Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Welcome to the COMP.SYS.CBM "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) file. As is the tradition with USENET newsgroups, COMP.SYS.CBM maintains a FAQ file containing the text of frequently posted questions to the newsgroup and their answers. Both new and veteran users are encouraged to review this file. Topics covered in this FAQ include oft-asked questions posted on the COMP.SYS.CBM newsgroup, general interest information, and information sent in by readers.

1.1. Where can I get a copy of the FAQ?

The latest version of this file may be obtained from the following places:

• COMMODORE CEE BBS (916) 339-3403, (FIDONET address: 1:203/999)
• VGA-Landi, +49-2232-942198 (V34/ISDN) (FIDONET address 2:2450/180)
• +49-2232-942199 (V34/ISDN) (FIDONET address 2:2450/181)

See Section 6 for directions on how to use these services to retrieve the FAQ.

1.2. How do I contact the FAQ Maintainer?

If you find an error in this FAQ, would like to make a suggestion, can’t find an answer in the FAQ, or would like a copy of the FAQ, please use the most appropriate address from this list:

1.3. Can I redistribute or copy the FAQ?

Yes. I encourage people to spread the FAQ to every place possible. Readers can convert the text into another format (HTML, text, DOC, PS, etc.) if needed, but I ask that the content not be changed. If changes are required, please let me make them on the master document. As well, please do not remove the following copyright notice:

This file and its contents are © Copyright 1994-1998 Jim Brain. Permission is hereby given to reproduce and/or redistribute this FAQ in part or entirety without prior permission from the FAQ Maintainer, as long as no profit is made from this work. The text in this document is comprised from information gleaned from the USENET newsgroup COMP.SYS.CBM, the FidoNET echoes CBM and CBM-128, electronic mail messages, World Wide Web pages, and other mediums. All the authors have either directly or indirectly given their consent to use their work in this FAQ. All of the information in this file has been gathered and checked if possible for errors, but I cannot guarantee the correctness of any statement in this file. If in doubt, please bring up the subject in one of the Commodore forums. Keep in mind that new questions appear on a daily basis, so there is a finite time between a new question appearing in COMP.SYS.CBM, and its inclusion in this file.

1.4. What are all these special symbols on the left of the FAQ?

As of Version 4.0 of the COMP.SYS.CBM FAQ, this file is available in both HTML and text formats. Although both versions will be kept up to date, no attempt is made to denote changed items in the HTML version of this FAQ. In the text version, the UNIX command diff is used to mark changes. Lines preceded with a "!" have been modified since the last version of this file was posted. Lines preceded by a '+' have been added since the last version was posted. Examples:

The FAQ Maintainer encourages readers to submit changes. However, please mark changes with a "C" in the first column so as to distinctly identify changes, like so:

1.5. What's special about this release?

I am gathering a list of Commodore reference books together. If you have a book, please send me the ISBN, Author, Title, short description, number of pages, whether it has illustrations, and whether it has any code samples. Thanks.

2. Usage

Contrary to popular belief, people do still use Commodore computers. It is estimated that 3% of the world uses computers like the Commodore 8-bit, old by today’s standards.

2.1. How many Commodore machines are there?

2.2. How are Commodore machines used?

People use their machines for very different purposes:

• Game Console.
• Home Computer.
• Experimenter’s machine.
• Small Business Computer.
• Controller for (model train/home control/etc.)

No matter what purpose they use them for, they use them because there is a wealth of programs available for the Commodore computer systems. The Commodore line of computers has a seemingly endless supply of quality programs available for it, and more are being created daily.

2.3. Which Commodore 8-bit machines are supported?

At the present time, all the Commodore machines are supported, although some are supported better than others.

As the most prevalent Commodore 8-bit, the 64 enjoys the most support. Most software will run on a 64, and most Commodore 8-bit HW will work on a 64.

As the second most popular CBM 8-bit, the 128 is supported as well. Many companies support it, although some support only the 64 side of the 128. Most 64 peripherals and SW will work on a 128 in 64 mode.

Although not supported as well as the 64/128 line, many applications still exist for the PET line, and some folks still repair them. If you currently use a PET series Commodore computer or just want to know more about them, one person is trying to start a magazine devoted to these machine. For more information or to submit articles for the magazine, please get in touch with:

Although supported quite heavily in the early 1980’s, the VIC sees less support these days. However, many applications are available, and the simplicity of the VIC architecture make it easy to upgrade and expand. Commodore serial bus devices and User port devices usually work on the VIC-20. If you own a Commodore VIC-20, the following individual is planning to create a list of owners:

Commodore planned to introduce a game console that shared many features of the Commodore 64. Although never widely released, the Ultimax lives on in the 64. the C64 memory map contains the special "Ultimax Mode" that can be triggered by external cartridges to place the C64 into a configuration equivalent to the one on the MAX Machine.

The Plus/4 line, while never enjoying the popularity of the 64 or 128, is supported by many hobbyists in Europe, where the machine is easier to find and upgrade. Some applications are available for the line, and serial and user port devices from the 64/128 line usually work on the Plus/4.

If you own a Commodore C65, the following person is compiling lists of people who own them.

2.4. What is the economic status of Commodore?

On April 29, 1994, Commodore International announced it had been unable to renegotiate terms of outstanding loans and were closing down the business. The company started liquidation proceedings, which dragged on until April 1995, when the assets were purcahsed by European PC manufacturer ESCOM AG for $12.5 million. Unfortunately, ESCOM itself suffered some financial woes and went bankrupt in 1996. In 1997, Gateway 2000, the US PC manufacturer, purcahsed the Amiga and CBM rights, while the European PC manufacturer, Tulip Computers, purchased the "Commodore" trademark and name.

At present, the intellectual rights to the Commodore 8-bit line is owned by Gateway 2000, Inc (GW2K).

Commodore Semiconductor Group (CSG), the fabricator for many of the special ICs in the Commodore 8-bit line, liquidated in December, 1994. The vast majority of the operational material and the real estate was purchased by GMT Electronics, a company formed by CSG's management. GMT has paid the $1 million lien that the EPA had levied against CSG, and is now operating as a for-hire chip production plant. At the time of buyout, CSG/GMT held approximately $5 million in Commodore parts.

These are some questions we receive about "BASIC", the built-in programming language in all 8-bit Commodore computers, and the "basics" of using the machine.

To format a disk in drive 0 (older PET drives had drive 0 and 1) on disk device #8, you issue the following command from BASIC:

As you may know, Commodore BASIC stores programs in "tokenized" format, so they are unreadable from a standard text editor. To fix that, load up your BASIC program, and then type the following in direct mode:

The text listing will be placed on drive 8 in a file called listing. After the listing is finished, your cursor should return. Type the following in:

You now have an un-"tokenized" copy of your program, which you can edit with any text editor.

Since Commodore BASIC stores its programs in "tokenized" format, one cannot simply load text files containing BASIC statements and run the file directly. However, there is a solution. In direct mode, type in the following:

This will read in each line of the text file and try to execute it (or store it if the line is preceded by a number). The screen will go blank (scroll upwards) while the file is retrieved and will likely end up printing an error message, which is normal. When the last line of the program is entered, hit RUN/STOP-RESTORE, and type in the following:

The file will now be loaded into memory. Immediately save the file to disk as a BASIC program.

If the above sounds too complicated for you, check out the seq-to-basic program that is posted to comp.binaries.cbm every month. It will perform the translation for you, after you answer a few simple prompts.

To change the device number on Commodore drives, follow these steps: (In the following examples, 'olddn' is the drive's current device number, and 'newdn' is the new number you wish to change it to).

The change is only temporary. It will revert back to the old drive addresses if the drive is turned off.

When the 1581 is initialized, as well as checking the boot sector of the disk, it also looks for a file "copyright cbm 86". This file, if found, can specify a device number for the 1581 disk. Whenever the 1581 is booted or initialized with this disk inserted, its device number will be changed to the specified number. The utility 1581-auto-dev by David W. Tamkin will create this file. It can also do other stuff, so check it out.

First, we need to define what "outside world" means. In this sense, we are referring to the process of connecting the Commodore computer up to another computer or computers and exchanging textual, binary, or graphical information. To connect to another computer, one must have a Commodore computer system, a modem, a phone line, and a telecommunications program (called a terminal emulator or terminal emulation program).

While you can use this to connect to other individuals, to access great stores of online information you need to subscribe to an "online service", which can take many forms. This type of service allows you to correspond with many people with a single phone call, and may permit you to contact people out of your area without a long distance phone call.

The following services can be accessed by a Commodore computer and allow the user to access online information. As prices change almost every week, please contact the various service providers for up-to-date pricing.

CompuServe has a Forum designed specifically for Commodore 8-bit computer users. CBM Applications Forum (GO CBMAPP) deals with programming, geoProgramming, applications software, telecommunications, CP/M, utilities and hardware. In addition, it also includes support for GEOS in general, music (including SidPlayer and MIDI), games, graphics and graphics utilities. The Forum has full message boards and extensive data libraries, and it have weekly real-time conferences on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST.

The CompuServe network is available virtually world wide. The Commodore Forums are attracting increasing membership from Europe and Australia, and have begun to tap into the vast variety of Commodore files available around the world (some of the best new Commodore programs are coming in from Europe these days). CompuServe has an extensive network of local numbers throughout the United States and Canada and is also available through supplemental networks such as SprintNet and DataPac. The number of direct CompuServe connect numbers in Europe is beginning to expand.

While there is no standalone CompuServe navigator program available for Commodore users, CBMAPP has the CIS.EXE script set that automates Dialogue 128 on CompuServe, and also VIDAUT.BIN which will virtually automate Vidtex (which is available again through Software Support International). In addition there is OFFLIN.HLP, a text file in CBMAPP, that provides a method for semi-automating access with any standard comm program and word processor.

Genie is a general interest online service that was previously run by General Electric. The Commodore support area on GEnie is known as the Flagship Roundtable and is hosted by Creative Micro Designs, Inc. While there are a few premium services on GEnie that charge an extra price, all of the Flagship is available at the basic rate. The Flagship RT includes some "Real-Time Conferences" (RTCs) featuring classes or discussion of issues associated with Commodore computers. Additionally, there is a BB (Bulletin Board), which works much like Usenets COMP.SYS.CBM (only the discussion is broken down into categories and topics). Finally, the Flagship has an extensive library of Commodore files.

The BB messages can be read economically by capturing all the new messages in a terminal programs capture buffer, and reading the messages off-line. Wizard, the C= GEnie fron end, supports this.

Delphi is a commercial system that, while small in comparison to other systems, is growing rapidly. It has a large forum dedicated to Commodore computers, as well as access to the Usenet and the COMP.SYS.CBM newsgroup.

