Atari SAP Music Archive (ASMA) is a Atari XL-XE music collection. It is one of the largest and most accurate computer music collections known.

ASMA archive now uses an online repository, where it is constantly updated.

source: ASMA Repository

This Commodore Amiga 600 is arrived in laboratory in immaculate state still with the warranty sticker.

Immediately after the disassembly i have immediately noticed that were are several problems of acid released from the capacitors and dirty that affected this poor Amiga 600 and its Floppy Drive.

A decoupling capacitor it’s exploded with a pit on the PCB side, solved this problem i started to replace all the electrolytic capacitors and to clean the pcb with specific products.

After the replacement of the electrolytic capacitors, i have tried to turn on the amiga that apparently worked, shame about the distorted sound and the floppy drive that read 1 time of 100.

I had to replace the electrolyte capacitor on the Floppy Drive and soon after i looked for the fault of the audio problem that 99% is always the usual LF374.

In this case it was not only LF374 but also a 10ohm resistor that did not let the +12v to the LF374 and a short-circuited ceramic decoupling capacitor.

Components that have been replaced:

• IC LF374 substituted with a fully compatible TL084C (U15)
• 10Ohm resistor (R301)
• 330nF capacitor (C301)
• 330nF capacitor (C41)

Unfortunately the welding of the LF374 did not come very well how i like to do it but the pad are destroyed and corroded by the acid and they were about to detach, indeed the pad of the pin 2 of the LF374 was really detached, that’s why the pin 1 and 2 of the IC LF374 are connected together, they were connected via the pad.

I leave you to the photos and the video.

Gallery:

12►

Video:

The Commodore-SX64 keyboard after some time isnt’t responding anymore (all or some keys). In this case, the keyboard needs some cleaning and repair.

First of all you have to disassembly the keyboard housing, pay particular attention to the screws, this plastic is very old and not of a good quality, it breaks only if you look it.

Gently remove the membrane and clean with alcohol all the metal contacts on the keyboard pcb and also clean all the contact pads on the membrane without alcohol.

Next i took some graphite in cream (Keypad Fix) to reconstruct the pads on the membrane by simply applying a very fine layer of graphite on the contacts.

Gallery:

This monitor although fully functional in the video section, was missing audio. The integrated circuit of amplifying sound (TDA 2611A) was not powered.

The problem was a broken pcb track (see photo), solved this problem the sound is back.

Gallery:

I received this small Black and White CRT monitor from a friend, Ciro Barile of TI-99 Italian User Club, this monitor was used as a video intercom and i didn’t know the power supply voltage, the pinout but especially if it worked.

Found the pinout and the power supply voltage i saw the image turned upside down, this because the monitor could be hooked both from top and from bottom, nothing could be easier it was enough to change the deflection yoke connector on the motherboard to flip the image.

I drilled two holes on the back of the case to facilitate access to the composite video input and power supply (12v 2A).

Pinout:

• RED (Video)
• GREEN (Ground)
• BLACK (Positive)
• BROWN (Ground)

Gallery:

Firmware upgrade for the UK1541 a real time drive emulator with cycle-exact 6502 instructions execution and VIA’s emulation just by tiny MCU, LCP1114, Cortex M0, 48Mhz (0,84 DMIPS/Mhz) developed by Krzysztof Switajski aka Kisiel/ICON.

Changelog:

• Core6502 update 2.0.1.11-2018 with major improvements for VIA emulation.

Download:

• UK1541 (Ultimate Killer) Firmware Update 2.0.1.11-2018 (605)

source: wiki.projekt64.filety.pl

Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)

The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.

Changelog:

• Allow game device axes to be unselected in the joystick settings.
• Experimental support for game devices with more than 32 buttons and up to 128 buttons.
• Fix to broken save state.

Download:

• Hoxs64 32/64 bit v1.0.12.0 (794)

source: hoxs64.net

…in the photo:

• Atari CX50 – Keyboard controllers (Boxed and in Mint Condition)
• Joystick Cheetah – The Bug (Boxed)
• ROM/Eprom cartridges for Commodore 64.
• Commodore 1571 without Floppy Drive (Mobo/PSU working)

NEW TAG: C64 BIG GAME PACK

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

Titles:

