Commodore News Page - News: Hardware

Ultimate64 - Firmware 1.20

Gideon released new firmware for the Ultimate64. Changes in this version: Audio / video streaming via Ethernet, improvements for the printer, VIC, CPU, SID player, network and telnet.

2019-06-21 - 13:05:00 - Week: 25 - Item number: 7197 - Category: C64, Hardware

1541 Diskettes & errors

Michael Steil wrote an article with tips for dumping a 1451 diskette that contains errors. He also writes about cleaning the diskettes and the read/write head of the disk drive.

2019-06-14 - 13:16:00 - Week: 24 - Item number: 7189 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Paul Gardner-Stephen is working on a FPGA version of the Commodore C65. His goal is to make an 8-bit computer for the 21st century. Most recent updates: The MEGAphone prototype and the Mega65 keyboards PCBs.

2019-06-14 - 13:13:00 - Week: 24 - Item number: 7186 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Daniel Renner - ARM2SID

Daniel Renner has made a video about the installation and use of the ARM2SID.

2019-06-14 - 13:06:00 - Week: 24 - Item number: 7179 - Category: C64, Hardware

Ovesen.net - Final Catridge III

Ovesen.net made a new video about building a Final Cartridge III from a kit.

2019-06-07 - 13:17:00 - Week: 23 - Item number: 7172 - Category: C64, Hardware

ADF-Copy/Drive v1.010

ADF-Copy is a small device with a Teensy 3.2. This device connects to USB and a 3,5" PC floppy drive. This device makes it possible to read and write ADF's from or to a real Amiga diskette.

2019-06-07 - 13:09:00 - Week: 23 - Item number: 7164 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

RetroSpector78 - Commodore PC-20 II

RetroSpector78 has made a video of a Commodore PC-20 II. He shows the inside of the PC and talks about all the parts.

2019-06-07 - 13:07:00 - Week: 23 - Item number: 7162 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Adrian Black - C16 PAL / NTSC

A new video from Adrian Black. He modified a Commodore C16 that can display PAL or NTSC video.

2019-06-07 - 13:04:00 - Week: 23 - Item number: 7159 - Category: C16, C116, Plus/4, Hardware

Amiga 2000 Flickerfixer / Scandoubler

Simon Albert built a flickerfixer / scandoubler for the Amiga 2000. The flickerfixer uses a Xilinx CPLD and two 256k x 16 SRAMs and is placed in the Amiga 2000 video slot.

2019-05-31 - 13:07:00 - Week: 22 - Item number: 7144 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

Adrian Black - 1541 modification

A new video from Adrian Black. This time he installs an alternative power supply in a Commodore 1541 disk drive that produces less heat.

2019-05-31 - 13:06:00 - Week: 22 - Item number: 7143 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Bart Venneker - C64 chat (3)

Bart Venneker is building a system that you can use to chat like in the year 1985. The recent changes are: The communication now works via the IEC bus.

2019-05-31 - 13:03:00 - Week: 22 - Item number: 7140 - Category: C64, Hardware

Retrohax - C128

Retrohax has written a blog about repairing and modding a Commodore C128. The changes are: JiffyDOS, SD2IEC, C=KEY, SIDFX and a C128 Video Mux.

2019-05-24 - 13:03:00 - Week: 21 - Item number: 7130 - Category: C128(D), Hardware

BackBit - C64

BackBit is a new cartridge developed by Evie Salomon. The cartridge can use a SD memory card for storing D64, T64, CRT or PRG files. Via a menu you can choose which file you want to load into your Commodore 64.

2019-05-17 - 13:10:00 - Week: 20 - Item number: 7126 - Category: C64, Hardware

Daniel Renner - FPGASID Adapters

Daniel Renner has made a video about the installation and use of FPGA adapters.

2019-05-17 - 13:04:00 - Week: 20 - Item number: 7120 - Category: C64, Hardware

Chuck Hutchins - petSD+

Chuck Hutchins has made a video about assembling and testing a petSD+ version 2.4. This is a SD card reader for the Commodore PET.

2019-05-10 - 13:14:00 - Week: 19 - Item number: 7114 - Category: KIM-1, PET, CBM, Hardware

Mega65

Paul Gardner-Stephen is working on a FPGA version of the Commodore C65. His goal is to make an 8-bit computer for the 21st century. Most recent updates: Free and Open-Source replacement ROMs for the Commodore C64.

2019-05-10 - 13:12:00 - Week: 19 - Item number: 7112 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Adrian Black - C64 Kernal Switcher (Arduino)

A new video from Adrian Black. This time he installs a Kernal switcher in a Commodore C64. The features are: 4 different KERNAL images, selection with the RESTORE key and a reset function.

2019-05-03 - 13:08:00 - Week: 18 - Item number: 7089 - Category: C64, Hardware

Mini Commodore monitor

Chris Mills has built an mini version of a Commodore 1702 monitor for his C64 Mini. He also use the monitor together with a Raspberry-Pi and Combian with the VICE emulator.

