HermIRES it’s a cross-platform hires bitmap (Art Studio 1 format) editor for the Commodore 64.

The format has some restrictions, here are the rules:

• The maximal resolution of the picture is 320×200
• Only 16 fix C64 colours can be used (no gradient either)
• In a 8×8 pixel-block only 2 colours can used to be displayable by C64 (this is detected in HermIRES, but .hbm files can be saved with clashes too.)
• On a real C64 the PAL will blur the screen-content a bit, should check on CRT, or at least VICE emulator’s CRT simulation.

Changelog:

• AFLI caption can be fully disabled (AFLIexe-patch included along with bin2array.exe)

Download:

• HermIRES v1.29 (Windows/Linux) (1288)

source: hermit.netne.net

It was released a new firmware for the SD2Snes Flash Cartridge (Super Nintendo/Famicom) by Ikari. The upgrade instructions can be found here.

Changelog:

Added:

• OBC1 support (Metal Combat: Falcon’s Revenge works)
• Menu now displays the 10 most recently played games instead of one.
• Hidden and system files are now ignored in the file browser.
• Some minor internal changes for convenience of development.

Fixes:

• Partial-size BS dumps should now load correctly.
• Fixed a PSRAM mapping bug in the new BS-X mapping logic that caused graphical corruption on some games (notably Treasure Conflix garbled sprites)
• SRAM mapping for LoROM
• 0000-7fff only. Fixes saving in some games, e.g. Ys III Wanderers from Ys.

Download: SD2Snes Firmware v0.1.6 (1451)

source: sd2snes.de

Forth, the Language.

Forth is a different language. It’s aged and a little weird.
What’s cool about it? It’s a very low-level and minimal language without any automatic memory management. At the same time, it easily scales to become a very high-level and domain-specific language, much like Lisp. Compared to C64 Basic, Forth is more attractive in almost every way.

It is a lot more fast, memory effective and powerful. Compared to C, specifically cc65, the story is a little different. It’s hard to make a fair comparison. Theoretically Forth code can be very memory efficient, and it’s possible to make Forth code that is leaner than C code. But it is also true that cc65 code is generally much faster than Forth code.

Download: durexForth v1.26 + Manual (1124)

source: noname.c64.org

Repaired for a friend a Commodore CBM 8296 Motherboard.

Defect:

• Black screen of death without startup beep.

Replaced parts:

• Replaced PLA [UE6] with a OTP EPROM 27C512R 70ns + Adapter.
• Replaced PLA [UE5] with a original one MOS 324744-01
• Replaced [UC8] 3-State Driver Bus MOS 65245 (74LS245)

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

Titles:

• Double or Nothing
• Castle Boy +3
• Stratagos +4
• Arcade Football &GD
• Metro-Cross +5MDGHF
• Vault Man +7
• Ganimedian Rescue +4ED
• D-2000 IFR-Trainer Preview +E
• Rudi the Rat +4EHD
• Bouncing Ball +4EHD 101%
• Sharky +5HDG
• Shaolin+ +2HD +Pic
• Flappy Bird +
• Flappy Bird +1
• Flappy Bird +MH
• Labiraton +4E
• D-2000 IFR-Trainer Flight Simulation +EFD [pal/ntsc]
• Slither
• cc65 Chess V1.0
• Flappy Bird
• Flipperkönig +D
• Rocky Memphis Preview +
• Paradroid Redux Preview 2
• Penultimate Fantasy 101% +DM
• Combination Deluxe +4PF [pal/ntsc]
• Happy Flappy &H
• Silverrock 3-in-1 [Easyflash] Skaermtrolden Hugo, Guldkorn Expressen, Super Oswald
• Gold Grabber +3D
• Star Strike +2D
• Rocky Memphis and the Temple of Ophuxoff Preview +1F [pal/ntsc]

Download: All Games in One Archive (3147)

source: csdb.dk

I have received a Lemon II computer (Apple ][+ / Europlus Clone) in a good cosmetic condition but with a serious problem at the keyboard, here below defects and repairs that has been made.

