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Archive for the ‘News & Rumors’ Category

Unboxing Altera USB Blaster (JTAG)

May 29th, 2012 No comments
Altera USB Blaster (JTAG)

Autopsy:

The Altera USB-Blaster adapter interfaces a USB port on a host computer to an Altera FPGA mounted on a printed circuit board. The cable sends configuration data from the PC to a standard 10-pin header connected to the FPGA.

You can use the USB-Blaster adapter to iteratively download configuration data to a system during prototyping or to program data into the system during production.

Download:

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

Sidreloc v1.0 by Kryo/LFT

May 29th, 2012 No comments

Sidreloc is a tool for relocating SID tunes any number of whole pages, using a novel but remarkably simple algorithm. It can also relocate all zero-page variables used by the tune.

Sidreloc is capable of relocating 91% of HVSC #56 out of the box. Many of the remaining tunes can be relocated by tweaking the settings to fit them.

While the tool is SID specific, the fundamental algorithm could easily be adapted to relocate all sorts of 6510/6502 machine code that meets a couple of requirements (see “Observations” below).

Sidreloc is primarily a linux program, but it’s open source (MIT license) and you are encouraged to port it to different operating systems. Good patches will be merged into the official version.

Download:

source: linusakesson.net

CCS64 v3.9

May 29th, 2012 No comments

CCS64 is a Commodore 64 Emulator for PC developed by Per Håkan Sundell.

CCS64 is shareware. This means that the program is free to use and to copy, but if you like it and use it regularly I would appreciate that you would register the program.

Download: CCS64 v3.9 (966)

source: www.ccs64.com

C64 Game: Better Dead Than Alien +6PDFH / Bable Bable +2 …

May 25th, 2012 No comments

Some new games (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups: Hokuto ForceReally Proud Lamers and Laxity.

Download:

source: csdb.dk

SD2Iec Firmware (Latest nightly build)

May 25th, 2012 1 comment

Shadowolf has published a web page where you can download the beta version of  SD2IEC firmware.

SD2IEC is a hardware mass storage device using an SD/MMC card and interfacing with the IEC bus. It is based on the ATmega644 or ATmega1284p microcontroller from the Atmel AVR microcontroller family.

The most prominent use of SD2IEC is emulation/replacement of a Commodore-1541 disk drive for a C64. Hardware and the microcontroller’s firmware is available as open source (GPL).

source: SD2Iec Firmware (Latest nightly build)

Categories: Firmware, News & Rumors, Today

CBM prg Studio v2.3.0 released

May 25th, 2012 No comments

CBM prg Studio Version 2.3.0 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 or VIC20 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 in v2.3.0:

  • Support for the C16 and Plus/4 machines.
  • Undo/redo for character, sprite, and screen designers.
  • Support for illegal opcodes.
  • Screen designer added to C128 platform (40 column, c64 mode only).
  • Start page.

Major bugs fixed:

  • Commodore key (in screen designer) producing wrong code for certain colours.
  • PI keyword not recognised.
  • DATA keyword coloured incorrectly.
  • Occasional duplicate start address in new project wizard.
  • Wrong link address for VIC 20 projects in generated SYS call.
  • Renumbering programs with no destination line numbers after GOTO, GOSUB etc.
  • Lowercase text not handled correctly by ‘text’ directive.
  • Some minor MMI issues.

Download: CBM prg Studio v2.3.0 (898)

source: ajordison.co.uk

Unboxing Everdrive cartridge for Megadrive/Genesis & Nintendo 64

May 24th, 2012 No comments
PCB of the Everdrive cartridge for Nintendo 64

Autopsy:

The Everdrive is essentially an interface which allows your ageing console to communicate with an SD card. Using software loaded directly onto the device, the Everdrive boasts a simple menu which allows you to navigate your way around your SD card and load one of hundreds of ROMs into its flash memory. This takes only a few seconds and once the process is complete it’s as if you’ve slotted the original cartridge into your machine.

The Everdrive itself is manufactured in the Ukraine by a talented guy known as Krikzz. He only sends out the bare circuit board so you may want to cannibalize an existing cartridge to create a suitable case. Setting up the Everdrive is relatively straightforward; you simply format your SD card in FAT32 and then drop your ROMs into organised files. One thing you have to note is that each folder cannot have more than 512 items in it, so it’s a good idea to create a folder for each letter of the alphabet and then transfer the files into each.

The Everdrive can be ordered direct from its creator via his website or via resellers on various auction sites.

Everdrive Video Review:

source: krikzz.com meanmachinesmag.co.uk gp2x.de 8bitplus.co.uk

XSidplay2 v2.1.2

May 20th, 2012 No comments

XSidplay2 is a QT based music player for SID music.

It is based onto Michael Schwendt’s XSIDPLAY, the historical SID player for Linux, actually no more developed by the author.

from the author:

This version implement a runtime libraries selection (for now however, it must be used one library in one executable as there are some more name conflicts to remove).

It now uses libsidplayfp with resid 1.0 by default (resid-fp emulation will be added in next versions). Consider this as a testing version, so please report bug or issue you find in it.

Download: sourceforge

source: sourceforge.net/projects/xsidplay2/

Commodore Free Magazine Issue #61

May 20th, 2012 No comments

Commodore Free Magazine Issue #61

Free to download Commodore magazine dedicated to Commodore Computers.

In this issue you can find:
Editorial.
NEWS.
Amiga Forever/C64 Forever 2012 R2.
Automated Amiga Disk Archiver.
BOH update15 released.
Lotek64 #40 Released.
QR Code Generator.
Update on the P1565 Project.
Chillin’ with Porter.
Moldi’s Treasure #5
AmigaONE X1000 Now Shipping.
Return #10 Released.
Sqrxz 3.
VFLI – VIC-20.
PETvet.
DiscreetFX.
HVTC High Voltage TED Collection.
Scene World #18
Cinnamon Writer v0.80
FS-UAE Emulator.

 

AmigaOS Beta Testers.
Aladdin 4D New Name / Ownership.
PC World Review WinUAE.
“Boing Ball” Re-visited – Part 2
Review: Galli – Plus/4 game.
Rediscovering CP/M – Part 3
Happy Progíing.
My Personal Memories of Commodore.
Interview with Jack Tramiel.
Jack Tramiel, a man who changed the world.

Download:

source: commodorefree.com

Categories: Magazine, News & Rumors, Today

C64 Game: Arcades Compilation #3 [EF] / Hot Rod +8 101% …

May 19th, 2012 No comments

Tevere Summer Retro Computer

May 15th, 2012 No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

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

C64 Game: Underground +5HFC / Robocop +2 101% / RG Rampage …

May 14th, 2012 No comments

VIC20 Game: Complete Realms of Quest Trilogy

May 12th, 2012 1 comment

Name: Complete Realms of Quest Trilogy…and the entire System IIII Collection

Author: Ghislain

Released: April 8, 2012

Requirements: for Windows +VICE Emulator

Description: I’ve decided to publicly release my entire collection of VIC-20 games into a single zip archive. This also includes the full commercial version of Realms of Quest III that was released in 2009. Included with these is the VIC-20 VICE Emulator for convenience along with instructions.

The following games are included in the collection:

Break-Fast (1988)
Haunted House (1990)
Dunjon Master (1990)
Worm-Out II (1990)
Paratrooper (1990)
Ringside Wrestling (1990)
Realms of Quest I (1991)
Realms of Quest II: Pre Demo (1993)
Monkey Kong (1993)
Vicfall! (1993)
Ice Hockey (1996)
Meteor Zone (1996)
Ringside Boxing (1996)
Vicfall II (1996)
Dunjon I & II (2003)
Vicside Boxing (2004)
Realms of Quest II (2004)
Realms of Quest II: Special Edition (2006)
Napoleon Simulator (2006)
Realms of Quest II: Mega-Cart Edition (2007)
Realms of Quest III (2009)
Realms of Quest III: Dunjon Crawler (2009)
Theater of War I (2010)
Face VS Heel (2010)
Realms of Quest I & II: Anniversary Ed. (2011)
Theater of War II: The Pacific (2011)
Theater of War III: Western Front 1918 (2011)

Download: Complete Realms of Quest Trilogy & System IIII Collection (1506)

source: sleepingelephant.com

Atari: Grzybsoniada 2012 Official Party Reports

May 10th, 2012 No comments

The party is organized by Maciej Grzybek also known as Grzybson/SSG. It is taking place form 3th May to 6th May 2012 in Częstochowa.

This is the Official Party Reports.

Game Compo:

  • 1 Gówno spadające w dół / Koala&Cedyń
  • 2 Realistic Internet Simulator / Nosty
  • 3 Snakes On the Atari Island / JKR&Paptak
  • 4 Tedecujące Starcie / TDC
  • 5 Order It / Xeen
  • 6 Błękitne Nimfy / Sikor
  • 7 Bored a bit / Sikor

Wild Compo:

  • 1 Diabelska Pomyłka (Atari Portfolio) / Cosi + Innuendo

Download: Grzybsoniada 2012 party stuff (994)

source: Grzybsoniada homepage

C64 Game: Trance Sector Pre +2M / Arcade Compo #2 [EF] / Slicker …