| Posted By
Mad
on 2018-11-12
11:54:43
|  Someone seems to recreate the 364 from scratch
found in the Commodore C16/Plus/4 facebook group:
computer collection vienna will recreate the legendary commodore V364.
Today I received first feedback on the data I tried to recreate from pictures. Most data lines up but I will need some more verification on some points to make it as close as possible. After the plan of the top case is recreated and I have an idea on how exactly it looks like I will start to do the same for the bottom case.
After that we will alter the design to make it compatible with the Plus4 and maybe some extras like normal joy ports as well as internal SD2IEC. We also need to work out how to make the F keys and number pad work - if someone is engineer on that topic (board design) we would need to make some PCB layouts.
Probably I will first do updates on the almost finished 1565 disk drive recreation to test our new 3d printing partner. After some more data is gathered on the V364 itself (it is a complex design) I will start modelling it in 3D and, hopefully with some help of you, let a prototype be printed to see what further changes are needed to finally bring it back to life.
There is an rather awesome picture shown in that thread, too...
Have to say I am really not familiar with the history of the 364, though.. So that could be not really news here at all..
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Posted By
MMS
on 2018-11-15
01:54:53
 | Re: Someone seems to recreate the 364 from scratch
Actually I read throught the post, and did myself some comments.
The original concept was to remake the whle thing. on the oher hand there are ICs you cannot really get now.
8501 stock is mainly defective ICs you can buy. Ted? Nah. Toshiba speech IC? No.
If you make it on Spartan, etc based (some good cores exist), some purist may say it is only an emulation,not the real thing.
I think it is a much realistic approach to make the v364 a +4 in new (364) housing, working numeric keyboard, and add functions into the housing may add extra feastures. Still it means a lot of soldering and asssembling of connectors, switches.
But instead of developing and producing a brand new board there is an option to add to the "new machines in the bigger housing features and functions more useful nowadays (by modifing a working plus/4 with a kit or create product from a working Plus/4). Could be like a "mini" Spectrum Next, without the major HW modifications (HW srptires, more color, chunk ygfx mode, etc), as thess requires a the new board/ICs
Some ideas can be implemented without a new board
-Switchable JiffyDOS from the beginning? Fast 1541/1541/II/1571/1581 operation
-Round PSU connector? (for the more easily available C64 PSUs)
-Proper 'Atari' style joysticks, no othside adaptors any more (even with some built in protection to TED?)
between the motherboard and outside joystick socket could be a new interface or built-in cables
-Built in SD card reader for single disc or PRG operation (microIEC dsigned for that, with JiffyDOS is very fast, and I experienced high compatibility with 1541, even GEOS worked on C64)
-Built in silent and slim fan (maybe from a laptop or so) to keep CPU cool?
-Adding a C64 sized memory port to the right extra area, and you can directly connect Solder's developments required expansionport splitter unit (not available any more). It may let some fine development from Solder would be available for the new computer at once (SRAM card, Midi card, RS232 card), all well
-Add more useful programs to the 2x 16KB ROM for F1 button: Maybe SJLoad (JiffyDOS simulation) other fastloaders, the SD card browser on a keypress
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