Cleaning comparison (before / after):

Gallery of the repair:

Defects:

• First problem: When a keyboard key is pressed is always displayed the same character, in this case the character “O”
• Second problem (which i have only noticed after solving the first one): The keyboard works correctly, all characters are displayed in the correct way, but sometimes the character displayed does not match with the key pressed. Example: when pressing many times the letter “I”, after a while is displayed the character “Y” and after a while it show the right character “I”.

Components Replaced:

• 2 x 74LS191 (UP/DOWN Counters)
• 1 x SMC KR2376-ST (Keyboard Encoder)

I have to thank my friend Luca that called me to inform me that there was still a piece of the SMC KR2376-ST available in the store.

This is the official demo party results from BCC Party #8 (Top 3 Entries only). See also the CSDB BCC Party #8 section for more informations.

C64 Demo:

• Durch den Monsun by Delysid
• Was erlaube MYD? by Mayday!
• Free Beer! by Delysid

C64 Music:

• Flott-O-Mat by Spider Jerusalem
• Locust by Slimex
• Quad*Project by celticdesign

C64 Graphics:

• Eisvogel by Slayer Grafix
• Butterfly Dreams by JSL
• Dark Power by Crayon

Mixed:

• Godspeed – A 8580 Music Album by Mayday! (Music Collection)
• Buddha Music Disk #1 by Hokuto Force (Music Collection)
• Commodore in Space II by Wintermute (Game

Download: BCC Party #8 Party stuff (1145)

source: facebook.com

Autopsy:

1234►

Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, tablets, smartphones, printers and other business products such as calculators and fax machines. Headquartered in Ivrea, province of Turin, the company has been part of the Telecom Italia Group since 2003.

The primacy of the first PC can be assigned to Olivetti thanks to Programma 101, which was produced in 1964 and had a big success in the U.S. market.

Olivetti’s first modern personal computer, the Olivetti M20, featuring a Zilog Z8000 CPU, was released in 1982. In 1983 Olivetti introduced the M24 and in 1984 the M21 (the first and last of transportable of Olivetti), a clone of the IBM PC using DOS and the Intel 8086 processor (at 8 MHz) instead of the Intel 8088 used by IBM (at 4.77 MHz).

The M24 was sold in North America as the AT&T 6300. Olivetti also manufactured the AT&T 6300 Plus, which could run both DOS and Unix.

The comparison (before / after):

Repairing & things before of the Cleaning:

12►

Defects:

• Mirror image.
• Sometimes garbled image with using the ISA Bus.

Replaced parts:

• Replaced a 74LS245N on the motherboard side.
• Replaced a 75LS244N on ISA expansion Module.
• Removed the battery for the Realtime Clock.

Upgrade:

• Bios v1.36 to v1.43 (latest).

source: wikipedia

Autopsy:

1234►

Kaypro Corporation, commonly called Kaypro, was an American home/personal computer manufacturer of the 1980s. The company was founded by Non-Linear Systems to develop computers to compete with the then-popular Osborne 1 portable microcomputer. Kaypro produced a line of rugged, portable CP/M-based computers sold with an extensive software bundle which supplanted its competitors and quickly became one of the top selling personal computer lines of the early 1980s.

While exceptionally loyal to its original consumer base, Kaypro was slow to adapt to the changing computer market and the advent of IBM PC compatible technology. It faded from the mainstream before the end of the decade and was eventually forced into filing for bankruptcy in 1992.

Kaypro began as Non-Linear Systems, a maker of electronic test equipment, founded in 1952 by Andrew Kay, the inventor of the digital voltmeter.

In 1981, Non-Linear Systems began designing a personal computer, called KayComp, that would compete with the popular Osborne 1 transportable microcomputer. In 1982, Non-Linear Systems organized a daughter company named the Kaypro Corporation and rechristened the computer with the same name.

