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Forth, the Language.

Forth is a different language. It’s aged and a little weird.
What’s cool about it? It’s a very low-level and minimal language without any automatic memory management. At the same time, it easily scales to become a very high-level and domain-specific language, much like Lisp. Compared to C64 Basic, Forth is more attractive in almost every way.

It is a lot more fast, memory effective and powerful. Compared to C, specifically cc65, the story is a little different. It’s hard to make a fair comparison. Theoretically Forth code can be very memory efficient, and it’s possible to make Forth code that is leaner than C code. But it is also true that cc65 code is generally much faster than Forth code.

Download: durexForth v1.6.1 (D64/CRT) + Manual (1039)

source: csdb.dk

Commodore Amiga 2000 PSU Upgrade.

I have replaced the PCB of the Commodore Amiga 2000 power supply because tired and died after many years of use and there was not the slightest sense of the repair.

The difficulty to the present day is finding a power supply ATX v1.0 with -5v (white wire) in the later versions of ATX PSU was removed, the Amiga 2000 uses this voltage for the ZORRO cards.

*UPDATE*

If you have trouble to finding an ATX power supply with the -5v output (white wire on the connector) you could use a voltage regulator LM 7905 to adjust the voltage from -12v (available in all ATX power supplies also of the latest generation) to -5v.

Due to the missing TICK signal you need to move the jumper J300 to the position 2-3 and if you have an Amiga 2000 REV4x you need to move the jumper J34 to the position 2-3.

Below the work was done.

Gallery:

12►

source: John “Chucky” Hertell Blog

Some months ago i have decided to upgrade the power supply of my Commodore Amiga 4000 with a good ATX power supply, compact and with a high amperage.

I have found the SFX POWER 2 300w from the German Company: Be Quiet. The power supply is perfectly suited to my needs.

Below the work was done, anything of complex if not fit the PCB inside the power supply of the Commodore Amiga 4000.

Gallery:

Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.

Titles:

• Cauldron +4DF
• Jump Ninja +3HF
• Vault Man 2 Preview +2
• Jump Ninja
• JANI +2 [seuck]
• JANI [seuck]
• Blocks +J
• Meadowbrook Nine
• Minesweeper 64
• Petscii-Poker 2016
• Flying Cobra RX +2 [seuck]
• Underland Preview
• Frogger Arcade Prv 2
• Guardian +4DGH
• Little Knight Arthur +6D
• Little Knight Arthur +6HD
• Rupert and the Toymaker’s Party +3DG
• Hideous Bill and the Gi-Gants +3D
• Crow Boy Preview &D
• Hideous Bill and the Gi-Gants +4DGH
• Chichen Itza
• Blasteroids 101% +6DGHF
• Dragonfire 101% +2DGMF
• Rock Maze (Reset Edition) +4PH 100%
• Rock Maze (Reset Edition)
• Rock Maze (Reset Edition) +4PH
• Beach Head 1a ReM V2 + Source Code
• Miner 2049′er ReM V2 + Source Code
• Castles of Dr Creep 3 ReM V2 + Source Code
• Lode Runner X ReM V2 + Source Code
• Lode Runner(s) ReM V2 + Source Code
• EF C64GS Collection 200-1 Bugfix [easyflash]
• Manic Miner ReM + Source Code
• Return of Heracles +M
• Boulder Dashes ReM + Source Code

Download: All Games in One Archive (3895)

source: csdb.dk

Forth, the Language.

Forth is a different language. It’s aged and a little weird.
What’s cool about it? It’s a very low-level and minimal language without any automatic memory management. At the same time, it easily scales to become a very high-level and domain-specific language, much like Lisp. Compared to C64 Basic, Forth is more attractive in almost every way.

It is a lot more fast, memory effective and powerful. Compared to C, specifically cc65, the story is a little different. It’s hard to make a fair comparison. Theoretically Forth code can be very memory efficient, and it’s possible to make Forth code that is leaner than C code. But it is also true that cc65 code is generally much faster than Forth code.

Download: durexForth v1.6.0 (D64/CRT) + Manual (986)

source: csdb.dk

Forth, the Language.

Forth is a different language. It’s aged and a little weird.
What’s cool about it? It’s a very low-level and minimal language without any automatic memory management. At the same time, it easily scales to become a very high-level and domain-specific language, much like Lisp. Compared to C64 Basic, Forth is more attractive in almost every way.

