VChar64 v0.1.0 released

This is mostly a bug-fix release, focused on improving the workflow. Download: Mac: vchar64-0.1.0.mac.dmg Win32: vchar64-0.1.0.win32.zip Source code: https://github.com/ricardoquesada/vchar64 Changes: [NEW] Export: saves exported addresses in vcharproj file. Increased version to 3 [BUGFIX] Compiles on Ubuntu 16.04 [BUGFIX] Export: Export As shows most recent export addresses [BUGFIX] Export: generates an Undo event only if it is different than previous state [BUGFIX] Save: sets the Undo Stack as clean, but doesn’t clear it [BUGFIX] Save: saved files are appended to the recent files entry [BUGFIX] Recent Files: Non existing entries appear as disabled [BUGFIX] Multicolor: radios are enabled/disabled accordingly [BUGFIX] Multicolor: copy & paste updates multicolor as well Changes in the binaries: ...

July 15, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

UniJoystiCle v0.2.1 released

[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“480”] v0.2.1 powered from a battery. Can be powered from USB as well[/caption] Changes in v0.2.1: Commodore 64 works Ok when the UniJoystiCle board is unpowered. The issue was that the 4066 chips were in an unknown state when they were unpowered. In v0.2.1 the 4066 ICs get power from the C64 Joy #2 port Smaller holes for the DC Jack making it compatible with “common” DC Jacks. Unfortunately, v0.2.1 has a bug, and the way to fix it is to cut the 3v3 trace that comes from the NodeMCU. ...

June 30, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

Repairing the Commodore 1581 floppy disk drive. Part 2

I assumed that the Commodore 1581 was failing because of a bad WD1772 IC (as documented in Part I). So I ordered a WD1772 replacement + the IC socket, I developed some basic desoldering skills, watched some desoldering videos, and also got a cheap desoldering iron from Radio Shack: So, I removed the board from the Commodore 1581 and started to desolder the IC. To my surprise the $11-buck desolder iron worked pretty well. I was able to remove all the solder from the the pins in a few minutes. The desolder iron just takes some time to reach the needed temperature, but besides that, it seems to be a great tool for occasional desoldering tasks (a hobbyist desoldering iron cost more than $250) ...

June 19, 2016 · 2 min · ricardoquesada

UniJoystiCle v0.2 released

Download(firmware, iOS client and schematics + board): https://github.com/ricardoquesada/unijoysticle Changes in v2.0: [NEW] - ESP8266 Schematic: PCB board version. Protoboard version deprecated [NEW] - ESP8266 Schematic: Added EAGLE board and schematic files. Fritzing diagrams deprecated [NEW] - ESP8266 device: supports 2 joysticks (uses three 4066 ICs instead of two [NEW] - ESP8266 firmware uses AP mode by default. Uses SSID “unijosyticle” + last 2 bytes of mac address [NEW] - iOS Client: Can be configured to use either joystick port [NEW] - iOS Client: Auto-discover ESP8266 firmware using mDNS [NEW] - iOS Client: UniJoystiCle mode also supports up, down and fire (jump) [FIX] - iOS Client: Uses correct aspect rations in all iPhones: 4, 5, 6 and 6+ [FIX] - iOS Client: D-Pad mode uses arrows + circle instead of colored squares [FIX] - iOS Client: D-Pad mode highlights buttons when they are pressed [FIX] - Name: Renamed project from Uni-Joysti-Cle to UniJoystiCle (easier to search, shorter to type) [FIX] - ESP8266 device: replaced NodeMCU LoLin with NodeMCU Amica since it is breadboard friendly. [FIX] - Sophisticated Glue Material: Uses gaffer tape, instead of duct tape

June 13, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

The quest for the sacred diskettes

My Sacred Diskettes. In 1986 (or was it 1987?) I got my first computer, a Commodore 64. I started learning BASIC and during ‘87 and ‘88 I created some very simple games. Somewhere in ‘88 I started learning assembly language ( machine language to be precise), but I don’t recall coding any game using this language. If so, it must have probably been due to the fact that I lacked a good monitor. ...

June 6, 2016 · 4 min · ricardoquesada

Finally, a Drean Commodore 64c

As a kid, I always avoided the Drean Commodore. I didn’t like them because they were not compatible with the NTSC software. As an adult, I really wanted one basically because I’m from Argentina, and the Drean was produced in Argentina. And I want to make sure that all the software that I develop works on a Drean. And in my lastest trip to Argentina I was able to get one :-) The condition of the computer is Ok, neither great nor terrible. It works, although I need to do more tests. Here are some photos: ...

June 2, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

¡Arriba las Manos! (Hands up!) music disk for the c64

A few weeks ago, we, the Pungas de Villa Martelli, released “¡Arriba las Manos!”, a music disk for the Commodore 64. It includes ten 8-bit songs, an animated hi-res graphic, an easter-egg, and you can control it with a joystick, or a mouse or the keyboard! Not even Apple puts so much love in the UX like us (the future is the c64!) ...

May 30, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

UniJoystiCle: Giving Eagle a try

I like Fritzing. I think it is great for small projects and it is very easy to use. But it has its limitations when creating the PCB, mostly because its component library is not very complete. Eagle, on the other hand, is more difficult to use. But its component library is very polished. Also, companies like Adafruit and SparkFun create components for Eagle, so that is a big plus if you purchase components from them. ...

April 26, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

UniJoystiCle v0.2 coming soon

UniJoystiCle v0.2 coming soon. Changes in v0.2: [NEW] - ESP8266 device: supports 2 joysticks (uses three 4066 ICs instead of two [NEW] - ESP8266 firmware uses AP mode by default. Uses SSID “unijosyticle” + last 2 bytes of mac address [NEW] - iOS Client: Can be configured to use either joystick port [NEW] - iOS Client: Auto-discover ESP8266 firmware using mDNS [NEW] - iOS Client: UniJoystiCle mode also supports up, down and fire (jump) [FIX] - Name: Renamed project from Uni-Joysti-Cle to UniJoystiCle (easier to search, shorter to type) [FIX] - ESP8266 device: replaced NodeMCU LoLin with NodeMCU Amica [FIX] - Sophisticated Glue Material: Uses gaffer tape, instead of duct tape ...

April 23, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada

VChar64 v0.0.13 released

Download: Mac: vchar64-0.0.13.mac.dmg Win32: vchar64-0.0.13.win32.zip Source code: https://github.com/ricardoquesada/vchar64 Changelog: [NEW] Charset and Tilset widgets have grid and zoom levels [NEW] Map Widget: can enter tiles by using the keyboard [NEW] Map Widget: can enter tiles by using ALT + tile_number [NEW] Beeps are only played when there is an error. Before two beeps were used on errors. Now a single beep. [BUGFIX] Export: uses the name of recently saved project [BUGFIX] Export Dialog: tab-order fixed [BUGFIX] Copy/Paste: doesn’t allow copy paste invalid buffers [BUGFIX] Cut: works as expected when using “inverse” range state->cut() no longer receives an offset since the offset is taken from the range [BUGFIX] Cut: doesn’t crash if cut is triggered when no window has focus [BUGFIX] Map widget: selecting with keyboard for the first time works as expected [BUGFIX] Maps scrolls normal speed (even big maps) [BUGFIX] TilesetWidget and CharsetWidget use zoomLevel to instead of pixelSize for zooming. Faster and less memory(?) [BUGFIX] Resizing maps works as expected [BUGFIX] Displays correct tile in map when tile is resized. Doesn’t crash on debug mode as well.

April 15, 2016 · 1 min · ricardoquesada