The High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC) is a freeware hobby project which organises Commodore 64 music (also known as SID music) into an archive for both musicians and fans alike.
The work on the collection is done completely in the Team and contributors’ spare time and is proudly one of the largest and most accurate computer music collections known.
This update features (all approximates):
- 658 new SIDs
- 66 fixed/better rips
- 3 repeats/bad rips eliminated
- 174 SID credit fixes
- 27 SID model/clock infos
- 7 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN/ identified
- 1 tunes from /GAMES/ identified
- 22 tunes moved out of /DEMOS/ to their composers’ directories
- 4 tunes moved out of /GAMES/ to their composers’ directories
Download:
source: www.hvsc.c64.org
I could not resist the temptation to try also this “we hope it will be the last one!” FPGA implementation of the SID (Sound Interface Device) MOS 6581 / 8580, i’m talking about the fpgaSID by andi6510.
Probably this is the best implementation using an FPGA of the sound chip of the Commodore 64. If we make a quick comparison with the implementation made by Gideon for the Ultimate-64, both are the best ever.
It remains however understood that the audiophiles and purist of the sound generated of a original SID will never accept any implementation of the SID via FPGA.
andi6510 also wrote a software for the Commodore 64 (ConfiGuru) to configure the various fpgaSID options and for upgrade the firmware.
Below some information taken from the fpgaSID site.
Accurate replication of the original SID MOS6581 and MOS8580:
- Exact reproduction of the digital sound generation part
- Spice simulation of the analog filters
- Advanced models for all 6581 non-linearities
Many extra features on top of the original SID:
- FPGASID includes two fully functional SIDs for 6-voice stereo sound
- Perfect audio quality – much better than the original SID!
- Pseudo stereo mode mixes traditional tunes or game sounds to stereo
- Digitize the analog input to 8-bit samples (in your own software)
- Sample playback of 8-bit samples (in your own software)
- Nice light organ effect visible when mounted in transparent case
- Paddles readout even more accurate than the original SID
High compatibility:
- Works in any C64/SX64 or C128
- Works with any software written for standard single SID computers
- Works with large existing software base for dual SID stereo tunes
- Paddle and 1351 Mouse support
- Analog input EXTIN fully supported
Easy configuration with the software tool ConfiGuru:
- Individual configuration of every SID
- Easy- and Expert configuration modes
- Save up to two configuration sets permanently in flash memory
- Easy update to new firmware directly on your C64
- Flexible address allocation of the second SID
- Diagnostic function to troubleshoot hardware problems
Easy installation:
- Installation done in 20 minutes
- No soldering required for all main features (except external configuration switch, when needed)
- Much smaller than traditional stereo boards thus avoiding installation trouble
Gallery:
Video:
source: fpgasid.de
NEW TAG: C64 BIG GAME PACK
Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.
Titles:
- Mashed Turtles V2 +F
- Moonshadow 2 Preview
- Guardian II +5HD
- Portal +2
- Overhead Racer Preview
- Portal V1 +
- Portal V1
- Mashed Turtles 64 V2
- Super Hyperzap +2F
- CNC Simulationen
- El Loco Challenge Preview
- Rolling Ronny +H
- Maze of Death
- Hermetic +
- Portal +5D
- Lady Tut +7DGH
- Argos DX +2T
- CNC-Simulation “Fräsen”
- Super Hyperzap
- Super Hyperzap +2
- Super Hyperzap +
- Super Hyperzap +F
- CNC Simulationen
- Tank Blasta [seuck]
- Super Hyperzap +2F
- Mountain King +8DF
- Di’s Baby +2DH
- Draughts
- Dama
- Ornament Man +
- The Sky Is Falling Basic Preview
- Supernova 0.2 Preview
- Demon Blues +
- Batman – The Caped Crusader +1D
- Ornament Man
- Dragon’s Lair
- Aviator Arcade +4
- Cybex Escape [dutch]
- Maze of Death +
- Tank Blasta +2H [seuck]
- Cybex Escape +1T
- 8bit-Slicks
- Fire Breath V1.1 +2
- Ski or Die [supercpu]
- Stercore 64
- Stercore 64 +
- Paradoxon Basic [cartridge]
- Coil Cop +1D
- O-Pat-Ko-No +DF
- Spiderbot +1D
- Slalom +2DMGH
- Killer Bees
- Killer Bees +2H V2
- Killer Bees +2 V1
- Slalom +3DMGH
- Digiloi
- Killer Bees +2H V3 OK
- Digiloi +
- Death in the Caribbean 101% +DS MAP
- The Innuh’s Pyramid &DSM
- Cauldron II +4 GOLD
- Mazinger Z Preview V2 +2D
Download: All Games in One Archive (6035)
source: csdb.dk
Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)
The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.
