M65Connect offers a versatile set of functions to interact with the MEGA65. You'll find here an overview with description of all current functions in chronological menu order. Important functions are also available over the quick access buttons.
Be aware that the availability of functions is dependent on the connection type:

Function	JTAG	LAN	None

Function	JTAG	LAN	None
Send PRG file	Open	Open
Send SID file
Send BIT file
Send HIC file
Send ROM file
Send BAS text
SD Card Manager
Reset
Go64
Go65
Switch to NTSC
Switch to PAL
Take screenshot
Terminal mode
ROM Configurator
Patch ROM file
Create ROM patch file
Create COR file
Create MCS file
Create BIT from COR

* Local (PC) operations only

M65Connect checks permanently for active connections and enables/disables related functions.

File functions

Send PRG file

Choose a PRG file from your PC you want to send to the MEGA65. You can set default some parameter how M65Connect should treat a PRG file.

Access: Menu File > Send PRG File or quick access button PRG

Send SID file

Choose a SID file from your PC you want to send to the MEGA65. The loaded SID file will be started automatically after transfer.

Access: Menu File > Send SID File or quick access button SID

Send Bitstream file

A Bitstream files represents the emulated hardware of a computer. Choose a Bitstream file from your PC you want to send to the MEGA65. The loaded Bitstream file persists as long as you do not turn off the MEGA65 or override it by another Bitstream file.

Access: Menu File > Send Bitstream File or quick access button BIT

Send Hickup file

A Hickup file is part of the internal system software for initialization purposes and acts like a core patch file.
Choose a Hickup file from your PC you want to send to the MEGA65. The loaded Hickup file persists as long as you do not turn off the MEGA65 or override it by another Bitstream file.

Access: Menu File > Send Hickup File or quick access button HIC

Send ROM file

A ROM file represent what you see and what you can do when turning on the MEGA65.
Choose a ROM file from your PC you want to send to the MEGA65. The loaded ROM will be removed on resetting the MEGA65.

Access: Menu File > Send ROM File or quick access button ROM

Send BASIC program

This function allows you to send a raw BASIC program to the MEGA65. Use the quick access button BAS to choose and send a text file with BASIC code right away.

The menu option differs from the quick access button. While the quick access button shows a dialog windows selecting a BASIC text file that will be sent the menu option offers a simple BASIC editor:

You can create/modify, load and save BASIC code before sending it to the MEGA65. Any not supported char will be ignored and everything will be sent in uppercase.

Access: Menu File > Send BASIC Program… or quick access button BAS

SD Card Manager

The SD Card Manager allows you to interact with the internal SC Card.
See detailed description in chapter SD Card Manager

Access: Menu File > SD Card Manager or quick access button SD Card

ROM Configurator

The ROM Configurator allows you to customize an existing ROM file.

The ROM Configurator will be displayed in a new window:

Button Load ROM Config: Load existing configuration from ROM or Config file (.rcg)

Button Preview: When you load a ROM Config file its settings will be automatically displayed. If you then manually change the settings you can set again the settings from the loaded ROM CONFIG file by pressing this button.

Button Color Settings…: This shows the window Color Picker:

Select first on the left side from Area or Font what you want to change then select the color on the right side you want to switch to. You will see your change right away in ROM Configurator window. Press button OK to take over your settings.

Dropdown list Speed: Set initial ROM speed on startup.

Dropdown list Font: Select preferred font type. The selected font preview will be shown below.

Button Set Default: Reset configuration to default MEGA65 settings.

Button Apply to ROM…: Select a ROM file to apply the current settings.

Button Save Config as…: Save current settings as config file for later use.

Access: Menu File > ROM Configurator

Start/Stop PRG Autoload

This function allows you to send automatically new or changed PRG files to the MEGA65.
In order to enable it you need first to set a path from where the PRG files will be loaded. Set the path in menu Settings > File Path > Path PRG Autoload
When activated the function will check every second for new or changed PRG files in the set directory and send it to the MEGA65. It also considers settings in

To reduce harddisk access you can stop this function at any time (menu File > Stop PRG Autoload) and start it again (menu File > Start PRG Autoload) while a new or changed file in between will be found and sent. All the options in menu Settings > PRG File Send > LAN / JTAG will be considered except the option Show this window before sending PRG.

Access: Menu File > Start/Stop PRG Autoload

Patch ROM file

As owner of a MEGA65 you are granted to download any closed ROM version from the Filehost. In any other case you need to download an older ROM version from the Internet and to patch it in order to gain the latest ROM version. The patch files are all available on the Filehost as well:

• Stable

• Beta

• Experimental

There are two types patch files: .bdf and .rdf, both are supported by M65Connect.

When you have downloaded the closed ROM file from the Internet and the patch from the Filehost you can start the patch process:

1. Field Source ROM file: Choose the ROM file used to patch by clicking the folder button.

2. Field ROM patch file: Choose the patch file you want to apply to the by clicking the folder button.

3. Press button Save patched ROM as... and choose location and target filename for the patched ROM file. The patch process will start after.
   The Source ROM file and the ROM patch file will remain unchanged.

