Kevin Casteels (Alterus) made a reviews of the VIC MIDI cartridge with ULTIMEM for the Commodore VIC 20 computer. The VIC MIDI cartridge offers a MIDI-IN, OUT and THRU support, but also 512kB FLASH ROM and 128kB RAM.
2016-07-22 - 13:03:00 - Week: 29 - Item number: 4891 - Category: VIC-20, Hardware
Happiga is a emulation system that can be used on a very small computer such as a Raspberry Pi. It uses the UAE4ARM emulator to emulate an Amiga 4000 AGA including Picasso96. You can use a real keyboard and joystick via the Keyrah V2. Changes in this version: An update for Raspbian, support for 128 MB Z3 RAM, a new menu and other small improvements.
2016-07-15 - 13:12:00 - Week: 28 - Item number: 4884 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
The Vampire600 turbo card uses the Apollo FPGA-core to emulate the 68000 CPU and the SAGA graphics chip. The changes for Apollo are: Added CHK2, CAS2, CMP2, EXTW/L, FAST-IDE and a HDMI boot-pic. Improvements for BFEXTU, BFEXTS, MOVES, NCBD, PACK, TRAPcc and SUBQ/BNE.
2016-07-15 - 13:10:00 - Week: 28 - Item number: 4882 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
Telmo Moya replaced the standard 6510 CPU of the Commodore C64 with a dual core CPU. The first core is a 6510 and the second core is a Z80. This makes it possible to use CP|M on the C64 without the original CP|M cartridge.
2016-07-08 - 13:13:00 - Week: 27 - Item number: 4871 - Category: C64, Hardware
MCes is working on a modified Commodore VIC20. This modification includes a full expansion RAM (37K) and an alternative kernal. And the cartridge expansion is still available for the user. Configuration is done via the function keys, and no extra switches are required.
2016-07-08 - 13:12:00 - Week: 27 - Item number: 4870 - Category: VIC-20, Hardware
Francesco Sblendorio wrote an review about the MiST. In this review he writes about the hardware, connections, configuration, performance, compatibility and a field test. The English translation is from Ignazio Palmisano.
2016-07-08 - 13:09:00 - Week: 27 - Item number: 4867 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
Thomas developed a new test-system for the Commodore C64. The test-system will be available as a kit: printed circuit board, electronic parts and a EPROM (programmed). The available tests are: C64 Dead Test ROM, C64 Diagnostic ROM, 1541 DIAG (worldofjani.com) and C128 Diagnostic ROM.
2016-07-08 - 13:05:00 - Week: 27 - Item number: 4863 - Category: C64, Hardware
After a very successful Kickstarter campaign by A1200.net (Philippe Lang) and with the help of a number of sponsors such as Scoopex, it is for the first time in almost 25 years that Amiga cases are being manufactured again.
2016-06-24 - 13:07:00 - Week: 25 - Item number: 4845 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
For the Sum devices is new firmware available. Changes in this version: Saving LED states for Capslock, Numlock and ScrollLock keys, improvements for key-repeat, RESET key-lock for CD32 and other minor enhancements.
2016-06-24 - 13:05:00 - Week: 25 - Item number: 4843 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
DiagROM is a diagnostic tool for the Amiga computers. When you power-on your Amiga the diagnostic software will star. The diagnose software will try to send information to the serial port and the screen.
2016-06-24 - 13:03:00 - Week: 25 - Item number: 4841 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
Gideon has announced a new version of the Ultimate II cartridge. The new specifications are: More USB ports, but no more MicroSD, integrated Ethernet, dual Flash, loudspeaker, external power supply connector, improved audio, tape connector and a faster FPGA.
2016-06-17 - 13:10:00 - Week: 24 - Item number: 4837 - Category: C64, Hardware
Chris Wilkins started a new Kickstarter Project for a new book about the Amiga. The book is planned to be 268 pages in length. A few examples of people in the book: Archer Maclean, David Lowe, Boys Without Brains, Jez San, Stoo cambridge, Mevlut Dinc, Andy Nuttal, Allister Brimble, Anthony Ball, David Mowbray, Dino Dini, Martin Edmodson, Steve Crow, Peter Johnson, Simon Butler, Tim Wright, Mark Hellewell, Francis Lionet, Ash Hogg, Andrew Hewson, Jim Sachs, Roman Rath, Barry Leitch and more...
