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Posted By

SukkoPera
on 2022-09-20
05:26:24
 Re: External User Port for the C16: Let's make it!

Thanks for your kind words! happy

1) I'm not sure what you mean with "read the same way the serial data". You could plug a classic MAX232 Plus/4 serial card to this board, but why should you? That card is already embedded in this board, you can just plug your serial mouse in the onboard DB-9 connector and pretend you are on a Plus/4 (i.e.: Port address is $FD0x if you put the ADDR jumper in the INT position, $FD6x otherwise). I'll definitely try a mouse as soon as possible on the prototypes!

1b) This got me thinking that plugging an external serial card is actually not going to work, as it will expect inverted control signals, which I'm not providing since I removed the 74LS06. Aaaargh, this was an oversight, and I don't think I can fit the inverter on this crowded board. I think I'll just remove the serial signals from the edge connector for this version, I might reintroduce them on a later board using SMD components.

2) Thanks, don't order anything at the moment, I already have a version with further improvements in the works! As I explained on the Hackaday development blog, I chose the C64 power supply because basically all other Commodore machines (VIC-20, C64, C128 and +4, with some different connectors but same supply voltages) work with it, so anybody who is a retromaniac must have one of those anyway... and a reliable one! There's no reason for them to be expensive, I have my own design for one and it works very well, besides fitting in the original wedge C64 power supply, which is a pro for looks happy. It uses very few components (like 5), amounting to around 25€ in parts (at least when I bought them, might have increased now - EDIT: Checked, it would probably cost ~50€ now, sigh) yielding up to 4A on the +5VDC and 12VA on the 9VAC IIRC. I haven't shared it yet because I'm not sure it is safe enough for connection to mains power. It is for me, but I'm not comfortable with other people using it (one is, actually, I gave him one as he needed a C128 power supply and couldn't find anything, he's very happy about it but I had him swear he will unplug it from mains every time he has finished using with the computer). We'll see in the future, I guess. BTW using the C64 power supply and connector also means we can fit the new cases just perfectly!

On a side note, the project is open, everybody is free to modify the board and introduce whatever power connector and circuit they like happy.

Again, thanks for your comments, constructive criticism is always welcome!



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