FLOPPYmate hardware

INTRODUCTION FLOPPYmate requires an interface between the USB and the serial IEC bus. The hardware described in this Blog provides an interface (SER2IEC) between UART and the serial IEC bus for peripheral devices like disk drives 1540, 1541, 1570, 1571 and 1581. UART interface Decide on one of these UART interface types for your FLOPPYmate:USB… Read more FLOPPYmate hardware

Vector Clock

INTRODUCTION In the late seventies vector graphic arcade video games like Asteroids became a huge success. A few years later the GCE Vectrex Home Arcade System was released. But even today the unique CRT phosphor glow hasn’t lost any of its fascination. This blog decribes a circuit which will turn a monochrome TV set into… Read more Vector Clock

FLOPPYmate software

OVERVIEW The FLOPPYmate application is a convenient tool for backing up individual PRG files and/or whole disks, sending DOS commands, as well as checking the drive’s spindle speed. Furthermore the data of a whole track can be displayed as binary and GCR. It’s the answer to how to fast backup and restore 1541, 1571 and… Read more FLOPPYmate software

GALmate hardware

HARDWARE OVERVIEW UART interface, 2x DCDC, ATmega16 Microcontroller, 2x PWM DAC, regulator LM723, OpAmp LM324, inverter CD4069 Supported devices Lattice, National, ST:GAL16V8, GAL18V10, GAL20V8, GAL20XV10, GAL20RA10, GAL22V10, GAL6001 (GAL39V18), GAL6002GAL26V12 & GAL26CV12 by using a simple 28-pin to 24-pin adapter Atmel:ATF16V8, ATF20V8, ATF22V10 FEATURES No parallel port and driver trouble Power over USB Programms all… Read more GALmate hardware

GALmate software

OVERVIEW The GALmate application lets you read and programm GAL devices.Whereas easyABEL and vDosPlus software provide a compiler suitable for ABEL-HDL design files. The compiler (easyABEL) and vDosPlus are optional. The application and related documents are provided in the download section below. FEATURES Sytem Requirements and Installation Operating System Windows 7 or later(Linux and OS… Read more GALmate software

6522 Fast Serial Driver

INTRODUCTION FLOPPYmate requires a high speed data transfer to read/write an entire track within a single disk revolution. This task requires a data transfer rate of at least 40KB/s. High speed (>8 KB/s) data transfer from or to a 1541 Disk Drive is commonly achieved using a 8 bit parallel cable connected to Port A… Read more 6522 Fast Serial Driver

C64 PLA Replacement

INTRODUCTION Troubleshooting a dead C64 often reveals a faulty PLA IC as the root cause. The PLA does the address decoding and bank switching. SIGNETICS 82S100 (later PHILIPS PLS100) Bipolar Programmable Logic Arrays were used in early revisions of the C64 Mainboard assy, which were then replaced by MOS 8700-001 and MOS 906114-01. This blog… Read more C64 PLA Replacement

C64 MOS 8701 Replacement

INTRODUCTION The C64 can only work properly with stable clocking. In a C64 II the MOS 8701 IC generates two major clocks and maintains the fixed frequency and phase relationship. COLOR_CLK is the main crystal oscillator clock and DOT_CLOCK is derived thereof. This blog presents a replacement circuit for the MOS 8701 IC. Orginal MOS… Read more C64 MOS 8701 Replacement