS-DOS compatible operating system.
[Product
Features] | [Hardware
Requirements]
[Gemulator Classic] | [Gemulator 96]
[Speed and Compatibility]
| [Pricing and Upgrades]
[Screen Shots]
Product Features
Both Gemulator 96 and Gemulator Classic share some common features. Regardless of which version you use, they both emulate the basic functionality of any Atari ST:
512K to 8M of Atari ST memory
ST Low 320x200 16-color graphics
ST Medium 640x200 4-color graphics
ST High 640x400 monochrome graphics
TT Medium 640x480 16-color graphics
Modem, printer, and sound support
720K and 1.44M floppy disk support
Hard disk support
Mouse and keyboard support
Support for TOS 1.0, TOS 1.2, TOS 1.4, and MagiC
With either version of Gemulator, you can run most of the major desktop publishing, graphics, word processing, and finance software written for Atari ST computers. For example, you can edit and run your GFA Basic programs, run Pagestream and print your documents, run Calamus SL and print your documents, query you Data Manager ST databases, write documents with Word Writer ST, draw graphics with Degas Elite, and most other things you do on an Atari ST computer.
Gemulator 96 adds additional capabilities that go beyond those of Gemulator Classic:
Smaller disk space requirements
Faster emulation speed
STE emulation, support for TOS 1.6, TOS 1.62, and TOS 2.06
800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, and 1600x1200 video modes
Full screen and windowed modes of operation
14 megabytes of Atari ST memory
Built-in 68000 debugger and third party debugger support
Support for very large hard disk partitions, CD-ROMs, and network drives
Easy-to-use point and click configuration
Windows NT supported (Gemulator Classic does not run on NT)
Speed and compatibility
Gemulator is written almost entirely in 32-bit assembly langauge. It is an extremely fast emulator requiring only a 33 Mhz 486 to operate at the full speed of an Atari ST, and a 75 Mhz Pentium to emulate the full speed of a TT030. Gemulator is a 68000 emulator that also emulates the many custom chips of the Atari ST/STE computers (such as the MFP and video chips). This allows it to run most Atari software, including programs that bypass the GEM operating system and those that write directly to hardware or to screen memory.
The 68000 emulation is so complete that 68000 debuggers run just fine on Gemulator. The IPL levels, trace bit, supervisor and user modes are all emulated.
Gemulator's only limitations are that copy protected floppy disks are not supported, MIDI ports are not supported, and timing dependent software is not supported. i.e. programs such as Spectrum 512 which run only on 8 MHz Atari ST models, but not on 16MHz STE or 32 MHz TT models will not run on Gemulator either. This is because Gemulator typically runs much faster than the standard 8 MHz speed of an ST.
High resolution graphics
Gemulator takes advantage of the higher graphics resolutions available in your PC's video card. In addition to emulating the 3 standard Atari ST screen resolutions (320x200 in 16 colors, 640x200 in 4 colors, and 640x400 monochrome) Gemulator also supports 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, and 1280x1024 in monochrome and 16-color modes. Note: Gemulator Classic is limited to a maximum 640x480 resolution, whereas Gemulator 96 is limited only by the screen resolution of the Windows desktop.
Unlike a real Atari computer that would require up to 4 separate monitors to accomplish this, most PCs can display all these resolutions on a single SuperVGA monitor.
More memory than a real ST
Gemulator can emulate a 520ST, a Mega ST 4, or a MegaSTE with up to 14 megabytes of memory (8 megabytes on Gemulator Classic). The amount of memory being emulated can be set at 512K, 1 meg, 2 meg, 4 meg, 8 meg, or 14 meg, and can be changed at any time while running Gemulator.
Disk support
Access your Atari single sided 360K, double sided 720K, and high density 1.44M floppy disks, as well as 800K disks and boot disks. Gemulator can even read those old TOS 1.0 formatted floppy disks that PCs normally can't read.
Note: Copy protected floppy disks are not supported. Windows 3.1 and Windows NT do not support the TOS 1.0 formatted disks.
Gemulator 96 also automatically accesses all the hard disk partitions and CD-ROM drives connected to your PC. Earlier versions of Gemulator required setting up separate Atari ST hard disk partitions, and while this is still an option it is no longer required. Gemulator automatically takes care of large hard disk partitions, Stacker and DoubleSpace partitions, and other hard disk formats that TOS did not originally support.
That's right: Gemulator 96 eliminates GEM's 32 megabyte partition size limit!
MFP, Yamaha, video, DMA, and Blitter chip support
As mentioned earlier, Gemulator is not only a complete 68000 emulator, but it also emulates all of the special hardware chips used inside Atari ST computers. This includes the video chip, so that programs which write directly to screen memory run just fine. NVDI 4, Warp 9, Quick ST 3, Turbo ST, and other screen accelerators are fully supported.
