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* Migration of Nightfall Blog to New Server *

September 30th, 2009 1 comment

MigrationPlease update your Bookmarks / RSS to the new web address:

www.nightfallcrew.com

SD2Iec Firmware v0.8.2 Released

September 28th, 2009 No comments

SD2IEC is a hardware mass storage device using an SD/MMC card and interfacing with the IEC bus. It is based on the ATmega644 microcontroller from the Atmel AVR microcontroller family. The most prominent use of SD2IEC is emulation/replacement of a Commodore-1541 disk drive for a C64.

Hardware and the microcontroller’s firmware is available as open source (GPL).

Changelog:

2009-09-27 – release 0.8.2

  • Bugfix: Prevent random storage corruption on FAT32 media.
  • Bugfix: Image files not mountable if read-only file or media.
  • Bugfix: Do not clear error channel if sec. 15 is closed.
  • Add a dummy RTC read during init (to update year if required).
  • Enable I2C RTC support in LarsP configuration for Final Expansion 3.
  • Acknowledge ATN during initialisation to stall C64 if required.

source: sd2iec.de gitweb forum thread c64-wiki

Categories: Firmware, News & Rumors, Today

TMPview v1.1 by Style. Released at Chicago Expo 2009

September 26th, 2009 No comments

StyleTMPview is a command line tool that converts your binary source code file saved from Turbo Assembler, Turbo Assembler Macro, and many variants including Turbo Macro Pro into an ASCII version of the code.

v1.1 brings some bug fixes, but the main new feature is translation of PETSCII in string literals into tok64/bastext compatible tokens. Therefore output from TMPview can now be fully re-assembled by… well, that is a story for another release…

source: style64.org

Commodore 64 DiskMagazine – Vandalism News #51

September 26th, 2009 No comments

Onslaught / Wrath Designs / Vandalism new stuff, bring you the 51th Vandalism News.

Contains information of event(s):

  • LCP 2009  report and results.
  • Maximum Overdose 8  report.
  • St LCP 2008  report and results.

source: onslaught.c64.org noname.c64.org

The XU1541 USB Adapter now available

September 26th, 2009 2 comments

XU1541 USB AdapterThe XU1541 is built from a modified version of the XU1541 firmware developed by Till Harbaum. It is a USB full speed device and supports high-speed parallel cables. The hardware USB support significantly speeds up transfers.

The XU1541 was originally developed by Till Harbaum and the project was abandoned. But its now still well alive, thanks to our resident engineer Jurek.

source: XU1541 homepage

(Italian) Anteprima dello stampato per l’interfaccia Pocket 1541 di Kiand

September 26th, 2009 No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Categories: C64/SX64, News & Rumors, Today

(Italian) Notte dei Ricercatori (ExhibitionPROSIT) – Trieste

September 26th, 2009 No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Categories: Event(s), News & Rumors, Today

C128 System Information v7.1 rev1 by MirkoSoft

September 24th, 2009 No comments

C128 System Information v6 rev2Program that detects type of your hardware in Commodore 128.

Also added recognizing 64HDD drives and better detection of MMU and RAM size. Works not correctly in VICE. Optimized for 80 columns mode. Thanks to Christian Johansson.

source: mirkosoft homepage

Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ 128k

September 23rd, 2009 No comments
ZX Spectrum+ 128k

Autopsy:

from Wikipedia:

Sinclair developed the ZX Spectrum 128 (code-named Derby) in conjunction with their Spanish distributor Investrónica. Investrónica had helped adapt the ZX Spectrum+ to the Spanish market after the Spanish government introduced a special tax on all computers with 64 KB RAM or less which did not support the Spanish alphabet (such as ñ) and show messages in Spanish.

New features included 128 KB RAM, three-channel audio via the AY-3-8912 chip, MIDI compatibility, an RS-232 serial port, an RGB monitor port, 32 KB of ROM including an improved BASIC editor, and an external keypad.

