directly connecting C64 to PC

Disk drives, Monitors, SuperCPU etc.
Banana
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directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by Banana »

What is the easiest way for me to connect my C64 to a PC by cable (not SD cards)?
Can I then browse each others folders?


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Gyro Gearloose
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by Gyro Gearloose »

You can use the serial port but the 64 doesn't really have a standard serial port, you'll need at least a level converter to get real RS-232 voltages.
Then the question is, what folders? The 64 doesn't have anything like folders, it's just a CPU. The drives are computers by themselves and you can connect them to a PC with a parallel port adapter. And Commodore DOS doesn't really have folders, even the advanced 1581 only has clunky "partitions".

You can get a 64 cartridge with an Ethernet port and maybe use something like Lunix to connect to a LAN?
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by Banana »

My end result is to transfer files from the PC to the C64 that I can then save on disks, and the other way around, be able to save programs directly on the PC.
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by eslapion »

Banana wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:19 am My end result is to transfer files from the PC to the C64 that I can then save on disks, and the other way around, be able to save programs directly on the PC.
You're expressing two very different objectives here. The end result you want to achieve is very different from...
What is the easiest way for me to connect my C64 to a PC by cable (not SD cards)?
Can I then browse each others folders?
There used to be a product called 64HDD which allowed you to use an old PC (parallel port required) as a form of hard drive for the C64. It was limited to the standard Commodore IEC bus transfer speed and it was quite clunky. People used old 486 era PCs for this sort of application and a parallel port to IEC cable.

However, modern PCs don't have a parallel port, they use Windows which won't allow a specific program to take complete control of the machine for real time activity and they mostly have USB ports which are orders of magnitude faster than anything a C64 can communicate at.

You can use a XUM1541 (or it's improved cousin ZoomFloppy) interface to attach a 1541/1571/1581 disk drive to a PC to save files from PC to an actual 5.25"/3.5" disk or to read files from real floppy to PC. IMHO, it's actually better than using SD cards because it will also work on VIC-20, C16 and Plus/4 computers. Added edit: PET computers too!

You can use DirMaster on the PC to edit the content of .D64 images and import/export files for use on various PC emulators.

However, if you want to use copy protected disk/images (usually in .G64) then the SD card/USB key avenue pretty much can't be avoided.
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by Banana »

Thanks, the XUM1541 sounds like it can do what I want!
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by Banana »

Also this seems like a nice solution, although not 100% what I'm looking for. Anyone know anything about these 2 devices?

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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by banman »

Hi Banana,


I have an XA1541 and use it with an old laptop that has the old style parallel printer port.
IMG_20210216_195936.jpg
IMG_20210216_195835.jpg


I got it on eBay from a guy from Spain called Kopsec. I found him very easy to buy from.

https://ebay.com.au/usr/kopsec

Looks like he's not selling much at the moment. It wouldn't hurt to ask him about it. I'm sure he's got stuff if you ask.

I actually got him to sent me out a cassette tape adapter as well. Both as kits. I pressed him to make up a custom cassette tape adapter kit.

I wanted to build them myself. He sent me all the building documents as pdf's. Very quick delivery.
The cassette is powered from a USB b type port on the adaptor.

These work very well by the way too. Very happy. I have had them for some years now.

I mainly use it for hooking up disk drives and Commodore cassette players to the laptop. I find it useful for testing purposes on the hardware.

I use VICE to access the hardware directly as well as a Windows program called CBM Transfer.

IMG_20210216_201241.jpg
I think you can use HDD64 with them as well to connect to a C64. Though I never got that far.
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by Banana »

Thanks! I no longer have a PC with that type of port. I have one with RS232 and of course USB
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by banman »

Not sure why these photos are upside down :shock:

IMG_20210216_201338.jpg
IMG_20210216_195856.jpg
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Re: directly connecting C64 to PC

Post by banman »

Hi Banana,

Do a dumpster dive... I'm sure some relative has an old one laying around the house.

I think you can get usb to parallel cables off your favourite web site....

There's not a whole lot of circuitry in these XA1541cables. I'm very much a hobbyist. I made these up myself from a kit. Very satisfying to make up......
Last edited by banman on Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:07 am, edited 3 times in total.
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