Tag Archives: retro

Computer

C64 and SD2IEC

As posted before ( https://www.henriaanstoot.nl/2022/04/09/c64-plus-drive-running-again/ ) i’ve got a little gadget which emulates a C64 diskdrive.

The SD2IEC connected

I’ve been using this for a while now, and i’m really impressed by it. It just connects to the Serial Din of your C64, draws power from the Cassette port. … And even looks like a mini drive!

I’ve been converting Disks to images as well as runnig previously converted D64 images on a real C64 again.

Also the internet provides loads of images to run again.

Converting and running:

  • For real floppy to image i used a empty image file. Made my real original drive device number 9, and used Dracopy (also below)
  • Image running on your real C64, just put a D64 disk image on your SDcard.

There is a disk selector and run program you can use. (See below)
Also you can use the buttons for disk swap/change.

FB64 tool to select a D64 image to start
Dracopy
Computer

MPF-1B – Z80 Training kit

One from my collection: A training kit for learning to write machine language.

Update: 20220514 – Save and Load a program
Update: 20220829 – Mad-1 computer runaway movie

A little example, life programming a little machine code.

ORG 1800
0E 80              ; LD C,0
21 C0 00           ; LD HL,00C0
CD E4 05           ; CALL 0X05E4
0E 01              ; LD C,0
21 00 01           ; LD HL,0100
CD E4 05           ; CALL 0X05E4
C3 00 18           ; JMP 0X1800

Found this cameo in the movie “Runaway”

Using a tape and COMX-35 cassette player, i can store and retreive programs

Old Skool saving a program
And loading a program

Above i mentioned a Runaway Cameo .. well there is a MAD-1 system cameo also. (Which also i in my collection)

Computer

C64 Tape found

Tape i found yesterday

I found a cassette tape yesterday. I was really curious .. dont remember making this.

Connected a tape drive to my C64 and tried to get the damn thing to read the tape.

Commodore tape drive

Got stuck on READY’s with no programs. Being a little rusty into using C64 i tried:

  • L+shiftO
  • shift break
  • LOAD”$”,8
  • LOAD”$”,8,1
  • LOAD”*”,8

Maybe there was a turbo loader used?
Maybe my tape unit wasn’t aligned?

Tried multiple tape units, couldnt find a Tape Head Alignment Program like:

So i used another method to see if data was recoverable.

Using UberCassette or AudioTap

Above are two examples with uses recorded wave files and calculations to generate the original written bits!

Recorded the tape to mono wav file using a generic linux recording application.

ubercassette taperecording.wav mytape.tap
Computer

Started to build a Drawbridge

For my amiga i started to build a floppy disk reader/writer using a arduino.
I found a superb project by rob smith.
It uses only a arduino pro and a FTDI USB to serial breakout board, to raw read and write disks.
I wanted to convert my own created amiga disks to PC image to use in a emulator like vice.

http://amiga.robsmithdev.co.uk/instructions/promini

I’m not going to copy his website, with all instructions. Only my personal experiences.

Starting with … don’t use a IDE cable, and start soldering .. it is a diskdrive cable .. connector doesn’t fit! ..

Getting components and flashing arduino … no brainer

Computer

Working Amiga 500

Got a working amiga again. \o/ woot
Needed to replace Paula chip, cleaning and some TLC.

Modulator
Chip donor

Scart cable i’ve got is one without the resistors, so my monitor isn’t detecting the signal.
Using a A520 modulator works. At least RF, don’t know why RCA/composite video isn’t working.

Even a memory expansion and second drive (5.24 inch) are working.

One of the first disks i tested

To do:

  • Fix something to get disk images from and to my pc.
  • (My old catweasel card only fits in a ISA slot which i don’t have any more)
  • I was wrong .. i’ve got a IV Catweasel .. PCI it is
  • Fix scart
  • Fix my Action Replay, which i soldered into a non working state apparently .. 🙂
  • Get a better mouse!
Catweasel IV
Kickstart selector
Action Replay

Disks to convert:

  • Personal text files from ages ago
  • My first seka demo
  • My oscillator drawing program
  • Other assembly source files

Got another one running today also:

Olivetti M21 machine you could carry with you.
9″ screen, 640K memory, 8086 Cpu

Computer

C64 plus drive running again

20220502: Fixed another C64, PIA (Peripheral Interface Adapter) was dead, luckily i’ve got several spare-part c64’s. So that was a easy fix.

20220504: Got my sd2iec adaptor in, see bottom of this page.

Booting with a power cartridge
None of my old computers was unmodified
Demo by my old friend Sepp

Drive is a 1541model 2

De wires are going to the DOUT pins of the memory chips. Showing activity using leds. Sometimes i monitored CS .. also informative.

SD2IES Cardreader

Little small funky gadget, it replaces a 1541 Floppy drive with a SDCard reader where you can store a lot of floppydisk images on.
More on this later.

NOTE : Doesn’t work together with my KCS Power cartridge.

Cartridge
Screen

I’ve tested two cartridges.

Final cartridge III fastload test on a program did ~3 seconds. ( Normal load time ~17 seconds. ) KCS powercartridge didn’t work. Tip: press `runstop` when using FC3 while turning on to get into basic not the desktop.

Computer

Old hardware hacks

This page is a ‘work in progress’ page .. i’ll keep adding info

Somewhere 90s

  • Oscilloscope drawing
  • Joystick with memory
  • Laser drawing using videodisc mirror’s
  • Amiga keyboard hack
  • Crt monitor hack
  • First copperbar (before i knew it was a thing) on a hercules monitor
  • Floppy boot demo with EDK
  • Own build webcam with x,y movement using stepper motors, and a analog (rca) camera
  • Reverse engineering stuff like a led scroller bar
  • Sid chip in a amiga
  • Own build 8bit computer
Computer

Retropi handheld

I’ve got a retro-pi running for some time, now .. posting a little movie.
The gamehat i’ve got a week now.

Retropi met Darish Zone King Image

  • 512GB
  • 23000 games
  • 50 systems

Own hacks on this system:

  • Added dos emulator
  • Added DOS games
  • Added Amiga demos menu entry
  • Changed Font sized and look

I’ve got a bigben controller which i can connect to the Raspberry USB .

375403 (600×315)
Computer

Old computer : Comx-35

Trying to fix a computer from my computer collection.

Comx-35 (1983)
  • RCA 1802 CPU @ 2.8 Mhz
  • 32K Memory

Apparenty something wrong with the graphics chip.

The COMX uses the RCA CDP1869 and CDP1870 Video Interface System (VIS), consisting of the CDP1869 address and sound generator and the CDP1870 colour video generator.

Maybe next to try : checking signals using a Logic Analyzer