The machine was simultaneously presented for the first time and launched in September 1985 at the SIMO ’85 trade show in Spain, with a price of 44,250 pesetas. Because of the large amount of unsold Spectrum+ models, Sinclair decided not to start selling in the UK until January 1986 at a price of £179.95. No external keypad was available for the UK release, although the ROM routines to use it and the port itself, which was hastily renamed “AUX”, remained.

source: wikipedia

ICU 64 v0.1 for Vice v2.1

September 21st, 2009 No comments

This is the second public version of ICU64. You can now experience the hacker’s view of the Commodore 64 with real-time view and edit of the C64 internals.

Note:

In this version ICU64 operates as a common debugger over the x64 process. This approach reduces the features that can be supported, in comparison to the Frodo Redpill version. But since it is slightly newer, it has some more functionality and some bugs are fixed. The notable addition is a simple ‘memory scanner’.

Requirements:

  • A fast PC with Windows XP and .NET Framework 2.0
  • The WinVICE 2.1 Emulator.

source: icu64.blogspot.com

Speak & Spell (PCB Revision: D) by Texas Instruments

September 20th, 2009 2 comments
Speak & Spell by Texas Instruments

Autopsy:

  • Powersupply 6 volt DC v1.2A with positive tip polarity.

from Wikipedia:

The Speak & Spell line is a series of electronic handheld educational toys created by Texas Instruments that consist of a speech synthesizer, a keyboard, and a receptor slot to receive one of a collection of ROM game library modules (collectively covered under US patent 3934233 ).

The first Speak & Spell was introduced at the summer Consumer Electronics Show in June 1978, making it one of the earliest handheld electronic devices with a visual display to use interchangeable game cartridges.

The Speak & Spell was created by a small team of engineers led by Paul Breedlove, himself an engineer, with Texas Instruments (TI) during the late 1970s. Development began in 1976 with an initial budget of $25,000, as an outgrowth of TI’s research into speech synthesis.

The completed proof version of the first console utilized TI’s trademarked Solid State Speech technology to store full words in a solid state format similar to the manner in which calculators of the time stored numbers. Additionally purchased cartridges (called expansion modules) could be inserted behind the battery receptacle to provide new solid state libraries and new games.

This represented the first time an educational toy utilized speech that was not recorded on tape or phonograph record (as with Mattel’s See ‘n Say line or the earlier Chatty Cathy dolls).

source: wikipedia speaknspell.co.uk

Some Coleco Vision Games Cartridges

September 18th, 2009 1 comment
Coleco Vision Cartridges

Autopsy:

Cartridges list:

  • Mouse Trap by Exidy.
  • Zaxxon by Sega.
  • Carnival by Sega.
  • Lady Bug by Universal.
  • Donkey Kong by Nintendo.

click here for the CBS Coleco Vision category.

EasyFlash Cartridges PCB v1.4.1 REV B released

September 18th, 2009 No comments

EasyFlash Cartridge for Commodore 64from Homepage:

The parts for the first EasyFlash cartridges have been shipped by Nils from his shop for8bits.

EasyFlash is a cartridge for the C64 expansion port. In contrast to traditional cartridges, this one can be programmed directly from the C64.

source: easyflash homepage

Categories: C64/SX64, News & Rumors, Today

Mattel Intellivision Poker & Black Jack Game Cartridge

September 18th, 2009 No comments

source: wikipedia

Mattel Electronics Intellivoice + Space Spartans Game Cartridge

September 18th, 2009 No comments
Box of Mattel Electronics Intellivoice

Autopsy:

from Wikpedia:

The Intellivoice Voice Synthesis Module was an adapter for the Intellivision, Mattel’s home gaming console, that utilized a voice synthesizer to generate audible speech.

The Intellivoice was a large, brown cartridge that plugged into the Intellivision’s side-mounted cartridge slot; games specifically designed for the device could then be inserted into a slot provided on the right-hand side of the module.

An International version of the Intellivoice was planned, but never released. The Intellivoice was discontinued in 1983 due to poor sales, with only five titles released with support for the device.

source: wikipedia