Changelog (1.0.12.0 -> 1.0.16.0):
- Prevent memory buffer overflow error when mounting G64 disk files that contain tracks that are longer than 7928 bytes. Allow arbitrary length G64 track data to be scaled to the emulated disk.
- Fixed G64 file header track size sanity check.
- Added VIA6522 shift register emulation to support raw captured VMAX4 loaders.
- CIA Time Of Day emulation accuracy improvement.
Download:
source: hoxs64.net
Firmware upgrades for THEC64 Mini provide new features and/or correct any technical issues.
We always recommend that you use the latest version of the firmware.
Version 1.2.0 – Changes:
- Adds a complete new game for free to the GAMES CAROUSEL! Galencia for the Mini is licensed from Jay Aldred and is the winner of the Reset64 Magazine 2017 Commodore 64 Game of the Year Award
- Introduces the Virtual Joystick. You can now select all options on THEC64 Mini and even play games just using a USB keyboard. See Virtual Joystick for further information
- Improves the File Loader to allow multiple programs to be configured at once. See Setting a Default Configuration for Multiple Programs for further information
- Remembers the mute state of the CAROUSEL music between reboots
- Improves the general performance of THEC64 Mini screens and menus
Note:
Galencia is the winner of the Reset64 Magazine 2017 Commodore 64 Game of the Year Award. It is a colourful, highly polished, Galaga inspired single-screen shoot-em-up.
Jay has worked really hard to produce a special version of Galencia just for THEC64 Mini and its 720p display, and it makes maximum use of the upper and lower borders for graphics, right up to the edge of the screen! Be aware however, that some HD TVs might crop some of these border graphics when displaying the 720p image. This is not a fault with Galencia or the Mini and we recommend that you refer to your TV settings.
Please be aware there is currently a 256 item limit (files and/or folders) to assist improved USB memory stick performance.
Download: TheC64 Mini Firmware v1.2.0 (2128)
source: thec64.com
This Commodore Amiga 600 is arrived in laboratory in immaculate state still with the warranty sticker.
Immediately after the disassembly i have immediately noticed that were are several problems of acid released from the capacitors and dirty that affected this poor Amiga 600 and its Floppy Drive.
A decoupling capacitor it’s exploded with a pit on the PCB side, solved this problem i started to replace all the electrolytic capacitors and to clean the pcb with specific products.
After the replacement of the electrolytic capacitors, i have tried to turn on the amiga that apparently worked, shame about the distorted sound and the floppy drive that read 1 time of 100.
I had to replace the electrolyte capacitor on the Floppy Drive and soon after i looked for the fault of the audio problem that 99% is always the usual LF374.
In this case it was not only LF374 but also a 10ohm resistor that did not let the +12v to the LF374 and a short-circuited ceramic decoupling capacitor.
Components that have been replaced:
- IC LF374 substituted with a fully compatible TL084C (U15)
- 10Ohm resistor (R301)
- 330nF capacitor (C301)
- 330nF capacitor (C41)
Unfortunately the welding of the LF374 did not come very well how i like to do it but the pad are destroyed and corroded by the acid and they were about to detach, indeed the pad of the pin 2 of the LF374 was really detached, that’s why the pin 1 and 2 of the IC LF374 are connected together, they were connected via the pad.
I leave you to the photos and the video.
Gallery:
Video:
The Commodore-SX64 keyboard after some time isnt’t responding anymore (all or some keys). In this case, the keyboard needs some cleaning and repair.
First of all you have to disassembly the keyboard housing, pay particular attention to the screws, this plastic is very old and not of a good quality, it breaks only if you look it.
