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Released eSXDos v0.7.3 Beta public firmware for Divide interface

February 21st, 2010 No comments

eSXDos Divide Beta firmwareGeneral Info:

  • Firmware written primarily for the DivIDE interface, maybe for others in future.
  • Inspired by our (Phoenix & LaesQ) old ‘backbone’ project + inspiration from +D
  • Works with HDD/CD-ROM/ZIP/LS120 (LS120 can access 720KB and 1.44MB floppies)
  • Uses drivers to access filesystems (either in RAM or ROM)
  • Provides new BASIC commands
  • Will provide RST 8 hooks for user-land apps
  • Supports IM2 loading/saving (K3L’s FA part)
  • Drivers give access to the filesystem, and provide specific emulation hooks in certain cases (TRDOS, .TAP, etc)
  • There’s a device/filesystem abstraction layer, which means that BASIC or user-land programs don’t need to know anything about the underlying filesystem/device (ie, you use the same BASIC commands for all filesystems, FAT/ISO/TRD/etc)
  • Will allow up to 4 virtual drives for disk images (.trd/etc)
  • Filesystems are mapped acording to type: hd*, fd*, cd*, vd*, td*
  • FAT12/16/32 driver built-in ROM, other drivers loaded from boot filesystem on demand. (on this preview version, there was still room so TRDOS filesystem is in ROM too)
    Does not need a system file to work, common BASIC commands and FAT driver on ROM, system file loaded from boot filesystem will have additional commands, etc.
  • … more stuff which I prolly forgot

source: esxdos.org

Categories: Firmware, News & Rumors, Today

Island of Secrets Graphic Adventure for Commodore VIC-20

February 20th, 2010 No comments

Island of Secrets Graphic AdventureIsland of Secrets Graphic Adventure – 22 column version by Jenny Tyler and Les Howarth.

This game is a conversion from Commodore 64 of a classic type-in text adventure from the book published by Usborne in 1984. Play it with the stunning graphic excitement of more than 30 hi-res screens! It’s require a VIC-20 + 24K RAM.

source: Denial (The Commodore VIC-20 forum)

D64 Editor v0.030

February 16th, 2010 No comments

This program is basically a utility created to edit your D64 files.  Hopefully when it is done it will have all of the features you’d expect from a c64 based disk editor, as well as additional features that make it easier to manage your D64 files.

Here some features:

  • Read D64 files, display the directory, move files around the directory, rename files.
  • Export files from the D64 into PRG files.
  • Import files into the D64 with autodetection for P00 files.
  • View/Edit the BAM.
  • View the block chain of files on the D64.
  • Create new blank D64 files, clean existing D64′s.
  • View and modify blocks on the disk in hex.
  • Automatic check for crosslinked files on the D64.
  • View the directory using the native c64 font.
  • SEQ File Viewer using the c64 font with PETASCII->ASCII conversion option.
  • Drag and Drop functionality. Drag D64′s onto the main screen to load them, drag other files to import them.
  • Preliminary support for importing T64′s.
  • A filename builder to enable easy use of the C64 Characterset in filenames.

Read more…

Amiga Documents v2.0.9

February 14th, 2010 No comments

Amiga in 1985 and "Amiga" in 2003A anonymous person has published a large amount of files on a web page about the history of Amiga.

At the moment there are more than 600 PDF files available for viewing or downloading.

source: commodore-gg.hobby.nl

Amstrad CPC Powersupply adaptor & RGB (Audio) Scart Cable

February 13th, 2010 No comments

My homebrew Powersupply adaptor & RGB/Audio Scart cable for Amstrad CPC 464/6128.

source: cpcwiki.eu jrp king homepage kjthacker.f2s.com

(Amstrad) Schneider CPC 6128

February 11th, 2010 No comments
(Amstrad) Schneider CPC 6128

Autopsy:

from Wikipedia:

The Amstrad CPC (short for ‘Colour Personal Computer’) is a series of 8 bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself, especially in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the German-speaking parts of Europe.

The series spawned a total of six distinct models: The CPC464, CPC664, and CPC6128 were highly successful competitors in the home computer market. The later plus models, 464plus and 6128plus, efforts to prolong the system’s lifecycle with hardware updates, were considerably less successful, as was the attempt to repackage the 464plus hardware into a game console as the GX4000.

The CPC models’ hardware was based on the Zilog Z80A CPU, complemented with either 64 or 128 kilobytes of memory. Their computer-in-a-keyboard design prominently featured an integrated data drive (compact cassette or 3″ floppy disk). The main units were only sold bundled with a color or monochrome monitor that doubled as the main unit’s power supply. Additionally, a wide range of first- and third-party hardware extensions such as disk drives (for the CPC464), printers, and memory extensions, was available.

The CPC series was pitched against other home computers primarily used to play video games and enjoyed a strong supply of first-party (Amsoft) and third-party game software. The comparatively low price for a complete computer system with dedicated monitor, its high resolution monochrome text and graphic capabilities and the possibility to run CP/M software also rendered the system attractive for business users, which was reflected by a wide selection of application software.

During its lifetime, the CPC series sold approximately 3 million units.

source: wikipedia cpcwiki.eu

ACID 64 Player Pro v3.0.3 (Windows)

February 9th, 2010 No comments

ACID 64 Player Pro is the sequal of Acid 64 Player and is a cycle based Commodore 64 music player designed for playing SID tunes on sound cards/devices that have a real SID chip (6581/6582/8580) on board like the HardSID cards and HardSID 4U USB device.

