[Announcing the Super Game Controller for the ColecoVision]

Hi,

 

I would like to be put on the wait list for one controller.

[Vectrex lightpen with buttons]

Acknowledged.

 

?

[Vectrex lightpen with buttons]

Hi,

 

I'm interested in C version, right handed.

 

From France (so in Europe).

[VecFever]

They are $99 shipped in the US.

rather €99 I think and that's without shipping fee

[Looking to purchase a Vectrex, have some questions]

Mine was bought €139 two weeks ago. The seller went to my home to show it so I can test it - unbelievable. Usual prices are around €200 if not above .

[Preorder open for C64 Reloaded MK2]

A firmware update for the Mk2 was released yesterday which improves VIC-II detection. My 6567R8 is now properly recognized.

How did you get the new firmware?

 

EDIT: that's one? http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/C64_reloaded_mk2#Downloads

[Preorder open for C64 Reloaded MK2]

Ok, I was able to try a LumaFix 64 with a 6569R5 (I also have a 6569R3 and an 8565R2) on my C64R MK2. Using S-video - without LumaFix 64, the output is bad. At least the text is more readable but I have color artifacts (like repetitive vertical rainbows). Since my smartphone tends to bluish the picture on the screen, I'm borrowing another picture from C128 to show a similar effect:

 

So I tried the LumaFix 64 and was able to reduce vertical artifacts with AEC and PHI0 tweaking. But nothing regarding with CHR. So with or without LumaFix 64, I have those disgusting rainbows. Maybe it is an issue with my screen but it is clear that S-video output added to C64R MK2 is not that great.

[VecFever]

@TomSon I'm a developer and I'd like to buy a VecFever. How can I proceed?

[C-128 VDC RAM upgrade]

Ok, I think people should really distinguish between KB and Kb. The first is mostly used to say KByte and the later to say Kbit. As far as I can see, there are only TWO chips used as a VRAM for the VDC chipset. So we are speaking about turning 2 x 16K x 4 bits into 2 x 64K x 4 bits.

Let see the pin layout of those chips:

PIN    16K x 4bit (4416?)    64K x 4bit (41464)
1      nOE                   nOE
2      DATA                  DATA
3      DATA                  DATA
4      nWE                   nWE
5      nRAS                  nRAS
6      ADDR                  ADDR
7      ADDR                  ADDR
8      ADDR                  ADDR
9      VCC                   VCC
10     ADDR                  ADDR
11     ADDR                  ADDR
12     ADDR                  ADDR
13     ADDR                  ADDR
14     ADDR                  ADDR
15     DATA                  DATA
16     nCAS                  nCAS
17     DATA                  DATA
18     GND                   GND

Their pins match (data and address order don't matter).

I suppose if you try to access beyond 16KB with a 16KB version, you may have a mirrored 16KB or random bytes.

 

Well, I guess it is safe to swap them indeed.

 

As for the solder-less plug-in, I'm not expecting it to be safe because I wonder how the plugin is shutting the original RAM chips and how it tries to reroute some data. As for the capacity on the plugin board, it may be needed between a pin of the VDC chip and a pin of the two new RAM chips.

[C-128 VDC RAM upgrade]

How is that simple? How is the machine instructed its VDC ram is 64KB instead of 16KB by just swapping them?

[Preorder open for C64 Reloaded MK2]

Doing some research tonight on the 82S100 used for the PLA in the C64 I found a mention that the SwinSID has timing problems when used with a SuperPLA by Jens. The SuperPLA is integrated into the C64 Reloaded so this is likely the source of the incompatibility.

 

As well, a good argument for not supporting the SwinSID on the 'Reloaded, anyway:

 

From https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/SwinSID

 

 

That's the case for SwinSID Nano. I ordered two SwinSID Ultimate but they appear to have issues with Chinese component providers so I have no ETA for them . They told me they work with C64R MK2.

 

Here is the link to what I read about Ultimate version:

- https://ilesj.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/swinsid-ultimate/

- http://kompjut0r.blogspot.fr/2016/04/c64-sid-shootout-part-4-sid-8580-vs.html

 

[Preorder open for C64 Reloaded MK2]

Price of C64R Mk2 + 2 x CIAs + 1 x CPU + 2 x SID + 1 x VIC-II? Price of a SID is quite insane today (around €50). You'd better buy an old C64 and cannibalize it to get its chips. The cheapest CIA on eBay is around €24,99 (shipment fee included) and you need two, VIC-II is around €40. Just add them. While I do understand CPU, SID and VIC-II may be genuine in regards to their different characteristics, I see no reason CIAs need to be so.

 

As for nano swinSIDs, they appear not to work in a C64R Mk2: a fellow tried it on his C64R to no avail but they work on his genuine C64s.

 

"Like?" some goodies like HDMI, the ability to choose between a genuine chip and a "replicated" one as a fallback. Anything which may make the price worthy.

[Preorder open for C64 Reloaded MK2]

 

 

 

 

The Commodore 64 Reloaded MK2 includes the following on the board:

• 128k S-Ram chip
• flash rom for Kernal, Basic, Character and your own sets of ROMs
• clock generator equivalent to the CSG8701 chip with two custom crystals
• PLA equivalent to the CSG 906114-01 chip
• Stereo-SID circuit configurable for three different popular addresses
• S-Video and 3.5mm stereo outputs
• USB to serial link for configuring the board with a terminal program
• high-efficiency power conversion for operation from a single 12V supply
• Power switch with integrated reset function
• six all-black high quality ZIF sockets

 

- What is the point to have 128KB SRAM? I mean C64 only used 64KB.

- Extra 8/16 KB ROMs through FLASH: definitely a good point. I was able to put a JiffyDOS ROM in one and set it as the default kernel.

- NTSC/PAL clock: definitely a good point.

- No PLA chip needed: definitely a good point as long as it doesn't have a compatibility issue.

- Double SIDs: totally great to get stereo or ability to select a different SID. Minor issue: some non-genuine SID (like swinSID) may not be detected properly and so work.

- S-Video and 3.5mm stereo outputs: really? is that the reason that motherboard is so expensive? cheap solution because VIC-II is already giving those signals. Not even any tweaking solution as Lumafix 64 is integrated in the board. Adding Lumafix 64 is not working because motherboard probably doesn't detect it properly. Bad point.

- USB serial: definitely a good point but you cannot use it in parallel with an SD2IEC on cassette port (I had to cut it so I could be able to plug a USB cable while an SD2IEC is installed.

- 12V supply: definitely a good point.

- third position to allow a special action like soft/hard reset or SID-switching on the power switch: sure not a bad point.

- Key RESTORE has a programmable action, toggling SID selection by default: a good point to test your SIDs on the fly.

- ZIFs are also definitely great.

 

But still too expensive for what it gives:

- no SD2IEC facility?

- PLA emulation but no CIA emulation?

- no Lumafix 64 trick?

 

And so on.

 

And it doesn't sound that you can develop on the terminal side to add some goodies like using USB to connect a virtual PC2IEC for instance.

 

I'm happy to have it but less happy about the lack of features and improvements it may benefit in regard to its price.