My allmost new VIC-20
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My allmost new VIC-20
Hello everyone,
After my first VIC-20 worked fine, this forum inspired me to make some modifications on my VIC-20, which eventually lead to making a new one!
I planned on creating an NTSC VIC-20 in near mint condition (as in “used but has almost no signs of wear
After my first VIC-20 worked fine, this forum inspired me to make some modifications on my VIC-20, which eventually lead to making a new one!
I planned on creating an NTSC VIC-20 in near mint condition (as in “used but has almost no signs of wear
8-bit assimilation
Nice!
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
Thanks for those friendly responses!:)
Now I really regret that I drilled a lot of holes in my Commodore computer casings before I came up with this idea. Mostly for buttons, switches and LED’s.
Using the RESTORE-KEY as input and an RGB power LED as output leaves the work to be done at a minimum. However the original power LED has a more deep red glow than the new RGB LED. And when it‘s off, it look diffuse white.
When I push and hold the RESTORE-KEY, the arduino starts to count. Every 400 ms the color of the LED changes. Each color represents a different function. The first 400 ms, no actions are taken, so the RESTORE-KEY acts as usual.
The sequence is like this:
• RED = no action
• BLUE 100% = Final Expansion 3 RESET
• BLUE 50% = Normal RESET
• BLUE 10% = SD2IEC RESET
• YELLOW = Pause
• GREEN = KERNAL switch between JiffyDOS / CBM
• PURPLE = Cartridge off / on
• OFF = no action, sort of an escape if you change your mind.
When I turn on the VIC, I programmed the LED to cycle through the rainbow colors. That looks really cool.
There is a downside too, I discovered that the VIC-20 uses the RESTORE-KEY much more often than the C64. Luckily its mostly to reset a game or cartridge.
The Control Center is actually made from a stripped arduino. The simplest thing to begin with would probably be to control the reset line with the restore-key. It requires only an arduino, some wire and a soldering iron.
Now I really regret that I drilled a lot of holes in my Commodore computer casings before I came up with this idea. Mostly for buttons, switches and LED’s.
Using the RESTORE-KEY as input and an RGB power LED as output leaves the work to be done at a minimum. However the original power LED has a more deep red glow than the new RGB LED. And when it‘s off, it look diffuse white.
When I push and hold the RESTORE-KEY, the arduino starts to count. Every 400 ms the color of the LED changes. Each color represents a different function. The first 400 ms, no actions are taken, so the RESTORE-KEY acts as usual.
The sequence is like this:
• RED = no action
• BLUE 100% = Final Expansion 3 RESET
• BLUE 50% = Normal RESET
• BLUE 10% = SD2IEC RESET
• YELLOW = Pause
• GREEN = KERNAL switch between JiffyDOS / CBM
• PURPLE = Cartridge off / on
• OFF = no action, sort of an escape if you change your mind.
When I turn on the VIC, I programmed the LED to cycle through the rainbow colors. That looks really cool.
There is a downside too, I discovered that the VIC-20 uses the RESTORE-KEY much more often than the C64. Luckily its mostly to reset a game or cartridge.
The Control Center is actually made from a stripped arduino. The simplest thing to begin with would probably be to control the reset line with the restore-key. It requires only an arduino, some wire and a soldering iron.
8-bit assimilation
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A lot of love went into this hardware project -- nice!!
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
https://robert.hurst-ri.us/rob/retrocomputing
https://robert.hurst-ri.us/rob/retrocomputing
Tough question, but I think the fist one would fit best in (on) this case(ing). Do you agree?Muzz73 wrote:I have the first North American version and the second, world-wide version. Which would you prefer?
Oh yes, definitely! Despite I didn’t have a VIC-20 in the 80’s, I feel quite comfy with it.rhurst wrote:A lot of love went into this hardware project -- nice!!
8-bit assimilation
My next hardware project will probably be a PAL VC-20 with the same mods. I “planFD22 wrote:How about using some longer flyleads (where necessary) and putting all your 'dead-bug' fixtures in the empty space on the control board - you'd then have all the mods on one board (isolated from each other, of course) which you could fix in place somewhere convenient inside the case.
8-bit assimilation