A new version of the firmware for the Ultimate-64 / U2+ / U2 by Gideon is released.
Difference with previous release V1.21 / V1.22 (Initial Elite release)
Changes / Improvements to the U64 FPGA:
- Added Drive B activity to the possible Case LED outputs.
- Increased the number of UltiSIDs from two to eight.
- Fixed Jailbar issue on HDMI output.
- Fixed a Ledstrip issue that slipped into one of the previous versions.
- Improved EMC performance.
- Added Paddle Swap for the U64 Elite.
- Increased application CPU performance.
Changes to the Ultimate 64 application:
- Added support for 8-SID configuations.
- Split the U64 configuration settings for better overview.
- Added possibility to load / save and reset configuration settings.
- Added the possibility to have temporary configuration settings.
- Added choice of which UltiSID causes the LED strip to light up.
- Added a Visual SID addressing editor.
- Added detection and real time configuration of FPGASID.
- Added detection and real time configuration of SwinSid Ultimate.
- Added detection and real time configuration of ARMSID.
- Fixed screen title when connecting to the machine through Telnet.
- Added joyswap to the configuration menu.
- Option to use Final Cart V1/V2 re-enabled.
- Upgraded the OS to a newer version.
Unreleased work:
- Flashing the ESP32 WiFi module from the file browser menu.
- “Drive C” – software 1581 emulation by Scott Hutter .
Planned work for the upcoming release:
- Keystrokes to quickly enable / mute audio channels
- Connection between the ESP32 and the C64
- A sample project for the ESP32, which can be used for others to port stuff like modem emulation.
Thanks go to Chris, Marty and Wilfred for providing various SID replacements to test with. Thanks to MarkusC64 for reviewing the FPGASID configuration code and providing useful feedback.
Ultimate 2+ Differences with previous release V3.4c
General Usability and Compatibility:
- Added possibility to load / save and reset configuration settings.
- Added the possibility to have temporary configuration settings.
- Improvements to the 6502 CPU for improved 1541 compatibility.
Improvements to SID player:
- Built-in SID player now supports MUS files as well (including stereo tunes) Music files can be found here: http://www.c64music.co.uk/
- Added support for toggling screen on/off in Sidplayer with S key.
- Added support for song length in SID header.
- Fixed correct SID model selection for SIDFX boards .
Various other bug fixes:
- Copying a file from a container now restores extension.
- Fixed issue of copying file from .t64 files.
- Added ‘Enter’ option for .t64 files.
- User Interface improvements / fixes.
- Fixed telnet connection – removing header upon connect (fixes random copy actions)
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1541 Ultimate-II Differences with previous release V3.4c.
General Usability and Compatibility:
- Added possibility to load / save and reset configuration settings.
- Added the possibility to have temporary configuration settings.
Improvements to the 6502 CPU for improved 1541 compatibility:
- Improvements to SID player:
- Built-in SID player now supports MUS files as well (including stereo tunes) Music files can be found here: http://www.c64music.co.uk/
- Added support for toggling screen on/off in Sidplayer with S key.
- Added support for song length in SID header.
- Fixed correct SID model selection for SIDFX boards.
Various other bug fixes:
- Copying a file from a container now restores extension.
- Fixed issue of copying file from .t64 files.
- Added ‘Enter’ option for .t64 files.
- User Interface improvements / fixes.
- Fixed telnet connection – removing header upon connect (fixes random copy actions)
- Changed default hostname to match target.
Dropped features:
- Support for the ISO9660 filesystem.
- The audio variant no longer supports recording TAP files. The dual drive version does.
Download:
source: ultimate64.com
ARMSid (6581/8580 Replacement) by Nobomi.
I could not resist the temptation to try also this emulation of the SID 6581/8580 with the STM32F410 ARM Cortex M4, i’m talking about the ARMSid by Nobomi.
The fast shipping and the courtesy of Nobomi are certainly very well but also the packaging, the ARMSid is shipped in a plastic case to avoid any problem with the shipping.
The sound and the “audio” feeling are good like the SwinSID Ultimate but better, personally i would place the ARMDSid between the Original SID and the SwinSID Ultimate, Nobomi you have made a very good job. Congratulations.
Nobomi also wrote a software for Commodore 64 to configure the various ARMSid options and another software to update the Firmware.
Some information taken from the Nobomi site:
What is it ?:
- A new replacement of the MOS6581 and MOS8580 used in the Commodore C64. It is minimalistic (in simplicity of circuit and use, not in function and power).
- Real “plug & play” solution. Just insert instead of the original SID into the slot and it’s done.
