petSD is the name of the new AVR-based hardware. It’s a modern mass storage solution for Commodore PET/CBM computers with IEEE 488 bus using SD cards as floppy or hard disc replacement.

If you know the SD2IEC or µIEC: the petSD is just the same but for the older parallel IEEE 488 bus instead of the newer serial IEC bus.

The petSD is still a work in progress and there still are some issues.

A petSD consists of at least:

• ATmega 1284P.
• Red and a green LED (may be combined in one).
• SD slot.
• IEEE 488 connector.

source: nils eilers homepage

The Hybrid SID is a portable SID Player with a OLED LCD and a USB connector.

The Hybrid SID plays the most common variety of chiptunes, music written for playback on a SID chip. Probably the biggest collection of SID music is the High Voltage SID Collection, which has 36,000 SID tunes, free to download.

This prototype use a real SID chip (6581/8580) for play music and a CUI32 PIC32MX Development Stick for the CPU (6510) Emulation.

A YouTube video is available here.

source: dangerousprototypes.com

A new version of the firmware for the interface 1541 Ultimate II is released. This version only runs on the Ultimate-II! Release for Ultimate-I (MK1) will come very soon.

Major improvement in latest release:

• MAJOR bug fix: Updater caused to unit to fail when “Force update” was selected on the first batch Black boards (with Atmel Flash)…
• Updater updated: Now possible to clear all configuration pages in flash.
• Issue fixed with configuration of objects that did not have a config page yet (write/effectuate decoupled).
• Issue fixed with re-freezing into an empty D64 (or file with headers but no items); caused a blank screen.
• Version number of FPGA increased [to $A6], because REU was fixed. (See previous commit).
• Simulation environment set up for REU.
• REU verify bug fixed. More testcases to be added.
• …/target/simulation/sim/$ make reu_tc_1.gui will start ModelSim with the REU testcase.
• Missing simulation package added.
• SdCard cannot be renamed, of course… fixed…
• Build of MK1 firmware fixed, using the 250E FPGA.
• Makefile changed to output a warning when ISE locations from the project is used, instead of your own.
• Tested on ‘clean’ system with Xilinx ISE 13.1 installed.
• Missing file added: sid_mapper.vhd. Why did nobody notice this? :D

download: 1541ultimate.net

The party is organized by Maciej Grzybek also known as Grzybson/SSG. It is taking place form 27th May (Friday) to 29th May 2011 (Sunday) in Częstochowa.

This is the Official Party Reports.

Game Compo:

• 1. Octopus / Larek, sOnar, Caruso.
• 2. Quad / nosty, sOnar.
• 3. Patrol in the Space / TDC, sOnar, Caruso, Miker.
• 4. Blahblah / Xeen, Piesiu, Ooz, Miker.
• 5. Tajemniczy zamek 2 / Sikor, Miker, Ripek.
• 6. Narciarzyki / Innuendo, Eagle.

Wild Compo:

• 1. River Raid 2k11 / C.Shaw, J.Husak.
• 2. Blondie / Gonzo, Raster, Kozyca.
• 3. Subaru / Gonzo..

Download: Grzybsoniada 2011 stuff + extras (1826)

source: Grzybsoniada homepage

This program converts images to a new c64 graphic format known as MUCSU FLI (MUltiColor Sprite Underlay FLI). It is merely a hiresolution bitmap image with an X expanded multicolor sprite underlay. The Hires underlay variant of this mode has been created before (known as extended hires).

After reading a few forum posts mentioning that the multicolor version of this mode was unrealistic and would provide too many restrictions, I decided to produce this converter to prove that this is not the case as well as wanting to use this particular format for my own production.

Download: MUCSU-FLI Converter (1062)

source: noname.c64.org