Can I connect a Commodore 4040 to a VIC-20?

[DistantStar001]

I recently got a CBM 8032 PET along with a 4040 disk drive.  I'm still working on the PET.  The screen has a minor cataract, and the power has a bit chewed out of it.  So I need to replace that.  Also, I want to check all the connections and capacitors before I start adding power in any case.  So, I'll be getting to that later.

 

On the other hand, I seem to have managed to get the drive more or less functional.  I had to to do some deep cleaning, and replace one of the mechanisms, but it seems to work.  At least as far as I can tell without a computer to interact with it.  Which brings me to my question.  

 

It's my understanding that these drives were compatible with the VIC-20 through the user port.  I have the original cable, but I'm assuming, if it can be done, that I can't just connect it directly to the VIC, any more than I could to the user port on the PET.  So do I need an adaptor?  Is this even possible?  Any advice would be appreciated.

[+OLD CS1]

No.  You will need an IEEE-488 adapter, which is/was available for the VIC-20.  The user port is mechanically compatible with the PET IEEE card-edge port, but there is nothing in the VIC, 64, or 128's OS which will drive it.  Additionally, I am pretty sure the port is not electrically compatible, if only because it puts  9VAC out across two pins.

 

There appear to be a couple of modern options (I cannot vouch for either):

VIC-20 IEEE-488 VIE cartridge

SIPOD IEEE-488 Interface

 

Caveats on all.

[+OLD CS1]

BTW, good job on reviving that old hardware.  I have an 8050 and a B128 I need to get cracking on, sometime.

[carlsson]

I believe someone recreated the VIC-1112 interface a while ago but not sure where to find it for sale and it is sold here:

https://www.polyplay.xyz/VIC-1112-IEEE-488-Interface-Cartridge

 

Mark Gladson also ran a Kickstarter back in 2016 for a VIC-1112 replica but I would assume all the boards have been sold long ago.

 

I also dumped the ROM in my Dams' IEEE-488 cartridge for someone looking to recreate it both for the C64 and VIC-20 but it might not yet have turned into a product.

 

Definitely DO NOT try to attach the 4040 to the userport! Chances are that you will destroy one or both of the devices.

Edited July 23, 2022 by carlsson

[DistantStar001]

Thanks for the advice.  I knew that the drive could be used, but didn't know that it was a cartridge adapter.  Kind of a shame though.  Since you can't use it with a memory expansion.  I guess I'll have to wait until I get my PET going.

 

I do have one other question, though.  Can this read disks from a 1541?  I was hoping to use either my VIC-20 or a C64 to write some disks for the PET.

[+OLD CS1]

5 hours ago, DistantStar001 said:

do have one other question, though.  Can this read disks from a 1541?  I was hoping to use either my VIC-20 or a C64 to write some disks for the PET.

The 1541 format is essentially an evolution of the 4040 format and they can read each other, but you should not write to disks formatted on the other drive (some differences in the sector header data, IIRC.)  That is, do not use your 1541 to write 4040-formatted disks, or vice-versa.

[DistantStar001]

Can the 4040 copy files from a 1541 disk?  I'm wondering if I write PET files/programs to a floppy with a 1541 drive, and stick the disk into drive 0 on the 4040, can I copy those files over to drive 1? 

[+OLD CS1]

3 hours ago, DistantStar001 said:

Can the 4040 copy files from a 1541 disk?  I'm wondering if I write PET files/programs to a floppy with a 1541 drive, and stick the disk into drive 0 on the 4040, can I copy those files over to drive 1? 

Should be able to.  And you should be able to load those programs onto your PET from the 1541 disk, anyway.  Nothing better than giving it a try.

 

What intrigues me is what would happen if you used the DUPLICATE command instead of copying each file individually.  I assume the duplication is file-by-file.

[carlsson]

22 hours ago, DistantStar001 said:

I knew that the drive could be used, but didn't know that it was a cartridge adapter.  Kind of a shame though.  Since you can't use it with a memory expansion.

If you get a cartridge expander which lets you plug in multiple cartridges at the same time, there should be no limitation on combining memory expansion and IEEE-488. I have done that myself. Cartridge expanders tend to come in two varieties: the ones with switches that selects one slot at a time (e.g. for using multiple game cartridges), and the ones where all slots are active and you need to know which memory areas each cartridge addresses.

 

Generally IEEE-488 cartridges use the ROM area at $A000 and probably one of the I/O blocks at $9800 and upwards. Most regular RAM cartridges instead use $4000 - $7FFF or if it is a 3K cartridge, the $0400 - $0FFF slot. I can't recall if my Dams IEEE-488 collides with my Zero Electronics 40/80 column expansion, but unless they don't, I could run my VIC-20 with 40 columns, 24K RAM expansion and IEEE-488 all at the same time.