Where To Get FE3,C64SD, etc?

[Startropic1]

I finally got a Vic20 off ebay--I had one as a kid, and finally found another, in near pristean condition no less (or as pristean as an almost 30-yr old computer can be )

I've been reading about these new devices with large quantities of games on them and more interestlingly things like the FE3 & C64SD which allow you to read data off an SD card on your Vic20. From what I can tell, the FE3 "homepage" is kaput and the "shop" is closed. It links to an online shop page written in german that supposedly now sells the FE3, but I can't make heads nor tales of it. I found a site pertaining to the C64SD, but again not much luck with how to obtain one.

I would prefer a device already assembled, but I have plenty of experience with electronics and I'm perfectly capable of assembling one from a kit if need be.

On a side note, there were two games in particular that were my favourites as a kid: Gorf and Hardhat Climber. Gorf is easily obtainable in its original cart form, (infact I've already procured it.) Hardhat Climber, however seems nearly impossible to locate in some authentic form. I haven't even seen it listed on any of the mega collection type cartridges some people have made. When I was a kid I had the game on a data cassette, but it didn't appear to be any official type of tape, just a tape someone copied the game onto. So what was Hardhat Climber originally released on? Cart, cassette, disc, etc?

Any help with this stuff would be greatly appreciated. I saw the megacart but despite its boasted features I felt $99USD is way too steap an asking price. There was a similar cart I saw somewhere that was only fetching $30.

[rhurst]

Pre-assembled products: pairing both a Mega-Cart and Jim Brain's uIEC/SD make for a must-have VIC 20. Unlike other multi-carts, Mega-Cart is a refined product which makes for a complete VIC 20. I don't own FE3, because I am not into assembling stuff, but from what I read you can integrate a SD memory reader in it, too.

If you just want a bunch of cartridge games cheap, I also use Kent Rittenhouse's MultiCart -- a thread on it is here.

[Diddl]

Final Expansion is available as a kit here.

If you cannot assemble it yourself, maybe you can find anyone to do it for you. VIC20-Ian has done this often for Denial Members.


FE3 has a internal uIEC/SD with realtime clock.

[Startropic1]

Final Expansion is available as a kit here.

If you cannot assemble it yourself, maybe you can find anyone to do it for you. VIC20-Ian has done this often for Denial Members.


FE3 has a internal uIEC/SD with realtime clock.

That site is in german, and from what I can tell they ask you to email a request for a unit. The site says there aren't even many units left (if any at all).

Are there any other places to get a FE?

Are there any other ways to transfer vic 20 programs (games) from your PC to something readable by the vic-20?

[Diddl]

That site is in german, and from what I can tell they ask you to email a request for a unit. The site says there aren't even many units left (if any at all).

You can write Donald in english, no problem.

Yes, after my order last week only 3 FE3 are available.

Are there any other places to get a FE?

No.

Are there any other ways to transfer vic 20 programs (games) from your PC to something readable by the vic-20?

Many ways:

+ XA-1541 cable (if you have a floppy and a parallel port on your PC)

+ XS-1541 cable (if you have a floppy and a USB port on your PC)

+ XU-1541 cable (if you have a floppy and a USB port on your PC)

+ µIEC or SDIEC

+ parallel port to userport cable

+ RS232 connectoin.

+ if you have a 1581 floppy, PC can write directly to disk

+ if you have a 1571 floppy, PC can write directly to disk

[GreyGhost]

You can use a 1571 to transfer files? I have an old PC with a 5.25 floppy drive. Can you explain how this is done? Do you just write to the disk from PC and read it from the 1571? Is this doable with a Vic 20 or do I have to use a C128 in CP/M mode?

[Diddl]

You can use a 1571 to transfer files?

Yes. A 1571 is able to read and write normal PC disks cause it has two disk controller, so it can handle GCR and MFM.

I have an old PC with a 5.25 floppy drive. Can you explain how this is done? Do you just write to the disk from PC and read it from the 1571?

