Commodore 64 cartridge dumping prototype

Here’s the outcome of a cartridge dumping test I did with the prototype I had put together after receiving the PCBs from manufacturing. So far so good 🙂

Stay tuned for news about dumping non-standard cartridges!

How I restored yet another TAP file, saving it from oblivion

A while ago I published a post on how I had restored a TAP file, later published on Ready64. I’ve recently been approached to fix another set of TAP files for Ready64, so I thought I’d make a video of the process involved.

Here it is:

Another title preserved forever 🙂

Commodore 64 cartridge dumping client

The first version of the C=64 Cartridge Dumper client (commandline version) is ready!
I decided to support “Lua” scripting in my client software, so that users will be able to add new dumping definitions in future and share them for exotic new formats, if any new one is found.

And for a test run… here’s how I dumped a standard Commodore 64 cartridge for the first time with the cart dumper client in just a few milliseconds:

Stay tuned for more!

Commodore 64 cartridge dumping update

Today I decided to convert the contents of the ROM chip I had dumped with my EPROM reader to a .CRT file, using VICE’s cartconv tool:

cartconv.exe -r -t normal -i "input.bin" -o "output.crt" -n "C64-Diagnostic-ROM-1"

I then tested the .CRT in VICE, which seemed to work quite well indeed:

Diagnostic cartridge ROM I dumped with my EPROM reader

There was a bug in my reader for which I was accidentally missing the first byte of the ROM within a dump: the bug is also appearing in the video I had shared. However, such bug has since been fixed and I have been obtaining 100% consistent results while dumping the ROM over and over again, which is great news.

Stay tuned for more!

Commodore 64 cartridge dumping test circuit

Today I managed to put together the test circuit for my Commodore 64 cartridge dumping hardware, while I wait for the first batch of PCBs to be manufactured:

Commodore 64 cartridge dumping test circuit

In the video the output is off by 1 byte, but I already fixed the issue as Tommi was very quick to make me notice 🙂

Stay tuned for more!

Commodore 64 cartridge dumping hardware

As suggested a while back by Kirben, I decided to try and make a simple hardware for dumping Commodore 64 cartridges.

After work today I designed a prototype, allowing for some future extension/spare resources:

C64CartDumper Schematics

I’ve also sent the PCB design to manufacturing, so as soon as it comes through I shall have a go at it.
Can’t promise anything, but it shall be a good chance to test something new 🙂

Stay tuned!

New IECHost build

One of the PCBs I had manufactured a while ago, referred to as IECHost “white knight” version, has recently come to life as I decided to put one together.

IECHost: “white knight” version

I designed this version for a couple of reasons, one being the use of a different DIN connector for the IEC bus, that I was able to source from a new stock.
Nonetheless, if a 3D-printed case was ever made for the vanilla version of IECHost, it would be reusable for this one too.

Note that this build is NOT available for sale: this is my own build. In fact, I keep one build of each and every device I ever designed, along with prototypes that were never available to the general public.
However, those interested in one can just ask for it when ordering for an IECHost DIY kit.