The Internet is a collection of 4 million machines interconnected using a common protocol called TCP/IP. This service is the result of a U.S. defense experiment started in the late 1960's. Due to its distributed nature, the Internet is unlike most other online services. In some cases, as in universities, there is no cost to access the "net", as it is called, and some other online services offer access to the Internet. This is the home of all the FTP sites, the USENET and the USENET newsgroup COMP.SYS.CBM, Internet email, and the World Wide Web. When you use these services you are utilizing the Internet. Services that offer Internet access are typcically called Internet Service Providers, or ISPs.

To access online services you will need a functional Commodore computer that is physically able to have a modem of some kind attached to the computer. The more common C64 and C128 are able to be used with a modem, but computers like the Commodore C16, C116, some PETs and some older CBM business machines may require significant investments in order to be used.

With a functional computer, you will need a modulator/demodulator (modem) unit of some kind. There are two basic kinds that can be used on the Commodore computers:

These modems are very common in today's market, as they are usable on all computer systems. They usually are constructed in a small rectangular box, have lights across the front, and have either a standard 9 or 25 pin D-style connector on the back of the unit. Speeds range from 300bps to 28,800 bps and above. This modem requires an interface cable of some kind to connect to the Commodore computer.

These modems are much less common in today's market. Originally manufactured only by Commodore, some examples include the C1600 (300bps manual dial), C1650 (300bps, pulse dial), C1660 (300bps, DTMF dial), and C1670 (1200bps, AT commands, DTMF/Pulse dial). Although other companies manufacture compatible modems, it seems that the maximum speed is 2400bps for all models. This modem style plugs directly into the Commodore user port.

Please note that all speeds marked are maximums. Most modems will operate at any speed up to the maximum. Most users agree that buying a Commodore compatible modem these days is an unwise move, except for special circumstances. The suggestion is to purchase a standard modem and an interface to use the modem with the CBM machine.

If you choose to purchase a standard external modem, you must also purchase or build a suitable interface. There are two major types of interfaces:

This type of interface merely converts the nonstandard RS-232 pinout on the Commodore user port to the standard RS-232 pinout and performs voltage level translation as required by RS-232 specifications. This interface can be purchased for $20 to $40 new or built by the user.

To use a modem, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) is needed. When Commodore designed the CBM VIC-20, C64 and C128, they emulated a UART in software to keep costs down. Although this works for slower speeds, there is a limit to how fast the software UART can function. For faster access, a real UART is needed. This type of interface provides a complete UART in a cartridge that plugs into the expansion port. To utilize it, all software must be written to take advantage of the real UART. UART interfaces can be purchased from CMD (Swiftlink), HART (HART Cartidge), or built from plans (DataPump). (See Section 13.6 for addresses and further information on UART cartridges.)

 The decision of which interface to buy depends on the speed of your modem and the software you are using. The software UART on the Commodore 64 can handle speeds at up to 2400 bps. The software UART of the Commodore 128 can handle speeds at up to 4800 for all software and 9600 bps for some very well-written software.

 If you are under these maximum limits for your system, the simple interface cable will suffice, and most terminal programs can be used.

 For speeds between 2400 and 9600 bps (4800/9600 and 19200 bps on a C128), a number of options are open. Some programs can use the simple interface cable to allow this faster access. Newer terminal software may be written to exploit Daniel Dallmann's 9600 bps access technique, which requires some small modifications to the simple interface cable (see Section 12.5 for more information). Finally, some programs allow the use of a UART cartridge.

 For speeds above 9600 bps (19200 on a C128), a UART interface and an appropriate terminal program is your only option.

 There are many types and versions of telecomunications programs (referred to as terminal emulation programs or terminal programs). Some are better than others, but individual users will ultimately decide which they like best. Most terminal programs available today are Shareware, but some are still sold commercially, and some new commercial terminal programs are being sold.

 All of these programs include emulations of the popular terminals such as DEC VT100, VT102, VT52, and ANSI. Also, each includes a number of file transfer protocols (See Section 6.1 for more information on transfer protocols).

 5.4.1. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 64?

This program, previously marketed as shareware, is now commercial, and can be ordered from Mr. Rossi for $29.95 US.

$12.50 US for the program, now at version 2.2.

Note that Columbia University holds the copyright for the Kermit Terminal Software. You can get a copy of the Commodore version by ftp:

5.4.2. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 128?

For more information on DesTerm or to get a copy by mail, contact Matt.

No information available at this time.

No information available at this time.

Maurice Randall is developing a high speed GEOS terminal emulation program called "WAVE". It is not finished at this time.

 Yes you can. If you want to use your CBM system as a terminal for a standard RS-232 compatible packet radio Terminal Node Controller (TNC), you can hook it up in the same way as a modem. See Section 5 for more information on how to connect your Computer to a modem.

 In addition, the ICHPUG User Group (see Section 15 for address) has an extensive library of files for the C64/128 relating to Amateur Radio.

 If you would like to use the Commodore 64 as a Amateur Radio repeater controller, Engineering Cosulting manufacturers such an item:  

There are some experimental SLIP software for the Commodore 64, written by Daniel Dallmann. The application is called SLIPDemo and is at version 2.2. The program can:

• log into another system using TELNET
• answer PING requests
• log into an IRC server using the included minimal IRC client

 The system requires:

• A Commodore 64 or 128
• Special 9600 BPS userport modem interface
• suitable modem
• Internet access using SLIP

How true this is. There is information everywhere online, just waiting to be accessed and used. Hoever, getting at the information can be a time consuming process.

 To transfer files for another computer (another 64 or 128, UNIX, OS/2, DOS, MVS, VMS, Amiga, Atari, or other), you should use a transfer protocol. Although it is possible to transfer files by turning on the terminal program's capture buffer and receiving the file, this is not very reliable and is prone to errors. When transferring any sizable amount of data, one should use some sort of error-correcting file transfer protocol. A file transfer protocol splits a file into many pieces, or "packets", and send a number of them at a time. It then waits for an acknowledgement from the receiver that the received received the packets correctly. At this point, the sender send the next batch of packets. This process is repeated until the entore file is transmitted. Each packet contains computed checksums and other error detection bytes to ensure the received data is not corrupt.

Below are descriptions for some of the more popular protocols:

C1 is a Commodore specific transfer protocol that used to be the standard for file transfer. However, with the increase in IBM-based bulleting board, it has been replaced by other protocols. Most Commodore BBS systems still offer C1 (usually called Punter in the list) as an option, but almost no other BBS systems have support for it. There is, however, a C1 protocol transfer program for MS-DOS called puntr104.zip.

 KERMIT is the name of one of the oldest file transfer protocols. KERMIT is unique in that it can encode the file being transmitted so that it does not contain any bytes greater than 128 and does not contain any special control bytes that terminals use to perform special actions. As such, this protocol is the most robust, but it is also the slowest. A common statement is, "if you can't KERMIT it, you can't get it" 

 XMODEM comes in several varieties. Standard XMODEM sends files in 128 byte packets. There are two standard error-correction methods with XMODEM checksum and CRC. CRC is the more modern of the two. There is also a version of XMODEM which supports 1K-byte packets. This version is most commonly known as XMODEM-1K, but is sometimes erroneously called YMODEM.  

 YMODEM is a "batch" XMODEM protocol, allowing you to transfer multiple files in one operation.

 A new file transfer protocol is ZMODEM. ZMODEM is theoretically the fastest transfer protocol, but only shows a speed gain over the others on noise-free telephone lines. It achieves this speed increase by only replying to the sender about the bad packets.

Most terminal programs support PUNTER, XMODEM, XMODEM-1K, YMODEM, and KERMIT. The Kermit terminal program only supports KERMIT, and Novaterm, as of version 9.5, supports ZMODEM receives, but not sends.

 (Note that the Amiga line of computers uses the ISO 8859-1 character set, so this does not apply to Amiga computers) 

When Commodore designed the PET line of computers, they chose for the character set encoding a special encoding called PETSCII. This set is similar but not the same as the American Standard Code for Information Intercahnge (ASCII). Now, this does not cause any problem when transferring information between or among Commodore 8-bit computers, but causes problems when exchanging information with othe computer types. 

The obvious solution is for all Commodore users to translate incoming information into PETSCII from ASCII when talking to another type of computer. However, this effectively ruins binary files, which have no concept of character codes. Therefore, the rules are:  

• Do not translate when exchanging binary files with any computer
• Translate all textual information exchanged with non-Commodore computers.
• Translate textual information exchanged with Commodore computers only if they are translating it as well.
• If a text file you retrieve looks like the uppercase letters should be lowercase and vice versa, then the file is in ASCII and needs to be converted to PETSCII.

Commodore programs are available from a number of sources. For commercial software, please see Section 15.1 for a list of software dealers. For shareware and public domain, you can use FTP (Section 6.9), electronic mail (Section 6.5.2), and bulletin board system in addition to the software dealers to download or buy programs and other software. 

 A file extension is a 1 or more letter suffix appended to the end of a file name to indicate the type of file it is. The extension usually indicates the contents of a file. The list below describes some more common file extensions, what they are used for, and how to use the file. Please note that these file extensions are not Commodore-exclusive. Many computers use file extensions. Also note that some file extensions are cumulative. IF a file is named "filename.tar.gz", this indicates that the file is of type "gz", and the file(s) inside the gz file are of type "tar". To use this file, one would note that both extension are archival extensions. One would undo the "gz" archival method to restore the "filename.tar" archive, then undo the "tar" archival method to restore the original file.

If the file type indicates an archive, there are many programs available that will handle most archival methods. One of these is called Omega-Q II, which includes one-stop compression and decompression of many of the above archival types.

 If you use a host system to download the files from, you may want to decompress the files before downloading. Even though the files will be larger to download, the time to decompress them offline will not be a factor. However, those who pay by-the-minute for download time would probably want the smallest possible file, which implies decompressing on the local machine, except in the case of a UU encoded file. These files are actually bigger in the 'UU' format.

Electronic mail is the online equivalent of post office mail. Although email is a general term, its use is usually meant to mean "Internet email". To use email, you must have access to an internet email program. On UNIX, these programs are called mail, elm, or pine. BBS systems usually have a special message area for Internet email. You address a message to a user by using his or her internet email address, which is usually of the form name@machine_name.domain_name.type_of_institution_or_country. An example would be brain@mail.jbrain.com, which would be user "brain" at machine "mail" in domain "jbrain" and the type "com" which means company or commercial.