2016-06-17 - 13:09:00 - Week: 24 - Item number: 4836 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
David Maurer is working on an replacement for the Commodore C64. The features will be: USB keyboard, dual SID chip support, internal IEC header, cassette port, RAM expansion, Amiga clock port, Ethernet and much more.
2016-06-17 - 13:08:00 - Week: 24 - Item number: 4835 - Category: C64, Hardware
Flowerking made new connectors for the Commodore SX64 keyboard cable with his 3D printer. Besides the plastic shapes you will need the pins and some cable. Flowerking made more 3D designs for the Commodore and Amiga: C64 keyboard mounts, Amiga disk drive button, 1541 disk drive handle, etc.
2016-06-17 - 13:06:00 - Week: 24 - Item number: 4833 - Category: C64, Hardware
Mfilos wrote a blog about installing a Gotek HxC in his Amiga A600. You can follow step by step how to install it. The modification includes a normal floppy disk drive together with the Gotek HxC.
2016-05-27 - 13:06:00 - Week: 21 - Item number: 4797 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
The Jp-Mouse is an USB Mouse adapter for the Amiga and the Atari ST. The adapter is based on the Cocolino and is compatible with USB mice with the PS2 protocol and with 27MHz wireless mice. The price of the adapter is 16 Euro.
2016-05-20 - 13:00:00 - Week: 20 - Item number: 4790 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
This project is a working 6502 processor built with transistors. The 6502 is used in the Commodore PET, VIC20 and the Commodore disk drives. Specifications: 12 x 15 inch (305 x 380 mm), 3218 transistors, 1019 resistors and a few other components.
2016-05-20 - 13:07:00 - Week: 20 - Item number: 4787 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
Tynemouth Software has new diagnostic kits available for the Commodore VIC20. The software runs through a series of tests, identifying any faults with your VIC20. You can choose between two different diagnostic cartridges.
2016-05-20 - 13:00:00 - Week: 20 - Item number: 4780 - Category: VIC-20, Hardware
On the Breadbox64.com web page you can see a ZIF socket modification for a Commodore C64 motherboard. When you try to repair an C64 it is possible to change a few ICs when they are placed in a socket. But most of the time they are soldered in place. This motherboard has now almost all ICs in ZIF sockets.
2016-05-13 - 13:14:00 - Week: 19 - Item number: 4776 - Category: C64, Hardware
The Vampire600 turbo card uses the Apollo FPGA-core to emulate the 68000 CPU and the SAGA graphics chip. The changes for Apollo are: Support for big partitions (>4Gb) on internal IDE and improvements for SFS, HDToolBox, SD-card, screen resolutions and VBRControl.
2016-05-13 - 13:13:00 - Week: 19 - Item number: 4775 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
This graphics adapter is compatible with a Zorro II slot (A2000 - A4000), and with an adapter also the A500. Specifications: Integrated monitor switcher (Amiga / VGA). Cirrus GD5434, 2 MB Blitter, 24 bits 800x600 (65Hz), 16 bits 1024x768 (75Hz) and 8 bits 1280x1024 (60Hz).
2016-05-13 - 13:11:00 - Week: 19 - Item number: 4773 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
Stefan Blixth developed a joystick adapter. This adapter makes it possible to use an Atari style joystick together with an emulator on a modern PC. The adapter is a HID device and does not use a driver.
2016-05-06 - 13:13:00 - Week: 18 - Item number: 4761 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
The Way We Played: The Golden Age of Computer Games is a new Kickstarter project. This project want to publish a book about the games about the five major platforms of the golden age of computer games (1985-1993): Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.
2016-05-06 - 13:04:00 - Week: 18 - Item number: 4752 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
4-Mat developed a program that can be used to make music with the SFX FM Expander cartridge. This makes it possible to use 12 channels in total. The channels 1-3 are SID and the channels 4-12 are FM. You can use 256 FM instruments and 256 SID instruments.
2016-04-29 - 13:08:00 - Week: 17 - Item number: 4746 - Category: C64, Hardware
Ravi Abbott made a video about removing yellowing on plastics. Instead of using RetroBright he experimented with Bblonde and Oxi-Action. Bblonde is a commercially available hair bleach and works the same as RetroBright.