It is not so simple, you will need a small program for this.

First you have to send a command over channel 15 to switch into MFM mode. After this you can access every block on disk with block direct commands.

Is this doable with a Vic 20 or do I have to use a C128 in CP/M mode?

Yes of course, it is do-able with a VIC-20. A C128 is not nessecary and is not more helpful as a VIC-20.

The problem is, 1571 can read data from PC physically. But it cannot understand how data is to interprete. Neither VIC-20 nor 1571 can understand FAT or FAT32.

----

Solution 1:

A programm on VIC-20 which can read FAT formatted data.


Solution 2:

A PC program which can write data to floppy in CBM format.


I would prefer methode 2, cause it will be easier to do. And cause a similar solution is ready for 1581 as far as I know.

[Kananga]

Solution 1:
A programm on VIC-20 which can read FAT formatted data.

Solution 2:
A PC program which can write data to floppy in CBM format.

I would prefer methode 2, cause it will be easier to do. And cause a similar solution is ready for 1581 as far as I know.

For writing floppies in CBM format, the X1541 cable and StarCommander works for every CBM floppy drive (1541,1571,...). StarCommander was last updated January, 2010, so it may be possible that it also works on Windows.

[nbla000]

I found a site pertaining to the C64SD, but again not much luck with how to obtain one.

In the web page there is the email to contact the author: manosoft@libero.it

I know that it is available at the moment.

[Diddl]

C64SD is same as µIEC and SD2IEC.


Maybe (I'm not sure) C64SD doesn't fit into VIC-20. It is made for C64 and I'm not sure VIC-20 has same distance between IEC and Tape interface.

[tokra]

C64SD is same as µIEC and SD2IEC.

I'm wondering: Why are there 3 different devices that are basically the same? Or does one or the other have any advantages the others don't?

[Diddl]

Each of the 3 devices use same firmware (SD2IEC firmware). But different people made a hardware (PCB) for it.


First there was MMC2IEC. It was created by Lars Pontoppidan at the beginning of 2007. It started as a port of the PIC-based 1541-III to the Atmel microcontroller family.

Shadowolf released a slighly modified version of the hardware.

Unseen made a new firmware for this Shadowwolf hardware: SD2IEC
SD2IEC firmware is developed better and better up to today.

As I finished Final Expansion 2 for VIC-20 the idea come up to integrate FE2 and SD2IEC. So FE3 was born, simply a combination of FE2 and SD2iEC, only connected by power supply and firmware ...

Jim Brain had µIEC, a compactflash (CF) based card and wanted to make a also a SD based card. So µIEC-SD was created, running with a SD2IEC firmware.

C64SD is a new hardware with a SD2IEC based firmware. It seems specialized to C64, cause of the direct plug idea no cable is nessecary.

[RobertBe]

Don't forget that there's the 1541-III.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 24-25 Commodore Vegas Expo 2010 - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[RobertBe]

Oops, a double-post.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
July 24-25 Commodore Vegas Expo 2010 - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

[nbla000]

C64SD is same as µIEC and SD2IEC.

Maybe (I'm not sure) C64SD doesn't fit into VIC-20. It is made for C64 and I'm not sure VIC-20 has same distance between IEC and Tape interface.

I'm wondering: Why are there 3 different devices that are basically the same? Or does one or the other have any advantages the others don't?

C64SD is basically a modified SD2IEC version that does not need power supply and serial cables, just plug it.

It fit on a C64 and Vic-20, there are demo videos on the webpage with both C64 and Vic-20.

Btw since it has a power plug too, it could be used with any other Commodore machine by using an external power supply like for SD2IEC or uIEC, you need also a special serial cable male-female of course.

I've suggested the author to sell this item in bundle with this cable so if you want to use the C64SD with a C16 for example just use a power supply and the cable while there is no sense to use these "accessory" for the C64 and the Vic-20 of course.