After addressing the message and choosing a sutiable subject, the body of the message is written with information meaningful to the addressee. Usually this information is textual in nature and reads much like a personal letter. It is possible to mail people binary files. To do this, you need access to a program called uuencode. Most, if not all UNIX machines have this command available, and there are versions available for IBM, Amiga, and Macintosh. There is also a version of uuencode available for the Commodore 64 and 128 as part of the ACE 128/64 OS replacement. (See section 8.3) The uuencode program takes a binary file and expands it so that it only contains 7-bit ASCII characters. This resulting file can then be mailed to a recipient, who then uses a similar program called uudecode that will transform the uuencoded file into the resulting binary file. This encoding technique is a standard one used across multiple platforms. If you want to send a file to another Commodore owner, you can use bcode, which is a Commodore-specific encoding available in ACE 128/64.  

A mailing list is similar to a USENET newsgroup like COMP.SYS.CBM, in that it provides a place for people to talk among each other and ask questions. The difference is that the mechanism used is mail. You mail a message off to the list, the message then gets sent out to all members of that list, they read and reply to the list, and the process repeats. It is used for topics that are considered temporary or topics that have a limited scope and may not sustain an entire newsgroup being devoted to them. It may also be used when people want to privately discuss some issue.  

There are a number of Commodore 8-bit mailing lists for you to join:  

• cbm-unix

• old-cbm

• c64-hackers

• commodor

• c65

• Commodore Hacking

• Commodore Trivia

• COMP.SYS.CBM General FAQ

• c64coders

• 6502 C compiler

• 64europe

• CMD SuperCPU

These online services have gateways to the Internet. To send a message to someone on the following services, make sure they can receive Internet mail and address the message as follows:  

FidoNet is special, since there are many fidonet nodes, so you need the specific node information for the system that the recipient is on. Assume that Jim Brain is on a fido BBS that is node 115 on network 233 in zone 1. (denoted in FIDO as 1:233/115) The address would be:

If the fido address is a point on a FIDO network (denoted as 1:233/115.200), then the address would be:

USENET is a service on the Internet that presents the user with a variety of forums in which to place messages. It can be viewed as the online equivalent of a set of bulleting "corkboards", like those in a hallway. Each corkboard or "newsgroup" caters to a different topic. Users can place or "post" messages to the newsgroup for others to read, or followup to posts on the newsgroup.

 The first thing to discuss here is the dividing line between Commodore models. All Commodore computers up to, but not including, the Commodore Amiga or the Commodore line of IBM PC Compatible computers, are discussed in COMP.SYS.CBM, which is what this FAQ covers. The Amiga line of computers is covered in the separate newsgroups comp.sys.amiga.*, where the '*' indicates that there are a number of groups that match that name. The IBM PC Compatible computers are discussed in comp.sys.ibm-pc.*.

• COMP.SYS.CBM

• comp.binaries.cbm

• comp.emulators.cbm

• zer.z-netz.rechner.c64+c128.allgemein

• zer.z-netz.rechner.c64+c128.binaer

• zer.t-netz.c64 

• zer.z-netz.rechner.c64+c128.hardware 

• zer.z-netz.rechner.c64+c128.programmieren

• zer.z-netz.rechner.c64+c128.spiele

• zer.z-netz.rechner.c64+c128.virus 

Any discussions about Commodore machines excluding the Commodore Amiga line, the Commodore IBM PC Clone line are encouraged in COMP.SYS.CBM These machines are commonly referred to as the Commodore 8-bit line, whereas the Amiga and PC line is not 8-bit. Please make sure any question you intend on posting is not already answered in this FAQ. Also, when posting a troubleshooting question about inoperative equipment, please give as much detail as possible. Be considerate of others in the group and keep

questions not pertaining to some aspect of Commodore 8-bit machines and peripherals out of COMP.SYS.CBM. The group does realize, however, that a large percentage of Commodore 8-bit owners also own another computer system and might have questions about interfacing or emulations. Just use your own good judgement.

You first need to access the newsgroup COMP.SYS.CBM through the use of newsreader. There are many available in UNIX with names like rn, nn, tin, and trn. I can't begin to tell you what command each uses to construct a posting, but your machine administrator should be able to tell you. All posts should contains relevant Summary and Keyword info, as well as a descriptive title. If you are posting a followup to an existing article, and are quoting the article, please only quote the relevant portions of the existing article.

 If you find that you cannot post to a newsgroup via your newsreader, but do have Internet electronic mail capabilities, you can post to the newsgroups via e-mail. For example, to posts a message to COMP.SYS.CBM, simply mail the message to either COMP.SYS.CBM@anon.penet.fi, COMP.SYS.CBM@news.demon.co.uk, COMP.SYS.CBM-news@newsbase.cs.yale.edu. It is probably best to use the latter two addresses, since the other is an anonymous posting service, so people won't know who originated the post. Such disguises are unnecessary in the CBM newsgroups.

 subscribe news-csc-dist Firstname Lastname msglen* (to get comp.sys.cbm)

 subscribe news-cec-dist Firstname Lastname msglen* (to get comp.emulators.cbm)

 subscribe news-cbc-dist Firstname Lastname msglen* (to get comp.binaries.cbm)

msglen is the maximum number of lines you can receive in an email message.

All fields MUST be filled in.

 (See Section 6.8 for a definition of WWW)

 You can view articles and articles titles through the DejaNews service: 

 FidoNET is a "grass roots" network that originated to link bulletin board systems across the country together. Unlike the Internet, which uses dedicated phone lines at high speeds to implement its network, FidoNET uses regular phone lines at normal modem speeds that are not dedicated to providing networking to link the machine on FidoNET together. FidoNET allows the exchange of messages in message bases called "echoes" among various boards. To use the FidoNET echoes, you must connect to a system that has FidoNET access. It is not possible to describe all the features of FidoNET in this FAQ, so you should consult your local User Group or BBS sysop for more info.

 The FidoNET echoes are similar to USENET newsgroups, although the echoes have more strict rules about content and topics.  

The relevant echoes for Commodore users are:  

• CBM (Commodore 64 and 128 News and Discussions)
• CBM-128 (Commodore 128 specific News and Discussions)
• CBM-GEOS (GEOS News and Discussions)
• PCWRITE (Cross Platform Computing, including C64 emulators)
• CBM.GER (German Fido area for CBM discussion)
• R20_8BITAR (Sweden echo for all 8-bit CBMs.

Echoes are usually posted in the same way that you would mail a BBS message in any other area, although the BBS may operate differently. It is best to follow any online directions or consult the local BBS sysop for more details.

The World Wide Web (WWW or W3) is a Internet-wide Hypertext document retrieval and display system. To use WWW, you must have access to a WWW HyperText Markup Language (HTML) browser. Typical examples include lynx, which is a ASCII browser available on UNIX, and Mosaic, a GUI browser available for UNIX, Windows, Mac, and other platforms. There are others, but these are a few.

 If you do not have WWW access to the Web, you can request pages be mailed to by sending mail to webmail@curia.ucc.ie with the subject help. The return mail should tell you how to request a WWW page.

 However, if you do have access to telnet on the Internet, you can access the Web. Instructions on how to do this, in a file called wwwtelnet.txt, can be retrieved from Jim Brain's MAILSERV server. See Section 5.X for information on how to access the server.

 All pages on the WWW are referenced by their Uniform Resource Locator, also known as a URL. The URL normally looks like:  

http://name.of.site.com/path/to/page.html

 Some sites include a funny character that looks like a "squiggly snake" as the first character of the path. The squiggle looks like this: 

~

 The charcater is referred to as the "tilde" character. This key does not appear on the Commodore 8-bit keyboards, and is not part of the PETSCII character map, so the character above will look funny if viewed on a CBM computer. When one is running a terminal program, the program remaps a key to be the tilde key. Here are a few mappings for different programs:

 Novaterm: [SHIFT] up-arrow

 If your terminal program does not remap a key to be the tilde, or if you dislike trying to use the remapped key, the URL spec defines that the hexadecimal equivalent of the character can be used, prefaced with the percent sign. So, instead of "/~brain/", one can use %7E instead, resulting in "/%7Ebrain/" as the URL.

 If you do not have access to a WWW browser program, but do have access to Internet telnet, you can access the WWW through the following sites: 

• fatty.law.cornell.edu
• www.njit.edu
• lynx.cc.akans.edu

Typically, the login is: www.

To access some machines, the special user "anonymous" or "ftp" is used to log into another machine for ftp. These machine, which hold public domain (PD), shareware, and freeware files, are called "anonymous ftp" sites. To get files from these sites, you use (on most systems) a program called ftp. A typical ftp session (assuming you are running from a Unix system) would be as follows:

Connected to ftp.jbrain.com.

220-

220- Welcome to ftp.jbrain.com, The Brain Innovations, Inc. FTP Archive

220-

220- The US Commodore FTP archive is in /pub/cbm

220-

220-You can access this archive via http with the same URL.

220-

220-for example: ftp://ftp.jbrain.com/pub/cbm/ becomes

220- http://www.jbrain.com/pub/cbm/

220-

220-For more information about services offered by Brain Innovations,

220-go to http://www.jbrain.com.

220-

220-Address any comments on this FTP Archive to:

220-ftp-comments@mail.jbrain.com

220-

220-The BII FTP Administrator.

220-

220-

220-

220 jbrain.com FTP server (Version wu-2.4.2-academ[BETA-13](2) Thu Apr 3 22:13:27 PST 1997) ready.

Name (ftp.jbrain.com:brain): ftp <use ftp or anonymous for login>

331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.

Password: <type your email address here. It wil NOT be echoed>

230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.

Remote system type is UNIX.

Using binary mode to transfer files.

ftp> cd pub/cbm/software/archivers/ <"cd" changes the current remote directory>

250 CWD command successful.

ftp> ls <"ls" or "dir" lists the whole directory. Use ls z* to match wildcards>

200 PORT command successful.

150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls.

total 4

drwxr-xr-x 2 619 382 1024 Jul 23 21:48 128

drwxr-xr-x 3 619 382 1024 May 7 16:35 64

drwxrwxr-x 2 619 382 1024 May 7 21:05 cpm

drwxrwxr-x 2 619 382 1024 May 7 20:16 geos

226 Transfer complete.

ftp> cd 64

250 CWD command successful.

ftp> ls

200 PORT command successful.

150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/ls.

total 361

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 75 Mar 2 1994 00README

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 38746 Jun 3 1993 1_zip

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 2928 Jun 3 1993 1_zip2.0.readme

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 42262 Jun 3 1993 2_zip

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 37745 Jun 3 1993 3_zip

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 40755 Jun 3 1993 4_zip

drwxr-xr-x 2 619 382 1024 May 6 21:05 LYNX

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 11547 Jun 7 1996 Zipper.c64

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 4805 Mar 24 1995 abuze.uua

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 29718 May 2 1996 arc-sda-aid.sda

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 26004 Jul 6 1995 arkive

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 1083 Jul 6 1995 arkive.doc

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 4053 Mar 24 1995 beast-link.1way

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 500 Mar 24 1995 beast-link.doc

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 4692 Mar 24 1995 level-sq_3.0

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 508 Mar 24 1995 level-sq_3.0.doc

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 7165 Jan 2 1996 lhx64-09.sfx

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 19777 Sep 1 1995 lzhconvert.lzh

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 12242 Nov 1 1994 lzhtosfx.sfx

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 2959 Mar 15 1995 lzhtosfx.txt

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 12288 Jun 18 1993 pkunzip64.sfx-v1.01

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 5353 Jun 18 1993 pkunzip64.sfx-v1.01.readme

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 528 Jul 13 1992 shield.readme

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 2967 Jul 13 1992 shield_cruncher

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 9856 Apr 26 1995 unipacker_v3.0

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 173 Apr 26 1995 unipacker_v3.0.readme

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 15488 Jan 24 1993 zip.collection.2

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 11520 Jan 24 1993 zipcode

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 416 Jan 24 1993 zipcode.readme

-rw-r--r-- 1 619 382 817 Feb 9 18:03 zipcode.txt

226 Transfer complete.

ftp> binary <use "binary" or "bin" before transferring binary files. IMPORTANT>

200 Type set to I.

ftp> get pkunzip64.sfx-v1.01

200 PORT command successful.

150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for pkunzip64.sfx-v1.01 (12288 bytes).

