source: ebay.de wikipedia

A new version of the firmware for the interface 1541 Ultimate II is released. This version runs only on the 1541 Ultimate II cartridge (new fpga).

Release notes 3.0 beta 5:

Major:

• BUGFIX: Processor’s Data Cache stored result of IO read, causing wrong values to be read from the cache

Minor:

• C64 Keyboard scan made a bit slower  (not tested)
• Fixed configuration drop down
• Fixed clock settings
• Mount disk made first option in D64 file type
• Updated Final 3 cart.

Release notes 3.0 beta 4 (first version released on Facebook):

• The FPGA platform has gotten an upgrade. There is now a faster RISC processor on board (~10 times faster), and I have re-written the USB host controller, which has become ~50 times faster. The external memory of the FPGA also runs faster, and delivers now also approx. 7 times more bandwidth. With this faster platform, it has become possible to run a multithreaded OS.
• There is now support for USB2LAN adapters, and 3.0beta4 runs two services: a (raw-)telnet (VT100) server that brings up the menu, and an FTP daemon for basic file transfer.
• There is now support for reading the directories of D71 and D81 files in the browser.
• There is a ‘CD’ command in the software IEC, and other improvements have been made to the soft IEC driver.
• There is now a copy command in the file browser, that works with C=C/C=V (or CTRL-C / CTRL-V). It is not that fast, but for small files it works. You can also copy files from inside a D64/T64 to another location in the file system. The other way around is still under development, but will soon be possible as well.
• UltiCopy is disabled for now, because it still needs to be ported to the multi-threaded operating system.

Download: 1541 Ultimate II Firmware v3.0 Beta 5 (1305)

source: 1541ultimate.net

Jean-François DEL NERO (who’s behind the HxC SD Floppy Emulator) recently has released a version of the HxC emulator firmware that is compatible with the STM32 chip used in the Gotek floppy emulators.

This means that the great functionality of the HxC SD emulator is now available on cheaper and more widely available hardware.

The bootloader to convert the Gotek floppy drive in HxC compatible must be purchased on the website HXC 2001 by sending an email to Jean-François DEL NERO. The price of the bootloader is one-off 10 Euro per Gotek that you want to update. Future updates of the software are free and can be made from a USB stick

The HXC Usb (Gotek) firmware supports:

Release notes Firmware USB HxCFloppyEmulator v3.0.6.6a

• Some more random crash issues corrected into the disks images managers.
• USB Stack updated.
• Firmware Update strongly recommended!

Download: USB Stick STM32 (Gotek) HxC Firmware v3.0.6.6a (1202)

source: hxc2001.com

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

Titles:

• Nuclear Nick Preview +
• Reddest Baron
• Skate Rock USA +2D
• Gauntlet USA +2D
• Rocket Smash EX 101% +5HD
• Uniblast
• Sentinel +3DG
• House of Usher +7MHDG    
• Indiana Jones und der Blaue Diamant [fixed]
• Shutdown +3
• Wizard Saga Preview +3
• MAH +3M 100%
• Daffy Duck [easyflash]
• Bugs Bunny [easyflash]
• Duck Tales [easyflash]
• Scooby & Scrappy Doo [easyflash]
• Road Routine Demo
• Nuclear Strike Force [seuck]
• Deadly Evil +20D
• Nuclear Strike Force +2H [seuck]
• Deviants +24D
• Tusker [easyflash]
• The Last Ninja +11DM
• Tarzan Goes Ape V1 Preview
• Retro Reto Pan [spanish] [seuck]
• The Last Ninja +11DM 2.0
• Scavenger Hunt 3D +1D
• Final Cartridge III+
• Motorman Preview
• Caren and the Tangled Tentacles (V1.1)
• Stormbringer +21D
• Sprint 1
• Sprint 1 +2
• Blap ‘n Bash +3HD
• Blap ‘n Bash
• The Last Ninja +11DM 100%

Download: All Games in One Archive (3426)

source: csdb.dk

Jean-François DEL NERO (who’s behind the HxC SD Floppy Emulator) recently has released a version of the HxC emulator firmware that is compatible with the STM32 chip used in the Gotek floppy emulators.

This means that the great functionality of the HxC SD emulator is now available on cheaper and more widely available hardware.

The bootloader to convert the Gotek floppy drive in HxC compatible must be purchased on the website HXC 2001 by sending an email to Jean-François DEL NERO. The price of the bootloader is one-off 10 Euro per Gotek that you want to update. Future updates of the software are free and can be made from a USB stick

The HXC Usb (Gotek) firmware supports:

Release notes Firmware USB HxCFloppyEmulator v3.0.6.4a

• Random crash issues corrected into the disks images managers.

Release notes Firmware USB HxCFloppyEmulator v3.0.6.3a

• Some user interface delays added to make it more usable ;)
• “Press select for the Setting menu” text added.

Download: USB Stick STM32 (Gotek) HxC Firmware v3.0.6.4a (1117)

source: hxc2001.com

A new donation from Rossano Rossano Toccaceli.

Donated items:

• Philips MSX-2 8235
• Commodore Floppy Drive 1541 (without case)
• Amiga Keyboard.

Thanks Rossano.

Jean-François DEL NERO (who’s behind the HxC SD Floppy Emulator) recently has released a version of the HxC emulator firmware that is compatible with the STM32 chip used in the Gotek floppy emulators.

This means that the great functionality of the HxC SD emulator is now available on cheaper and more widely available hardware.

The bootloader to convert the Gotek floppy drive in HxC compatible must be purchased on the website HXC 2001 by sending an email to Jean-François DEL NERO. The price of the bootloader is one-off 10 Euro per Gotek that you want to update. Future updates of the software are free and can be made from a USB stick

The HXC Usb (Gotek) firmware supports:

Release notes Firmware USB HxCFloppyEmulator v3.0.6.2a

• Normal mode : Endless init loop corrected.