The first product, the Kaypro II, carried the Roman-numeral designation because one of the most popular microcomputers at the time was the Apple II. The Kaypro II was designed to be portable like the Osborne. (When battery-powered laptop computers became available, the larger machines came to be called transportable or luggable, rather than portable.) Set in an aluminum case, it weighed 29 pounds (13 kilograms) and was equipped with a Zilog Z80 microprocessor, 64 kilobytes of RAM, and two 5¼-inch double-density floppy-disk drives. It ran on Digital Research, Inc.’s CP/M operating system, and sold for about US$1,795.00.

Kaypro’s first computer, the Kaypro II, had a 2.5 MHz Zilog Z80 microprocessor; 64 Kb of RAM; dual, single-sided, 191 kB 5¼ inch floppy disk drives; and an 80-column, green monochrome, 9″ CRT.

Early in the Kaypro’s life, there was a legal dispute with the owner of the Bigboard computer who charged that the Kaypro II main circuit board was an unlicensed copy or clone.

he outer case was constructed of painted aluminum. The computer featured a large detachable keyboard that covered the screen and disk drives when stowed. This and other Kaypro computers (except for the Kaypro 2000) ran off regular AC mains power and were not equipped with a battery.

The comparison (before / after):

Defects:

• Black screen of death.

Replaced parts:

• Removed the filter capacitors.
• Replaced some Electrolytic Capacitors exhausted (PSU).

source: wikipedia

Gallery of the repair:

Defect:

• Black screen of death.
• Improper adjustment of Contrast and Brightness.
• Power Supply “tired”.

Replaced parts:

• Removed the filter capacitors.
• Replaced all Electrolytic Capacitors exhausted .
• Contrast and Brightness adjustments.

This is the official demo party results from Datastorm 2014 (Top 3 Entries only). See also the CSDB DATASTORM 2014 section for more informations.

C64 Demo:

• We Are All Connected by Fairlight, Offence, Prosonix
• Continuum by TRIAD
• The Doors of Perception by SHAPE

C64 Music:

• Valentine by Dane
• The Greatest Pal by Scarzix
• Better Call Saul by X-jammer

C64 Graphics:

• Ze bramblebee by Redcrab
• Strikeforce by Prowler
• Kind of Blew It by Fedja

Mixed Graphics (PETSCII):

• Yarr! by Genesis Project
• The Accident by Hack n’ Trade    
• Stay Forever by wysiwtf

Download: Datastorm 2014 Party stuff (1199)

source: datastorm.se

Onslaught / Wrath Designs / Vandalism, bring to you the 61th issue of the Vandalism News.

Download: Vandalism News #61 (1081)

source: noname.c64.org/csdb

Details:

I thank a friend for the donation.

Donated item:

• Macintosh Plus Motherboard.
• Macintosh 800k 3.5″ Floppy Drive.
• Atari 600XL (dead)
• Turbo 5000 Cartridge from Robtek for MSX 1 or 2
• Commodore 64 Tape Adapter.
• A unknown Cable.

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

Titles:

• Kong Strikes Back +5MH +Pic
• Helikopter Jagd 102% Jewel V1.2 +7HD
• Star Battles +5HGD
• Eggland Mystery Preview +2
• Another Day, Another Zombie
• Dark Force
• Planet Popper +1H
• Hero Time 2
• Dark Force +2H
• Blob Preview 2 +
• Honey Bee Preview +
• Legacy of the Ancients/Legend of Blacksilver +4D [EasyFlash]
• Hero Time II +2D
• Crazy Dog Racing +M DE

Download: All Games in One Archive (2868)

source: csdb.dk

I really enjoyed this donation that was made by Mokuccio and Zibri. Many thanks.