226 Transfer complete.

12288 bytes received in 0.427 secs (28 Kbytes/sec)

ftp> quit <quit when you are finished>

221 Goodbye.

>

To submit files to an ftp site, you use the command "put". Again, make sure to first specify "binary" for programs and other binary files. Typically, ftp sites will only accept submissions in an "INCOMING" directory.  

To download software (files) from an anonymous ftp sites, one has to be aware that there are two connections to be concerned about. The first connection is from your Commodore to you host computer and then the connection from your host to the ftp site. In addition you need to be be aware of the nature of the information in the desired file, particularly if you are downloading programs. If the file is not known to be in printable ASCII form, consider it a binary file. It may also be be in an archived form, i.e. a form where it is packed with many files or in a shortened format. Consider these to be binary unless it is of the "uu" type which is an ASCII format.  

 If your service provider does not allow access to FTP directly, there are some systems that will perform the FTP session on your behalf. These systems are called "ftp mail servers". These allow the user to request files to be retrieved by electronically mailing a message to the server.  

To use the service, you must first learn how the service works. This is done by mailing the server address with the word "help" in the body of the message This will result in the directions being sent in a message to you. Then, following the directions, you can request files from any FTP sites through the server. The server will send both the retrieved files and a message detailing the execution of your request.

 Here is a sample request message:

Please note the following:

• This service is only for retrieving files.
• Binary files will usually be uuencoded. They must be decoded before use.
• Large files may be split into smaller pieces. The resulting pieces must be editted back into one piece, and decoded if necessary.

Potential ftpmail servers include:

• ftpmail@mail.jbrain.com
• ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
• bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu
• ftpmail@ftp.sunset.se
• ftpmail@census.gov

 If you have the Commodore 128 .sfx creator, use it. It is part of the CS-DOS public-domain software package, and it requires a Commodore-1700-compatible RAM expansion unit. If you can't make .sfx archives, upload the files as straight binaries. Text files which you include in .sfx archives should be PETSCII. Separate text files should be ASCII or ISO 8859-1. If you are uploading GEOS files, use William Coleman's Convert 2.5 program to transfer the files to standard Commodore format before including them in the .sfx archive.

You can make .sfx archives on a Unix machine by first compressing the files into an .lzh or .lha archive, then using Marko Makela's LZHconvert package on the LHarchive. This technique may work on some non-Unix computers. LZHconvert is on ftp.funet.fi in directory /pub/cbm/archiving. 

Upload a .readme file separately from your program or archive. In your readme file, give a one-sentence description of each of your program(s). List the lengths, starting addresses, and CRC32s of the files. Look on ftp.funet.fi in /pub/cbm/archiving for CRC-32 software.

 People should be able to make sure easily that they have all the parts of your software package. Put a complete file list in the readme file. Make a directory on the FTP site if you can, and put all your files in that.  

E-mail the maintainers right before you post your data. Your message can be just the .readme file with an introductory comment.  

The following is a list of valid FTP sites as of 26 Sep 1995. In the directory names below, replace "..." with the existing name closest to the purpose of your files. "Dir" indicates whether the FTP site allows you to create your own directories.

Uploads: ftp://ftp.jbrain.com/pub/cbm/INCOMING/

E-mail: ftp-comments@mail.jbrain.com

Dir: No.

Destination: ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/...

Uploads: ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/incoming/...

E-mail: cbm-adm@nic.funet.fi

Dir: No

Destination: ftp://pitel_lnx.ibk.fnt.hvu.nl/pub/c64/...

Uploads: ftp://pitel_lnx.ibk.fnt.hvu.nl/pub/c64/incoming

E-mail: cba@pitel_lnx.ibk.fnt.hvu.nl

Dir: No

Destination: ftp://dhp.com/pub/c64/...

Uploads: ftp://dhp.com/pub/c64/pub/c64/incoming

Email: rotox@dhp.com

Dir: No

Destination: ftp://ftp.giga.or.at/pub/c64/...

Uploads: ftp://ftp.giga.or.at/pub/c64/INCOMING (no read access here)

E-mail: spockie@giga.or.at

Dir: Yes (difficult to delete, though)

Destination: ftp://bbs.cc.uniud.it/pub/c64/...

Uploads: ftp://bbs.cc.uniud.it/pub/c64/incoming

E-mail: playboy@bbs.cc.uniud.it

Dir: No

 Internet Raley Chat (IRC) is an online version of citizen's band radio or BBS chat rooms. The service is worldwide and is available on the Internet. To use IRC, one would normally use a client program (typically called irc on UNIX machines) to access the service.

 There are now 2 IRC networks: IRCNet and EFNet. IRCNet is relatively new (less than a year old), and can be reached via the following servers:  

• irc.stealth.net
• irc.hpi.net
• irc.igcom.net
• irc.bt.net

This is where most of the "regular" Commodore IRC fans hang out, in channel #c-64. EFNet can still be reached with the regular IRC servers, but more often than not, nobody is in #c-64, because the load on the EFNet servers is so heavy now that it's difficult to access, and even when one *can* access it, the "lag" (lag time between sending text and seeing it posted in the channel) makes most normal conersation practically useless. The exception is that the NTSC demo scene conference is currently held in EFNet in channel #c64ntsc.

If you are using a Unix shell account, and a IRC server daemon is compiled for public use, type this in at a shell prompt:  

irc [ircserver]

The [ircserver] field is optional; usually this has a default setting. Some of the better EFNet IRC servers are irc.phoenix.net, irc.law.emory.edu, and irc.neosoft.com. 

Whether you are connected to IRCNet or EFNet, the next thing you will do after you get a prompt is to type

 /join #c-64

Although the program used to access IRC varies, the commands are pretty much standard. All commands are entered on the text line and begin with a "/" character. Here are a few important ones:

/join <channel> Join a numbered or named channel. For numbered channels, <channel> is simply a number. For named channels, <channel> is #name (i.e. #c-64).

 /quit leave.

 /names * List names of all people in current channel.

 /dcc send (nickname) (filename)

Send a file to person (nickname).

 /dcc receive (nickname) or

/dcc get (filename) REceive a file from someone.

 If you need more info on how IRC works, there is a file available on Jim Brain's email file server called irc-info.txt that explains IRC in more depth. (See Section 6.5.2 for directions on how to use the mail server)

 There are a number of reasons why you may find commercial software online. Here are a few:

1. The author or developer has placed the work into the public domain
2. The author or developer uses the network as a distribution medium
3. A registered user or software purchaser has placed the software online

 Examples of scenario #1 include CBM enthusiasts persuading authors or developers of software to place it into the public domain. Examples of the 2nd scenario include new software writers, who use the Internet as a cheap distribtion medium. The software usually cannot be used without a "key", that must be purchased.

 Unfortunately, the third example is the most prevalent. CBM enthusiasts who have previously purchased software have created disk images and placed them on FTP or WWW sites. These actions are not done with the consent of the author, developer, or distributor of he software in question.

 The quick rule is to only download software that is in the public domain or is stated to be shareware of some type. However, there are a few exceptions:

• If you own a copy of a software title, but your disk/manual/etc. is corrupt or missing, you may download a copy of the respective software or manual. In this case, such a download is considered an archival copy for a legally purchased title.
• If you are acting on behalf of another person who does not have access to the title and falls into the above category, then you may download, provided that you relinquish all aspects of the software title to the registered owner. (When doing this, it would be best to acquire proof of purchase from your friend in case you are questioned. If so, you are considered the temporary owner of the software)
• If you have arranged with the distributor/developer/author to become a registered owner of the software title and no other distribution arrangements can be made, you may download a copy of the software. (This is so rare it's almost not worth mentioning.)

Although the above doesn't cover all possible permutations, the first item covers almost all such legal downloads.  

Any other download actions are technically considered breach of copyright and are subject to applicable laws in the location of offense.  

There are a number of myths concerning copyrighted software. Some include:

 Myth: If a company goes bankrupt, then the software is placed in the public domain.

 Truth: The bankrupt company or individual still holds the copyright. It may be sold, acquired, or traded.

 Myth: Copyrights are only good for 10 years.

 Truth: Copyrights are good for many years (50 or 75, I can't remember) after the copyright holder dies.

 Myth: I want to buy the software, but the company refused to sell it to me, stating they don't support my machine anymore. (A variant on this has the company no longer in business) So, my only choice is to download or copy it.

Truth: Firstly, it may not be your ONLY option. Many resellers, like CMD, obtain large lots of software from closing businesses. So, please check out resellers first. If the software is definitely not available, downloading or copying it is still considered copyright infringement. If the company is still in business, you might try to arrange something with them. Most Commodore enthusiasts concede this is a bad situtation. You're on your own here.

Myth: Since I own the software and am allowed archival copies, my placing software online does not constitute copyright infringement. I am merely storing my archives online.

Truth: It depends. If the software is located on your online account but not available to other individuals, then you are correct. However, placing links on WWW pages constitutes publishing, which is forbidden in many, if not all, software agreements. The abundance of copyrighted software on networks today stems from theease of transferring and publishing such items online. The ease of acquiring software in this way and the lack of support by major software companies has led many to believe that Commodore software is no longer subject to copyright restrictions. Rest assured, it is. You have been warned :-)

 Most Commodore users aren't aware that each machine has an operating system. Since all Commodore 8-bit systems come complete with a built in operating system and BASIC programming language, the need for an operating system is minimized. However, Commodore's internal OS is not always the right tool for the job, so alternate OS systems are available for the CBM.