ACID 64 emulates the MOS 6510 micro processor, the 6526 CIA chip and partially the 6569 VIC chip to run the code of a SID tune and it controls the SID chip on the device for playing the Commodore 64 music.

What’s new in version v3.0.3:

New:

  • Support for the new HardSID USB devices: Uno and UPlay.
  • Auto detection of turned on/off USB devices.
  • Added sorting on column of every grid.
  • Emulated SID reading.

Improvements:

  • When performing e.g. mute/unmute, filter on/off or pause then no time gap isn’t noticed anymore while playing on a USB device.
  • Seek bar is always going smooth now and still synched with the 6510 CPU clock.
  • Improved fast forward.
  • HardSID.dll isn’t required anymore for USB devices.
  • Many small improvements.

Fixes:

  • Works now without administrator rights.
  • When using dual monitor ACID 64 will now be centered on the screen instead of the desktop.

screenshot:

source: acid64.com

A playable game of Tabletop Pong

February 6th, 2010 No comments

A playable game of Tabletop PongPONG is one of the earliest arcade video games, released by Atari way back in 1972. (It was not the first video game, but it’s venerable indeed.)

We’re certainly not the first to build a real-world analog of a video game or even of PONG itself.

source: evilmadscientist.com

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

The Space Limits II for Commodore 64

February 6th, 2010 No comments

The Space Limits IIAchim released his game Space Limits II for the Commodore C64. This 4 kbyte game is the successor of Space Limits from 2009.

source: commodore-gg.hobby.nl noname.c64.org

SIDstick chiptunes player

February 6th, 2010 No comments

The SIDstick is a pocket-sized chiptunes player. Chiptunes are songs written to be synthesized in real-time. A lot of chiptunes are ripped from classic videogames, and some are new works. The SIDstick plays the most common variety of chiptunes, music written for playback on a SID chip. Main features:

  • Removable Storage supporting microSD cards, 1 card can hold 20,000 songs.
  • 20+ hour battery life.
  • Super Hi-Quality hardware-based playback at 31kHz sample rate, >16 bit resolution.
  • Completely Open, hardware and software are available under the MIT license.
  • Upgradable with connections on the board.

source: gadgetgangster.com wikipedia hvsc.c64.org

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

Cartograph V1.3 by Arkanix Labs

January 31st, 2010 No comments

CartographCartograph is a native Commodore 64 application created for designing tile-based maps/levels.

This versatile tool allows you to create maps and levels for your games, matrices and data for demos and tools and much more.

Changelog:

Cartograph V1.3 increases productivity and decreases the amount of time needed to create your data. Some of the major changes include six new fill modes (random and pattern), six more data types, REU support (backups and undo), and RLE compression. Maps created with earlier versions are 100% compatible with this new release.

source: arkanixlab.com c64dev.com

1541U-II Plastic Case & Software: Working in progress

January 31st, 2010 No comments

1541 Ultimatefrom 1541 Ultimate homepage:

Finally, you might think! An update on the 1541U-II… As time is going fast, the moment that all the hardware parts for the 1541U-II will be ready is drawing near. It all was not too easy, but things are going now the way they should.

The major difficulty showed to be the plastic case. Finally I have found a contractor who is willing to make the plastic case exactly as I wanted it, for a reasonable price. Unfortunately, the mould for plastic injection is quite expensive; in fact about double of what I expected initially, based on an unrealistic quote that I got a few months ago. Because of the large interest in the 1541U-II, I decided to just continue with it, and leave the selling price of the total product intact.

1541U-II

Earlier this week, I received the first pictures of the first try-outs of the injection mould tool. The result shows a little problem in the design, with the planned material (ABS). Due to the thick and sturdy plastic constuction on the inside, sink marks are visible on the outside.

The manufacturer has tried to run the case with a different material (PA), which looks a lot better. However, due to different shrinkage characteristics, the mould tool needs to be adapted to adjust for the difference in material. (You can see this, that the matte version does not close perfectly…) They will do this, but it will take one week extra before the cases are ready. The final color won’t be black (unless I am getting a lot of angry E-mails now.. ;-), but light cream color, to match the C64C better.

Read more…

SuperModulo ^ Clementoni (Expansion Modules by Texas Instruments)

January 30th, 2010 No comments

Thanks to My Brother for the Photo.

Cartridges (also known as expansion modules) are freely exchangeable ROM libraries that provide additional content without providing additional functionality. These cartridges are plugged into a slot near the battery compartment in order to introduce new software libraries.

Word and game lists are of differing lengths depending upon the cartridge and the word lists in models marketed for different languages reflect the language marketed for. Separate word lists also exist for regional variants such as the American and British English versions.

The word list used in each of the regional models reflects the recommendations of educators in each country. The English, French, German and Italian versions were all created by a team of non-specialists, in TI’s plant near Antibes, France, under the watchful eye of Larry Brantingham who had patented the underlying technology.

source: wikipedia speaknspell.co.uk

X 2010: Netherlands (1-3 October 2010)

January 30th, 2010 No comments

X2010The date is final: 1-3 October 2010 in The Netherlands.

Party location is near Eindhoven Airport which has several low cost airlines like the ryanairs and wizzairs and there’s also a trainstation nearby, which is easy to reach coming from Eindhoven.

source: c64.sk noname.c64.org

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

SVS-Calc v1.5 for Commodore Plus/4

January 30th, 2010 No comments

Spreadsheet with intuitive interface, powerful calculation engine, graphics generator, color themes, and much more.

source: plus4world.powweb.com