Dios las prefiere PETs

Volví de viaje. Llego a casa con ansias de encontrarme con la Commodore Plus/4 que había pedido por Ebay. El email decía que la habían dejado en la puerta de casa el viernes a las 3:54pm. Yo llegué a casa el sábado a las 11:58am. La busqué pero no la encontré. Ni en la puerta de casa. Ni en ningún lado. (Vaya sorpresa se habrá llevado el ladronzuelo al abrir la caja). ...

August 6, 2017 · 2 min · ricardoquesada

Long time no see: UniJoystiCle for all platforms

I’ve been busy. I still have no spare time to work on my retro projects, but I have a plan. And it can’t fail. I plan to port the UniJoystiCle + The Uni Games to the following platforms: Commodore VIC 20: UniJoystiCle (single joystick) + The Uni Games Commodore PET: UniJoystiCle in expansion port (single joystick) + The Uni Games Commodore 128: UniJoystiCle (same as the C64) + The Uni Games in VCD mode using the Z80 CPU Tandy 1000: UniJoystiCle + The Uni Games (graphics mode 320x200 16 colors) Commodore 64: Add paddle support to the UniJoystiCle The plan is that I have to live forever and my brain should not deteriorate. ...

August 6, 2017 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

Commodore 64 Assembly Tutorial

A few months ago we released the Argentine Songbook Vol. 1 chipdisk. And recently we released its source code including: Full source code (the assembly files + makefiles + everything…) Full audio sources (the SidWizard files) And we also wrote a tutorial about how to write a chipdisk, including all the tricks that we used. C64 Assembly Tutorial (english) C64 Assembly Tutorial (spanish) Full source code If you have doubts/questions about it, let us know! ...

March 16, 2017 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

VChar64 v0.2.2 released and other news

VChar64 v0.2.2 released Download: Mac: vchar64-0.2.2.mac.dmg Win32: vchar64-0.2.2.win32.zip Source code: https://github.com/ricardoquesada/vchar64/ Release notes here: https://github.com/ricardoquesada/vchar64/releases/tag/0.2.2 UniJoystiCle news I started working on the paddle/mouse support. I’m using an ESP32 instead of the ESP8266. Progress is documented here (spanish): UniJoystiCle + Paddle/Mouse support progress Commodore Home news It was featured in Hack-a-day. Yay! https://hackaday.com/2016/11/20/commodore-home-your-smart-home-for-1983/ It won the 3rd prize in the Retro Challenge (winning Issue #1 of Eight Bit magazine). Yay! http://www.retrochallenge.org/

January 8, 2017 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

The UniJoystiCle v0.4 released

Christmas is coming. Treat yourself with The UniJoystiCle v0.4, and be the cool kid in the block by playing The Uni Games like a pro (that’s it with real unicycles!): Highlights of v0.4 WiFi Device Smaller real estate: Fits in all C64/128 models, including the C128D / SX-64 machines Using Wemos D1 Mini instead of NodeMCU Blue instead of red Firmware New WiFi modes: Station and WPS modes Auto-reset joystick state after inactivity timeout Online-firmware update Stats: How many joystick movements How many seconds spent in joystick movements Clients Android Client: Yay, Android has its own client. Similar to iOS, but without the Gyruss mode. Supports any Android game controller like OUYA, Amazon Fire, Moya, etc. Desktop Client: Supports Dpad, Commando and Commodore Home modes Windows version: Supports any Xinput game controller(like the Xbox 360 or newer controllers) Mac version: Supports any MFi game controller iOS Client: Added Commodore Home mode Supports both MFi and iCade game controllers Read the complete Changelog here. ...

November 28, 2016 · 2 min · ricardoquesada

UniJoystiCle v0.4.0-RC released!

UniJoystiCle v0.4.0-RC (Release Candidate) released. Mega update! Download: iOS client v0.4.6: App Store Android client v0.4.10: Google Play macOS client v0.4.0: UniJoystiCle Controller.dmg win32 client v0.4.0: unijoysticle_controller.win32.zip Firmware v0.4.5: unijoysticle_firmware.bin Source code + schematic + layout:https://github.com/ricardoquesada/unijoysticle Latest versions can be downloaded from here:http://ricardoquesada.github.io/unijoysticle/ Summary: Use your Xbox game controllers to play C64 games! (from the Win32 client) Use any iOS or Android game controller to play C64 games! (from the iOS / Android client) Play games like Commando and Turrican II by only using your game controller. “Space” is mapped to button “B”. There is no need to press the “spacebar”. Put your device in Station mode (share your local Wifi network). Full Changelog: ...

November 8, 2016 · 3 min · ricardoquesada

RetroChallenge: announcing Commodore Home

Home automation for the masses, not the classes We need to build computers for the masses, not the classes - Jack Tramiel, Commodore founder A: Commodore 64 computer running the “Commodore Home” application B: UniJoystiCle WiFi device connected to the joystick ports C: Alarm sensor using a WiFi device D: Smartphone running the UniJoystiCle Controller app with the Commodore Home plugin E: Commodore MPS 803 printer F: Pulleys + gears connected to the printer header + dimmer knot About Why pay hundreds of dollars to automate your home, when you can automate it for free with existing tools/computers that you might already have in your garage? ...

October 31, 2016 · 6 min · ricardoquesada

RetroChallenge: Update #3

What’s new since last update: Gears to control the dimmer kind of working. They are somewhat fragile ATM. Desktop UniJoystiCle Controller working. TODO: Add adapter to header printer so that it can move the dimmer User port-power supply cable the for SX-64 Voice-recognition for the mobile client: “Hey Commodore, turn off the light”. Optional feature: ...

October 21, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

RetroChallenge: C64 I.D.IoT.R Update #2

Ordered a rubber belt + pulley to control the dimmer from the printer header New UniJoystiCle PCB arrived (v0.4.0). I assembled one and works Ok both on the SX64 and the C128D. I just need to create a “user port” power cable for the SX64 since it doesn’t have a datasette port. Started the UniJoystiCle desktop client in order to control the dimmer from the PC/Mac. TODO: UniJoystiCle Desktop Client: Linear Mode, finish it. UniJoystiCle Desktop Client: Commando Mode, finish it (although not needed for the dimmer) UniJoystiCle Desktop Client: DPad Mode, finish it (although not needed for the dimmer) Assemble the rubber belt + pulley and connect it to the printer header Create user-port power cable to be used with the SX64 for the UniJoystiCle WiFi module C64 I.D.IoT.R app: Add voice, probably using SAM or similar. UniJoystiCle iOS/Android Client: Support voice commands in Linear Mode so people can say: “Ok Commodore, turn on the lights” Quick and Easy: Just support keyboard input More complex but more “professional”: Add api.ai support And I guess that’s it. ...

October 15, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

RetroChallenge: Building the C64 I.D.IoT.R

I started building the C64 I.D.IoT.R a few months ago, but never finished it. What better than to finish it for the Retro Challenge contest. C64 I.D.IoT.R is a smart light controlled from a C64. Its name means: C64: Commodore 64 I: Intelligent D: Dimmer IoT: Internet Of Things: R: RRRRR What I have done so far is this: (and is not part of the contest since I built it two months ago): ...

October 7, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada