What's new in Altirra 4.20, the best Atari 8-bit emulator | Download
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Version 4.20 of the Altirra emulator, an essential tool for Atari 8-bit computer enthusiasts, has been released with several significant updates and improvements. Avery "Phaeron" Lee, the developer of Altirra, has integrated into this final version a number of new features that expand the capabilities of the emulator, improving both the user experience and the accuracy of the emulation.
Support for new devices and cartridges
One of the most notable updates in Altirra 4.20 is support for new devices and cartridge types. The emulator now supports the 1400XL/1450XLD modem and disk drive, full 835 and 1030 modem emulation, SIDE 3.1, SuperSALT test assembly, MIDIMATE/Serial over TCP/IP, Chalk Board PowerPad, and Stack Lightpen. Additionally, new cartridge types have been added such as Williams 16K, JRC RAMBOX, MDDOS, COS 32K, Pronto, and CAR 76/78-93/160 types.UI and debugger improvements
On the user interface (UI) side, Altirra 4.20 introduces improvements such as pan/zoom viewing, new command line switches, improved pad input, improved save state support on many devices, and support for screen readers. On the debugger side, write-only log reading capabilities, source code debugging support, memory window, and save/load traces in the performance analyzer have all been improved.Precision fixes in emulation
Altirra 4.20 also has several bug fixes and improved accuracy in cartridge tape, CPU, device, disk, video, POKEY, network, and VBXE emulation. Additionally, AltirraOS has been updated to version 3.41, including fixes for type 4 voting, keyboard handling, interrupt support, math package, display device, and SIO.New features and last minute adjustments
Contrary to previous practice, the final 4.20 release is not the same as the last test release, as it includes some last-minute fixes over 4.20-test30. These fixes include a patch for a compiler bug that caused some editing operations in the tape editor to fail, a fix for some bugs that caused crashes with mismatched save states and configurations, and a fix for tape data line detection that caused desynchronization on some instructional tapes, such as "Conversational French".Innovations in cassette emulation and the 4.30-test series
Looking ahead, the Altirra 4.30-test series has already started with features such as Ogg Vorbis decoding support for cassettes, which will allow for a more compact way of storing tapes with both audio and data tracks. This feature is a step forward in hybrid audio+data storage, allowing for better lossy compression of the audio without risking data track corruption due to lossy audio compression. Opening a tape image with a filename ending in .data.cas will automatically search for a .audio.ogg file to merge with the data track.In summary, Altirra 4.20 is shaping up to be a significant update, improving the functionality and accuracy of this popular Atari 8-bit emulator.
Altirra 4.20 emulator
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