1541 ultimate

[Doppie1200]

Hi all,

A couple of days ago I helped out a collegue with his project.
He got to experiment on my C128dcr. It is now also compatible with my 128dcr.
Have a look at what it does here.

I dont know when he will start a serious production run but the final design is well underway. You can encourage him by mailing him to pre-order or give suggestions.

Greets
Erno

[Mark Smith]

I'd like to look at the link .. but my company firewall classed the site as porn ... .. seems to do that a lot for Commodore sites :-)

Mark

[Golan Klinger]

For us, that link *is* porn.

[Doppie1200]

Got word today that the sdram version can now act as a reu aswell. Pron indeed.

[smf]

Got word today that the sdram version can now act as a reu aswell. Pron indeed.

So how do we sign up for one of these?

I have some suggestions:

1) rename it because it's grown way beyond a 1541.
2) it needs c2n emulation.
3) trilogic expert cartridge emulation, because I can't find mine anymore & it wouldn't fit at the same time anyway.

[Golan Klinger]

Got word today that the sdram version can now act as a reu aswell.

As an REU or a RAM disk? A RAM disk is a relatively simple thing but reproducing the work of the REU chip found in Commodore's REUs is a tricky business that, as yet, nobody has managed to do. If it works as a real REU, this is rather large news.

[Doppie1200]

How to sign up? I assumed gideon put his contact info on the website. I'll asks what's up with that.

Reu? Consider it large news then. I have yet to solder on my sdram device to see for myself but gideon told me he had it working under geos.

As I understand it is basically a device that does memcopy's to and from the native ram. Dma functionality is implemented anyway for other nifty features. So I suggested it mondays and today I got word he had it working. Gideon however is not an average vhdl designer.
(edit: it does not work together with other cartridge roms currently. So fc3 or AR means no reu)

Is there a way to post pictures on this forum? Cause I have more pron on my camera currently.
(The 128dcr connected to my amiga 1200 during testing last monday that kind of pron :tillfreds:)

Grtz
Erno

[airship]

For pix use:

Code Select Expand

[img]http://image_url[/img]

[Doppie1200]

Here is the desk in a somewhat cleaner state:


You see the 128dcr showing the menu screen. The Amiga 1200 is also connected to the debug output of the 1541 ultimate. It logs all data from that channel for our debugging purposes. The vhdl and software are build on a PC that is not shown.

Here is how the 1541 ultimate sits in the cartridge slot:

Note: you need to modify the 128dcr to switch the internal device from 8 to something else.
Otherwise the 1541 ult. can not operate as device 8. (Don't butcher the front plastic but use discrete dip switches like in the photo)

Here the fun really got started:

I moved to the C64c (with broken power led) to continue on the software IEC. Gideon worked on fixing some bugs using the 128dcr. The screen is showing debug output by the A1200. The little screen is connected to the C64c.

Hope you like a little peek in a small part of the kitchen. Enjoy the pics

edit: some bad typos removed

[airship]

Sweet! Always fun to see a new Commodore 8-bit project coming along.

Of course, I want one, and I want it NOW!

[Golan Klinger]

Thanks for posting those. I didn't think I could be more excited but it turns out I was wrong!

OT: That's a very cool setup you've got there. I really need to find a raised section for my desk. It keeps everything so tidy.

[smf]

Note: you need to modify the 128dcr to switch the internal device from 8 to something else.
Otherwise the 1541 ult. can not operate as device 8. (Don't butcher the front plastic but use discrete dip switches like in the photo)

You can change the device id in software, of course you need to make sure that the cartridge doesn't respond at the same time. Either by disabling the 1541 ultimate or getting it to pick a free device id.

Maybe he could add something that automatically moves any conflicted devices to a free one at boot time?

[Doppie1200]

You can change the device id in software, of course you need to make sure that the cartridge doesn't respond at the same time. Either by disabling the 1541 ultimate or getting it to pick a free device id.

Maybe he could add something that automatically moves any conflicted devices to a free one at boot time?

Currently that does not happen but I like the idea. I'll see if I can do such a trick in software.
For that I have to release reset, hold the host (c64/128) cpu, get the 1541 ult. off the iec and scan the bus moving the device responding to 8 to any other that is free.
I'll have to ask gideon if the 1541 ult. is capable of letting go the iec. Perhaps keeping the 1541 drive cpu in reset is sufficient.

edit: mayor flaw would still be the occasion of a reset (or power cycle) of the moved device. I think I'll write down the idea as nice to have for now. Much other issues to resolve first.