- It determines (through supply voltages) which chip it replaces and starts the appropriate emulation (it can be changed later in software).
- No need to switch the PAL / NTSC version, the circuit uses directly the clock from the computer bus, always synchronous with the C64.
- It also emulates analog inputs (joysticks, mouse, etc. – POTX and POTY inputs)
- Analog output is sufficiently buffered, it is not necessary to change anything on the computer board for proper operation.
- Output sampling frequency is 1/16th bus clock of C64 (approx. 62kHz), real 12bit D/A converter, no pwm.
- Filters completely transferred to digital form, emulated by float point arithmetic.
- Significantly lower noise level and less interference from the power supply than the original :)
- Lower power consumption than the original.
- Firmware update possible inside the C64.
- Emulates all waveforms, and even “samples” (at least some of them, Ghostbusters laugh, Chimera screams at you).
- Full support of analog filters (LowPass, BandPass, HighPass, combination, Q quality control).
- Emulation of OSC3 and ENV3 registers (little delay, approximately 16 clocks of the C64 bus).
- Joysticks and mice work.
What is inside ?:
- A few resistors, capacitors, one stabilizer, one opamp and a processor. That’s all, parts only from one side.
- The only programmable circuit is the STM32F410, ARM Cortex M4 with HW float point arithmetic at 100MHz.
- Analogue output amplified via the AD8515 opamp.
- Stabilizer for the 3.3V processor, the processor itself has 5V tolerance inputs.
Firmware:
- New features in FW 2.6:
- Optimization for speed again (approx. 10ns more faster response to read registers, faster processing of writing registers).
- New features in FW 2.5:
- Again faster interrupt (approx. 10ns more faster response to read registers).
- New features in FW 2.4:
- Further optimization of the interrupt (approx. 20ns faster response to read registers).
- New features in FW 2.3:
- A part of source code (interrupt routine) has been rewritten in assembler and manually optimized.
- It makes a possibility to control the bus only through the CS signal (no need for O2 clock synchronization, so it can run on systems with a different CPU than MOS6502 now).
- Low frequency limit and filter strength settings and saving settings to permanent flash memory.
Gallery:
Download:
ARMSiD Video:
source: ARMSiD Homepage
I tried the SwinSID Ultimate (SID 6581/8580 Replacement) by CodeKiller & Hermit and the base work by Swinkels with a Commodore 64 and the Ultimate-64 by Gideon and i must say that it works well without any problem.
The sound and the feel is good and knowing many SID tunes i did some comparisons, i can only say that these two Hungarian guys have done a Great job.
Forget immediatly how sounded the old Swinsid.
Some information taken from the SwinSID Ultimate site:
A duo from Hungary, Máté “CodeKiller” Sebők and Mihály “Hermit” Horváth have been working on improving SwinSID, originally developed by Swinkels.
List of improvements:
It has full feature compatibility with the original SID (over the old SwinSID):
- paddle/mouse support.
- readable registers (OSC3/ENV3)
- external audio in.
- bitfade.
- proper ADSR-bug support.
- fast ADSR attack rate (thanks to the self-correcting rate-counter)
- ‘Lazy Jones’ and ‘180’ -like gate and test-bit workaround (no missing note)
- proper 23bit noise-waveform calculation –> better “random” numbers.
- full 3V p-p output range w/o 1KOhm load (same as 8580)
- improved filter quality (16bit) and resonance-table for both SID model.
- improved waveform calculation (full 16 bit)
- high resolution combined waveform-tables.
It has enhancements over the original SID:
- clean anti-aliased bandlimited sound at high pitches.
- undistorted mixed digi tunes and eliminated volume-change click thanks to AC/DC separation of master volume register.
- Softconfig — software configurable options for a number of aspects of the operation.
- LEDs which intensity represents the active channels volume.
- LED displaying the active (classic) digi playback.
- or in case of the new Mahoney-digi, the entire array acts like a VU-meter.
Software configuration options:
- change between 8580/6581 behaviour (filter, ADSR, combined waveforms)
- change between PAL/NTSC pitch.
- enable/disable external audio input (less external noise)
- if enabled, then CAN be enabled to sample trough OSC3 register.
- enable/disable startup “ding”(beep)
- upload 3 banks of 256 bytes custom waveforms.
- “transparent” mute for channels — does not affect the sync, OSC3/ENV3,..
Gallery:
Download:
SwinSID Ultimate Video:
Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) is a hardware replacement for legendary SID sound chip which was placed in every Commodore C64 computer and other devices.
Firmware update (20120524):
- This version has only one improvement: fixed audio muting emulation.
