Internet Info 1993/Internet Info CD-ROM (Walnut Creek) (1993).iso/answers/comp/commodore/main-faq/part2

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From: [e-mail] (Jim Brain)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm,comp.answers,news.answers
Subject: COMP.SYS.CBM: General FAQ, v2.0 Part 2/2
Followup-To: comp.sys.cbm
Date: 7 Apr 1994 13:44:18 GMT
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Summary: This posting contains answers to questions that commonly surface in
         comp.sys.cbm.  This posting will tell you enough to get your
         computer connected to a network, fixed, and/or enhanced.  This file
         should be read by new users of comp.sys.cbm before posting to the
         group.  It should also be proofread by users who are currently
         active in comp.sys.cbm.
Keywords: CBM FAQ Help List C64 C128 VIC Modem
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Archive-name: cbm-main-faq.2.0.p2
Comp-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part2
News-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part2
Comp-sys-cbm-archive-name: main-faq/part2
Version: 2.0
Last-modified: 1994/03/21


+  6. Publications

+  6.1.  What paper publications are available?

  There are a number of publications which are specifically geared to
  information associated with the C64 and C128.

  THE DEAD LIST

  The following magazines have died:  AHOY,RUN,COMMODORE,TRANSACTOR.  Back
  issues that can be found are a treasure trove of good information.

  The Transactor

  Sure, it's dead, and has been for a few years, but this one was a classic.
  Calling itself the magazine for Commodore programmers, this magazine was
  enough to make any C64/C128 programmer drool.  Featuring in-depth technical
  information and programming tutorials, as well as "out-of-the-way" topics
  (things along the line of Richard Curcio's 256K and 512K articles that
  appeared in TC128).  If you are a programmer, and can get your hands on
  back issues of this magazine, do so.

  Micro-Bytes

  As of 25-May-1992, Parsec, Inc. has taken over the
  distribution of MB products, and back issues.
  More information about MB can be found in the /pub/cbm/micro-bytes
  directory on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca


+ THE LIVE LIST

  Twin Cities 128 (TC128)

  Twin Cities 128 (TC128)
| Parsec, Inc.
| PO BOX 111
| Salem MA 09170-0111, USA.
  Twin Cities 128 is (as of issue #29) published by Parsec, Inc.  It features
  Commodore 128 specific information, and attempts to cater to readers at all
  levels of experience, not just novices.  Additionally, starting with Issue
  #31(February/March 1991), Twin Cities 128 comes with a companion disk.

  A subscription to TC128 in the US is $20 ($36.50 with disk), outside the US
| is $26 ($46.50 with disk).  Mail the check payable in US funds.

  geoVISION International

  geoVISION International
  816 Southeast Polk Street
  Camas, Wa  98607
+ Geos publication devoted to that subject exclusively. Subscription $21
+ for six issues. $4 for a sample issue. Disk subscriptions are $30 for
+ 6 disks or $5.50 for a single disk.

+ dieHard

+ dieHard subscriptions
+ P.O. Box 392
+ Boise, Idaho 83701-0392
+ [phone] (Information)
+ Magazine devoted to all 8-bit Commodore computers.  $16.97 for 10 issues
+ or $49.97 for 10 issues including SPINNER companion disk. $2.95 for sample
+ magazine.

+ Commodore Network

+ Commodore Network Magazine
+ Warren Naismith
+ 9 Wadeson
+ St Cobram Vic, Australia  3150
+ This magazine comes out of Australia.  Please check the Address and correct
+ this listing if wrong.


+ Random

+ Random
+ 7161 North Main
+ Clovis, CA  93611

+ 64'er (German)

+ 64'er (German)
+ Markt & Technik Verlag
+ Hans-Pinsel-Str. 2
+ D-85538 Haar
+ [phone] (Voice)

  User Group Newsletters

  Your local user group newsletter is another source of commodore
  information.  Often, newsletters will reprint articles of other user
  groups, allowing information to spread further.  Many user group
  newsletters can be subscribed to in the mail.  (Is anyone interested in
  compiling a list of user group newsletters to which one can subscribe;
  send me mail at [e-mail].)

+ Try these out first.

+ The Main Commodore Club in the United Kingdom:

+ Independent Commodore Products User Group
+ Jack Cohen
+ ICPUG Membership Secretary
+ PO Box 1309
+ London, N3 2UT

+ It supports all Commodore computers and has a software library for each
+ of them. It also produces 6 Journals a year of approx 100 pages each.

+ Colorado Commodore Computer Club
+ 1192 S. Nome Street
+ Aurora, CO  80012
+ [phone]
+ Current club prez is Ron Snyder

+ Basic Bits Commodore Group
+ P.O. Box 39447
+ N. Ridgeville, OH 44039
+ A great users group with a great newsletter.  $10.00 per year associate
+ membership. $20.00 per year family membership.  Includes access to a
+ large public domain library.

+ Basic Bits Commodore Group
+ P.O. Box 81886
+ Cleveland, OH  44181-0886
+ [phone]
+ [phone]

+ Meeting 64/128 Users Through the Mail
+ 1576B County Road 2350 E.
+ St. Joseph, IL 61873
+ A very good users group. Has been around for 7 years. $15 per year
+ includes monthly newsletter.


+  6.2.  What is a Disk Magazine?  Where do I find them?

+ A disk magazine is a publication that comes out as a text file(s) on a
+ diskette.  You load the reader program on a computer and view the magazine
+ on the computer screen.

+ CEE-64 Alive!