It is a lot more fast, memory effective and powerful. Compared to C, specifically cc65, the story is a little different. It’s hard to make a fair comparison. Theoretically Forth code can be very memory efficient, and it’s possible to make Forth code that is leaner than C code. But it is also true that cc65 code is generally much faster than Forth code.

Download: durexForth v1.5.3 + Manual (987)

source: csdb.dk

Easy trick to improve a little bit the video quality for the Commodore 64.

The fix can be made without removing the modulator. Obviously the RF output doesn’t work anymore.

Gallery:

Testing ICE Felix HC-90 (ZX Spectrum Clone) for a friend.

This is a series of ZX Spectrum clones was manufactured in Romania from 1985 to 1994, by ICE Felix. The designation HC means Home Computer, and for the first three models in the series, the number is the year of first manufacture. Models in the series were: HC 85, HC 88, HC 90, HC 91, HC91+ (HC128), HC 2000, HC386.

The earliest version, HC 85, closely resembled the Spectrum, with a built-in BASIC interpreter, Z80A processor, 48 KB RAM, tape, and TV interfaces. It was used in schools/universities and as a personal computer.

An optional Interface 1 extension was available for the HC 85, HC 90, and HC 91. It was functionally similar to the ZX Interface 1, but instead of Microdrives it supported single-density or double-density floppy disks. The HC 90 had a redesigned circuit board supporting fewer, larger memory chips; it was functionally equivalent with the HC 85.

The HC 91 had a modified keyboard with 50 keys instead of 40. It had 64 KB RAM and extra circuitry which provided CP/M support, if the Interface 1 extension was also present.

The HC 2000 (manufactured from 1992–94) had a built-in 3.5-inch 720 KB disk, and 64 KB RAM, it could be used both as a Spectrum clone with added disk functionality (only 48 KB RAM available) or in CP/M mode, giving access to the full 64 KB memory. Essentially, it brought the HC 91, Interface 1, and floppy disk in a single case.

The last model to be made in the Z80 line was the HC91+. It was a ZX Spectrum 128K clone in a HC91 case and keyboard and had some compatibility problems. For the first time, the AY-8910 sound chip was offered as an add-on service and was soldered on the board by factory technicians. Demoscene demos had problems running multi-colour effects and displaying sound VU-meter like effects lacking some data from the AY chip probably.

Gallery:

source: wikipedia

Hex file for upgrade/mod the Vogatek A51099 Arcade Supergun 16F505 controller chips by MCJ Design 2007

Installation instruction:

• Simply program the hex file onto 2 * Microchip PIC16F505 chips.

Features:

• Press “A” on Megadrive/Genisis controller on the first power-up (this fixes random key outputs if the 2nd Controller is not used).
• PCB mod (detailed photo in the archive). Press Start + C to add coin/credit.

Gallery of the firmware upgrade:

Download: Hex file for upgrade/mod the Vogatek A51099 (1027)

Repair Sinclair Spectrum +3 Power Supply

Defect:

• Dead.

Problems:

• All pad of the transformer output are broken.
• Broke the fuse holder and therefore the fuse it moves inside the power supply.

Repair:

• I have made bridges to restore the connection between the pcb and the transformer.
• Replaced the fuse holder.

Gallery of the repair:

Someone has to do this tedious job and also i advise you do not postpone the capacitors replacement.

Macintosh Recap:

• 1 x Macintosh Portable
• 1 x Macintosh SE (battery removed)
• 1 x Macintosh LC520
• 1 x Macintosh Color Classic

Gallery of the Macintosh Recap:

A new donation from Paolo Cognetti.

Donated items:

• ZX Spectrum + (Complete/Boxed) with keyboard problems
• Philips MSX Printer VW-0010
• Philips MSX QuickDisk VY-0002
• Apple II/II+ Joystick
• ABT Apple II+ External Keypad
• ZX Spectrum + Manual
• SCSI Iomega ZIP Drive + Cable
• Some ZX Spectrum Tape Cassette
• Macintosh Plus Motherboard
• Some PCMCIA Cards

Thanks Paolo.

Repairing Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 1 ..for the third time

Defect:

• SHIFT keyboard switch broken.
• Garbage Screen on boot (already repaired).
• Flat cable of the Keyboard broken (already repaired)

Repair:

• Replaced the keyboard switch with a new one taken from a keyboard (the good one) of the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A that helps me many times.
• Replaced a 2102 Video SRAM.
• Rebuilt the keyboard flat cable.

Gallery of he repair:

We had a few problems yesterday with the firewall which has caused a bit of site downtime. We’re very sorry now the problem was fixed.