Gently remove the membrane and clean with alcohol all the metal contacts on the keyboard pcb and also clean all the contact pads on the membrane without alcohol.
Next i took some graphite in cream (Keypad Fix) to reconstruct the pads on the membrane by simply applying a very fine layer of graphite on the contacts.
Gallery:
Firmware upgrade for the UK1541 a real time drive emulator with cycle-exact 6502 instructions execution and VIA’s emulation just by tiny MCU, LCP1114, Cortex M0, 48Mhz (0,84 DMIPS/Mhz) developed by Krzysztof Switajski aka Kisiel/ICON.
Changelog:
- Core6502 update 2.0.1.11-2018 with major improvements for VIA emulation.
Download:
source: wiki.projekt64.filety.pl
Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)
The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.
Changelog:
- Allow game device axes to be unselected in the joystick settings.
- Experimental support for game devices with more than 32 buttons and up to 128 buttons.
- Fix to broken save state.
Download:
source: hoxs64.net
NEW TAG: C64 BIG GAME PACK
Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.
Titles:
- The Third Planet From Altair (RPL)
- The Last Ninja [1581]
- DX-7 Sounddesign
- Combat Crazy +7H (EasyFlash)
- Rogue Burger One +5F
- Laura64 Preview V2 +2T
- Infernal Runner +1DT
- DX-7 Support
- (Super) Bonkey Kong +2HD
- Demons Castle 2 [english]
- Cow & Chicken Preview (TRIAD/PROTOVISION)
- Combat Crazy +7H
- Limbo Preview
- Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (R17)
- Drugwar 64
- Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (R17) +D
- Zombie Calavera Prologue – Hokuto Force
- Zombie Calavera Prologue – Hardstyle
- Rush Preview +2
- The Scroll of Akbar Khan +1DMW
- Drugwar 64 V1.05
- Terminator 2 +H (EasyFlash)
- Brainway +DCM
- Blastopia
- Ill Savior Preview 2
- CETI 21 – Special Edition +2 [seuck]
- Blastopia +6HD
- Aviator Arcade II Preview V2 +3
- Illsavior Preview 2
- Fizz +1F
- Austro-Comp E1+E2 [german]
- Aviator Arcade II Preview [sd2iec]
- Bomberland 64k [sd2iec]
- Spider Maze +3D
- Spider Maze
- Highnoon +6DGMH
- GameTro +
- Get Off My Garden! +5H
- LumberJack Basic
- Four in a Row Master +T
- Caverns of Khafka +10D
- Street Gang +7DH
Download: All Games in One Archive (6761)
source: csdb.dk
Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)
The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.
Changelog:
- SID envelope timing fixes. SID sustain register cycle accurate response to changes. Update to the SID noise write back behaviour.
Download:
source: hoxs64.net
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
Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)
The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.
Changelog:
- SID envelope timing fixes to accommodate VICE test programs in testprogs\SID\env_test\
- Also improved is the timing of gate attack during release and gate release during attack as measured by own test programs.
Download:
source: hoxs64.net
What is DiagROM?
DiagROM is a diagnostic tool for the amiga computers.
And it is to be used on defective machines, trying to help no-boot situations etc.
You simply replace the Kickstart roms in the Amiga with the DiagROM. and when poweron. your Amiga will start a diagnostic software. It will try to dump info on the serialport (and actual menus etc aswell) while also trying on the screen.
Changelog:
- New memory-detection routine that hopefully finds more memory.
- A600/1200/4000 IDE detection.
- Some bugfixes. (look at releasedata for more info)
- Powerup extras:
- press left mousebutton at power on, Screen will be disabled and IF there is fastmem present, fastmem will be used instead of chipmem. Serial console is only option.
- if you press right mousebutton at poweron. Computer will use the beginning of detected ramblock instead of end.
- (you can combine both buttons at boot)
- fire on joystick at power on:
- Serialport output is disabled. this to make the machine to start with broken Paula. DiagROM also tries to detect broken paula at start and will disable serial if detected. (this detection is far from 100%)
Download: DiagoROM v1.1 Stable (804)
source: diagrom.com
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