Access: Menu File > Patch ROM File

Create ROM Patch file

Creating ROM patches allows you to share changes of an existing ROM without violating any copyrights. To create a patch file you need the original ROM file you have used to make changes but also the modified ROM file. The difference between both leads to the patch file.

1. Field Original ROM file: Choose the original/unchanged ROM file by clicking the folder button.

2. Field Changed ROM file: Choose the modified ROM file by clicking the folder button.

3. Checkbox Create BDF patch file: Active checkbox if you want to create a .bdf patch file.

4. Checkbox Create RDF patch file: Active checkbox if you want to create a .rdf patch file (this takes some minutes).

5. Press button Save patch file as... and choose location and target filename for the patch file(s).
   The selected Original ROM file and the Changed ROM file will remain unchanged.

→ You can create a .bdf and a .rdf patch file at the same time.

Access: Menu File > Create ROM Patch File

Create COR file

A COR file is a processed Bitstream file that you need if you want to flash a Bitstream from SD Card to MEGA65.

1. Field Source File: Choose a Bitstream (.bit) file by clicking the folder button.

2. Dropdown list Target board: Select the target board on which the COR file can be used
   (if you select first the source file M65Connect tries to evaluate the target board).

3. Field Display name: Enter the name you want to see in the Flash menu of MEGA65 after flashing the COR file.

4. Field Display version: Enter an optional version here (will be printed below Display name).

5. Press button Save as... and choose location and target filename of the COR file.

Access: Menu File > Create COR File

Create MCS file

An MCS file is a processed Bitstream file that you need if you want to flash a Bitstream to MEGA65 from the Vivado tool.

1. Field Source File: Choose a Bitstream (.bit) file by clicking the folder button

2. Click button Save as... and choose the location and target filename of the MCS file.
   The selected Source file will remain unchanged.

Access: Menu File > Create MCS File...

Create BIT from COR

Allows you to create a Bitstream file (.bit) out of COR file.

1. Field Source File: Choose a COR (.cor) file by clicking the folder button

2. Click button Save as... and choose the location and target filename of the BIT file.
   The selected Source file will remain unchanged.

Access: Menu File > Create BIT from COR

Save Console text

This function will save the content of the Console window and is available on existing console text.

Access: Menu File > Save Console Text

Save Console selection

As soon as you have selected text in the Console window this function turns accessible and saves the selected text.

Access: Menu File > Save Console Selection

Command functions

Reset MEGA65

This functions resets the MEGA65 an heads back to the MEGA65 mode.

Access: Menu Command > Reset or quick access button Reset

Switch to 64 mode

This function does the same as you type 'GO 64' in the MEGA65 mode.

Access: Menu Command > Go 64 or quick access button Go64

Switch to 65 mode

This function switches back to the MEGA65 mode.

Access: Menu Command > Go 65 or quick access button Go65

Switch graphic mode

You can switch the graphic mode between NTSC and PAL. The current graphic mode will be underlined in the related quick access button after first switch. Be aware that most other functions will reset any graphic mode switch.

Access: Menu Command > Graphic Mode > Set NTSC / Set PAL or quick access buttons NTSC and PAL

Take screenshot

You can take a picture (PNG) of the MEGA65 current display state. Certain objects like sprites will not (yet) be considered on taking a screenshot.

The quick access button Screenshot will take a picture right away and then show it in the Screenshot window.
The menu Command > Screenshot... will open the Screenshot window without taking a screenshot:

If you have taken screenshots earlier the latest one will be shown. You can select older screenshots from the dropdown list in the lower left corner or use the up/down arrow keys to iterate through all taken screenshots.

Delete will remove the screenshot selected in the dropdown list. A screenshot remains till you delete it.

Save as… lets you save the selected screenshot.

Take screenshot is the equivalent of the quick access button Screenshot and creates a screenshot right away.

Disable/Enable JTAG

On start up M65Connect tries to automatically connect to the MEGA65. On success this function will be shown as Disable JTAG otherwise as Enable Terminal. Usually you don't need to care about this function. It makes sense while using other tools accessing the MEGA65 at the same time. A tool being connected to the MEGA65 will block any other tool on connecting to the MEGA65. This function allows you to free the connection for any other tools.

Access: Menu Command > Disable JTAG / Enable JTAG

List FTDI Devices

This function is available even if you are not connected to the MEGA65. It checks the presence of the MEGA65 via USB/JTAG and shows the result in the Console window. The most important entry is Flags showing you the status of both FTDI devices:
10 : Device is available but not used (not connected)
01 : Device is available and used (connected)

M65Connect requires both devices depending on the used function. On start up it tries to connect to the second device in the list for terminal operations.

Access: Menu Command > List FTDI Devices...