New products for C64 and Amiga from Individual Computers

[Nostromo]

I have a C64Reloaded motherboard which I am going to put inside a C64C case and C64 keyboard. Am I better of ordering a shapeways bracket?

[brett71]

Quick question on the C64 Reloaded.... is it PAL only? Is NTSC an option? I'm a former C64 user back in the day from the U.S. and would love to be able to get one of these if it's NTSC capable.

[demolition]

It has a PAL/NTSC jumper, however you need to use NTSC IC versions before it will work, i.e. 6567 instead of 6569.

[brett71]

Originally Posted by demolition

It has a PAL/NTSC jumper, however you need to use NTSC IC versions before it will work, i.e. 6567 instead of 6569.

Excellent news....now, if they'd only come back in stock.... heheheh

[Schoenfeld]

There's more to switching PAL/NTSC: The C64 Reloaded is shipped with a 8701 replacement circuit for timing generation. This timing generator is PAL, and it puts the PAL/NTSC jumper "out of service".

To make it NTSC, you will either need a real 8701 chip as timing generator, or an NTSC version of the 8701-replacement, which is available separately.

New C64 Reloaded boards are in the making. I expect that there will be two more waves until they are sold out.

Jens

[Retrofan]

It's a nice board. I've just seen this video:

[ Show youtube player ]

[TjLaZer]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

There's more to switching PAL/NTSC: The C64 Reloaded is shipped with a 8701 replacement circuit for timing generation. This timing generator is PAL, and it puts the PAL/NTSC jumper "out of service".

To make it NTSC, you will either need a real 8701 chip as timing generator, or an NTSC version of the 8701-replacement, which is available separately.

New C64 Reloaded boards are in the making. I expect that there will be two more waves until they are sold out.

Jens

I installed a NTSC VIC and set appropriate jumpers and it was displaying B&W on my Commodore 1084S, this might be why. (Displays fine on my S-Video HDTV) Where can I get this NTSC 8701 chip?

[Schoenfeld]

The easiest source is a C128 or a C64 (preferrably a defective one!). It's the 16-pin chip next to the video chip. You install it in place of the small red board. The original 8701 chip can generate both PAL and NTSC timing, but requires the right crystals for that. Both crystals are already on the C64 Reloaded.

Jens

[TjLaZer]

Bought some on eBay, hope this fixes the problem.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-lot-MOS-87...-/301622262303

[Hanzu]

Jens, could you please consider producing one or all of the additional A4000T module cards.

They are simple designs, they have no expensive custom chips, their scematic are available and they are very much wanted for those who have once bought empty A4000T PCB and assembled it themselves. There were many empty A4000T PCBs available once in ebay, so there seems to be many who are missing and want module cards for their motherboard.

Because of this some people may pay more than 600 euros to get all of these. That is just when you get a working basic A4000 with a price like that. See recent ebay listing.

[Schoenfeld]

That's probably a low-quantity production run, and the DB23 ports are really hard to come by. To my knowledge, the a1k.org community has reproduced the A4000T port cards and opened up the Eagle files, but I can't say for sure. I suggest to register there and ask in the international section - it's not an all-German board.

Jens

[Turran]

I got almost everything I needed now for my C64 Reloaded =) Nice new transparent shell. Just waiting for the new keycaps (transparent as well). Should be nice.

http://grandis.nu/images/C64_Reloaded1.JPG
http://grandis.nu/images/C64_Reloaded2.JPG
http://grandis.nu/images/C64_Reloaded3.JPG

However, I was wondering what the best way to hook it up to a scart TV is? Using the old Video connection as you would with an old C64, or a S-Video+Audio to Scart converter like this?
http://www.kjell.com/se/sortiment/lj...JeYaAlC_8P8HAQ

Thanks =)

[Schoenfeld]

The signals on S-Video out and the old DIN-output of the C64 Relaoded are identical, so you can use any cable you can find. You'll get best results with a cable that has a termination resistor in the Chroma signal - this is hardly the case on S-Video cables, so you will most likely end up with a DIN->Scart cable.

Jens

[TjLaZer]

I have an ACA500 with ACA1221 that I use on an A1000. Works fine. I want to add the RTC module. How can I get it to work? I installed it on the ACA1221, and it does not work.

[Schoenfeld]

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

I have an ACA500 with ACA1221 that I use on an A1000. Works fine. I want to add the RTC module. How can I get it to work? I installed it on the ACA1221, and it does not work.

RTC won't work at all on the ACA500. Please remember that the ACA500 was designed for the Amiga 500, which always had it's RTC on the internal trapdoor memory expansion. Using it on the A1000 is possible, but if you want an RTC, you'll have to look for a different solution.

The prototype of the ACA500plus has three options for the RTC:

1. on A500 trapdoor memory expansion (like the old ACA500)
2. on the clock port of the ACA500plus
3. on the A1200 accelerator

This means that you can even override an existing RTC (for example if it's defective on the trapdoor expansion) with the RTC of a known-good A1200 accelerator.

There's still quite a bit of work to do no the ACA500plus, so please don't ask for a release date ;-)

Jens

[Lord Aga]

Originally Posted by Schoenfeld

2. on the clock port of the ACA500plus
3. on the A1200 accelerator

This is really cool. The old RTC chips and batteries are kind of wonky, and really hard to deal with.

[klx300r]

@ TjLaZer

can you please confirm how much chip ram you have with the ACA500 on your A1000? Also how does WHDLoad run with it?

@ Jens

is the ACA1000 still in development or will the ACA500+ work also with the A1000?


Happy New Year to all !!!

[TjLaZer]

Originally Posted by klx300r

@ TjLaZer

can you please confirm how much chip ram you have with the ACA500 on your A1000? Also how does WHDLoad run with it?

Happy New Year to all !!!

Works just fine. About 62MB shows up. And the 1.5MB ACA500 RAM too. (My A1000 also has 1MB Fast RAM internal) So total of 64.5MB avail. Only issue is the 512k chip RAM, it tends to be a problem with SOME WHDLoad games. Most work fine though. Of course since this is NTSC, some PAL games do not work. Most do work in NTSC but the bottom is cut a bit.

[brett71]

Originally Posted by TjLaZer

Most do work in NTSC but the bottom is cut a bit.

Hey, you've got one of the Phillips-made 1084's. I always loved those monitors because if you kicked your Amiga into PAL, the monitor would automatically readjust so that you could still see the full screen, despite the additional scanlines. Not sure what it did exactly, but when I had those, it just seemed to scrunch the scanlines up a bit more so they'd all still fit normally. Is that not what yours does?

[TjLaZer]

No you are correct this monitor does do that, but this machine does not support PAL at all as it only has the original Agnes