2019-05-03 - 13:07:00 - Week: 18 - Item number: 7088 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

ADF-Copy/Drive v1.001

ADF-Copy is a small device with a Teensy 3.2. This device connects to USB and a 3,5" PC floppy drive. This device makes it possible to read and write ADF's from or to a real Amiga diskette. The new features are: Compare, Format / AutoFormat, Diskinfo and Settings.

2019-05-03 - 13:01:00 - Week: 18 - Item number: 7082 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

Bart Venneker - C64 chatting like it is 1985 (Dutch)

Bart Venneker has made a video about building a system to chat like it is the year 1985. The system uses a WiFi connection and a server to receive and send messages with your Commodore C64.

2019-04-26 - 13:16:00 - Week: 17 - Item number: 7080 - Category: C64, Hardware

GadgetUK164 - CD32 TF330

GadgetUK164 has made a video about an Amiga CD32 with a Terrible Fire TF330C. The TF330 has a 68030 CPU, 64 MB RAM and an IDE controller.

2019-04-26 - 13:15:00 - Week: 17 - Item number: 7079 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

6502 Watch

NotArtyom has built a watch that is powered by a 6502 microprocessor. The features are: 65c02 CPU @ 8MHz, 65c22 VIA (LCD, keyboard and buttons), Nokia 5110 LCD, 32 KB SRAM, 16 KB ROM and a Commodore keyboard connector.

2019-04-26 - 13:06:00 - Week: 17 - Item number: 7070 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

IEEE488 cartridge

Asklia & knusis developed an IEEE488 cartridge for the Commodore C64. The features are: IEEE 488 bus routines for Commodore and other IEEE devices. Function keys, speed loader (Speeddos) and Centroncis.

2019-04-26 - 13:01:00 - Week: 17 - Item number: 7065 - Category: C64, Hardware

C64 Weather station

Matteo Angelini has built a system for the Commodore C64 with a DS1307 / DS3231 and a BME280 module. This system gives you a Real Time Clock, a temperature, humidity and an atmospheric pressure measurement. The program uses this measurements to display a weather station.

2019-04-19 - 13:17:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 7063 - Category: C64, Hardware

MiSTer

MiSTer is a port of well-known MiST project, but with a larger FPGA and a faster ARM. Examples of "cores" are: Commodore PET, VIC20, C16, Plus/4, C64 and the Amiga. The recent changes are: C16: SID support, C64: Improvements for cartridges, CIA, SID, user-port and support for TAP files.

2019-04-19 - 13:10:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 7056 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

VIC-2020 MINIMON

Mike is developing a new cartridge for the Commodore VIC20. MINIMON is only 2 KB - $9800..$9FFF and the features are: Memory dump / edit, Register dump / edit, Execute code, Direct Assembler / Disassembler, Transfer, Compare, Fill, Hunt, breakpoints, Load, Save and Verify.

2019-04-19 - 13:03:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 7049 - Category: VIC-20, Hardware

Warp1260

The Polish company CS-LAB is developing the Warp1260 turbo card for the Amiga. You can now watch a demonstration video on YouTube.

2019-04-19 - 13:02:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 7048 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

Tynemouth Software - SD2PET

Tynemouth Software has written a blog about the development of a SD card disk drive for the Commodore PET series of computers. The SD2PET is now available for pre-order.

2019-04-19 - 13:01:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 7047 - Category: KIM-1, PET, CBM, Hardware

Usborne books

Usborne has made older computer books available for free in the pdf format. A few examples are: Machine code for beginners, Creepy computer games, The mystery of Silver Mountain and Computer Fun.

2019-04-12 - 13:04:00 - Week: 15 - Item number: 7029 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Adrian Black - C16 & Plus/4 CPU replacement

Adrian Black has made a video about replacing the 8501 CPU in a Commodore C16 or Plus/4 with a 6510 CPU from a Commodore C64.

2019-04-12 - 13:02:00 - Week: 15 - Item number: 7027 - Category: C16, C116, Plus/4, Hardware

BastichB 64K - Digital Datassette

BastichB 64K made a video about the use of a digital replacement for the Commodore Datassette.

2019-04-05 - 13:08:00 - Week: 14 - Item number: 7018 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Shift-Clr/Home: More 8-Bit Thoughts In A GigaBit World

Lenard Roach has written another book about the 8-bit world. This book is about the best-selling computer of all time - The Commodore.

2019-04-05 - 13:07:00 - Week: 14 - Item number: 7017 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

VIC-2000 Expander

Radical Brad is working on a modern expansion for the Commodore VIC-20. The features are VGA video, 4096 colours, 16 Megabytes of fast audio / video memory, a blitter system (sprites) and 4 channels of 8 bit sound.

A demonstration video of the VIC-2000 Expander.

2019-03-22 - 13:11:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 6990 - Category: VIC-20, Hardware

A modern Commodore 64

Eric Hill built himself a modern Commodore C64. He used an Individual Computers MK2 Reloaded, Kickstarter C64C case and the Mechboard64.

