gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) (07/12/90)
Just curious, but someone posted that go-64 and the Commodore Emulator II use only a cable to the parallel port to connect up a 1541 drive. I was just curious if anyone knew how they got a CABLE to handle the change over to the 64's deranged serial port. Or does the 1541 have a hidden connector somewhere. -- <------------------------------------------------------------------------------> < FRANK BRANHAM | Currently at work on a VERY deranged > < Georgia Institute of Technology | RPG. Write for details. > < Internet: gt4662b@prism.gatech.edu | there. Just don't disturb them." >
grr@cbmvax.commodore.com (George Robbins) (07/13/90)
In article <11254@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) writes: > Just curious, but someone posted that go-64 and the Commodore Emulator II > use only a cable to the parallel port to connect up a 1541 drive. I was > just curious if anyone knew how they got a CABLE to handle the change over > to the 64's deranged serial port. Or does the 1541 have a hidden connector > somewhere. The 8520's that implement the parallel port in the Amiga systems are closely related to the 6526's that implement the serial bus in the C64, therefore such "derangement" isn't difficult to accomodoate. -- George Robbins - now working for, uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr but no way officially representing: domain: grr@cbmvax.commodore.com Commodore, Engineering Department phone: 215-431-9349 (only by moonlite)
greg@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Greg Harp) (07/13/90)
The C64 serial port is TTL-level. Since Centronics parallel is also that
voltage/configuration, the interfacing consists merely of a cable that maps
the 4 or 5 (dont' remember) C64 serial port lines onto the data lines of the
parallel port on the Amy, and a neat little bit o' code to drive it.
The C64 interface isn't as obscure as some people believe -- it's just
non-standard. At the time it wasn't so important to be compatible, and I
believe CBM chose the serial bus for economic reasons...at least that's
what I remember. That was a good long time ago...
...greg...
I still have my C64 to Amy cable around, if anyone has any specific
questions about it...
___ Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are not my own, but
AMIGA! //// the property of some higher-up power, to which I am only a tool.
//// "Welcome, my son. Welcome to the machine." -- Pink Floyd
___ //// "Reality is only a simulation, and it's still in beta testing." -- Me
\\\\////
\\XX// Greg Harp greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edupeterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (07/13/90)
In article <11254@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) writes: >Just curious, but someone posted that go-64 and the Commodore Emulator II >use only a cable to the parallel port to connect up a 1541 drive. I was >just curious if anyone knew how they got a CABLE to handle the change over >to the 64's deranged serial port. It only *LOOKS* like a simple cable. Really it has some (little) interface electronics built in (line drivers,...). -- Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ rutgers!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk
greg@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Greg Harp) (07/14/90)
In article <279@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes: >In article <11254@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) writes: >>Just curious, but someone posted that go-64 and the Commodore Emulator II >>use only a cable to the parallel port to connect up a 1541 drive. I was >>just curious if anyone knew how they got a CABLE to handle the change over >>to the 64's deranged serial port. > >It only *LOOKS* like a simple cable. Really it has some (little) >interface electronics built in (line drivers,...). Sorry, but there is no magic interfacing hardware for the 64 Emulator 2. The cable is just a DB25 and a 6-pin DIN, with 4 pins of the DIN connected to 6 pins of the DB25. I don't know what patents exists for this cable, so I won't post the pinouts here. However, I assure you (with the puppy sitting right in front of me) that the cable is just that -- a cable. Nothing more to it! Like I said before, since the C64 serial port and the Centronics parallel port on the Amiga are both TTL(+5V and 0V), no magic hardware is required. A clever bit of code drives the entire interface, and with the slow C64 serial bus speeds, the Amiga can easily fake it. >-- >Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to >Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ rutgers!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk ...greg... ___ Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are not my own, but AMIGA! //// the property of some higher-up power, to which I am only a tool. //// "Welcome, my son. Welcome to the machine." -- Pink Floyd ___ //// "Reality is only a simulation, and it's still in beta testing." -- Me \\\\//// \\XX// Greg Harp greg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
jamesb@bushido.uucp (Jim Harvey) (07/16/90)
In article <279@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes: >In article <11254@hydra.gatech.EDU> gt4662b@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANHAM,JOSEPH FRANKLIN) writes: >>Just curious, but someone posted that go-64 and the Commodore Emulator II >>use only a cable to the parallel port to connect up a 1541 drive. I was >>just curious if anyone knew how they got a CABLE to handle the change over >>to the 64's deranged serial port. > >It only *LOOKS* like a simple cable. Really it has some (little) >interface electronics built in (line drivers,...). >-- >Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to >Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ rutgers!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk There is nothing electronic in the Emulator II cable. I have one of these and have used the included "Transfer" program quite a lot (the emulator itself is a nice curiosity but little more). "Transfer" works with amiga drives both 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 as well, but I don't trust the Amiga writing to anything but a genuine 1541. The program also handles the conversion from ASCII to PET Half-ASCII as well, and is useful for this task by itself. -- ------- Jim Harvey | Michigan Bell Telephone Co. | "Ask not for whom the bell tolls and you 29777 Telegraph Rm 3352 | will only pay station to station rates."
peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) (07/18/90)
In article <1990Jul16.121404.3272@bushido.uucp> jamesb@bushido.uucp (Jim Harvey) writes: >In article <279@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes: >>It only *LOOKS* like a simple cable. Really it has some (little) >>interface electronics built in (line drivers,...). > >There is nothing electronic in the Emulator II cable. I have one of these and >have used the included "Transfer" program quite a lot >------- >Jim Harvey | Sorry, I only knew the project published by german Amiga-Magazin. They had some line drivers, I think to provide absolute electrical security when using some lines bidirectionally. I haven't opened any of the commercial cables myself. I apologize. -- Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/ rutgers!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk