The Future
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- Vic 20 Scientist
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- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:51 pm
The Future
This is probably just naive idealism, but please indulge me.
If it's possible to build a new cartridge for the VIC, would it be possible to build a 1530 datasette or a 1540/1541 disk drive? Maybe even the VIC-20 itself? Certainly, it must be possible to build individual parts for the VIC and its peripherals.
If it's possible to build a new cartridge for the VIC, would it be possible to build a 1530 datasette or a 1540/1541 disk drive? Maybe even the VIC-20 itself? Certainly, it must be possible to build individual parts for the VIC and its peripherals.
Using an FPGA is building it in software (so to speak) but I think the OP was thinking of recreating the hardware and the answer is yes, sort of. Reproducing the boards isn't all that difficult but sourcing the chips, some of which are no longer made, could prove difficult. It's certainly doable though.
In the end it will be as if nothing ever happened.
Why would you like to manufacture new floppy drives and tape recorders? In particular tape recorders are thirteen a dozen at some places. I have like four or five spare 1530's right now. Give me a year, and I'm likely to double that figure without much trouble. Sure, those are all old and used, but as long as they still work there is not much to complain about.
Anders Carlsson
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- Vic 20 Scientist
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I wasn't complaining. I was just thinking about the long-term future; VIC hardware isn't getting any younger (some of the stuff was made before I was even born - and I'm 27). Whenever I turn on my VIC, I'm always sweating over wear-and-tear. This is mainly out of ignorance, but I'm working on it.
Since you mentioned the datasette, I just bidded for another one on e-bay. It's broken (the play button is jammed), but I'm kind of intrigued by the challenge.
Since you mentioned the datasette, I just bidded for another one on e-bay. It's broken (the play button is jammed), but I'm kind of intrigued by the challenge.
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- Vic 20 Scientist
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My goodness. I could have just given you one for the price of the postage.English Invader wrote:Well, that's why I'm buying it. I figured the best way to learn how a datasette operates is by buying a broken one and dissecting it. That way, if and when my own datasette is in need of repair, I'll have some idea of what to do.
It is broken, i.e. the play button doesn't stay down but if you have the patience to hold it down it will work in every other respect.
If you lose this bid then send me a PM and we can work someting out.
There are only three kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those who can't.
Paul Lambert
Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
Paul Lambert
Berlin
Federal Republic of Germany
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- Vic 20 Hobbyist
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It's a cassette player. That's it.English Invader wrote:Well, that's why I'm buying it. I figured the best way to learn how a datasette operates is by buying a broken one and dissecting it. That way, if and when my own datasette is in need of repair, I'll have some idea of what to do.
Push play, the belt takes the motion of the motor to the gears to turn the tape. The PC board takes the signal read from the head and amplifies it to proper level to drive the circuitry on the VIC.
Press record and you engage a circuit that reduces the signal levels down from the computer, energizes the erase head, and the write head to put the data to the tape.
They are quite simple machines. A cheapo tape recorder from your local thrift store is 95% the same.
Call me a cheap bastard... I learned to fix things to save money... even surface mount soldering...
Visit my website: http://www.arcadecomponents.com
Visit my website: http://www.arcadecomponents.com
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- Vic 20 Scientist
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- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:51 pm
Why not look at a working one inside?
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
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- Vic 20 Scientist
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- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:51 pm
Actually, it's quite a bit more than that. While other computers had cassette decks that were just normal cassette player/recorders, the VIC-20 Datasette has some unique analogue to digital converters (and vice versa) and filtering circuitry in there. So what is sent to and from the datasette is not an amplified analogue signal, it's a true digital signal (like with a disk drive or printer).channelmaniac wrote:It's a cassette player. That's it.
Push play, the belt takes the motion of the motor to the gears to turn the tape. The PC board takes the signal read from the head and amplifies it to proper level to drive the circuitry on the VIC.
Press record and you engage a circuit that reduces the signal levels down from the computer, energizes the erase head, and the write head to put the data to the tape.
They are quite simple machines. A cheapo tape recorder from your local thrift store is 95% the same.
I think that's why Commodore datasettes are so much more reliable than those from other systems. I always got great performance from my datasette (while computer cassette decks seem to have a bad rap among Atari & TRS-80 ownders).
That said, I can't imagine too much going wrong with a datasette. Head misalignment, a broken drive belt, a shorted connection cable....things that are not too hard to fix.