Donated items:

9 x CGS 8580R5 COMMODORE 64 SID
1 x MOS 8580R5 COMMODORE 64 SID
3 x CGS 6581R4AR COMMODORE 64 SID
2 x MOS 6581R4AR COMMODORE 64 SID
5 x MOS 6532 RAM-I/O-Timer (RIOT)
6 x MOS 8565R2 VIC II (HMOS)
1 x MOS 8501 COMMODORE 264 SERIES CPU
7 x MOS 6504 28-PIN 6502, 8K ADDRESSABLE MEMORY, ON-CHIP
1 x MOS 901229-05 COMMODORE 1541 (OLD) KERNAL
2 x MOS 901226-01 COMMODORE 64 BASIC
3 x MOS 901227-03 COMMODORE 64 KERNAL
1 x MOS 901225-01 COMMODORE 64 CHAR
1 x MOS 901486-07 COMMODORE VIC-20 KERNAL
2 x MOS 390059-01 COMMODORE 128 CHAR
1 x MOS 251913-01 COMMODORE 64 KERNAL+BASIC
1 x MOS 901460-03 COMMODORE VIC-20 CHAR
1 x MOS 901486-01 COMMODORE VIC-20 BASIC
1 x MOS 318004-04 COMMODORE 16 KERNAL
1 x MOS 310654-03 COMMODORE 1571 KERNAL
1 x MOS 325341-08 COMMODORE 1526/MPS802 ROM
1 x CGS 251968-03 COMMODORE 1541 II (NEW) KERNAL
1 x MOS 325302-01 COMMODORE 1541 DOS V2.6 LOW C000-DFFF
1 x MOS 251828-01 GATE-ARRAY 1540/SFD1001/C128D
3 x MOS 317054-01 COMMODORE PLUS/4 ROM
2 x CGS 8701 COMMODORE 64 VIDEO CLOCK GENERATOR
1 x MOS 8701 COMMODORE 64 VIDEO CLOCK GENERATOR
1 x MOS 251641-02 COMMODORE PLUS/4 PLA
1 x MOS 318006-01 COMMODORE C16/116/PLUS 4 BASIC ROM
1 x MOS 317053-01 COMMODORE PLUS/4 3-PLUS-1
1 x CGS 6559R5 COMMODORE 64 VIC II
7 x MOS 6569R3 COMMODORE 64 VIC II
1 x MOS 6569R3 COMMODORE 64 VIC II (CERAMIC)
9 x CGS 6510 CPU
4 x MOS 6510 CPU
1 x ROCKWELL 6502 CPU
1 x MOS 325340-03 MPU COMMODORE PRINTER 1520
1 x SHARP 252535-01 COMMODORE 64C CUSTOM PLA MEMORY CONTROLLER
10 x CMD G65SC22P-2 (VIA)
5 x MOS 6522 (VIA)
5 x MOS 8520 (CIA)
6 x CGS 8520 (CIA)
9 x MOS 6529B COMMODORE 16/116/PLUS-4 KEYBOARD CONTROLLER
7 x MOS 6561-101 COMMODORE VIC-20 PAL VIDEO CHIP
4 x MOS 8551 PLUS-4/A2232-3 ACIA
3 x MOS 8568 CRTC COMMODORE 128
5 x MOS 5710 COMMODORE 1571 CIA
7 x CGS 8372R8 AMIGA FAT AGUS
3 x MOS 8372R8 AMIGA FAT AGUS
1 x MOS 8372R6 AMIGA FAT AGUS DIP (CERAMIC)
3 x CGS 8373R4 AMIGA DENISE HI-RES
3 x MOS 8367R0 AMIGA AGNUS
2 x MOS 8364R4 AMIGA PAULA (CERAMIC)
1 x MOS 8364R7 AMIGA PAULA
5 x CGS 8364R7 AMIGA PAULA
7 x CGS 8375 AGNUS HI-RES
4 x CGS 8372A AMIGA FAT AGUS
3 x MOS 8371 AMIGA FAT AGNUS
15 x CGS 5719/318072-01 AMIGA GARY
3 x MOS 5719 AMIGA GARY
4 x KICK ROM v1.2
2 x KICK ROM v2.05
2 x KICK ROM v3.0 (39.106)

Read more…