Release notes Firmware USB HxCFloppyEmulator v3.0.6.1a

• Amiga : Disk change detection corrected : Desert Strike, Dizzy Crystal and probably others games disk change detection are now working properly.
• Direct access mode : Correct interface mode set when activated from an PC HD image.

Download: USB Stick STM32 (Gotek) HxC Firmware v3.0.6.2a (1227)

source: hxc2001.com

Scene World is a C64 magazine on disk dedicated to various activities of both C64 scenes.

“Both” means, that we are supplying information and texts of both scenes; NTSC and PAL.

Download: Scene World #25 (D64/D81) (1303)

source: sceneworld.org

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Jean-François DEL NERO (who’s behind the HxC SD Floppy Emulator) recently has released a version of the HxC emulator firmware that is compatible with the STM32 chip used in the Gotek floppy emulators.

This means that the great functionality of the HxC SD emulator is now available on cheaper and more widely available hardware.

The bootloader to convert the Gotek floppy drive in HxC compatible must be purchased on the website HXC 2001 by sending an email to Jean-François DEL NERO. The price of the bootloader is one-off 10 Euro per Gotek that you want to update. Future updates of the software are free and can be made from a USB stick

The HXC Usb (Gotek) firmware supports:

Release notes Firmware USB HxCFloppyEmulator v3.0.6.0a

• Low level write layer redesigned : Some write issues solved.
• 2 digits display detection issue corrected.
• HFE : Index timing changed/corrected.
• Select button added at the JA jumper position.
  • This additionnal button and the I2C LCD screen allow you to freely select a file image without the indexed mode or any selector software.
• Indexed mode : “Previous”/”Minus” button repeat rate reduced.

Download: USB Stick STM32 (Gotek) HxC Firmware v3.0.6.0a (1104)

source: hxc2001.com

CBM prg Studio Version 3.4.0 is released. There are a lot of new features in this version. I’d really appreciate it if you report any bugs you find or have any suggestions/comments.

CBM prg Studio allows you to type a BASIC or Machine Code program in using a nice Windows environment and convert it to a ‘.prg’ file which you can run on an emulator, or even a real C64 / VIC20 or PET if you’re feeling brave and have the right kit.

CBM prg Studio is the result of merging C64PrgGen and VIC20PrgGen. Adding new features and fixing bugs in two apps which were 95% similar was a bit of a nightmare so merging them made sense.

It was also a good opportunity for a face lift and to add some new features, such as:

• Programs are project based, meaning all related source files, sprite files etc. are kept in one place and multiple source files can be linked more easily.
• Tabbed MDI.
• Syntax highlighting.

What CBM prg Studio isn’t is a front-end for tok64, cbmcnvrt, bastext or any other tokeniser / detokeniser / assembler. It’s all been written completely from scratch.

Improvements:

• Assembler:
  • Dump file.
  • Visual Data Generator tool.
  • Directives for creating tabular data.

• General:
  • Mixing BASIC and machine language in same project.
  • More control over IDE colours.

Bugs Fixed:

• Assembler:
  • Wrong start address when saving from the memory window.
  • TEXT and PTEXT generating wrong character values.
  • “
  • Binary import as assembler was using the wrong start address.
  • Incbin problems with large files.

Download: CBM prg Studio v3.4.0 (1076)

source: ajordison.co.uk

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

Titles:

• Cataball +4F
• Cataball +3F
• Bignose in USA +24D
• Zorro +5D
• Turrican USA +3D [ntsc]
• S.F.S. – Special Forces Soldier +2D [seuck]
• Goliath-Prommer V1.0+
• Space Trip VE +3H
• MegaTron
• Caren 2 [[[h0t preview]]]
• Tiger Claw +29DM
• Mah
• Turrican +14HD [easyflash]
• Mah +2M
• Go-Moku +J
• Bubble Dizzy +25D
• Soldier of Fortune 101% +9DGIHF
• Quak Attak +HG
• Edge of Time [seuck]
• Flimbo’s Quest [easyflash]
• Turrican [easyflash]
• Fairy Well +31D
• Motocross +19D
• Simon +
• Spaced Out Preview
• Quick Draw McGraw +7D
• Big Mac +H
• Welcome to… Hell! +3
• Moonraker +2
• iLogicAll Preview
• Behemoth Preview
• Kevin in the Woods Beta
• Zeit der Stille [german]
• Die drei Musketiere [german]
• Awakening
• Das Camp [german]
• Caren and the Tangled Tentacles (compo version 1.0)
• Daffy Duck +3DS

Download: All Games in One Archive (3545)

source: csdb.dk

I have received two Computer Apricot F1e without accessories and aesthetically destroyed so i have decided to recover all that was possible.

This gallery shows some stages of the repairing of the Floppy Drives of the Commodore SFD-1001 & Commodore CBM 8296D.

Defects found on the Floppy Drives:

• Floppy drives had the capacitors that leaked acid on the motor control pcb.

The difficulty was rebuild the tracks of the pcb and remove the most of the leaked acid of the capacitors. Unfortunately on the aesthetic level this type of repair are not perfect, but i’m glad that all drives now work.

To test the correct operation of the Floppy Drives i have used a working SFD-1001 with a ZoomFloppy Interface through the IEEE-488.

Replacing bad capacitors (Floppy Drive #1):

Replacing bad capacitors (Floppy Drive #2):

Replacing bad capacitors (Floppy Drive #3):

The reason of the replacement is the leaky capacitor.

The Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors (SMD) used in these machines eventually exude their conductive contents onto the mainboard causing short circuits and corrosion of the pcb tracks.

Replacing the capacitors on an Apple Macintosh Classic II: