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ROM-el testing complete

August 23rd, 2009 No comments

ROM-elfrom Homepage:

Aries was backordered on the required 24 and 28 pin headers needed to finish testing, and the order just came in this past week.  Thus, I finally had a chance to solder and test the units.  Testing went well, and I can program the units with my Willem programmer.

Originally designed to hold a 29EE512 64kB EEPROM, I found a good price on Atmel AT49F001 128kB 5V Flash, so I made the necessary adjustments and tested with the new memory.  Testing went well, so I am releasing the design to production.

I have noticed one issue that I need to address.  Some CBM units have an RFI shield that doubles as a heat shield.  To perform the latter function, metal “fingers are stamped out of the shield that press on the top of the ICs.  I need to ensure the metal shield/heat sink does not contact any of the pins on this unit.

source: jbrain.com

TapPlay / TAP file playback for SD2Iec v0.1.0

August 23rd, 2009 No comments

TapPlay / TAP file playback for sd2iec hardware.

Changelog:

2009-08-21 – release 0.1.0

  • first usable version.

source: sd2iec.de gitweb forum thread twitter.com

Categories: C64/SX64, News & Rumors, Today

High Voltage SID Collection Update #51

August 23rd, 2009 No comments

hvscAfter this update, the collection should contain 36,939 SID files!

Thanks to all the people who have helped to make HVSC the collection that it is today, without your help it would be a much tougher task.

This update features (all approximates):

  • 953 new SIDs.
  • 93 fixed/better rips.
  • 6 PlaySID/Sidplay1 specific SIDs eliminated.
  • 14 repeats/bad rips eliminated.
  • 320 SID credit fixes.
  • 159 SID model/clock infos.
  • 8 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN/ identified.
  • 6 tunes from /GAMES/ identified.
  • 38 tunes moved out of /DEMOS/ to their composers’ directories.
  • 14 tunes moved out of /GAMES/ to their composers’ directories.

source: hvsc.c64.org

Categories: C64/SX64, News & Rumors, Today

ACID 64 Player Pro v3.0.2 (Windows)

August 23rd, 2009 No comments

acid64playerlogoACID 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 v3.0.2:

Fixes

  • No error anymore when last directory was a root folder.
  • Corrected memory bank setting for PSID tunes.
  • Resizing window was corrupting active row of search grids.
  • Minimal width is now set correctly.

Improvements

  • Last played file is remembered now when ACID 64 is started.
  • When Folders tab is clicked, the current selected file will always be visible.
  • Special characters Ø and ø can now be searched by o or oe (re-indexing required)
  • Pressing escape in search boxes will now select the text instead of clearing the input.
  • Selecting a search filter will change the color of the filter box.
  • Copy filename strips HVSCRoot automatically.
  • Seeking (dragging thumb) can now be cancelled by pressing escape key or by pressing right mouse button.
  • Scrolling search results will now update rows immediately without releasing the thumb.
  • Clicking on a folder name in Folders tab will expand the folder.
  • Changed “Browse” tab name to “Folders”

screenshot:


source: acid64.com

ZX Spectrum +3 (Issue 1) Sound Fix *updated*

August 22nd, 2009 2 comments

Sound fix diagram here. (pdf)

from Cristian Secară Homepage:

The first release (the +3) has a fatal hardware mistake: the 128K sound output is completely distorted.

  • Tech explanation: the analog output of the AY-3-8912 sound chip was intended to be amplified by a one stage common-emitter transistor. In practice, they have forgot to put a resistor to the transistor’s emitter. The result: the transistor works in switch-mode – the sound is converted from analog multi-level amplitude to digitized two-level amplitude, same as the old 48K sound system.

source: secarica.ro ay8912 Demos

Loriano’s 1541U Case – Youtube Video Released

August 18th, 2009 No comments

Loriano has made a video about his 1541U case.

source: logan-5.co.uk 1541ultimate.net

Super Cobra (Scramble clone) a new game for Commodore 64

August 17th, 2009 No comments

Super CobraJörg Heyltjes has released a new game for the Commodore 64.

The game is a clone of the arcade classic Scramble from Konami (Stern)

source: noname.c64.org

Some new Games for Commodore VIC-20

August 17th, 2009 No comments

Some new Games for VIC-20

  • Green on Black compilation. Conversion of 20 games from PET to FAT40-powered VIC-20 by Orion70. Single-file, crunch and games loader by nbla000.
    It contains 20 titles, ranging from text adventures to strategy, from flight simulation to card games; all rigorously in green-on-black versions.
  • Sokoban. Conversion to VIC-20 by Michael Kircher
  • Tribbles 2009.
  • You Count. We learn how to count before we know if we count. Prove you count in 60 seconds.

source: Denial (The Commodore VIC-20 forum)

Hoxs64 Commodore 64 Emulator Updated v1.0.5.27

August 15th, 2009 No comments

Hoxs64 Commodore 64 EmulatorHoxs64 is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista.

The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.

Changelog:
13 August 2009 v1.0.5.27

  • Added general option to enable/disable opposing joystick directions.
  • Speed optimisation to the CPU, CIA and VIC. The emulation is noticeable faster on lines with no DMA fetches and no IRQs.
  • Bug fix to the reverse keyboard matrix. Was broken for years!
  • Accurate emulation of the $DD00 VIC bank switch bug.

Unless something is majorly broken, the next release will include the long awaited debugger. Work on the debugger is now in progress.

source: hoxs64.net

SD2Iec Pocket 1541 for Commodore 64

August 13th, 2009 1 comment

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Categories: C64/SX64, News & Rumors, Today

PET 2001-8 (6540 to 2716 ROM Adapters)

August 6th, 2009 1 comment

PET 2001-8 (6540 to 2716 ROM Adapters)This is a small adapter which replaces the unobtanable 6540 ROM chips used in the Commodore PET 2001-8 computers with a standard 2716 EPROM.

They will work as a drop in replacement for any ROM chip in a PET 2001-8.

source: 6540rom.com

Categories: CBM/PET, News & Rumors, Today

32.5 Degrees Celsius in my Computer Room ;-(

August 2nd, 2009 No comments

32.5 Degrees Celsius in my Room
I hate summer. I can’t wait for it be over. I hate the hot weather, I hate bugs!!! They scare me so much. Fall is my favorite season followed very closely by Winter. I am thinking of moving to the North Pole.

Euskal Encounter 17 Competition Results

July 28th, 2009 No comments

euskalEuskal Encounter is a computer party for computer amateurs and professionals seeking a knowledge exchange and willing to be involved for a few days in any kind of activity related to computers.

C64 – Mixed Graphics:

  • 1 Cauldron2 by JSL
  • 2 Loving Dream by Almighty God
  • 4 Classics Never Die by Stage7

C64 – Mixed Music:

  • 2 Funky Old Bones by SIDwave
  • 4 Sunshine Dreams by A-Man
  • 5 Boogie 8580 by NecroPolo

source: noname.c64.org euskalencounter.org

Categories: C64/SX64, News & Rumors, Today

LCP 2009 Demo & Photo are online

July 28th, 2009 No comments

lcp2009Most of the compo stuff is now up in the archive. You can also find some photos there.

source: lcp.c64.org

JiffyDOS Kernal Roms & Manual

July 27th, 2009 14 comments

JiffyDOS is a Disk Operating System (DOS) enhancement which gives your VIC-20, C-16, PLUS/4, C-64, or C-128 the disk access speed it has always needed.

A chip-for-chip replacement for the Kernal ROM in your computer and the DOS ROM in your disk drive(s), JiffyDOS achieves levels of performance and compatibility unmatched by other disk speed-enhancement products.

Download:

TRY and BUY the original copy.

source: cmdrkey.com