Not sure if anyone has already posted this but well, think its a cool project so lets post it again :)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/a1200housing/new-a1200-housings-pressed-from-new-molds?ref=nav_search
Thursday, 13 August 2015
PLAnkton, the best PLA replacement yet?
PLAnkton, the best PLA replacement yet?
The kind of work this community exists to promote is already happening in various corners of the Internet. One such collaborative hardware effort is the new Commodore 64 PLA replacement called PLAnkton. Created using new, modern hardware and all new VHDL code, the PLAnkton has proven to be one of the most compatible PLA replacement ever created.
It works on all tested motherboards, even the finicky 64 Reloaded board. As well, it works with such PLA fussy peripherals as the Epyx Fastload cartridge, SuperZaxxon, and others.
The PLAnkton uses a Xilinx XC9536XL with all new PLA emulation code programmed by e5frog and was designed with assistance and testing by eslapion.
You can find more by searching it on Melon64 and other forums.
I have ordered PLAnkton myself and will post my thoughts and a review after testing it.
The kind of work this community exists to promote is already happening in various corners of the Internet. One such collaborative hardware effort is the new Commodore 64 PLA replacement called PLAnkton. Created using new, modern hardware and all new VHDL code, the PLAnkton has proven to be one of the most compatible PLA replacement ever created.
It works on all tested motherboards, even the finicky 64 Reloaded board. As well, it works with such PLA fussy peripherals as the Epyx Fastload cartridge, SuperZaxxon, and others.
The PLAnkton uses a Xilinx XC9536XL with all new PLA emulation code programmed by e5frog and was designed with assistance and testing by eslapion.
You can find more by searching it on Melon64 and other forums.
I have ordered PLAnkton myself and will post my thoughts and a review after testing it.
6510 CPU replacement and enhancement
6510 CPU replacement and enhancement
I recently came across an Apple II accelerator on eBay that looked really interesting. It's called the Zip Chip. What's cool about it is that it drops right into the Apple II's 65c02 CPU socket, then it uses some glue logic to add a CPU cache, allowing it to better take advantage of it's 4 or 8 MHz speed options.
I think a project like this should be doable on the Commodore 8bit machines. Plus, you'd end up having better than TurboMaster speeds and still having your cartridge slot free!
Imagine replacing the 6510 with an FPGA loaded with a 6510 CPU emulator core. Then add in multiple clock options and a transparent cache. Now stick it on a carrier board that drops into the existing CPU socket (think SwinSID).
Check out the Zip Chip at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II_accelerators#Zip_Chip_.E2.80.93_Zip_Technologies
FPGA cores already exist. See:
http://www.6502.org/homebuilt/
I recently came across an Apple II accelerator on eBay that looked really interesting. It's called the Zip Chip. What's cool about it is that it drops right into the Apple II's 65c02 CPU socket, then it uses some glue logic to add a CPU cache, allowing it to better take advantage of it's 4 or 8 MHz speed options.
I think a project like this should be doable on the Commodore 8bit machines. Plus, you'd end up having better than TurboMaster speeds and still having your cartridge slot free!
Imagine replacing the 6510 with an FPGA loaded with a 6510 CPU emulator core. Then add in multiple clock options and a transparent cache. Now stick it on a carrier board that drops into the existing CPU socket (think SwinSID).
Check out the Zip Chip at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II_accelerators#Zip_Chip_.E2.80.93_Zip_Technologies
FPGA cores already exist. See:
http://www.6502.org/homebuilt/
Friday, 7 August 2015
REU emulation already in FPGA
REU emulation already in FPGA
It occurred to me today that the 1541 Ultimate II, which is FPGA based, already contains REU functionality. Gideon has already made the 1541 UII Open Source under the GPLv3 so this means that working REU code for an FPGA already exists.
I'm trying to find the relevant sections in the code, but I know little about VHDL so I'm flying blind.
It occurred to me today that the 1541 Ultimate II, which is FPGA based, already contains REU functionality. Gideon has already made the 1541 UII Open Source under the GPLv3 so this means that working REU code for an FPGA already exists.
I'm trying to find the relevant sections in the code, but I know little about VHDL so I'm flying blind.