 Well, Commodore computers come with a standard operating system built in ROM. They also contain a built in BASIC interpreter which is normally activated after switching on or resetting the computer. If you want alternative options to replace the existing OS, there are a few that may suit your needs. GEOS is the best known, but a number of people have made UNIX-like operating system replacements for the Commodore 64 and 128. Also, on the 128, CP/M is available out-of-the-box. (see below for details on different OS types.)

 GEOS stands for Graphical Environment Operating System. It is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) style of OS, and it brings to the Commodore 64 and 128 integrated applications. The graphical nature of GEOS allows applications to use fonts of any size, bitmaps, and menus and mice. The system was Designed by Berkeley Softworks, now GEOWorks, and is supported now by CMD. There are a number of graphical style GEOS applications, like GEOWrite, GEOPaint, GEOPublish, GEOTerm, etc. The system is very easy to use, and is very fast, even when compared to other GUIs like Windows and OS/2. 

GEOS can make very effective use of a Ram Expansion Unit, a RAMDrive or RAMLink, or GEORam. GEOS allows you to configure your REU to appear just like another (very fast) disk drive, although it does not keep its contents when you turn your computer off. So, any GEOS software that works off of a disk will work out of your REU. Since GEOS is very disk-intensive, this greatly improves the performance of your system. Indeed, some firm GEOS adherents have said that they would not use GEOS without a RAM device of some sort.

GEOS will not work with a stock 1700. To have a RAM drive, in GEOS, you must have at least 256K of expansion. Thanks to patches developed by Jim Collette(configure2.1), GEOS also supports 1 Meg, 1.5 Meg, and 2 Meg REUs.  

GEOS files are structured differently from standard Commodore files. They cannot be uploaded or downloaded directly. Before you upload a GEOS file, use the freeware GEOS application convert2.5 by W.C. Coleman to convert it to Commodore format. When you download a GEOS file, you must use the same program to convert it to GEOS format. By convention, GEOS format files converted to standard Commodore format have a .cvt on the end; however, many converted GEOS files just have the same name as the original GEOS file. As a rule of thumb, any GEOS file you download, regardless of the extension, must be converted to GEOS format with convert2.5.  

If you download an archive of GEOS files (e.g. a .arc or .sda file containing GEOS files), you must first dissolve the archive using your C64 or C128 in native mode. The constituents of the archive will be converted GEOS files, whether or not they have the .cvt extension. Each of these constituents (which are GEOS files) must be individually converted to GEOS format with convert2.5.

 If you need some help with GEOS or any aspect of it, I refer you to Myles Skinner at skinner@julian.uwo.ca. He is one of many people who use GEOS every day and can be of help.

 UNIX is an OS that was developed by Bell Laboratories in the 1960's and is now used on many workstations. It is a multi-user, multi-process OS that has extensive support from the educational and commercial communities. Internet and Usenet are primarily a collection of UNIX workstations networked together. The UNIX-like OS replacements for Commodore computers mainly emulate the shell of UNIX, where programs are run by merely typing in their name. Other aspects of UNIX, such as multiple processes are supported by some of the offering, which are:  

CP/M stands for Control Program for Microcomputers and is available on every Commodore 128. There is also a CP/M cartridge available for the Commodore 64, but it cannot read CP/M disks, just 1541 formatted disks, and there are questions concerning its ability to work with all revisions of the Commodore 64. CP/M was very popular in the early eighties before MS-DOS became popular. It requires a Z-80 microprocessor, which the 128 has, or an 8080 processor, and a disk drive capable of reading CP/M disks, such as the 1571. If you don't need to read existing CP/M formatted disks, then a 1541 could also be used. This operating system is the one that MS-DOS was modeled after, so there are a lot of similarities. If you are interested in using CP/M as your primary OS, then please check out the newsgroup comp.os.cpm, as they have more info on the current events concerning CP/M.

 The version of CP/M used on the 128 is 3.0, commonly called CP/M Plus. It is compatible with earlier versions of CP/M but adds some new features. The copy of CP/M 3.0 that ships with the 128 was specially modified to allow use of the features of the 128, such as the Ram Expansion Unit as a RAM disk, the SID chip, and the extra RAM of the 128. 

In the March 1994 issue of dieHard, Mike Gordillo gave an overview of the CP/M operating system. It is one of many such articles that should be read by anyone new to CP/M.

Very few Commodore enthusiasts have never seen a demonstration, yet many aren't really sure what one is. Well, since these programs are still alive and strong in the 1990's, we need to answer some of their mysteries (but not all of them, as their job is to amaze).

 A demonstration, or "demo" as they are known, is a piece of software that is designed to provoke a visually and aurally pleasing effect from the computer. This usually involves large amounts of multi-colored graphics, complex synthesized or digitized sounds, and orchestrated movement of shapes or color schemes on the screen. Demos originated as introductions to "cracked" games, games in which the copy protection had been rendered useless. As time wore on, the standard abilities of the computer were all used in demos, and rival "cracker" teams raced to bring out the best demo. In the search for the "best demo", demo authors, or "coders", tried to maximize the use of the computer in a demo program. Also, they exploited any undocumanted feature the computer could provide. Since most of the circuits in the Commodore computers were multi-purpose, experienced coders could use some of their features in non-standard ways. Some examples:  

• Removing the top and bottom border.
• Removing the side borders.
• Placing text (text mapped sprites) in the open borders.
• More than 8 sprites on screen at once.
• pseudo interlacing to create illusion of up to 640*400 resolution.

Since the commercial game market has shrunk significantly over the past few years, and since demos are sometimes too involved to be classified as a game into, many demos are packaged so they can "stand-on-their-own". Users can download a demo, load it up, and run it like any other program.

 As demos got more involved, some coders produced cutting-edge technology demos intended to "one-up" their rival coders, while others made artistic, but less technically challenging demos for arts sake. Either way, it is important to note that demos are not usually interactive. They are meant to be viewed and listened to. Demos are mostly passive entertainment, and appreciation for the effects generated in a demo increases as one realizes the normal limitations of the Commodore line of computers.

So, sit back, load up a demo, run it, and enjoy.

 These two acronyms refer to the type of TV broadcasting signals used to create the video picture on your TV or monitor. American, Japanese, and Canadians use NTSC, while a good part of Europe uses PAL. This usually makes no difference to programs, as the C64 and C128 in C64 mode always present 200 lines of pixels to the video display. However, since the PAL standard allows more lines to be displayed on the screen and has a slower screen refresh time, the PAL computer has more time before screen refreshes to perform other operations, and also can put more information on the screen in some cases, since there are more lines in a PAL display. Since demos use highly optimized timing and complex routines to perform the effects, some demos can only be written for PAL machines. Sometimes, a demo is written for a PAL machine, but it can be made to run on an NTSC machine. Demos that can run on both machines without any code modification are called regular demos, those that can only run on PAL machines are PAL demos, PAL demos that have been modified to run on NTSC machines are called NTSC-fixed demos, and NTSC demos that have been modified to run on PAL machines (rare) are called PAL-fixed demos.

The mean difference between NTSC and PAL is that the mathematical description of NTSC will fit on one page while PAL takes a phone-book style book full of integral/Fourier/Laplace equations.

From a demo coder's point of view, the difference lies in how many cycles you get per scan line and how many scanlines there are:

VIC type cycles per line lines per screen frame rate 

old NTSC-M 64 262 60 Hz

new NTSC-M 65 263 60 Hz

all PAL-B 63 312 50 Hz

There is a whole site full of demos. They are located in the/pub/cbm/c64/demos directory of nic.funet.fi. See section 5.4 for directions on how to transfer files from this site. 

This is a "convention" where people from the demo "scene" get together. They are usually held in Europe, although other countries do have them. Coders get together and exhibit previously unreleased demos in a competition where the best ones are ranked according to a subjective scoring system. At the end of the competition, the demos are released to the public. To make things somewhat fair, demos are judged according to computer type, so Amiga demos do not get judged alongside 64 demos. These competitions are usually held in conjunction with music or art competitions.

Most demo competitions are held within Europe due to copyright laws and stuff.

The point of a copy pardy is to go there with your computer, meet other computer friends from other groups and swap different warez, meet other members of your group and using the combined skills from the members (graphics/coding/musix/spreading), write a demo before the closing time for the pardy so it can get voted on. The winner comes away with about 300 Kronar or similar.

 As time moves on, people move to other computer systems, for business resons or otherwise. However, many still long to play Commodore games, use Commodore software, and enjoy Commodore demos. Thus, emulators were born to bring the non-Commodore computer owner the enjoyment of owning a Commodore.  

  An emulator is a piece of software that runs on a given platform and emulates, or mimics, the operation of another machine. When the emulator loads up a program, the programs runs as though it were running on the emulated platform.

For more information on emulators and their use, please see The Commodore emulator FAQ, maintained by Ken Gifford (tsrken@voicenet.com). It can also be found on Jim Brain's MAILSERV server (See Section 6.5.2 for more information).

For those with WWW browsers, the CBM Emulation FAQ is at:

http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/faq/

64 emulators exist on the following machines:

• Amiga
• IBM
• Atari ST
• Macintosh
• UNIX

There is a very basic Commodore 128 emulator bundled available for the UNIX platform under X. It is bundled with X64.

There is a commodore product called the PET emulator that remaps a Commodore 64 to emulate a PET 40 column unit (i.e. PET 4032). You can run this program on a C64 to emulate a PET, or you can run this program on a 64 emulator to emulate a PET on an IBM, for example.

As for VIC-20 emulators, one exists for the Amiga, and there is a program similar to the PET Emulator that allows a C64 to emulate a VIC-20. For the UNIX OS, one called VICE is available for machines with X Windows. Contact Andre Fachat (a.fachat@physik.tu-chemnitz.de) for more information. The emulator is at: http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/~fachat/

For the MS-DOS platform, a program called V20 is available at: http://shell.ihug.co.nz/~be/vic.htm For more information on this emulator contact Bryce Ewing at be@ihug.co.nz.

Although not necessarily a different Commodore computer, there is a GEOS emulator in the works. It is called GEOS Warp v1.0 and information is available at http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426444/geoswarp/index.html. A version for the Apple PowerMac is in the alpha stage, and support for a PC version. Plans for a UNIX/X11 version are still unclear. The author is Andreas Varga, and can be contacted at e9426444@stud1.tuwien.ac.at.

VIC-20 Emulator for DOS

Paul Robson (Author)

autismuk@aol.com (Internet Contact)

http://users.aol.com/autismuk/vic20.zip (WWW URL)

As time wears on, many Commodore owners are turning to themselves to manufacture small interfaces, modify their systems, and perform other enhancements. Here are some common things the user can construct himself or herself.

On a 128, you can force the 1571 to go into single sided mode with the drive command "u0>m0". (Issue such a command with open15,8,15,"u0>m0":close15.) On the 64, a 1571 defaults to single sided mode, but you can convert it to double sided mode (and read full double sided disk in 64 mode) with the drive command "u0>m1". While in single sided mode, you can actually format both sides of the disk as separate file systems. The command "u0>h0" selects the regular side of the disk, and "u0>h1" selects the flip side of the disk. Note that the flip side, when formatted this way, cannot be read by a 1541; neither side will be readable by a 1571 when the disk is inserted upside-down.

First, unplug both leads running from the power supply and turn it upside down. Locate four (4) small circles in the bottom; two are in the corners and two in the other end a bit nearer each other.

Find some sharp tool, e.g. pin or nail. In turn, poke it inside each of the cirles, firmly, and pull the caps off gently. They'll come out easily. Breaking the caps should not matter, but there is no need to destroy the casing in process.

Unsrew the 4 Phillips headed srews with an appropriate tool.

Notes:

This does not apply to the C64 brick!

Some 128 power supplies do not have rubber feet; rather, they have "L"- shaped extensions on the casing. The caps on these extensions are not made of rubber, but can be removed.

Here is the diagram used to make a replacement Chroma / Luminence 40 column cable, that the 1902A uses, to connect to the 64 or 128.  

If you are having problems with this circuit as it stands, you may wish to modify it in this way to reverse the clock signal:

Disconnect the emitter and collector on the middle transistor of the diagram (the one that goes to the H line on the computer side) Connect the collector to pin 2 on the 24 pin edge connector (the 5v Vcc line), connect the emitter to pin H on the same connector, then connect a 1k ohm resistor to the same pin H and the other end of the resistor to pin N or A.

A new programming technique makes it possible to acheive 9600 bps on an unexpanded Commodore 64 without the use of a Swiftlink cartridge. Daniel Dallmann of Germany is the originator of this technique and is currently writing modem drivers for some of the popular C64 terminal emulation programs to take advantage of this new technique.

The interface described below is a little more complex than the one in Section 12.4, but has many advantages:

• The interface generates proper EIA232 (RS-232) voltage levels. The one in Section 12.4 relies on the ability of most newer RS232 equipment to handle lower voltages. * The following interface can be used as a direct replacement for the interface in Section 12.4, and will work will all most telecommunications programs at up to 2400 bps, while providing the necessary interfacing to allow suitably equipped applications to operate at up to 9600 bps. (Some programs needing DCD and DTR lines may have problems.) * if you currently own a normal RS232 interface, that interface can be modified to incorporate the new interfacing for 9600 bps operation. (in some cases one line of the old interface has to be disconnected, see note **1 )

• 9600 bps is the maximum limit this type of technique due to the timing limitations of the C64. The delay between the activation of the NMI-handler and the falling edge of rxd is too long. The handler must be called in less than 100 cycles. That's no problem at 9600 bps, but for 19200 baud (the next higher baud rate), you have only 50 cycles, and that's impossoble (because of VIC-DMA ). On a C128 in fast mode 38400 baud may be possible, but I don't have a C128, so someone else has to try it out.

Here are two ways to detect whether the C128 VDC chip has 16kB or 64kB of RAM.

or:

If you have 16k the screen will fill with zeros; 64k will give you a ready prompt.

The July, 1990 issue of 73 Amateur Radio has an article on converting the C64 and 1541 to run on DC power. I'll summarize the C64 portion:

C1 = 30 pF

C2 = 3-15 pF (variable)

XTAL1 = 3.57 MHz crystal

R1 = 1k

R2 = 10M

It is suggested that you use a short length of shielded coax cable to connect the 60 Hz output to the R37/R100 pad.

Also, it is suggested that you use a frequency counter to tune the above circuit to exactly 60 Hz.

This conversion would work well if you wanted to use the C64 in a car or powered by a solar set-up.

The interface is simply a cable between the printer and the user port. The pinout is as follows:

Superscript uses the same cable, but has the following change:

Either wiring will work with either program, but the GEOCable wiring is preferred.

If you like to tinker with your Commodore to get the best possible performance out of it, these suggestions and products may help you in your quest.

Since the introduction of the Commodore VIC-20 and the slow serial bus, Commodore owners have been plagued by slow disk access. There are two ways to allevaiet this problem, fastloaders and ROM replacements.

The Commodore 1541 drive and any drive attached to a VIC-20, C64, Plus 4, C116, or C16 suffer from very slow read and write times. This is caused by Commodore's haste in "economizing" the IEEE-488 bus used in the PET series of Commodore computers into the serial bus. The IEEE-488 bus transferred 8 bits of data at a time, and performed some synchronization steps, or handshaking, between bytes. Commodore reduced the path to 1 bit but kept most of the original handshaking, most of which is redundant when transferring 1 bit at a time. Early on, some developers noted that, since the 1541 drive was intelligent enough to execute a program loaded into its RAM, and the Commodore operating system calls to do disk I/O could be bypassed, they could write software that sped up the loading process by modifying or completely changing the protocol used on the serial bus. This is the idea behind fastload cartridges like FastLoad, Mach 5, etc...

As programs became more complex, some programs would not operate with this approach. Thus, the developers then rewrote parts of the Commodore operating system on both the computer and the disk drive, and replaced the parts of them that did disk I/O with new pieces of code. This is the idea behind JiffyDos and others.

The basic idea in speeding up the disk drive is to use more than 1 line to transfer data, effectively doubling the transfer speed. Then, reduce synchronization requirements in the protocol to a bare minimum, as synchronizing time is time not being used to do transfers.

The fastload cartridges are handicapped somewhat by the need to transfer the portion of the program that runs in the disk drive to the drive using the slow speed evry time the drive is used. This can be alleviated somewhat, but the replacement operating system replacement products like JiffyDos win the race since they do not need to load code into the drive, as it is already there.

The products are not 100% compatible, as they sacrifice reliability for speed somewhat. That means that a program that does not load due to an error while using a fastload product will probably load without the fastloading enabled. Also, some programs can not handle the change in loading or reading speed, so these enhancements yield about 90% compatibility.

You can also increase the speed of disk drive operation by organizing consecutive parts of a file on disk to fall a certain number of disk sectors apart. This is called the interleave or interleaving factor. Normally, a 1541 disk drive space consecutive parts of a file 10 sectors apart, but you can change that a little to minimize the time needed to find consecutive parts of a file.

Also, the C128 in 128 mode hooked up to a 1571 or 1581 has a built-in fastloading scheme called burst loading. Therefore, if you are in 128 mode and hooked up to a 1581 or a 1571, you already have this feature. However, the 128 in 64 mode reverts back to the old slow serial routines, and the 128 in any mode using a 1541 cannot use the burst load routines.

Software Support International sells the 1541 RAMBoard, which will increase you 1541's memory. SSI used to market a similar board for the 1571, but they have depleted stock and no longer carry it.

You can also expand your disk drives on board RAM capacity, and use that extra memory for better archiving performance.

A hard disk drive is a non-removable ramdom access medium similar that allows one to store very large quantities of data. Hard disk drives are mandatory on most newer computer systems, but are usually optional for Commodore 8-bit computers. However, the faster load time, the greater capacity, and the ease of use make them desirable.

CMD sells hard drives for the Commodore 64 and 128. They range in sizes from 50 Megabytes on up. In comparison, a Commodore 1581 drive holds .8 Megabytes.

If you have access to an IBM of some kind (preferrably with a hard drive), you can use a product called 64NET to hook the drive up to the Commodore. 64NET consists of a cable which connects the CBM User Port and the IBM Parallel Port together, and a program that runs on both machines. The program on the IBM is a standard application, but the CBM part is a wedge, so it should integrate seamlessly with some programs. There is now just one copy of the product. Registered users simply receive a 64NET.KEY file that enables SAVING. There is a student discount of AUS$40.00.

The product is at version 1.82.62 and has full OPEN/CLOSE/READ/READST support, can support 4 gigabyte IBM partitions, and have a built-in off-board monitor which includes some dos wedge functions. The IBM programs have link-based helpsystems and will run on any IBM machine. The registered version allows saving of files, wheras the PD version does not. The registered version also contains support for GEOS.

The registered BETA version is available (with upgrade to final version free) for AUS$50.00, while the unregistered version is free. These prices do not include the cable that is required for operation. The cable, program, and more information can be received from Paul Gardner-Stephen at gardners@ist.flinders.edu.au. Also, the system can be ordered from:

Versions are available for the C64 and C128, and a C65 version is close to completion. Also available is an Software Development Kit (SDK) with a CBM cross assembler.

SERVER64 is a product like 64NET, in that it allows you to use an IBM PC as a large hard drive. However, unlike 64NET, SERVER64 does not require a connection to the user port and a special boot program be run. Instead, the system uses an X1541 cable to attach the Commodore 64 serial port to an IBM parallel port.

The original form of RAM expansion available to the C64 and C128 were the Commodore REUs (Ram Expansion Units). These REUs plug into the cartridge port, and provide 128K (the C=1700), 256K (the C=1764), or 512K (the C=1750) of additional RAM.

This RAM is not true system RAM however; simply adding a 512K REU to your system does NOT mean that your word processor will suddenly be able to edit 512K larger documents. A REU will only be used by a program that was written to take advantage of an REU. As a caveat on this, you can use your REU as additional RAM for a RAMLink .

An REU can be used as a Commodore Disk Drive by running the program RAMDOS. This will allow users to save and load files from the REU.

If you are using CP/M, the REU can be configured to act like a disk drive under CP/M.

Although the C=1764 was originally advertised for the C64, and the 1700 and 1750 for the C128, any of the three RAM expanders will work with either the C64 or the C128. Note that if you want to use any of them on the C64, you need a heavy duty power supply. The 1764 comes with such a power supply.

There are hardware hacks that will expand a 1700 or a 1764 to 512K; additionally, a 512K REU can be expanded to 1 Meg or more. The plans are at ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/hardware. While it appears completely safe to upgrade your REU to 1 Meg, there have been some reports of problems with REU's upgraded to 2 Megs. Sometimes the REU will work fine for a while, then fail. If you are upgrading your REU, it would probably be wise to stop at 1 Meg. If you are still memory hungry, consider a CMD RAMLink.

If you don't wish to do it yourself, there are people who will do it for you, for a fee. The following individual will do RAM expansions on the 17xx series. He Has lots of experience doing these modifications. His current quoted price for expanding a 1750 from 512k to 1 meg is $60. Call for the latest prices. In addition he can do repairs on the RAM.

On a similar note, Software Support International sells a device called the 1750 clone, which functions just like a 1750. It is not as expandable as the real 1750, but can be used where a 1750 is recommended or required.