Download: Nano/Micro SwinSID - Firmware update (20120524) (1977)
source: forum64.de
The Mega SwinSID is a new C64 SID replacement by Swinkels based on 32bit STM32 ARM Cortex M3 MCU and 512KB sample memory.
It runs at 80MHz and it uses integrated 12bit DACs for stereo output.
source: swinkels.tvtom.pl
Nano SwinSID Prototype by x1541:
This project is based on the microcontroller ATMEGA88PU from Atmel and the emulation code is written by Swinkels.
The prototype of Nano SwindSID is a scaled down version of the Micro SwinSID, so far so good, and here’s my initial impression.
x1541, a user of the forum64.de has made a very nice work, the pcb has the same size of the original SID chip (6581/8580), the components are arranged very well and the entire space of the pcb was used. I can just say to buy it when the Nano SwinSID kit will be available, your money will be spent well.
Nano SwinSID Features:
- ISP Connector.
- Same size as the original SID.
- 6581/8580 Jumper.
- Smd ATmega.
source: forum64.de
x1541, a user of the forum64.de has decided to scale down and update the pcb of the Micro SwinSID.
Download: NanoSwinSID PCB (33.34 Kb)
Features:
- ISP Connector.
- Same size as the original SID.
- 6581/8580 Jumper.
- Smd ATmega.
source: forum64.de
Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) is a hardware replacement for legendary SID sound chip which was placed in every Commodore C64 computer and other devices. Firmware update (27022011):
- This new firmware brings 6581 filter emulation by connecting B0 AVR pin to ground (on the Photo).
- Filter distrortions are still not emulated, only filter cutoff is affected.
source: forum64.de
Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) is a hardware replacement for legendary SID sound chip which was placed in every Commodore C64 computer and other devices.
On the Photo you can see the AVR ISP homebrew Adapter for programming the firmware.
Firmware update (10012011):
- Much improved ADSR envelope fading based on a real SID counter design.
- More soft filter.
Hardware tip:
To increase audio quality and volume level replace R4 (2k2) resistor with 1K. This will boost volume by about 50%
source: forum64.de
These are some Sid examples which i have recorded from a Commodore 64 with the SwinSID installed. You can Download the original Sid track in .sid file format and the SwinSID in .ogg file format (High Quality), so you can compare the musics.
- The Alibi by Thomas E. Petersen (Laxity) 1989 Maniacs of Noise- SID (6581)
- The Alibi by Thomas E. Petersen (Laxity) 1989 Maniacs of Noise- SWINSID
- Albino Human by Alexander Rotzsch (Fanta) 2006 Fanta – SID (8580)
- Albino Human by Alexander Rotzsch (Fanta) 2006 Fanta – SWINSID
Some Sid tracks play perfectly others need some emulation fixes.
Micro SwinSID KIT by Peter Sieg:
Certainly you can’t expect perfect emulation, but we are very close, the audio is much more clean than the original SID chip, if the project continues on this road we will arrive very soon on the perfect emulation.
Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) is a hardware replacement for legendary SID sound chip which was placed in every Commodore C64 computer.
This project is based on the microcontroller ATMEGA88PU from Atmel and the emulation code is written by Swinkels. The first version of the pcb (prototype) was made by Crisp.
For more information and price visit the forum64.de.
Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) is a hardware replacement for legendary SID sound chip which was placed in every Commodore C64 computer.
This project is based on the microcontroller ATMEGA88PU from Atmel and the emulation code is written by Swinkels. The first version of the pcb (prototype) was made by Crisp.
On the left you can see the tiny PCB of the Micro SwinSID made by a user of the forum64.de.
*This PCB is compatible with Commodore 64 and 64C but you need to Remove the resistor R3 if you install the Micro SwinSID on Commodore 64/SX64 where the SID 6581 is used.
For more information and price visit the forum64.de.
Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) is a hardware replacement for legendary SID sound chip which was placed in every Commodore C64 computer.
This hardware extension is designed as a module installed directly into the SID socket. It emulates the sound of the SID chip, but it is a lot more powerful and allows you experience the new dimension of C64 music.
The hardware desing of SID and Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) modules is different in almost every way. Micro SwinSID (SwinSID88) is equipped with general purpose microprocessor (ATMega88PA or PU) with internal RAM and ROM.
A programmable device like this has a big advantage – there is a possibility to upgrade firmware and to add new features or fixes without any hardware modification.
Download: Micro SwinSID PCB and Schematics v1.1
Download firmware: Firmware (30/04/2010) / Firmware (19/10/2010)
source: forum64.de swinkels homepage
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