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Unboxing C64SD V2 by Manosoft

June 15th, 2010 5 comments
C64SD V2 by Manosoft

Autopsy:

For a new review see the italian version of this article.

from C64Scene Homepage: This project is interesting not only because it’s another mass-storage solution but because it combines already existing solutions to a new and fresh product. Damiano has always followed all the Commdore related websites and forums especially concerning the MMC and SD2IEC projects.

That’s when he got the idea to build a solution for which one doesn’t need soldering, wire cutting or the IEC cable. C64SD utilizes the Datasette connector to power the SD2IEC circuit. An IEC connector connects right into the IEC port.

The whole module stand vertical along the back of the C64 (or VIC20). The module is fitted with two rather large buttons, one reset and one diskswap/multi-function button.

SD-CARD Tested:

SANDISK SD-CARD 2GB = 100% WORKING.
CORSAIR SD-CARD 512MB = 100% WORKING.

source: c64sd.roxer.com c64wiki sd2iec c64wiki sd2iec firmware

The software for the 1541 Ultimate II is finished.

May 28th, 2010 No comments

from 1541 Ultimate homepage:

Finally, the software for the 1541 Ultimate II is finished. In the last two weeks, an enormous amount of work has been done:

  • USB is now working stable, including insertion and removal.  (My external 500 GB harddisk was detected flawlessly!)
  • Support for USB devices with multiple LUNs (like card readers)
  • GCR (G64) supported added, including write (the Ultimate-I couldn’t do this)
  • T64 file support re-integrated.
  • Tape support, using TAP files (I needed to test the hardware anyway!)
  • Comprehensible menus.
  • Real time clock functional  (still need a clock widget…)
  • I made a wooden mould, to simplify closing the plastic cases without damaging them.

The plan is, to ship the first 40~50 units this coming Wednesday! The remaining units will follow as soon as possible!  Thank you for your patience!

source: 1541ultimate.net

Cassadapt v1.0

May 16th, 2010 No comments

Introduction: The idea behind Cassadapt was to give Commodore computer enthusiasts yet another choice for interfacing their beloved old computers to modern PC’s to either record a .tap/,prg file to a Datassette or playback a Datassette to the PC to capture as a .wav file to then convert to a .tap file.

Cassadapt converts audio signals from your PC’s sound card to digital 0-5V data that can be recorded to a real C2N / 1531 Datassette or played directly in to the C64, C16 etc., even without the need for a real Datassette connected.

With the use of fantastic programs like TapWav, TAPClean and WAV-PRG, Cassadapt is the play-record loop tape enthusiasts are looking for.

Click here for the Instructions Manual.

source: lemon64.com

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

Manosoft C64SD v2

May 13th, 2010 No comments

from c64scene.com Homepage:

Manosoft reached a version 2 milestone with his new mass-storage project, C64SD. The Italian developer Damiano Colombari based the C64SD design on the already existing SD2IEC solution.

This project is interesting not only because it’s another mass-storage solution but because it combines already existing solutions to a new and fresh product.

Damiano has always followed all the Commdore related websites and forums especially concerning the MMC and SD2IEC projects. That’s when he got the idea to build a solution for which one doesn’t need soldering, wire cutting or the IEC cable.

Read more…

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

Brain Innovations new Hardware for Commodore

April 30th, 2010 No comments

from the homepage:

  • C2NPower: Powering CBM products can prove harder than initially thought. Many manufacturers choose the safe (and professional) route of including a power jack on the product and a plug-in power supply (wall wart). It’s a safe choice, but it carries a double cost. Power supplies tend to be $5.00 or so, and are often bulky and heavy, adding to shipping costs. On the consumer side, there’s a cost in finding another open outlet for the power supply and cable management. [continue here]
  • X-Pander 3: In my continuing effort to sell more products for your Commodore computer, I determined users would buy more cartridge-based solutions if they could plug more into their machine at one time :-) Thus, given the lack of cartridge expansion options on the market at present, I am producing the X-Pander. Modeled off the CMD EX-3, CMD EX2+1, and the FB-3XP. [continue here]

source: jbrain.com

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

USB Joystick Adapter

April 5th, 2010 2 comments

With this USB Joystick adapter you can use your favorite joystick on the PC. Joystick from Amiga/C64/Atari… can be used!

source: retro-donald.de

(Italian) Made in Italy: Interfaccia C64SD di Manosoft

April 3rd, 2010 2 comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

A playable game of Tabletop Pong

February 6th, 2010 No comments

A playable game of Tabletop PongPONG is one of the earliest arcade video games, released by Atari way back in 1972. (It was not the first video game, but it’s venerable indeed.)

We’re certainly not the first to build a real-world analog of a video game or even of PONG itself.

source: evilmadscientist.com

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

SIDstick chiptunes player

February 6th, 2010 No comments

The SIDstick is a pocket-sized chiptunes player. Chiptunes are songs written to be synthesized in real-time. A lot of chiptunes are ripped from classic videogames, and some are new works. The SIDstick plays the most common variety of chiptunes, music written for playback on a SID chip. Main features:

  • Removable Storage supporting microSD cards, 1 card can hold 20,000 songs.
  • 20+ hour battery life.
  • Super Hi-Quality hardware-based playback at 31kHz sample rate, >16 bit resolution.
  • Completely Open, hardware and software are available under the MIT license.
  • Upgradable with connections on the board.

source: gadgetgangster.com wikipedia hvsc.c64.org

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

FPGA Arcade site updated

November 21st, 2009 No comments

This site is about recreating gaming hardware from the past in modern programmable devices, known as FPGAs.

source: fpgaarcade.com

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

FPGA – C64 PLA Replacement

February 7th, 2009 2 comments

The PLA chip (906114-01) used in the Commodore C64 is a generic 82S100 gate array with custom programming. Its logic functions were dumped and reverse engineered by the community and are available from a variety of sources. They’re reused for this particular PLA replacement in the FPGA Arcade 28 pin DIL CPLD board.

Two approaches exist to build such a PLA replacement:

1. Implementation based on a truth table with 216 entries, each entry consiting of 8 bits and programmed into an EPROM chip.
2. Reverse engineered logic equations programmed into a PLD.

Both approaches result in the same logic functionality when implemented in a CPLD. Since equations are more common for CPLDs, I chose this implementation style for the final design. However, there’s a variant for the truth table available which has been verified in simulation but not in real C64 hardware. Following are descriptions for both of them.

We have run simulations proving that the equations perfectly match the truth table, so both compiled outputs are effectively identical in the C64 implementation discussed here.

source: fpgaarcade.com

Lallafa’s DTV2Ser v0.4 Released!

September 29th, 2008 No comments

Dtv2ser is a small hardware device that bridges TLR’s dtvtrans protocol used to communicate with a DTV via a RS232 interface to your Mac or PC.

By using a serial-to-USB adapter the dtv2ser provides dtvtrans access for all modern PCs where the original dtvtrans parallel cable cannot be used.

The new dtv2ser+usb board directly integrates the USB adapter and realizes the full dtv2ser functionality on a USB-stick-like device.

source: lallafa.de