When Commodore REUs became hard to find several years back, Berkeley Softworks introduced geoRAM, which is a 512K RAM expander. This RAM expander gives you all of the advantages of a 1750 with GEOS. However, it is not 1750 compatible, so it will not work like a 1750 outside of GEOS; it is transparent to other programs. (As a caveat on this, see the info on RAMLink)). DesTerm128 2.0 will not work with a geoRAM plugged in. A special version of GEOS 2.0 (which is bundled with geoRAM) is necessary to use geoRAM. No additional power supply is necessary to use geoRAM. The geoRAM can be upgraded to 2MB also. Contact Jens-Michael Gross at grossibr@buran.fb10.tu-berlin.de for information on upgrading the geoRAM.

The geoRAM can be used without GEOS if it is installed in a RAMDrive or RAMLink. See Section 13.3.4 for information.

Battery Backed GeoRam is a products marketed by Performance Peripherals Incorporated. The unit is actually a geoRAM clone, but has battery backup included within the unit. The unit can be ordered in the following configurations:  

512kBytes $92.97US

1MBytes $123.97US

2MBytes $165.97US

RAMLink (RL) is a RAM expansion devices from CMD. The RAM in these devices can be partitioned into native mode partitions (with dynamically allocated subdirectories), or 1541, 1571, or 1581 emulating partitions. Thanks to the 15x1 emulating partitions, software does not have to be specifically written to run with a RL. The RL devices should appear as a disk drive to most programs. One notable exception is DesTerm v2.00, which does not work with the RL. There are few other exceptions, and no major commercial program has a problem running with an RL . The deciding factor seems to be whether or not the program uses a drive's internal ram. The RL does not 'mimic' having this type of internal drive ram, and if a program relies upon this it will not run. The heavily copy protected Digital Solutions' programs use this drive ram for its burst loading routines. So, even though a Maverick/RamBoard combination will write a copy of it to the RL, it will fail to boot. However, these programs, once booted from a 1571, will use and access all of RL's many functions for lightening fast loads and saves.

RL has ts own power sources, separate from the computer. When you turn off the computer, the power to the RL is left on, leaving its contents intact. This power supply always remains on. (For safety from power outages, battery backups are also available.)

RAMLink is a powerful, large device. It can be configured from 0 to up to 16 Megs of RAM, using industry standard 1x8 (100ns) 1 Meg and 4 Meg SIMMs.(1x9, and faster Simms can be used.) The RL is constructed so that the user may easily add additional SIMMs at any time.

RAMLink has a port into which you can plug a Commodore REU or a geoRAM. You can configure RAMLink to either leave this RAM device alone, or to use the REU/geoRAM's RAM just as if it were part of the RAMLink's RAM. A RAMLink also has a pass-through port, in which you can plug a normal C64/C128 cartridge, and a parallel port for a CMD hard drive. The latter greatly improves the transfer speed of data between your computer and the hard drive.

If you have a geoRAM, the geoRAM can be plugged into the RL . the geoRAM then acts as an extra piece of ram-based disk storage.

The RL comes with a very well documented, thorough, and easily referenced User Manual. Contact CMD for more details.

The RAMDrive is similar in function to the RAMLink sold by CMD (see Section 13.3.4). The main differences are the smaller amount of memory (1-4 MB) and the smaller size.

At one time, the RAMDrive was sold by CMD, but is no longer available through them. However, Performance Peripherals, Inc. still sells the RAMDrive unit.

The original, "flat" C128's came with an 80 column display that had it's own display RAM that was separate from the system memory of the computer. This "VDC RAM" was 16K in size. After Commodore introduced the C128D, they changed the design and marketed some versions of the Commodore 128D with 64K of VDC RAM. Since them, some programs (e.g. I-Paint, Dialogue128) have come out that either need or support 64K of VDC RAM. Owners of flat 128's can upgrade their video RAM to 64K either by ordering an upgrade plug-in board(e.g. from Software Support International), or by replacing the RAM chips themselves. All that needs to be done is, the two 4416 RAM chips next to the VDC chip need to be replaced with 4464 RAM chips. Note, however, that since this involves soldering in tight quarters on your 128's motherboard, it is very easy to damage the motherboard or the nearby VDC chip. Whenever you wish to use the extra RAM, be sure to set bit 4 in the VDC register 28 (0 = 16kB, 1 = 64kB).

THE TRANSACTOR magazine published two articles written by Paul Bosacki on expanding the Commodore 64. The first article (in Transactor 9.2) described how to expand the 64 to 256kB by swapping RAM chips and contained switches to perform some special options. The second (in Transactor 9.6) describes how to expand the Commodore 64 to 1MB, using a 512kB REU and 512kB on the motherboard. In addition, this expansion needs no switches to enable options, which is an enhancement to the first article.

The Nordic/Finnish MicroBITTI magazine published a two part article by Pekka Pessi on expanding the Commodore 64. Pessi's design (in MicroBITTI Issues 1 and 2 for 1987) split the C64 memory map into 4 16kB pages, which could be each mapped to any 16kB page in 256kB of memory. It uses the same approach of swapping the 64kB DRAMs for 256kB ones, but does the addressing somewhat differently.

In 1993, Marko Makela, with help from Pekka Pessi, translated Pessi's article into English and made it available via the Internet. It is now available at ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/documents/ or ftp://x2ftp.oulo.fi:/pub/cbm/docs/

Marko Makela has written an article on how to expand the C128 and C128D's memory up to 1024kB. It is compatible with his earlier article on expanding the C64 to 256kB, so programs written for the expanded 64 should run on the expanded 128 in 64 mode. The plan and schematic is available via ftp from nic.funet.fi in directory /pub/cbm/documents/1028.

Twin Cities 128 issues #30 and #31 have a hardware scheme for expanding your 128 to 256K or 512K. To people who understand banking on the 128, the 256K modification adds RAM blocks 2 and 3 to your system. The 512K modification adds four more RAM blocks that can be accessed as alternate RAM blocks 2 and 3, or as a completely separate set of RAM blocks 0-3.

As with Commodore REUs, software must specifically support the expanded RAM. Since these modifications are relatively new, there is not much software out yet that supports the additional RAM. However, ACE 128 does support this expansion without any special drivers.

The hardware modification, while simple from software's point of view, is rather difficult to perform in hardware. Richard Curcio, the designer of the memory modifications, can modify your 128 for you. See Twin Cities 128 issue #31 for more information.

There are a number of products that can increase the operating speed of the Commodore 64. These products work by turning off the on-board 6510 and turning on a compatible microprocessor, usually a 65C02 or a 65C816 in 6502 emulation mode. These products will work with any software that does not mind running up to 4 times faster and does not use any of the undocumented opcodes of the 6502 IC.

Also, for a quick way to gain a small speed increase, please see Section 17.2.

Please note that some of these products are no longer offered for sale by the original companies, but can be purchased from individuals as used equipment.

Turbo Master Accelerator for C64.

The Turbo Master Accelerator is for a C64 (or C64 mode of C128) only, uses a Rockwell R65C02P4 microprocessor clocked at 4.09 MHz, has its own 64K of fast static RAM and a 32K EPROM, has hardware/software switchable speed between 4.09 and normal, and has an enhanced ROM with faster disk routines that can also be disabled. A JiffyDOS compatibility option was available.

Turbo Process Accelerator for the C64.

This accelerator, made by Rossm"oller, uses a 65C816P-4 microprocessor to operate the 64 at three speeds: 1MHz, 4 MHz, or anything between 50kHz and 4 MHz. The 65C816 is a 16 bit version of the 6502/6510, so it is possible to write software for the new IC that takes advantage of the 16 bit opcodes.

This accelerator, the only one being currently produced, is also the fastest such accelerator for the Commodore 64 to date. The module, which plugs into the expansion port of the Commodore 64, increases the CPU processing speed from 1MHz to 8MHz. It uses a 65816 CPU (The 65816 is a descendant of the 65XX series) running at 8MHz to enable the increased speed. Also, it can be optional expanded to 4 or 8 MB RAM onboad. This product is the successor to the Rossmoeller TurboAccess 4MHz accelerator card. The unit has the capability to provide 10x speed disk access via a parallel cable and has a CP/M option.

GEOS compatible requires the special patches that are available from the manufacturer, and games or demos which do very intensive timing or raster effects might not fucntion correctly. At present, the accelerator only works on PAL 64s of certain revisions and will not function on a C128 in 64 mode. Currenlty, the REU is not supported.

From the advertisement:

"FLASH 8 is a GEOS-compatible module for the expansion port with a 65816 CPU that speeds the C64 to 8Mhz by highest compatibility with existing software. Additionally to the original Commodore Kernal a JiffyDos kernal is available. You can choose between two different kernals via DIP-switch. Flash 8 comes either with 256 Kbyte or 1 Mbyte RAM onboard.

A CP/M-emulator for running Z80-CP/M-Software, a macro-library and assembler for the 65816 in native-mode are included."

The prices are:  

349 DM (~$245.00 US) for the unit with 256kB RAM.

449 DM (~$315.00 US) for the unit with 1MB RAM.

  It is being manufactured and sold by Discount 2000 and Performance Peripherals, Inc.

The Turbo Master Accelerator is for a C64 (or C64 mode of C128) only, uses a Rockwell R65C02P4 microprocessor clocked at 4.09 MHz, has its own 64K of fast static RAM and a 32K EPROM, has hardware/software switchable speed between 4.09 and normal, and has an enhanced ROM with faster disk routines that can also be disabled. A JiffyDOS compatibility option was available.

The CMD Super 64 CPU accelerator cartridge, currently shipping from Creative Micro Designs, will allow a Commodore 64 or Commodore 128 (in 64 mode) to reach CPU speeds of 20 MHz.

A Western Design Center 65C816S 16bit CPU core (with 6502 emulation) forms the heart of the unit. The accelerator is compatible will all standard peripherals for the Commodore 64, including the 1500 series disk drives and the 1700 series Ram Expansion Units. In addition, the unit is compatible with GEORam and the various peripherals offered by CMD, such as the HD and FD series disk drives and the RAMLink.

Internally, the unit contains a WDC 65C816S CPU and 64kB of fast static RAM for no-wait program processing. Both a stock and JiffyDOS enhanced kernel are available, and the user can completely disable the unit if desired without unplugging. Also, the speed of the unit (1MHz or maximum speed) can be selected via switch or software. A pass through port allows the user to use existing cartridges, and an expansion port dubbbed the "Rocket Socket" allows RAM or functionality enhancements to be added to the accelerator.

Production units began on July 25, 1996, and a developer's package will be made available to software authors shortly. The price is as follows:

In addition to the SuperCPU 64 (see Section 13.4.1), Creative Micro Designs is planning to introduce a 128 version of this 20 MHz accelerator. Production dates are sceduled for around Christmas, 1996. The price for the 128 version has not yet been finalized., Contact CMD for more information.

