CBM prg Studio Version 3.1.0 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.

New features:

• Code Snippets.
• Improved VICE debugger support.
• New tutorial for mixing BASIC and machine code.
• Support for the Plus/4 in the screen code builder tool.
• Syntax colouring can be disabled.
• BASIC 8 support for C128 projects.
• Return to ‘jump to destination’ in basic programs.

Bug Fixed:

• Assembler:
  • Zero page optimisation ignored if address contained arithmetic.
  • Arithmetic with cheap labels ignored.
  • GenerateTo ignored if wrapped in ifdef..endif
  • Arithmetic would fail if using binary variables.
  • Unknown labels in WORD sequences ignored.
  • Incbin would fail with certain parameters and comments.
  • Problems generating a .prg to a disk image.

• Screen Designer:
  • 1×1 rectangle could throw exception in screen designers box tool.
  • Mixed mode (multicolour and hires) screen designer (VIC20).
  • Fill for rectangle tool.

• Debugger:
  • SBC, ADC and RTI instructions not working.
  • Improved cycle counting.

Download: CBM prg Studio v3.1.0 (1069)

source: ajordison.co.uk

I must thank my dear friend Andrea and all friends which have contributed to the growth of my Repair Laboratory with donations of spare parts.

Donated items:

• 1 x Commodore 128
• 2 x Sinclair QL
• 1 x Sinclair ZX Spectrum +
• 1 x Spectravideo SV-318
• 1 x Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2
• 1 x Philips MSX VG-8010
• 1 x Philips MSX VG-8020
• 1 x Olivetti Prodest PC 128
• 2 x Olivetti Prodest PC 128/S
• 1 x Amstrad CPC 464
• 1 x Amiga 600 without Floppy Drive
• 1 x Commodore CDTV
• 1 x Atari Floppy Drive 1050
• 1 x Atari Tape Recorder 1010
• 1 x 512k Expander Ram from Miracle for Sinclair QL
• 2 x Floppy Disk Drive 3.5″ for Sinclair QL (*)
• 1 x QLFDC Floppy Disk Drive Interface v5.1 from Miracle for Sinclair QL
• 1 x Floppy Disk Drive 3″ + Interface for Sinclair QL
• 1 x Centronics Interface for Sinclair QL
• 1 x Power Supply for 3.5″ Floppy Disk Drive
• 2 x Cables

(*) Needs to be made a Aesthetic Restoration.

Gallery:

Cleaning the keyboard keys is really tedious.

Gallery:

12►

Commodore CBM(PET) 4032 (FAT40) / 8032 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Replacement.

The cathode ray tube was taken from the Amstrad GT-65 (Monochrome monitor)

The CRT Tube Orion 310GNB31 (Amstrad GT-65) is fully compatible with the Amperex M31-334GH (CBM 4032/FAT40 – 8032).

NOTE: The same CRT work perfectly for the computer Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 3 and Model 4.

Gallery:

Thanks to Paolo Pascolo and Carlo Pascolo (founder of Co.r.el) i have received more information about this interface.

This interface was designed and distributed by Co.r.el in Italy and assembled by Asem or Computer Control, two Italian companies.

This is a small article of an old Italian magazine (MCmicrocomputer) where they speak of what are sold under the name Co.r.el (see picture)

This interface is a converter from IEEE-488 Bus to RS-232 to be use with the Watanabe plotter, the data are send via a device number from the Commodore PET (CBM).

Gallery:

The Palladium game distributed under Magnavox licensed offers 4 ball games, 2 shooting games and 2 car games,  all games are in color. The core chip is the TMS-1965 from Texas Instruments.

The paddles can be moved vertically with the sliders found on each controllers. There are also two “speed-up” buttons on the controllers.

Gallery:

12►

The Sharp MZ-2500 (SuperMZ) series was launched on the Japan market in 1985, the computers in this series all used a Z80B processor running at 6MHz. They included a data recorder and at least one 3.5 internal floppy disk drive, as well as a YM2203 FM sound chip, hardware scrolling, and a palette of 256 colors (upgradable to 4096) and it takes from 2 to 8 seconds to define P.C.G (user generated characters, similar to sprites).

This makes them among the most powerful 8-bit machines ever released for home use. Some models are also compatible with the MZ-80B and MZ-2000.

Sharp MZ-2500 (SuperMZ) Advertising:

Sharp MZ-2500 (SuperMZ) RGB cable pinout:

This cable provides an RGB video signal from a Sharp MZ-2500 to a SCART television set, which is the highest quality signal achievable from your Sharp MZ-2500.

I thank Fabio Bovelacci (Frater Sinister) for the donation.

Donated item:

• 1 x Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k
• 1 x Sinclair ZX Spectrum + PSU (50% Boxed)
• 1 x Sinclair Thermal Printer
• 1 x Sinclair ZX Interface 1
• 4 x Sinclair Microdrive Boxed
• 1 x Interface Midi Master for Amiga 500/2000
• 1 x Vic-20 Cartridge VIC-1941 (Number Nabber / Shape Grabber)
• 1 x Vic-20 Cartridge VIC-1922 (Cosmic Cruncher)
• 1 x Harey Alien Invaders Handheld game
• 4 x IC Motorola 68000
• 1 x IC MOS 5719 (Amiga Gary)
• 2 x IC CGS 5719 (Amiga Gary)
• 3 x IC CGS 8362 (Amiga Super Denise)
• 1 x IC CGS 8364 (Amiga Paula)
• 2 x IC MOS 8364 (Amiga Paula)
• 5 x IC CGS 8520 (Amiga CIA)
• 1 x IC MOS 8520 (Amiga CIA)
• 2 x IC Amiga Kickstart ROM v1.3

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

Titles:

• Get to the End Preview V2+
• Bugs +2D
• 8bit Fighters Preview
• Dark Force – Redux
• Magic Duel (16KB Cartridge Version) +F [pal/ntsc]
• Magic Duel (DoReCo Edition 2014) +F [pal/ntsc]
• Get to the End Preview V2 +
• Alter Ego 101% +5
• Onslaught Shooter Collection [Easyflash]
• Alter Ego +21D +Fix
• Tusker 101% +7DFIR & Easyflash
• Super Pac Twins (Special Edition) 101% +5F [pal/ntsc]
• Action Biker +36D
• Maze of the Mummy Preview
• Electro Gates -Preview-
• Boxmatch +2H
• Roll +3HD
• Dead Zone +8D
• Warflame RX +2
• Lunar Blitz RX
• Lunar Blitz RX +3HF [pal/ntsc]
• Bozo’s Night Out +7D +PIC

Download: All Games in One Archive (3106)

source: csdb.dk

Relaunch64 is an IDE (text-editor) for C64 assembler-coding on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Relaunch64 has a clean and intuitive user interface, yet it offers many features that make coding faster and easier.

Java 7 or higher is required to run Relaunch64. The program is licensed under the GNU GPL 3 (or higher) and free for private and professional use.

This editor works together with common cross assemblers like Kick Assembler, ACME, or 64tass. Other assemblers might work as well, but syntax highlighting may not be 100% correct.

Download: Relaunch64 v3.3.0 (Windows/OSx/Linux) (1004)

source: popelganda.de

Gallery:

Commodore 16 ASSY 251789-01 REV B Empty PCB

Gallery:

Commodore VIC-20 ASSY 251040-01 Empty PCB.

Gallery of the repair:

Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Repair (#1)

Defect:

• Blue Screen with tiny Vertical lines.

Replaced parts:

• 1 x MCM6810P (128 x 8-Bit Random-Access Memory TTL/DTL)

Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Repair (#2)

Defect:

• Blue Screen with tiny Vertical lines.
• Wave/Raster Lines.

Replaced parts:

• 2 x IC MCM6810P (128 x 8-Bit Random-Access Memory TTL/DTL)
• 1 x IC CD3236A-NL (ROM)
• 1 x Capacitor 12 pF.

Note:

In one photo you can see the curious change made in this TI-99/4A by inserting a resistor in the pitch where in other motherboards is soldered a leg of a electrolytic capacitor and then one leg of the capacitor is welded and the not the other leg.  Compliments.

Video of the defects:

A new version of the firmware for the interface C64SD Infinity + ITS Module by Manosoft is released.

Changelog:

• Implemented functionality that allows to save a placeholder (unique for each .TAP file) pressing the red button on the back of the card. User can set back the read pointer at which TAP data is played back by pressing “Next” button on the card. Useful for multi load .TAP or games asking to reset the counter of the tape and then to rewind the tape that specific point.

Download: C64SD (ITS) Firmware v0.10.3.9 (1522)

source: manosoft.it

Gallery of the repair:

Repair Commodore Amiga 600 (White Screen)

Defect:

• White Screen.

Replaced parts:

• 1 x LM555 (SMD)
• 1 x Electrolytic Capacitor 10uf 25v

Note:

I have thought it was a problem of RAM (U17) since i have measured oddities but the problem instead is a capacitor of 10uF, dead LM555 (smd) and some pcb tracks corroded.