2016-04-29 - 13:06:00 - Week: 17 - Item number: 4744 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
Epsilon wrote a blog about upgrading the Commodore CDTV. This included adding Joystick and mouse support, 8MB Fast-RAM, Workbench 3.1 extended CDTV ROMS, SCSI hard disk support and the AztecMonster SCSI to CF Card converter.
2016-04-29 - 13:05:00 - Week: 17 - Item number: 4743 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
Lukas F. Hartmann is developing a graphics card for the Amiga 2000. He build an adaptor card that fits into a Zorro II slot and connects to a miniSpartan6+ FPGA development board. The project is open source and you can build the graphics card yourself or order one from Lukas.
2016-04-22 - 13:17:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 4737 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
A new Indiegogo project is started to produce a modern version of the Commodore C64. The 64 will be available as a console and as a handheld. The features are: ARM Cortex SoC, HDMI, cartridge slot, audio, USB and SD card.
2016-04-22 - 13:16:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 4736 - Category: C64, Hardware
Egretz is working on a modern version of the TurboCard64. The original TurboCard64, from the year 1987, is an hardware expansion for the Commodore C64 with an 4 MHz 65816 CPU and 256 kByte RAM. You can follow his progress on his web page (German language).
2016-04-22 - 13:14:00 - Week: 16 - Item number: 4734 - Category: C64, Hardware
Riq developed a new way to play games. What you need is a smartphone attached to your uni-cycle. The smartphone sends the movements via Wi-Fi to your C64. The game on your C64 can be controlled with the signals from the Wi-Fi receiver.
2016-04-15 - 13:09:00 - Week: 15 - Item number: 4719 - Category: C64, Hardware
The Vampire600 turbo card uses the Apollo FPGA-core to emulate the 68000 CPU and the SAGA graphics chip. The changes for Apollo are: Improvements for the reset, BFTST, Super-Scalar and SAGA video out (24Bit, 32Bit, YUV422).
2016-04-15 - 13:08:00 - Week: 15 - Item number: 4718 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
GI-Joe developed a small hardware expansion for the joystick. With this expansion you can add auto-fire to a standard joystick. The auto-fire expansion has an on and off switch and can be connected between the joystick and your Commodore computer.
2016-04-15 - 13:04:00 - Week: 15 - Item number: 4714 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
GadgetUK164 made a video about the repair of a Commodore 1541 disk drive. This 1541 was suffering from a flashing LED and the fault seemed to be temperature related.
2016-04-15 - 13:01:00 - Week: 15 - Item number: 4711 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
You can follow a new project that connects two joysticks via Bluetooth. The hardware is 2 x Arduino Nano and 2x Bluetooth module HC-05. The proto type is now tested on a Commodore C64 and the total signal delay is about 20 ms.
2016-04-08 - 13:10:00 - Week: 14 - Item number: 4708 - 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. In the last month he has been working on the keyboard for the Mega65. The prototype is made by WASD and is almost identical to the original keyboard.
2016-04-08 - 13:08:00 - Week: 14 - Item number: 4706 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
The Sum adapter makes it possible to connect USB HID keyboards to your Amiga CD32. The Sum is based upon a 16-bit Microchip micro-controller. Features: PS2-DIN adapter, built-in USB stack, configuration mode, built-in EEPROM memory for preferences storage, boot-loader for firmware upgrades and a status LED.
2016-04-08 - 13:01:00 - Week: 14 - Item number: 4699 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
Andreas Wagener has "upgraded" his Commodore C64c. The specifications are: CPU 1: Mos Technology 8500 @ 1,02 MHz, CPU 2: Intel X5-Z8300 4 x 1440 MHz, Memory 1: 64 KB Ram, Memory 2: 2GB DDR3 Ram, SSD, USB 3.0, HDMI, LAN, WLAN 300 and Bluetooth.
2016-04-01 - 13:14:00 - Week: 13 - Item number: 4697 - Category: C64, Hardware
Jim Brain has finished his work on the UltiMem cartridge for the Commodore VIC-20. The UltiMem is now available in his web store. The specifications are: 8 MBytes FLASH ROM storage and 1 MByte RAM storage. You can configure the extra RAM or ROM as you like.
