Any Interesting Uses for the User Port?

Ihavenousername · Post by **Ihavenousername** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:34 am

I've heard allot about the VICs user port having many uses, but so far I haven't really seen many things built to use it except for the VICmodem.

So my question is, does anyone here have anything interesting they've built to use with the user port, or any good uses for it? I would love to see some of the things people have came up for to work with it.

Diddl · Post by **Diddl** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:57 am

Userport ist very weak and easy to damage.

So I have seen some cards with relays and transistors to switch/control anything. Or measure something.

Today everybody take a cheap controller to do such things.

But it is easy in BASIC to visualize something or to enter some data for a process. So it makes sense to combine a modern controller with a VIC.

I have made a connection between VIC and a Atmega 8 via the userport. So my VIC has

+ a real fast serial port (RS232)

+ a I2C interface

+ sturdy IO ports

+ analog in

+ and a very fast "co-processor"

Pedro Lambrini · Post by **Pedro Lambrini** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:59 am

I haven't made anything but I do have the Stack Light Rifle which connects to the User Port. It's actually pretty good and I do play with it every once in a while. I'm a light gun game whore and it's always good to go back and play some of the old stuff.

In fact, I really wish somebody would make a new game for it...but that's never going to happen!

TBCVIC · Post by **TBCVIC** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:10 pm

Hm, sounds fun, I'd like a gun for my Vic, then I'd make a game for it

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:40 pm

The Protovison 4-Player Joystick adapter should work on the VIC as well (giving you three joystick ports total), but there are no VIC games that support it.

Pedro Lambrini · Post by **Pedro Lambrini** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:47 pm

Schema wrote:The Protovison 4-Player Joystick adapter should work on the VIC as well (giving you three joystick ports total), but there are no VIC games that support it.

Ooh, I've never thought of that. Somebody here must have one to try...

I'm not so bothered about multi-player games as nobody I know is remotely interested in playing on the Vic but I'd be interested to see what else could be done with it (maybe plug in one of the Quickjoy foot pedals for extra game buttons away from the keyboard, or 2 joysticks for tank controls...?)

Schema · Post by **Schema** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 2:28 pm

Pedro Lambrini wrote:Ooh, I've never thought of that. Somebody here must have one to try...

I have one somewhere, but I've got too much on the go already to write a test program. They're inexpensive if someone wants to try, or borrow mine.

6502dude · Post by **6502dude** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:26 pm

I built home alarm system based on user port many, many years ago.

Even though I have a bunch of 6522s (in case one becomes defective), and they are still available from WDC, I would rather use cartridge port for any control system projects these days.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 3:37 am

I believe the Protovision adapter has been discussed before, and how it compares with the OEM joystick adapter. Unfortunately they don't work in the same way, and although the OEM cartridges are rare (but most of them dumped), they supposedly support a joystick adapter. However one would need to wire it according to OEM's design, not Protovision IIRC.

eslapion · Post by **eslapion** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:50 am

I have a Promenade C1 EPROM programmer... works both on the VIC and 64 and it uses the user port.

orion70 · Post by **orion70** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:37 pm

Ihavenousername wrote:So my question is, does anyone here have anything interesting they've built to use with the user port, or any good uses for it?

Weather prediction? Geez, I'd love to have one of those devices...

Commander#1 · Post by **Commander#1** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:49 pm

As a matter of fact - YES !

.
I originally picked up my VIC to control a very large model ship. And now I'm adding my large scale outdoor model
railroad. Several years ago, I ran across some books that pointed in that direction, so, I picked them up. The books
are:
1. "Electronic Circuits for the Computer Control of Model Railways", authored by R. A. Penfold, published by "Bernard
Babani (publishing) LTD, The Grampians, Shepherds Bush Road, London W6 7NF, England", c/r 1987.
2. "Electronic Circuits for the Computer control of Robots", Ibid, 1986, reprinted May 1988.
3. "Easy Add-on Projects for Commodore 64, VIC-20, BBC Micro & Acorn Electron", authored by Owen Bishop, Ibid, 1985.
In order to get in and out of the user's port, you'll need a plug-in printed circuit board (pcb), 12 x 12 (24) lands spaced
.156 in. (3.96mm) apart that matches the ports connector. This gives entrance to the interface board you will need to
construct. If your needs are simple, then, the 8 I/O lines will suffice. But, if your like me, and you have lots of things
going on, then you'll need to make a few of the I/O lines into a serial port - it's not fast, but it works (about 40 - 50 bits a
second - that's programing with BASIC). The VIC does have RS232 capabilities, but that requires
assembly/machine language programing - something I am not able to do right now. Give the board it's own power
supply (a 7805 works just fine) and connect the grounds together - the VIC doesn't have quite enough UMPH for the
added circuits.
Let me know what your thinking and maybe we can work something out. Until later --
.
Phil Potter.

Denial

Any Interesting Uses for the User Port?

Any Interesting Uses for the User Port?

Re: Any Interesting Uses for the User Port?

Any interesting uses for the user port