Super Snapshot
 Super Snapshot Screenshots | |
| Technical Info | |
|---|---|
| ROM | S64 - 4 kbyte SS64 - SS2: 8 kbyte |
| RAM | S64 - SS4: None SS64 - SS4: 8 kbyte |
| Hardware features | 1 Button Freeze optionally 1 button RESET |
| Manual | PDF: Snapshot64 Instruction Manual PDF: Super Snapshot v2.0 Operating Manual |
| CRT ID | S64: None yet SS64/SS2: None yet |
| Programming | See Tech Section |
The Super Snapshot series was started with the introduction of the Snapshot 64 by the end of 1985. Three canadian based companies were somehow involved in production and distribution of the Super Snapshot being Marshview Software Ltd., CSM Software Inc. and LMS Technologies originally. During the evolution to SS5 the copyright was kept by LMS Technologies while e.g. Software Support International (SSI) was distributing the cartridge in the US. SSI was also selling a ROM replacement named SYSRES so the user was able to swap EPROMs on the (likely) SS3 and SS4 hardware to suite his needs. (Ed.: Sounds a lot worse than cartridge swapping.)
Nowadays the copyright is said to be held by PBM who either ignored or junked our emails - maybe someone else wants to point him here and make him contact us.
Many interesting features were added making SS3 to SS5 serious competition towards other prominent freezers at the time. The manual states Super Snapshot was designed and written by Marcel LeBlanc and Ron Smith. Quite a few features were added by other people such as Matthew Desmond (author of Desterm -> (Snapterm for SS5)), Richard Bond (Turbo25), Steve Boyko (Sprites), George Tylor (Samples), John Finaly (PAL fixing) - resulting in 64 kbyte of a nicely interfaced and well thought multi function cartridge.
During time LMS Technologies released:
S64 - Snapshot64 - Initial Hardware
SS64 - Super Snapshot 64 - New hardware
SS2 - Super Snapshot 64 v2 - Likely a ROM update only
- Abbreviation needs to start somewhere
SS3 - Super Snapshot 3 - LMS might have though the same
- Super Snapshot 3 with new hardware
SS4 - Super Snapshot 4 - ROM update - No hardware change
SS5 - Super Snapshot 5 - Final hardware
SS5 - Super Snapshot 5.01 - (5.10 is rumoured to exist - PAL/NTSC?)
- ROM update - No hardware change
SS5 - Super Snapshot 5.22 - ROM update - No hardware change
 Ahoy! Issue 25, January 1986 |
 Ahoy! Issue 42, June 1987 |
Super Snapshot documentation always was quite complete and the wiki contains a large deal of it so we will save all of us the trouble of a complete feature rundown. However, a few noteworthy options should be mentioned here. Since at least SS3 the command @TV displays the current ROM version with PAL added whenever the ROM was fixed. Minor version numbers were so far only seen with the SS5 series on which even two different v5.22 PAL versions exist. The Super Snapshot v5.22 v2 PAL carries additional fixes for the Snapterm part which likely were not quite right in the first attempt. The SS5 hardware change not only added more ROM and the RAM extension option (including software support) but also made it REU compatible. Monitor can access the REU (though the manual doesn't mention how to e.g. transfer REU memory to C64 RAM.) and copiers takes advantage of it as well.
It may entertain some people to take a look at the very first CODE INSPECTOR (the Super Snapshot monitor) on the Snapshot 64 ROM which has four commands (Jump to, Memory view, Load and start ML prg, Return to basic). Nevertheless the strings CODE INSPECTOR and (c) 1985 LMS TECHNOLOGIES also appear on Action Replay MK2 and MK3 ROMs.
Last but not least one may wonder why on so many ROM updates no developer ever got the idea of unifying the process of leaving a sub menu. RUN/STOP may have served an excellet purpose here. Instead the user is forced to leave one menu by pressing "3", another one goes by "4" and yet different ones by "5" or even higher. There must be some obvious reason - we just did not get it yet.
 Ahoy! Issue 48, December 1987 |
 Ahoy! Issue 52, April 1988 |
 Ahoy! Issue 59, November 1988 |
 Run Issue 74, February 1990 |
 Ahoy! Issue 61, January 1989 |
Tech
The following is cited from snapshot64.c found at the VICE project page:
Snapshot 64 (LMS Technologies)
FIXME: this implementation is purely based on guesswork
- 4K ROM (2732)
- mapped to 8000 and e000 (ultimax mode) ?
- NE555, 7406, 7474
- one button (freeze)
io2 - df00 (r/w)
0 - cart off
1 - cart enabled
after reset NO menu is shown. when pressing freeze the screen goes blank, then
return - starts the "code inspector"
l - load and execute ml program
j - jump to address
d - dump memory (hex)
e - return to basic
f1 - analyze and save backup
f3 - clear memory
f5 - format disk
f7 - restart
SuperSnapshot v3 should be compatible to this - the info is somewhat lacking though. supersnapshot4.c:
Super Snapshot v4
- 32K ROM,4*8K Banks
io1: (read/write)
cart ram
io2 (read)
df01 - ram config
- cart rom
io2 (write)
df00 -
df01 -
Super Snapshot v5.x emulation is handled by supersnapshot.c and reads:
Super Snapshot v5
- 32K ROM,4*8K Banks
- 32K RAM,4*8K Banks
io1: (read)
cart rom
io1 (write)
df00/df01:
bit 4 - rom/ram bank bit1
bit 3 - rom enable
bit 2 - rom/ram bank bit0
bit 1 - ram enable, EXROM
bit 0 - release freeze, !GAME
Trivia
- The Super Snapshot category page has many reviews, several additional articles on it (which someone could hack into this wiki) and the usual amount of adverts
Missing
- Super Snapshot64 ROM Dump
- Super Snapshot64 v2.0 ROM Dump
- More Super Snapshot v3.0 ROM Dumps (for comparison)
- More Super Snapshot v4.0 ROM Dumps (for comparison)
- More Super Snapshot v5.0 ROM Dumps (for comparison)
- SYSRES ROM Dump
- More info, schematics and utility programs
- Super Snapshot Slideshow Creator software
Binaries
Super_Snapshot_binaries_rr.c64.org_2010-06.rar contains just the C64 binaries:
- Super Snapshot v3.0 ROM Dump NTSC .bin
- Super Snapshot v4.0 ROM Dumps NTSC + PAL .bin
- Super Snapshot v5.01 ROM Dump NTSC + PAL .bin and converted .crt
- Super Snapshot v5.22 ROM Dump NTSC .bin and converted .crt
- Super Snapshot v5.22 ROM Dumps 2 versions PAL .bin and converted .crt
Super_Snapshot_all_rr.c64.org_2010-06.rar contains:
- all of the above
- A mirror of www.bombjack.org Snapshot 64 area - check the real site for most recent version!
- Super Snapshot v5.0 schematics, PLA contents and text files
- PDF: Snapshot64 Instruction Manual from www.bombjack.org
- PDF: Snapshot64 Enhancement Disk Manual from www.bombjack.org
- PDF: Snapshot64 Function Key Overlay from www.bombjack.org
- PDF: Super Snapshot v2.0 Operating Manual
- PDF: Super Snapshot v2.0 Operating Manual Addendum
- PDF: Super Snapshot v2.0 Parameters v1.0
- PDF: Super Snapshot v3.0 Operating Manual
- Super Snapshot v4.0 Operating Manual Project64.txt
- PDF: Super Snapshot v4.0 Operating Manual
- Super Snapshot v4.0 Operating Manual Project64.txt
- PDF: Super Snapshot v5.0 Operating Manual
- PDF: Super Snapshot v5.0 Operating Manual Addendum
- PDF: Super Snapshot v5.0 dutch Operating Manual
- Snapshot64.d64 (includes fast load maker and cartridge maker) from www.bombjack.org
- Super Snapshot 5 System Disk Side A (likely PAL and NTSC versions but current naming is guessed - a one byte change on dual41 copier) (to be verified)
- Super Snapshot 5 System Disk Side B (includes Shotgun II as parameter nibble copier)
Weblinks
- jppbm.com official Super Snapshot reseller
- Snapshot 64 Everything - including the keyboard overlays - at bombjack.org
- Usenet discussion on Super Snapshot v5 RAM access
- Usenet discussion on Super Snapshot ROM updates
- Usenet discussion on v4 not being upgradedable to v5
- Usenet posting by Marcel LeBlanc on Super Snapshot (one of the creators)
- Usenet posting by Marcel LeBlanc on SSv3 and other speeders mind the dates on these :)
- Mayhem64 has a passage on the Super Snapshot 4
- Preliminary description for a new Super Snapshot compatible "Super Snappy" (Click here for a local copy)(currently not in development, but a starting point for the "SuperCarts" such as 1541u, EF2 and alike)
- Snappy v1 prototype image