Why we need component and reverse engineering projects
Why we need component and reverse engineering projects
H2Obsession made a great comment on the 8 bit projects post, specifically the RAM expansion REC chip replacement. That comment got me thinking about the need to expand on why this community should focus on such projects.
You see here's the thing. For the average end user that just wants to use and enjoy their Commodore 64/128 without the hassles of some of the original technology's limitations, the best option is to simply buy something like the 1541 Ultimate II. With that you have one device that replaces the slow and bulky floppy drives and their fragile and harder to get media, software expansion cartridges, the maddeningly unreliable tape drive, AND you also get simple, selectable kernel ROM replacement, and RAM Expansion Unit emulation with up to 16GB of storage!. This replaces lots of bulky, unreliable, power hungry hardware with one little black cartridge. Not only that but the original hardware is getting harder to find and more expensive to buy with more scams as people sell broken and untested hardware for increasingly outrageous sums of money.
For end users it just doesn't makes sense to start a new Commodore collection by using all original hardware.
However this does not mean that we should abandon the original hardware. As a community we also need to find ways to keep the original hardware alive and functional. Think of them as working museum pieces. Like steam trains at historical parks.
There will always be groups of collectors willing and wanting to keep and use original hardware. However, if the means to repair that hardware doesn't exist, then often that irreplaceable hardware will be discarded instead of repaired or even sold for repair. We need to do what other communities do. Reverse engineer parts that are no longer available and create new, 100% compatible replacements. Not only will this allow original vintage systems and accessories to be repaired and returned to service, but it will allow all new products based on those parts to be designed.
Two examples immediately come to mind.
REU clones and the Commodore 64 Reloaded board.
In both cases, new devices were designed that take advantage of modern technology and manufacturing to create devices that are not just functional equivalents of original parts, but devices that exceed the originals by offering better, more reliable, devices with better performance and/or new features that allow the devices to work better in the modern world. For example, the 64 Reloaded board replaces the now useless RF modulator with an S-Video output and a modern audio out jack. It also uses modern power supply designs to replace the original's unreliable and inefficient design.
The REU clone boards allow the use of more modern, less power hungry RAM chips with user expandable memory configurations.
What both devices have in common is that they rely on original, vintage chips. Chips which are no longer in production and are finite in supply with numbers dwindling every day.
Without new production replacements, this kind of innovation will stop just as surely as the ability to repair original equipment will stop.
If you feel that it's important that this important part of the history of home computing be kept alive, then we as a community must work together to solve these problems. We do that by working together, sharing knowledge, supplementing each other's skills, and designing and creating new hardware based on open designs that everyone can use. Taken collectively as a community, we have the tools. We have the skills. We have the knowledge. We just need the motivation to actually do it.
H2Obsession made a great comment on the 8 bit projects post, specifically the RAM expansion REC chip replacement. That comment got me thinking about the need to expand on why this community should focus on such projects.
You see here's the thing. For the average end user that just wants to use and enjoy their Commodore 64/128 without the hassles of some of the original technology's limitations, the best option is to simply buy something like the 1541 Ultimate II. With that you have one device that replaces the slow and bulky floppy drives and their fragile and harder to get media, software expansion cartridges, the maddeningly unreliable tape drive, AND you also get simple, selectable kernel ROM replacement, and RAM Expansion Unit emulation with up to 16GB of storage!. This replaces lots of bulky, unreliable, power hungry hardware with one little black cartridge. Not only that but the original hardware is getting harder to find and more expensive to buy with more scams as people sell broken and untested hardware for increasingly outrageous sums of money.
For end users it just doesn't makes sense to start a new Commodore collection by using all original hardware.
However this does not mean that we should abandon the original hardware. As a community we also need to find ways to keep the original hardware alive and functional. Think of them as working museum pieces. Like steam trains at historical parks.
There will always be groups of collectors willing and wanting to keep and use original hardware. However, if the means to repair that hardware doesn't exist, then often that irreplaceable hardware will be discarded instead of repaired or even sold for repair. We need to do what other communities do. Reverse engineer parts that are no longer available and create new, 100% compatible replacements. Not only will this allow original vintage systems and accessories to be repaired and returned to service, but it will allow all new products based on those parts to be designed.