Although it is possoble to accelerate just about any Commodore machine, no commercial products exist to speed up other Commodore computers.

Although the Commodore computers once reigned in terms or screen rsolution and number of colors available, newer machines have surpassed it in both areas. Depending on whether you want more characters on the screen or more colors at one time, these products might help.

Since the Commodore 64's VIC-II cannot be expanded, the only way to increase the resolution of the Commodore 64 is to turn off the on-board video and replace its output with one from another IC. The simplist approach involves attaching an 80 column video chip (6545, 6845, etc.) to the C64 via the expansion port. This will provide 80 columns of monochrome text. However, this is only useful for text applications, as most of these video devices are not capable of doing high resolution graphics. Also, none of the following are currently produced, but many are sold as used equipment by users.

This unit combined an 80 column monochrome text video display (using the 6545 IC) and BASIC 4.0. Either options could be turned on or off via software control.

This unit preceded the BI80 unit, and was produced from 1982-1984.

This was basically a repackaged DATA-20 unit. Some circuitry was changed to permit price reduction, but the same functionality is there.

The Commodore 128 comes equipped with an second video display controller in addition to the 40 column VIC chip. This chip can be used while in 64 mode through clever programming, and the controller's standard 640*200 pixel size can be expanded to 640*400. However, there is no way to completely overcome the color limitation of 16 colors

In Germany at one time, there was a small hardware device which plugged right into the C128 and expanded the resolution to 720*700 in C128 Mode. Other modes made available were: 640*720, and 640*650. Basic 7.0 had full access to screen modes of 640*720/360, 720*700/350 and for monochrome displays: 640*400 and 720*400. Any vertical resolution above 400 was interlaced, but flickered far below anything the Amiga offered. There was reportedly no interference with other hardware and full compatibility was maintained. The device was the 'Graphic-Booster 128' and was marketed by:  

If you wish to operate serial devices at speeds faster than what the internal software emulated UART can handle, you will need to purchase a UART interface. There are a couple of different kinds, and each has its advantages.

To use these hardware UARTs, the application must be written to take advantage of the device.

the SwiftLink cartridge is manufactured by CMD and allows speeds up to 38.4 Kbps. This device contains a 6551 UART and plugs into your cartridge port and supplies you with a standard 9-pin serial port. You then connect the desired modem. Dialogue128, Novaterm64, and Kermit(v2.2s) support the SwiftLink.  

The HART cartridge is a device similar to the Swiftlink in size. However, the HART unit conatins an 8255 UART IC and can handle speeds up to 57.6Kbps. The unit is manufactured by Hatronics.

DataPump is a set of plans used to build a device that functions just like a Swiftlink. The plans are available at many FTP sites. ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/CBM/documents/datapump.sfx (GEOS format) ftp://hamsterix.funet.fi/pub/CBM/documents/datapump.sfx (GEOS format) ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/INCOMING/hardware/

The C64 and C128 come equipped with 1 Sound Interface Device (SID) IC. This provides 3 channels of output. For more channels, one can purchase the SID Symphony cartridge from CMD to provide 3 extra channels. Most newer sound playing and editing software is able to use the extra channels.

There are also a number of units one can purchase or build that will provide MIDI capabilities for Commodore 64 and 128 users.

There are many hardware items that you can use. Below is a list of a few of them. Note that some of these items may no longer be in production, and thus are only available as used equipment.

This unit has 40 TTL input lines and 40 separate buffered digital output lines plus an expansion socket that could support a standard ROM or clock/ calendar cartridge. It works on the C64 and all modes of the C128 (including CP/M mode). Its model number is the SS100 Plus.

This is a universally applicable dual 6522 Versatile Interface Adapter board with four 8-bit fully bidirectional I/O ports, eight handshake lines, and four 16-bit timer/counters. It has IRQ interrupt capability and is expandable to four boards. It works on the C64 and all modes of the C128 (including CP/M mode). Its model number is the 641F22.

This unit is 16 channel, 8-bit, 100 microsecond conversion time. Piggy-backs on the 641F22 and thus requires it to operate. Works on the C64 and all modes of the C128 (including CP/M mode). Its model number is 641F/ADC0816.

In addition to allowing the use of Apple ][+ hardware/software, this device boasted four software selectable C64 cartridge slots, a non- dedicated 8-bit parallel port, and standard audio cassette deck capabilities for the C64.

ROM upgrades are available for the C-128 and the 1571.

Switchable, it has 4 independent cartridge sockets plus a 5th switch position accessing an 80 col. character set ROM - (limited usability because it *apparently* accesses a C64 Ram location which interferes with a lot of stuff, I forget where or how) - and a 6th switch position independent of the cartridge port for general use stuff.

It was built into a neat steel housing designed to sit flat on the desktop and slide into the cartridge port at exactly the right height.

The following programming languages are known to exist for the CBM computers:  

• Ada
• APL
• Assembly Language
• BASIC (interpreted and compiled)
• BASIC extenders
• C
• COBOL
• COMAL
• FORTH
• FORTRAN
• LISP
• LOGO
• MUMPS
• Pascal
• PILOT

You name it, and it is probably available for the Commodore computer system. The list of supported languages availeble for the Commodore 8 bit computer systems is much too large to fir in the FAQ, but they are available at http://www.wimsey.com/~danf/cbm/languages.html.

A cross assembler is a program that runs on one computer and generates code for another computer. Usually, a non 8-bit CBM machine generates the code using this program, but it can be another 64 hooked in some way to a "target" 64. Whatever the case, here are some packages that can be used:  

• as6502 linking 6502 cross assembler
• masm6502 6502 macro cross-assembler
• ps65a12 Unix format 6502 cross assembler
• svasm02 6502 cross assembler
• xasm220 many-targeted cross assemblers
• smal6502 linking macro assembler written in portable PASCAL

A more detailed list can be found at: http://www.wimsey.com/~danf/cbm/cross-development.html

For all cross assemblers, the user will most likely benefit from a way to transfer the program from the source platform to the target platform. See Section 7 for information on products that will help transfer the files.

In the 65XX CPU line, each machine language instruction is a single byte, which allows for 256 instruction types, or opcodes. However, there are fewer than 256 defined. When designing the 65XX line, the designers, needing to keep complexity down, decided to treat the extra opcode positions as "don't care" opcodes, where no effort would be made to make those opcodes do anything special. Since the opcodes are arranged in a 16X16 matrix, with a row or column cotaining opcodes that perform similar operations, an undefined opcode in the matrix can have the behavior of other opcodes in its row or column or both. These opcodes are called "illegal" or "undocumented" opcodes, and are occasionally used by demo coders to accomplish special timing effects, or by software programmers for copy protection code. To learn more about these opcodes and what each does, the get the 64doc file at ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/documents/64doc or visit a cbm emulator forum.

15. Sales, Support and Service

Even though the Commodore 8-bit computer is no longer supported by its manufacturer, numerous companies and user groups still support the CBM 8-Bit market.

15.1. Where do I purchase new equipment?

15.2. Where do I get equipment serviced?

.

15.3. How do I know who to buy from or request service from?

The information provided in these files do not imply that a company is reputable or even still in business. It is best to use the above information as a starting point, and contact others who can discuss the various manufacturers and repair facilities listed above.

15.4. Is there a User Group in my area?

Well, this is where the chaff falls. The following questions are either too new to categorize or do not fit into a category.

If you are using a stock Commodore 64, the CPU clock frequency is a function of the video timing frequency, which is slightly different for differing countries. If you have a stock PAL-B C64 (Common in Europe), the computer is running at 985248.444 Hz. If you are using an NTSC-M C64 (Common in the USA), the computer is running slightly faster, at 1022727.143 Hz.

Changing a C64 from stock PAL-B to stock NTSC-M or vice versa requires swapping in the approproate VIC-II chip and the appropriate crystal, as well as changing a jumper on the motherboard (The jumper has printing near it that indicates whether to cut or connect the jumper). Also, if you have a version 1 KERNAL ROM and want to use the built-in RS-232 routines, you need to either swap KERNAL ROMs with the other computer (not recommended), or obtain a revision 3 KERNAL (recommended).

Now, if maintaining stock operation is not a complete must, or if you just want to tinker, the crystal and jumper modifications can be made optional.

The VIC-II chip has a relaxed tolerance for timing, so it is possible to run an NTSC-M VIC-II with a PAL-B crystal and jumper settings. The converse is possible as well. Since the crystal frequency is used to generate the frequencies for the TV and monitor output, your TV or monitor may not like the resuling hybrid signal very well, but it won't break anything.

In addtion, the jumper indicated above determines the divisor used to scale down the crystal frequency for the CPU. For PAL-B units, the divisor is 18, and for NTSC-M units the divisor is 14. The Commodore 64 will operate regardless of the crystal frequency and state of this jumper. Therefore, to speed up a 64, one can install a PAL-B crystal (17734472Hz) and change the jumper to use the NTSC divisor (14) to increase the operating speed of the machine to 1266748Hz. However, note that any operations (disk, rs-232, special VIC tricks) that require synchronized timing may fail in this "non-stock" scenario.

Here are a few Commodore IC numbers and their functions. Note that this is an incomplete list. A more comprehensive list is called csg.chips.info and is at ftp.funet.fi.

For the VIC-20:  

For the C-64 and C-64C:

For the C-128(D):

The older boards had discrete LSI logic and a PLA chip. The newer boards put all the PLA and LSI logic into one ASIC chip. On the older boards, the KERNAL and BASIC ROMs were separate, while they are combined in the newer design.

There are two different models of the narrow board. One has Color RAM, while the other does not. The ASIC chip includes the PLA and 7 TTL chips, and the Color RAM on some machines machines.

The new models use 9 volt versions 8580 SID, while older models use the 6581 12 volt SID. The VIC chip (6567 NTSC-M, 6569 PAL-B) has been replaced with the 8562 (NTSC-M) and 8565 (PAL-B) on newer models.

Both BASIC 2.0 and the KERNAL ROM have been combined into one ROM for the C64C/G/GS. This ROM is the same as is used on the C128 in C64 mode. The ROM is indentical except for nationality differences.

Well, they have a number of them, and each difference is documented and explained in "The Commodore 64 Whole Memory Guide" by Tim Arnot. (ftp://x2ftp.oulu.fi/pub/cbm/docs/c64-kernel.diffs)

18. Credits

I want to extend my thanks to the following people for their help in providing correct, up-to-date information in this FAQ:

• Fred Mueller, who maintained this FAQ before I.
• Everyone who helped add to the 1.4 FAQ material to make the 2.0-2.2 FAQ.
• Everyone who helped add to the 2.2 FAQ to make the 3.0-3.1 FAQ.