• The Third Planet From Altair (RPL)
• The Last Ninja [1581]
• DX-7 Sounddesign
• Combat Crazy +7H (EasyFlash)
• Rogue Burger One +5F
• Laura64 Preview V2 +2T
• Infernal Runner +1DT
• DX-7 Support
• (Super) Bonkey Kong +2HD
• Demons Castle 2 [english]
• Cow & Chicken Preview (TRIAD/PROTOVISION)
• Combat Crazy +7H
• Limbo Preview
• Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (R17)
• Drugwar 64
• Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (R17) +D
• Zombie Calavera Prologue – Hokuto Force
• Zombie Calavera Prologue – Hardstyle
• Rush Preview +2
• The Scroll of Akbar Khan +1DMW
• Drugwar 64 V1.05
• Terminator 2 +H (EasyFlash)
• Brainway +DCM
• Blastopia
• Ill Savior Preview 2
• CETI 21 – Special Edition +2 [seuck]
• Blastopia +6HD
• Aviator Arcade II Preview V2 +3
• Illsavior Preview 2
• Fizz +1F
• Austro-Comp E1+E2 [german]
• Aviator Arcade II Preview [sd2iec]
• Bomberland 64k [sd2iec]
• Spider Maze +3D
• Spider Maze
• Highnoon +6DGMH
• GameTro +
• Get Off My Garden! +5H
• LumberJack Basic
• Four in a Row Master +T
• Caverns of Khafka +10D
• Street Gang +7DH

Download: All Games in One Archive (6857)

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: + many more….

USB Stick STM32 (Gotek) HxC Floppy Emulator Firmware v3.1.25.1a -> v3.1.32.1a cumulative changelog:

• Menu subsystem refactored.
• Smaller code size with more features.
• Menu OLED and sound parameters (Video Inverse, contrast, step sound) are now taking effect immediately.
• Code optimizations.
• CPC DSK : Write cache flush timeout set to 2 seconds.
• Once again more code size optimizations!
• More code size optimizations.
• STM32 startup / init functions refactored (WIP).
• Flash memory code size reduced.
• Inversed Floppy Ribbon detection at power-up : “rib” (7 segments display) or “Floppy ribbon reversed !” (LCD/OLed display) message printed at power-up if the floppy ribbon is not connected properly.
• Fix a regression introduced into the v3.1.28.1a : Fix normal and indexed mode possible browsing issues (unexpected wrap to index 0). Please update !
• OLED screen : Standby/screen saver mode – The screen is now dimmed to a minimal level. The standby delay can be changed into the setting menu.
• OLED screen : New Menu entry – “Video” Polarity mode (Normal/Inverse).
• Files Browser : All Files/Folders with the hidden attribut set are not shown anymore… (Hide Windows/MAC system folders).
• Push buttons Auto-repeat : Better/Smoother rate changes. Rate changes delays adjusted.
• Thomson *.FD file support : Faster Loading (sectors interleave factor fixed).
• Fix the “clear settings”/reset factory function.

This is only a little part of the changelog. The original one is very long and you can read it here. (instruction manual here)

Download: USB Stick STM32 (Gotek) HxC Firmware v3.1.32.1a (941)

source: hxc2001.com

A new version of the firmware for the Ultimate-64 by Gideon is released.

Differences with previous official release V1.06:

• SID has been improved quite a bit:
  • The internal SID is now consistently referenced as “UltiSID”, to avoid confusion with other SID products.
  • Various bugs, like the phase of the filters, and the routing of Voice 3 when the VOICE3OFF bit was set have been corrected.
  • A number of SID filter curves have now been implemented and can now be chosen from the configuration menu.
  • The resonance can be changed to two different settings.
  • Combined waveforms can now be selected between 6581 and 8580.
  • Internal bus charge in the SID is now emulated.
• The 6502 core has been improved. All ‘stable’ illegal instructions are now fully operational:
  • SLO $07 $17 $03 $13 $0F $1F $1B
  • RLA $27 $37 $23 $33 $2F $3F $3B
  • SRE $47 $57 $43 $53 $4F $5F $5B
  • RRA $67 $77 $63 $73 $6F $7F $7B
  • SAX $87 $97 $83 $8F
  • LAX $A7 $B7 $A3 $B3 $AF
  • DCP $C7 $D7 $C3 $D3 $CF $DF $DB
  • ISC $E7 $F7 $E3 $F3 $EF $FF $FB
  • ANC $0B
  • ANC $2B
  • ALR $4B
  • ARR $6B (including decimal mode!)
  • SBX $CB
  • SBC $EB
  • LAS $BB
  • LAX $AB is stable with constant 00.
• U64 settings are now restored when the machine resets. This resets the SID settings after using Auto Config + internal SID player.

