A0 File Extension
Have a problem opening a .A0 file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what A0 files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.
Have a problem opening a .A0 file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what A0 files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.
The filename extension .a0 represents the VICE Commodore VIC-20 Cartridge Image (.a0) file type associated with VICE, an open-source multi-platform software emulator of legacy Commodore computers. Commodore VIC-20 was an 8-bit home computer by Commodore Business Machines that used ROM-based cartridges along with cassette tapes to load and run software, mainly games.
With reference to VICE, an .a0 file is a binary image of an A0 ROM cartridge that can be loaded into the emulator and run, as if a virtual cartridge were inserted. A0 is a reference to the VIC-20 cartridge banks from which the data is always loaded at the A000 hardware address. Some VIC-20 cartridge images consist of two files (e.g., .a0 plus .60) that must be loaded at different addresses, followed by a reset to activate the loaded software. Internally, the .a0 file has the same structure as the .prg file format also used with VICE and the real VIC-20 computers. The difference is that in the .a0 file, the first two bytes (the loading address) are missing, since the data must be loaded at A000. A0 cartridge images can be used directly with VICE or other Commodore emulators.