2019-03-22 - 13:08:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 6987 - Category: C64, Hardware

C256 Foenix

Stefany Allaire is working on a successor for the Commodore C64/128. Recent changes: A new design for the case.

2019-03-22 - 13:06:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 6985 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Sven Petersen - C64 Power Supply

Sven Petersen has developed a replacement power supply for the Commodore C64. You can built the power supply yourself. The schematics, parts list and PCB lay-outs are available on GitHub.

2019-03-22 - 13:02:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 6981 - Category: C64, Hardware

Jan Derogee - Rotary Dial Numpad

Jan Derogee has developed new hardware for the Commodore VIC20 and the C64. The VIC20 and C64 don't have a numerical keypad like the C128. To solve that problem in the most possible retro kind of way, there is now the "Rotary Dial Numpad".

2019-03-15 - 13:18:00 - Week: 11 - Item number: 6978 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

C0pperdragon - C64 Video Enhancement

C0pperdragon has developed a modification board for the Commodore 64 with a YPbPr video output. This device passively listens to 22 pins of the VIC-II and uses an FPGA to create a pixel-perfect video image.

2019-03-15 - 13:16:00 - Week: 11 - Item number: 6976 - Category: C64, Hardware

Daniel Renner - Turbo Chameleon v2

Daniel Renner made a video about the new Turbo Chameleon v2 cartridge from Individual Computers.

2019-03-15 - 13:14:00 - Week: 11 - Item number: 6974 - Category: C64, Hardware

Rob Clarke - PET 4010 Voice Response Unit

Rob Clarke has made a video about the Commodore PET 4010 Voice Response Unit. This device was developed for the Commodore PET/CBM computer by the Votrax corporation.

2019-03-15 - 13:12:00 - Week: 11 - Item number: 6972 - Category: KIM-1, PET, CBM, Hardware

SIDFX

SIDFX is a device that makes it possible to install two SID chips inside your Commodore C64, SX-64, 128, 128D or C64 Reloaded. The features are: No soldering required, direct audio-output, automatic detection of different type of SID's and easy configuration.

2019-03-08 - 13:18:00 - Week: 10 - Item number: 6959 - Category: C64, Hardware

MagicFlash64

The magicFlash64 is a kernal replacement for the Commodore 64. The features are: 64 x 8 KB slots (writeable from the C64), flash memory and a Atmega48 micro controller.

2019-03-08 - 13:04:00 - Week: 10 - Item number: 6945 - Category: C64, Hardware

Mega65

Paul Gardner-Stephen is working on a FPGA version of the Commodore C65. His goal is to make an 8-bit computer for the 21st century. Most recent updates: Improvements for audio mixing, freezer, SID, disk-drive and sprites.

2019-03-08 - 13:03:00 - Week: 10 - Item number: 6944 - Category: Commodore, Hardware

Tynemouth Software - C16 / 64KB

Tynemouth Software wrote a blog about upgrading a Commodore C16 to 64 KB of RAM.

2019-03-01 - 13:11:00 - Week: 9 - Item number: 6936 - Category: C16, C116, Plus/4, Hardware

Diag264

Diag264 is a method of testing the hardware of a Commodore C16, C116, Plus/4, C232 or the V364. The tests are: Cassette, serial, userport, RS-232, keyboard, joystick, RAM, ROM, TED, screen, colours and graphics.

2019-03-01 - 13:05:00 - Week: 9 - Item number: 6930 - Category: C16, C116, Plus/4, Hardware

FluxEngine

The FluxEngine is a very cheap USB floppy disk interface capable of reading and writing exotic non-PC floppy disk formats. At this moment not all formats are supported but a few examples are: IBM MFM / DMF, Atari ST, Acorn (A)DFS, Amiga, Brother, etc.

2019-02-22 - 13:15:00 - Week: 8 - Item number: 6923 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

Dan Wood - A500 internet

Dan Wood talks about the connecting an Amiga A500 to the internet. He is using a WiModem232 to make the connection between the RS-232 on the Amiga and a Wifi signal.

2019-02-22 - 13:11:00 - Week: 8 - Item number: 6919 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

FlashFloppy 1.0 - GOTEK

Keir Fraser released new firmware for the GOTEK. Improvement in this version: Game/demo AutoSwap, OLED display text and support for HDM image files.

2019-02-22 - 13:09:00 - Week: 8 - Item number: 6917 - Category: Amiga, Hardware

Daniel Renner - SRAM64

Daniel Renner made a video about replacing the memory of the Commodore C64 with the SRAM64 module.

2019-02-22 - 13:02:00 - Week: 8 - Item number: 6910 - Category: C64, Hardware

A hobbyist guide to the C64 Mini

Holger Weßling wrote a book about the C64 Mini. In this book: Update Firmware, Disk management, Operating systems, Programming languages, Emulators, Hardware, USB, Modding, Hacks, Tips & Tricks, Demo's, Wiki's and FAQ. The book is now also available in a printed version (English & German).

The book as an eBook:

2019-02-15 - 13:18:00 - Week: 7 - Item number: 6907 - Category: C64, Hardware