Download:

• U64/Ultimate-64 v1.0B Firmware (622)

source: ultimate64.com

Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)

The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.

Changelog:

• SID envelope timing fixes. SID sustain register cycle accurate response to changes. Update to the SID noise write back behaviour.

Download:

• Hoxs64 32/64 bit v1.0.11.0 (592)

source: hoxs64.net

Onslaught / Offence / Vandalism News Staff, bring to you the 68th issue of the Vandalism News.

Download:

• Vandalism News #68 (1541/1581/Label/Cover) (910)

source: csdb.dk

ARMSid (6581/8580 Replacement) by Nobomi.

I could not resist the temptation to try also this emulation of the SID 6581/8580 with the STM32F410 ARM Cortex M4, i’m talking about the ARMSid by Nobomi.

The fast shipping and the courtesy of Nobomi are certainly very well but also the packaging, the ARMSid is shipped in a plastic case to avoid any problem with the shipping.

The sound and the “audio” feeling are good like the SwinSID Ultimate but better, personally i would place the ARMDSid between the Original SID and the SwinSID Ultimate, Nobomi you have made a very good job. Congratulations.

Nobomi also wrote a software for Commodore 64 to configure the various ARMSid options and another software to update the Firmware.

Some information taken from the Nobomi site:

What is it ?:

• A new replacement of the MOS6581 and MOS8580 used in the Commodore C64. It is minimalistic (in simplicity of circuit and use, not in function and power).
• Real “plug & play” solution. Just insert instead of the original SID into the slot and it’s done.
• It determines (through supply voltages) which chip it replaces and starts the appropriate emulation (it can be changed later in software).
• No need to switch the PAL / NTSC version, the circuit uses directly the clock from the computer bus, always synchronous with the C64.
• It also emulates analog inputs (joysticks, mouse, etc. – POTX and POTY inputs)
• Analog output is sufficiently buffered, it is not necessary to change anything on the computer board for proper operation.
• Output sampling frequency is 1/16th bus clock of C64 (approx. 62kHz), real 12bit D/A converter, no pwm.
• Filters completely transferred to digital form, emulated by float point arithmetic.
• Significantly lower noise level and less interference from the power supply than the original :)
• Lower power consumption than the original.
• Firmware update possible inside the C64.
• Emulates all waveforms, and even “samples” (at least some of them, Ghostbusters laugh, Chimera screams at you).
• Full support of analog filters (LowPass, BandPass, HighPass, combination, Q quality control).
• Emulation of OSC3 and ENV3 registers (little delay, approximately 16 clocks of the C64 bus).
• Joysticks and mice work.

What is inside ?:

• A few resistors, capacitors, one stabilizer, one opamp and a processor. That’s all, parts only from one side.
• The only programmable circuit is the STM32F410, ARM Cortex M4 with HW float point arithmetic at 100MHz.
• Analogue output amplified via the AD8515 opamp.
• Stabilizer for the 3.3V processor, the processor itself has 5V tolerance inputs.

Firmware:

• New features in FW 2.6:
• Optimization for speed again (approx. 10ns more faster response to read registers, faster processing of writing registers).

• New features in FW 2.5:
• Again faster interrupt (approx. 10ns more faster response to read registers).

• New features in FW 2.4:
• Further optimization of the interrupt (approx. 20ns faster response to read registers).

• New features in FW 2.3:
• A part of source code (interrupt routine) has been rewritten in assembler and manually optimized.
• It makes a possibility to control the bus only through the CS signal (no need for O2 clock synchronization, so it can run on systems with a different CPU than MOS6502 now).
• Low frequency limit and filter strength settings and saving settings to permanent flash memory.

Gallery:

Download:

• ARMSiD Schematics (1238)
• Tester, Configuration Program & Firmware 2.6 (1013)

ARMSiD Video:

source: ARMSiD Homepage

Hoxs64 written by David Horrocks is a Commodore 64 emulator for Microsoft Windows 2K/XP/Vista/Seven (DirectX 9+)

The emulator substantially reproduces this legacy machine in minute detail.

Changelog:

• SID envelope timing fixes to accommodate VICE test programs in testprogs\SID\env_test\
• Also improved is the timing of gate attack during release and gate release during attack as measured by own test programs.

Download:

• Hoxs64 32/64 bit v1.0.10.0 (663)

source: hoxs64.net