Two examples immediately come to mind.
REU clones and the Commodore 64 Reloaded board.
In both cases, new devices were designed that take advantage of modern technology and manufacturing to create devices that are not just functional equivalents of original parts, but devices that exceed the originals by offering better, more reliable, devices with better performance and/or new features that allow the devices to work better in the modern world. For example, the 64 Reloaded board replaces the now useless RF modulator with an S-Video output and a modern audio out jack. It also uses modern power supply designs to replace the original's unreliable and inefficient design.
The REU clone boards allow the use of more modern, less power hungry RAM chips with user expandable memory configurations.
What both devices have in common is that they rely on original, vintage chips. Chips which are no longer in production and are finite in supply with numbers dwindling every day.
Without new production replacements, this kind of innovation will stop just as surely as the ability to repair original equipment will stop.
If you feel that it's important that this important part of the history of home computing be kept alive, then we as a community must work together to solve these problems. We do that by working together, sharing knowledge, supplementing each other's skills, and designing and creating new hardware based on open designs that everyone can use. Taken collectively as a community, we have the tools. We have the skills. We have the knowledge. We just need the motivation to actually do it.
Wednesday, 5 August 2015
REU reverse engineering collaboration project
REU reverse engineering collaboration project
I'm going to start listing resources for this project here.
Please chip in if you have info or interest in working on this project.
- http://www.baltissen.org/newhtm/e_reu.htm
- http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/documents/chipdata/programming.reu
- http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/documents/projects/memory/c64/rec.vhdl
- http://digitalaudioconcepts.com/vanessa/hobbies/projects.html
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.sys.cbm/ccTSA7nGlGc
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/comp.sys.cbm/ccTSA7nGlGc/_QMvbGTm4qMJ
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/comp.sys.cbm/Od7CWTOC818/2RE_UYPVexYJ
- http://ftp.giga.or.at/pub/c64/library/reu_programming.html
- http://ftp.giga.or.at/pub/c64/library/reu_registers.html
Everyone needs to read this document!
Maybe an REU clone isn't the answer. Do we need a new device instead?
- December 1988: Vol 9, Issue 2 Transactor.
Title: Care and Feeding of the C256
Location: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=11844798675652417861
I'm going to start listing resources for this project here.
Please chip in if you have info or interest in working on this project.
- http://www.baltissen.org/newhtm/e_reu.htm
- http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/documents/chipdata/programming.reu
- http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/documents/projects/memory/c64/rec.vhdl
- http://digitalaudioconcepts.com/vanessa/hobbies/projects.html
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.sys.cbm/ccTSA7nGlGc
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/comp.sys.cbm/ccTSA7nGlGc/_QMvbGTm4qMJ
- https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/comp.sys.cbm/Od7CWTOC818/2RE_UYPVexYJ
- http://ftp.giga.or.at/pub/c64/library/reu_programming.html
- http://ftp.giga.or.at/pub/c64/library/reu_registers.html
Everyone needs to read this document!
Maybe an REU clone isn't the answer. Do we need a new device instead?
- December 1988: Vol 9, Issue 2 Transactor.
Title: Care and Feeding of the C256
Location: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=11844798675652417861
Please don't hack apart your Amiga case to fit a Gotek!
Please don't hack apart your Amiga case to fit a Gotek!
I've seen some really horrible things done to Amiga cases in order to fit a Gotek floppy emulator inside them. Please don't do that. There are other options to install a Gotek without trashing your Amiga's case.
Just one example I found with a quick Google is KMTech. They have not only an internal Gotek solution that requires no case cutting, but they also have an external Gotek as DF1: adapter.
Check out their site.
Note that I have no affiliation with KMTech and in fact I have never purchased anything from them. They were just the first solution I found with a Google search. I just gave them as an example that there are options other than destroying vintage equipment.
See also: https://youtu.be/zDLll92uxS0
http://kevmeister.wix.com/kmtech
I've seen some really horrible things done to Amiga cases in order to fit a Gotek floppy emulator inside them. Please don't do that. There are other options to install a Gotek without trashing your Amiga's case.
