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: ...
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. ...
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): ...
VChar64 v0.2.0 is available for download: Win32: vchar64-0.2.0.win32.zip Mac: vchar64-0.2.0.mac.dmg New “VICE Import Snapshot” dialog. Changes: [NEW] Issue #13: Import VICE Snapshot supports importing maps as well [NEW] Issue #14: Possibility to restore the last open files at launch. Enabled by default [NEW] Issue #17: Added “File -> Clone Current Project” [NEW] Auto Update: Check if there is a new version every 7 days. Enabled by default [BUGFIX] Issue #11: Doesn’t crash when clicking radios on empty Koa file [BUGFIX] Issue #15: Menu->Colors->Multicolor are enabled/disabled as expected [BUGFIX] Issue #16: Map/Charset/Tileset: Backward selection works as expected [BUGFIX] Opening an already-open file will activate that window instead of opening a duplicate tab [BUGFIX] Moves references to retro.moe/pungas.space from empty charset to About dialog [BUGFIX] Fix memory leak when deleting a State instance [BUGFIX] Fix crash when using the Map widget with no open documents [BUGFIX] Settings code unified in Preferences code. OpenLastDir settings bug fixed
Here are more UniJoystiCle videos: Showing how to play C64 games using a real Game Controller via the UniJoystiCle: Showing how to play Gyruss using the UniJoystiCle Gyruss mode: ...
Two weeks ago I attended the Commodore Vegas Expo XII, and last week I’ve been at the Vintage Computer Festival West XI. CommVEx XII As the name describes it, it was a Commodore Expo in Las Vegas. But the format is a mix between conference and expo. It is a real expo, but with the social part of a conference. It is friendly and casual. People give talks in a very informal way. I gave a talk + live demo about the UniJoystiCle. Everything went well except that in the middle of the demo my phone’s glass broke. But that wasn’t an issue since the accelerometer kept working. ...
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: ...
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 and 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 pins in a few minutes. ...
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. ...
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: ...