Multiple modem and printer support
Atari programs can access any printer or modem that Windows supports. You can switch between them on the fly, by specifying which COM port and which LPT port to use as the Atari modem and printer ports. On Gemulator 96, modem baud rates beyond 19200 baud are also supported, including 28800, 38400, 57600, and 115200 baud. Note: Gemulator 96 does not support the modem when running on Windows 3.1 or Windows For Workgroups.
Gemulator Classic
Gemulator Classic is our entry level product designed for use on slow or low memory PCs. Gemulator Classic requires only a 386 processor and the MS-DOS operating system to operate.
We recommend Gemulator Classic for use on any PC that runs MS-DOS and is otherwise too slow or lacks the memory to efficiently run Windows. Gemulator Classic also runs well on OS/2 Warp.
Gemulator Classic is capable of running most of the Atari operating systems as Gemulator 96, such as TOS 1.4, TOS 2.06, and MagiC. Gemulator Classic is NOT an STE emulator, and does not support TOS versions 1.6, 1.62, or 2.05.
Gemulator Classic is free. ROM boards, TOS ROMs, and MagiC are available at extra cost.
Gemulator 96
Gemulator 96 is our most powerful Atari emulator, and is far more powerful than competing emulators such as MagiC PC and Janus. Gemulator 96 runs on Windows 3.1, Windows For Workgroups 3.11, Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51, and Windows NT 4.0 and works well on all of these platforms with these two restrictions:
Windows 3.1, Windows For Workgroups, and Windows NT do not support non-MS-DOS formatted floppy disks, or single sided disks. You must use standard 720K or 1.44M floppy disks on these systems, or run a utility to write an MS-DOS boot sector to the floppy disk. Windows 95 supports all disk formats.
Windows 3.1 and Windows For Workgroups require the use of the Win32s extensions which at the present time do not support serial ports and thus do not permit the use of a modem. Users of Windows 95 or Windows NT will not have any problems with the modem.
Gemulator Classic was only been available in a hardware version that consisted of a plug-in ISA card and TOS ROMs. This made it impractical for use on notebook computers since it required either the use of a docking station or a very high end notebook computer that contained ISA slots. Gemulator 96 changes that, by adding the ability to use a disk based Atari operating system (called MagiC) so that it can run on notebook and laptop computers.
Gemulator 96 is very easy to install and use. Just plug in the Gemulator card with TOS ROMs or install MagiC from disk. Then copy the Gemulator emulation software from either the Gemulator master disk. Click on the Gemulator icon to start running Gemulator. Use the Properties dialog box to configure all the settings in Gemulator - modem port, printer port, memory size, etc. Then click on "Save" to remember your settings and you're done!
Windows eliminate the old MS-DOS headaches of having to edit the CONFIG.SYS file or the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. There are no configuration files to edit whatsoever. Just a simple dialog box as shown below is all that you need to configure Gemulator 96:
Hardware Requirements
Gemulator 96 and Gemulator Classic use a combination of plug-in hardware card, TOS ROMs, and emulation software.
The hardware is an 8-bit ISA card that includes the Atari
ST or STE TOS ROMs. The card plugs into any empty ISA
slot in your PC or docking station. One or more sets of
Atari ST or STE TOS ROM chips must be plugged in to the
card to operate, since it is these TOS ROMs that contain
the Atari's GEM operating system, which in turn runs your
Atari software.
Up to four 2-chip sets of TOS ROMs may be plugged in to one Gemulator card, or a combination of one 2-chip and one 6-chip set of ROMS as shown in the picture.
The Gemulator 96 software, which activates the card and runs the Atari emulator, requires Windows 3.1 or 95 with at least 8 megabytes of RAM, or Windows NT 3.51 or 4.0 with at least 16 megabytes of memory. A 386, 486, Pentium, or Pentium Pro processor is required. In other words, 8086 and 286 processors are not supported.
Gemulator Classic has similar requirements except that it requires only 4 megabytes of RAM when running from MS-DOS, or 8 megabytes of RAM when running on OS/2 Warp or in a Windows MS-DOS Prompt window.
To run Gemulator 96 on Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, you must also install Win32s version 1.2 or higher.
Gemulator has been heavily tested on a variety of microprocessors ranging from a 16 MHz 386SX to a 200 MHz Pentium Pro. We have found no problems on any of the Intel 386, 486, or Pentium processors. Our testing and feedback from several users has indicated that Gemulator will have problems on TI 486, AMD 486, and Nexgen 586 processors. These are all "clone" 486 processors, so at this time we recommend running Gemulator only on genuine Intel microprocessors.
Speed and Compatibility
Speed
The faster your PC's processor, the faster Gemulator runs. Which processor you should use depends on how fast you need for your Atari software to run.