2016-04-01 - 13:10:00 - Week: 13 - Item number: 4693 - Category: VIC-20, Hardware
The MSD2IEC is a classic SD2IEC device but with an extra EEPROM. The 8 kByte EEPROM is an Basic extension with the following commands: .I - Info, .ACT - Drive number, .B - File browser, .L- Load, .S - SJLOAD, .T - Tape-load and much more.
2016-03-25 - 13:17:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 4682 - Category: C64, Hardware
Silver Dream developed a DolphinDos 3 system for inside a Commodore 1541-II disk drive. The problem with the 1541-II disk drive is that it is very small and there is not much room for expansions. You can see how to install the system and how you can order the PCB for the system.
2016-03-25 - 13:13:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 4678 - Category: C64, Hardware
SIDFX is a hardware expansion for two SID chips inside the Commodore C64. This makes it possible to choose between two different SID chips with a simple switch. It is also possible to use both SIDs together. The system can be installed without soldering.
2016-03-25 - 13:11:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 4676 - Category: C64, Hardware
On the Youtube channel Cainers Commodore Capers! you can see the repair of a Commodore C128. This Commodore C128 was not working at all. In the video you can follow all the steps from diagnostics, schematics, (de)soldering and testing the system.
2016-03-25 - 13:08:00 - Week: 12 - Item number: 4673 - Category: C128(D), Hardware
Biosrhythm tested the new LumaFix64 for the Commodore C64. The LumaFix 64 is a small PCB that is placed between the VIC-II and the motherboard. It can adjust the signals AEC, PHI0 and Chroma to hide the vertical stripes on the output image of the C64.
2016-03-18 - 13:03:00 - Week: 11 - Item number: 4656 - Category: C64, Hardware
Speeding On The A81 is racing game for the Commodore C64. The game has 24 classical car models and can be played with a joysticks, paddles and even a PC steering wheel. For the steering wheel you will need the Jocopod interface.

Jocopod interface.
2016-03-18 - 13:01:00 - Week: 11 - Item number: 4654 - Category: C64, Hardware
New additions to the Big Book of Amiga Hardware web page: American Laser Games: Mad Dog McRee, C-Ltd (Cardco Ltd): A1000 Scsi Controller, MacroSystem (US & Germany): Falcon 1240, Microbotics: StarBoard 2 adaptor (SB2000), DKB: Battdisk, Custom Chips: Buster, HiSoft: Whippet, Phoenix Micro Technologies: Phoenix Expansion Box (A1000 version & A500 version), Commodore: Diagnostics aid for A1000 - 314066-01, Newtek: DigiView, Commodore: Sync Dongle - VGA Adaptor, Scala: Workstation 040, Commodore: A1000 TV Modulator, Commodore: AA3000, Commodore: A3000+, Commodore: 020/030 prototype CPU board, Commodore: 2.0 ROM tower and Commodore: A1000+ '040 prototype.
2016-03-11 - 13:12:00 - Week: 10 - Item number: 4652 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
Tommy Helgevold made a video about the early portable computers. Besides computers from Apple, Amstrad, Casio, Atari and many PDA's our beloved Commodore SX-64 is also in this video.
2016-03-11 - 13:03:00 - Week: 10 - Item number: 4643 - Category: Blog, Hardware
GadgetUK164 made a video about the repair of an Commodore 1451 disk drive. After examining, cleaning and a repair the drive now works like it should.
2016-03-11 - 13:01:00 - Week: 10 - Item number: 4641 - Category: Commodore, Hardware
GadgetUK164 made a video about the repair of a "Zydec" power supply for an Amiga 500. The power supply can also be used for an A600 or A1200.
2016-03-04 - 13:04:00 - Week: 9 - Item number: 4631 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
A500Flash is a Kickstart switcher that makes it possible to switch between available ROM images by holding down the CTRL+A+A keys. Features: Amiga A500, A500+ and A2000 models. Support for 512kB or 1 MB ROM images. Flash chips programming with native AmigaOS software.
2016-02-26 - 13:15:00 - Week: 8 - Item number: 4626 - Category: Amiga, Hardware
This new accessory for the Princess cartridge can be used to grab the content of Commodore tapes in stand-alone mode. It can be used for cassettes of all 8-bit commodore computers. The power for this system is an USB connection.
2016-02-26 - 13:04:00 - Week: 8 - Item number: 4615 - Category: Commodore, Hardware