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Info for c65


====== Commodore C65 (1991) ======




===== Features =====

* CPU: CSG4510 1.02 or 3.5 MHz depending models
* Co-Processor: Commodore CSG 4567 enhanced VIC chip (Video), Commodore CSG8580 SID chips (Sound)
* RAM: 128 KB (DRAM), externally expandable from additional 512K bytes to 4MB
* ROM: 128 KB (including C64 Kernel and BASIC 2.2, C65 Kernel, Editor, BASIC 10.0, ML Monitor (like C128), DOS v10)
* Text Modes: 40 x 25 (C64 Mode), 80 x 25 (with blink, bold and underline attributes)
* Graphic Modes: All C64 modes (320 x 200 bitmap mode) + 320 / 640 / 1280 x 200 / 400 in 2, 4 or 8 planes, interlaces and non-interlaced
* Colors: Programmable 256-color RAM palette, with 16 intensity levels per primary color (yielding 4096 colors)
* Sound: Dual 8580r5 SID Sound chips. 6 voices, 3 per channel
* I/O Ports: RF video output jack, Analog video RGB port (DB-9), Composite video/audio port, Joystick (2), Cartridge slot, Tape, Serial bus port, User Port (RS232 compatible), RAM Expansion port, External floppy drive port, 2 x controller ports, Stereo audio output
* Keyboard: 77 keys, including standard C64 keyboard + 8 function keys, TAB, Escape , ALT, CAPS Lock, no scroll, help
* Built In Media: Built-in 3.5" double sided, 1MB MFM capacity drive
* Built In Language: Basic 10.0



===== Usage =====

== Keys ==

Mind that some PC-Keyboards does not behave well when special two or more keys are pressed at the same time (with my keyboard printscreen clears the pressed pause key!)

Remember also the following functions:
* "shift-cbm" switches between upper-only and normal character set (when wrong characters on screen this can help)
* "run" (shift-stop) loads program from type and starts it

== Lightpen ==

Emulated trhough Paddle 5 x-axis, Paddle 6 y-axis.

== Floppies ==

Only file load from drive 10 and 11 implemented. You can load a program file from the ROM directory (*.prg,*.p00)

This must NOT be specified on command line, start the C128 emulation with no images specified

The directory command
LOAD"$",10
is supported when using .d64 images.

Within the emulation, basic programs can be loaded with:
LOAD"filename",10

Machine language programs can be loaded to their address with:
LOAD"filename",10,1

When a program is loaded, type
RUN
or the appropriate SYS call to start it.

Note that several programs rely on more features not currently emulated (such as loading other file types, writing...) Some games also rely on starting programs in the floppy drive's processor (and therefore CPU level emulation of the 1541 is needed).

== Quickloader ==

.prg and .p00 files supported. It loads program into memory and sets program end pointer (works with most programs). In this case, programs are ready to get started with RUN. It loads first ROM when you press quickload key (numeric slash)

When you encounter problems, start the program with -log and look into error.log file



===== Known Issues =====

* rasterline based video system: quick modified vic6567/c64 video chip, no support for enhanced features, only 80 column mode, no CPU holding, imperfect scrolling support (when 40 columns or 25 lines), lightpen support not finished, rasterline not finished
* no sound
* cia6526's look in machine/cia6526.c
* keyboard
* gameport a: paddles 1,2; joystick 1; 2 button joystick/mouse joystick emulation; no mouse; lightpen (not finished)
* gameport b: paddles 3,4; joystick 2; 2 button joystick/mouse joystick emulation; no mouse
* serial bus: simple disk drives (device 10 and 11, hang in c64 mode!), no printer or other devices
* expansion modules: none (did there any exist?)
* expansion modules c64 (adapter needed): ultimax ROM cartridges not working; ROM cartridges (exrom) not working; no other ROM cartridges (bankswitching logic in it, switching exrom, game); no ieee488 support; no cpm cartridge; no speech cartridge (no circuit diagram found); no fm sound cartridge; no other expansion modules
* no userport: no rs232/v.24 interface

MESS supports various revisions of c65: v0.9.910111, v0.9.910523, v0.9.910626, v0.9.910828,
v0.9.911001. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,

"-bios 0" or "-bios 910111" = v0.9.910111

"-bios 1" or "-bios 910523" = v0.9.910523

"-bios 2" or "-bios 910626" = v0.9.910626

"-bios 3" or "-bios 910828" = v0.9.910828

"-bios 4" or "-bios 911001" = v0.9.911001



===== History and Trivia =====

Another case of vaporware! In the end of 1990, Commodore decided to create a successor for the famous C64. They worked on a prototype called C64 DX then C65.

The C65 had new great features: a very special version of the 7510 with lot of new opcodes, great graphic modes (better than the Atari ST or the Amiga!) and a great new processor: the DMA / Blitter. This chip can be programmed with a list of instructions to copy or set
blocks of memory.

The machine was meant to be fully compatible with the C64, but it wasn't. A special key was added on the keyboard to switch between the two modes (C64 / C65).

The development of this machine was stopped (apparently because of problems with the VIC III controller and because of the cost of this computer), and because of the success of the Amiga (Notice that the C65 case looks like the Amiga one!).

Commodore produced about 50 C65's, the first ones display C64DX at boot, the latest display C65.

//(info from old-computers.com)//



===== Links =====

* Commodore C65 prototype page -- http://www.heimcomputer.de/english/comp/c65.html
* [[http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/65.html|C65 at Secret Weapons of Commodore
* Toxic Waste's Commodore C65 Information Page -- http://www.toxic-waste.de/c65/
* www.c65.org -- http://www.onlinekunst.de/c65/
* C65 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=273




Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009