Just one example I found with a quick Google is KMTech. They have not only an internal Gotek solution that requires no case cutting, but they also have an external Gotek as DF1: adapter.
Check out their site.
Note that I have no affiliation with KMTech and in fact I have never purchased anything from them. They were just the first solution I found with a Google search. I just gave them as an example that there are options other than destroying vintage equipment.
See also: https://youtu.be/zDLll92uxS0
http://kevmeister.wix.com/kmtech
8 bit Collaboration Project Recommendations
8 bit Collaboration Project Recommendations
This is a list of projects that would benefit the Commodore 8 bit community. I'm hoping someone will take on each project and start a thread here to guide the project.
- MOS 8726 REC reverse engineering and replacement (FPGA?)
The 8726 is the chip used in the Commodore REU's and is necessary for REU compatibility. Considering the 1541 UII has REU emulation, maybe Gideon can supply some assistance.
- PLA documentation.
There are several working PLA replacements out there, we just need to get the specs and files organized.
- VIC reverse engineering and emulation.
The various VIC chips are a must have component of any Commodore emulation, hardware or software. There have been several hardware projects that have working VIC emulation so there are people that can contribute to documenting the VIC hardware for reverse engineering projects. An FPGA type replacement on a DIP carrier would be a killer project.
- SID emulation and documentation.
There has already been some progress in this regard with the SwinSID and other projects but a more detailed reverse engineering and documentation needs to be done before a 100% accurate emulation can be achieved. This is also, IMO, a priority project since SID's are irreplaceable and are often ripped from working C-64's just to power other music projects. A 100% accurate SID replacement could stop the destruction of otherwise good C=64's.
+---------------------------------------------------------+
Projects that don't just duplicate,
but also enhance, original hw
+==============================+
- Universal RF modulator replacement.
No one needs the Commodore 64's RF modulator any more. There are no more TV's being manufactured with analog RF input support and there are much better ways to get video/audio output to modern displays. There are already working circuits to replace the RF modulator, but there is not a board that can be used in all C=64 motherboard revisions. We need a board that can be used with any board revision with a simple jumper setting and that has output headers for S-Video and composite so that users can make their own output choices.
This project should be easy to complete and might be a nice one for this community to start with.
- 6510 CPU replacement, enhancements
I know a LOT of people would like to see a SuperCPU, Turbomaster type project.
This is a list of projects that would benefit the Commodore 8 bit community. I'm hoping someone will take on each project and start a thread here to guide the project.
- MOS 8726 REC reverse engineering and replacement (FPGA?)
The 8726 is the chip used in the Commodore REU's and is necessary for REU compatibility. Considering the 1541 UII has REU emulation, maybe Gideon can supply some assistance.
- PLA documentation.
There are several working PLA replacements out there, we just need to get the specs and files organized.
- VIC reverse engineering and emulation.
The various VIC chips are a must have component of any Commodore emulation, hardware or software. There have been several hardware projects that have working VIC emulation so there are people that can contribute to documenting the VIC hardware for reverse engineering projects. An FPGA type replacement on a DIP carrier would be a killer project.
- SID emulation and documentation.
There has already been some progress in this regard with the SwinSID and other projects but a more detailed reverse engineering and documentation needs to be done before a 100% accurate emulation can be achieved. This is also, IMO, a priority project since SID's are irreplaceable and are often ripped from working C-64's just to power other music projects. A 100% accurate SID replacement could stop the destruction of otherwise good C=64's.
+
Projects that don't just duplicate,
but also enhance, original hw
+==============================+
- Universal RF modulator replacement.
No one needs the Commodore 64's RF modulator any more. There are no more TV's being manufactured with analog RF input support and there are much better ways to get video/audio output to modern displays. There are already working circuits to replace the RF modulator, but there is not a board that can be used in all C=64 motherboard revisions. We need a board that can be used with any board revision with a simple jumper setting and that has output headers for S-Video and composite so that users can make their own output choices.
This project should be easy to complete and might be a nice one for this community to start with.
- 6510 CPU replacement, enhancements
I know a LOT of people would like to see a SuperCPU, Turbomaster type project.
Sunday, 2 August 2015
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