[Doppie1200]

OT: That's a very cool setup you've got there. I really need to find a raised section for my desk. It keeps everything so tidy.

Glad you like the project.
OT: The desk has a lowered section rather than a raised one. The A1200 and the mice stand on plateaus that can slide under th desk basically. It is a standard layout from '88 I believe. It fell out of fashion because it is not very comfortable to work at.

Going back to work on it or we'll never get it finished.

[RobertB]

Here is the desk in a somewhat cleaner state...

If only I had my Commodores and Amigas in such an orderly manner...  :-)

Otherwise the 1541 ult. can not operate as device 8. (Don't butcher the front plastic but use discrete dip switches like in the photo)

Too late.  The 128DCR has device select switches on the front panel already.  :-)

Gideon worked on fixing some bugs using the 128dcr.

Give my regards to Gideon.  I hope to see him in June.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/

[Stephane Richard]

Man I wish I knew all these people abd more of you guys ...I've been in commodore computing but I guess I stayed more in my bedroom than outside networking and making contacts lol.  how old do you have to be before you're considered a hermit? lol.

I'd like to know more about everyone, I know bits and pieces left and right and all.  Would you all mind telling me about yourselves?  Who you are, when you first started programming commodore computers, the computers you had, the stuff you prefered doing on those computers, the public events you attended, you know, things like that, you can refrain from giving me pants and shoe colors and sizes.  LOL.

Just to get to know you guys a bit more. ;-).

[Andrew Wiskow]

Would you all mind telling me about yourselves?

I wouldn't mind sharing...  But I don't think that the 1541 Ultimate thread is the place for this sort of thing...  Perhaps a new thread in the General Forum would be a better choice.  

-Andrew

[Blacklord]

I've moved this topic to the Hardware forum (more logical place for it).

Lance

[Mangelore]

He got to experiment on my C128dcr. It is now also compatible with my 128dcr.
Have a look at what it does here.

Hi Erno,

Do you plan to provide any native C128 support with a future software (firmware) upgrade?

Cheers
Fotios

[Doppie1200]

Hi Erno,

Do you plan to provide any native C128 support with a future software (firmware) upgrade?

Cheers
Fotios

Yes, but these are of lower priority atm.
Simple things like the cursor keys come to mind.
Also the dma comes to mind which would allow transferring prg's from sd card directly to mem. but currently this is only possible for c64 mode. Since most software out there is c64 anyway we will first finish most of our c64 plans. But I have ideas for c128.

First I like too see it operating as first intended too see what is really needed.

About moving this topic; of course, first it was no more than an announcement for me as I was happy the card was compatible with my c128 at last. Things got out of hand .

About knowing other c= enthusiasts; I know Gideon from work as I am not such a club going man myself. He is basically the only c= enthusiast I know too. But I'm sure happy to participate on this project. Keep in mind though; Gideon did 99% of the work. I'm just doing the software IEC and generated some ideas some now and then.

Glad too see this much interest in the project already.

Back to work.....I'll never get this done if I hang around all the time!

Cheers
Erno
edit: BTW, I never used a KIM-I at all!

[smf]

edit: mayor flaw would still be the occasion of a reset (or power cycle) of the moved device. I think I'll write down the idea as nice to have for now. Much other issues to resolve first.

I don't see this as a huge problem. If you're going to start powering drives on and off at run time then you're asking for trouble.

What would be nice too, is if when you press the button that allows you to mount the disk that there is an option to remap any drives that are plugged in. It's actually something that I've been thinking about writing myself.

It would be very nice if you could somehow disable any drive too, probably by sending a program that loops waiting for something to wake it up again somehow ( like some magic combination on the bus that doesn't usually happen ).

Obviously the c128d is my main reason for wanting this because they didn't fit an on/off switch for it. Too many tape games don't allow you to run if you have any drives plugged in. If I can get a 1571 then maybe I'll just switch to a flat one :-).

[nikoniko]

I'd like to look at the link .. but my company firewall classed the site as porn ... .. seems to do that a lot for Commodore sites :-)

My ISP offers a "parental controls" DNS server which I decided to check out recently, wondering what it blocks and what it doesn't. Apparently the 1541 Ultimate site has a notorious reputation for debauchery, because I couldn't get through either.

[airship]

1541 porn - the most insidious kind!!! Won't someone PLEASE think of the children???!!!??? :ironisk:

[nikoniko]

You're one to talk, what with all the 1541s you have. I hope you at least hide them in a closet when you have visitors.

[airship]

I like to just stack them all up and - dare I say it - TURN THEM ON!