For 1040ST and Mega ST speed of operation, we recommend using a 486/33 or 486/50 processor. For Falcon or TT speed of operation, you will need to use a 75 Mhz or 90 Mhz Pentium as a minimum. Faster Pentiums scream.
We only recommend using a 386 for running Atari software that is not speed critical, such as terminal software and text editors, or for copying Atari disks. For example, we use an old Compaq 386/20 computer running Windows 95 to run the Flash! 1.6 terminal program, which we have used to access the GEnie online service for years. More than adequate to handle 2400 baud,
However, for desktop publishing applications such as Calamus SL, we would recommend using at least a fast 486 or low end Pentium. Gemulator's emulation speed is roughly proportional to the speed of your PC's CPU, although it is affected by other factors such as the speed of the VGA card, the efficiency of the video driver, and the speed of the RAM.
Since Gemulator is written in 32-bit code, it is already optimized for Pentium and Pentium Pro processors and does not suffer from the 16-bit code slowness problematic with other Windows programs.
These more recent screen shots below show the new Gemulator 96 running at blistering fast speeds on a 200 MHz Pentium Pro computer. The screen shot on the left is using regular TOS 2.06 ROMs. The screen on the right shows the same benchmarks when using the MagiC operating system. For more complete benchmarks, see the Gemulator 96 Benchmark Results.
15 times faster than an original Atari 1040ST!
Compatibility
Gemulator runs almost 100% of ST and STE software at full Atari ST speed or faster. Only copy-protected and timing dependent Atari programs are not supported - programs that typically also do not run on Mega STE, Falcon, or TT computers either, or programs that make use of MIDI or joystick ports. Most MIDI programs in particular are heavily copy protected, which has made it difficult to add this feature.
Popular Atari programs that have been tested and run on Gemulator 96 include:
Calamus / Calamus SL
Pagestream 2.1
GFA Basic
Tempus / Tempus II
Word Writer / First Word Plus
Atari Works
Multi Writer
Flash! / Flash II
Megamax C / Laser C
Neodesk 4
Quick ST / Warp 9 / NVDI
MagiC operating system
Data Manager ST
Phasar
Speedo GDOS
and many more.
Please note. This is NOT a complete compatibility list by any means. Nor do we even maintain such a list since we cannot possibly purchase and test each and every Atari ST program ever written. Our testing, and user feedback, of hundreds of different Atari ST and STE programs has confirmed that most compatibility problems are due to copy protected or timing dependent software.
Gemulator 96 is ideal for running Calamus SL and Pagestream, because it offers the ability to load your existing desktop publishing documents on Windows 95, to use 1600x1200 graphics, and to use up to 14 megabytes of Atari ST memory doing it. Such a system using real Atari TT computers would cost about $3000. A Pentium based Windows 95 system capable of running Gemulator with these capabilities costs half as much.
TOS ROMs
The Gemulator card works with any 6-chip set of Atari ST TOS ROMs, such as TOS 1.0, TOS 1.02 (Blitter TOS), and TOS 1.04 (Rainbow TOS), and with any 2-chip set of STE and Mega STE TOS ROMs, such as TOS 1.06, TOS 1.62, and TOS 2.06.
Future versions of Gemulator will also make use of 4-chip TOS 3.0x (TT TOS) while support for the old TOS versions prior to TOS 1.06 may be dropped since old versions of TOS do not support the 68030 chip and are quite buggy. Use TOS 1.0 and 1.02 only when absolutely necessary!
TOS 2.06 is usually pre-installed with your Gemulator
card. If for some reason you purchased a Gemulator card
without TOS ROMs, or with an earlier set of TOS ROMs, and
wish to upgrade to TOS 2.06, you can purchase a set of
TOS 2.06 ROMs from any Atari dealer for about $60 U.S.
Pricing and Upgrades
Gemulator 96 with U.S. TOS 2.06 ROMs, can be ordered directly from Branch Always Software for $179.95. This includes the Gemulator card, the TOS 2.06 ROMs, and the Gemulator software. Gemulator 96 can also be purchased with MagiC 2.0 for a package price of $99.95, or with TOS 1.4 ROMs for $149.95.
You may also order Gemulator from Atari dealers around the world...
All current users of Gemulator may upgrade to Gemulator 96 for only $29.95.
Screen Shots
The following screen shots were all taken on a Windows 95 computer running the same Gemulator 96 demo that you can download from this web site. The screen shots demonstrate the incredible versatility of Gemulator 96 with regards to running different operating systems and in different screen resolutions. Although not shown, Gemulator Classic is also capable of running everything shown.
GFA Basic editor and GFA Basic game "Monopoly"
MagiC 5.0 running alongside TOS 1.4
Gemulator 96 running on Windows 3.11
For an idea of how fast Gemulator runs compared to real Atari ST and TT computers, check out the Gemulator 96 Benchmark Results.