+ CEE-64 Alive!
+ P.O. Box 232115
+ Sacramento, CA 95823
+ EMAIL [e-mail]  Magazine Editor

+ Demo disk is $3.00.  Subscription info:
+ Before March 15th       $25.00
+ After March 15th        $30.00

+ Back Issue Information:
+ Volume 1-5, ending 12-92     $20
+ Volume 1-6, ending 12-93     $25

+ Subscribers will receive 6 disk magazine issues pertaining to the C=64,
+ and 6 disks with "extra" material on it - shareware, P.D., data bases,
+ recipes, etc. for the 64, 128 and PLUS/4 computers.  Each issue will
+ also be accompanied by a printed newsletter.

  LodeStar

  SOFTDISK PUBLISHING
  P.O. BOX 30008
  SHREVEPORT, LA  71130-00008
  [phone] (Phone)
  [phone] (Fascimile)
+ A disk magazine that features C64/C128 programs. 3.5 or 5.25 disks.

+ COMPUTE'S Gazette

+ COMPUTE'S Gazette
+ P.O. BOX 3244
+ HARLAN, IA 51593-2424
+ [phone] (Subscription Number)
+ [e-mail] (Gazette Editor, Tom Netsel)
+ In addition to the usual columns by Jim Butterfield, Larry Cotton, and other
+ knowledgeable writers, each issue of the all new double-sided Gazette Disk
+ has original ready-to-run programs--no more typing in long program listings!
+ All documentation is included on disk. As a bonus, you'll also find a couple
+ of outstanding PD programs on each disk.

+ The price for a one year's subscription is only $29.95 for 12 issues ($42.75
+ in Canada; $39.95 in other countries.)

+ Programmers, Gazette is still interested in buying your best original
+ efforts. Send your programs with documentation to our editorial office:

+ Gazette Program Submissions
+ 324 W. Wendover Ave., Ste. 200,
+ Greensboro, NC 27408.


+  6.3.  What is an Online Magazine?  Where do I find them?

+ An online magazine is one which exists in a text file format and can be
+ downloaded like a regular file off the network by the user for browsing
+ and/or printing.

  Usenet C= Hacking Magazine

  An on-line magazine written by denizens of comp.sys.cbm, this features
  in-depth technical programming information on C64 and C128 computers.  The
  editor of C= Hacking is Craig Taylor ([e-mail]).  The
  issues of C= Hacking can be found on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca in the directory
  /pub/cbm/hacking.mag.  Back issues can be gotten from Craig Taylor's
  mail server.  He also posts a summary notice each month with what is
  currently there.


+  7. Exchanging Data

+  7.1.  Can I read IBM(tm) disks?

  Commodore computers use a disk format which is not compatible with the
  disk formats of other computers.  However, some programs exist which allow
  you to read foreign, specifically MS-DOS, disks.  Note that in general to
  do this, you must have either a 1571 or 1581 disk drive.  The 1541 cannot
  read MS-DOS disks without some hardware modifications.

  A commercial package, The Big Blue Reader, from SOGWAP software, runs on
  either a 64 or a 128, will read and write MS-DOS format 3.5" (with a 1581)
  and 5.25" (with a 1571) disks.

  Other freely distributable programs exist to read and write 5.25" MS-DOS
  disks.  One such program is Crosslink, (available on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca
  although it is limited to reading files 43K in size or smaller.  Finally,
  there are a few CP/M MS-DOS reading utilities that work in the C128's CP/M
  mode.

  RUN magazine (4/89 to 6/89) published a series of programs that would use
  1571/1581 drives to transfer MS-DOS files to and from a C= drive.  It is
  also limited in file size handling ~43-44K.

| Issues 4 and 5 of C= Hacking magazine presented a program called Little
| Red Reader for the 128 that will copy files to and from MS-DOS floppy
| disks.  The menu-driven program requires two disk drives to work, where the
| one containing the MS-DOS disk must be a 1571 or 1581 (or compatible).  The
| program does not buffer data internally, so the only size restriction on
| copying is the capacity of the target disk.  The program provides PETSCII/
| ASCII conversion but will work only with the root directories of MS-DOS
| disks.  The program is also available via FTP and is FREE.

+ To read and write to MS-DOS disks with 1541 disk drives you have to make a
+ small hardware modification. The 1541-dos package contains instructions on
+ how to modify Commodore 1541 and Oceanic OC-118/OC-118N disk drives, and
+ programs to read disks in MS-DOS format and to write to disks in a format
+ that can be read by MS-DOS computers.  The newest version of the package is
+ available via anonymous ftp on ftp.funet.fi in /pub/cbm/documents/1541-dos.


+  7.2.  Can my IBM(tm) computer read Commodore disks?

| To read CBM disks on an IBM, you can use the program x1541 available on
| ccnga.uwaterloo.ca in /pub/cbm/emulation.  This program uses the PC parallel
| port to emulate a C= serial port.  You need to have a unique cable built to
| make the connection.  The cable is connected to a 1541 drive.
| The documentation has a schematic for the cable.


+  7.3.  Are there other ways to exchange data between computers?

  NULL Modems

  If you are transferring data to another computer (e.g. a PC) in the same
  room, or if you are lucky enough to have a terminal server line near your
  64/128(more and more colleges are putting such beasts in dorm rooms), you
  be able to connect your serial port directly to another computer.  If you
  have a terminal server port, all you need is a C= RS232 to standard RS232
  adapter (see 9.8).  If you are connecting to another, PC, you will also
  need a null modem.  A null modem is a simple device that you can buy for
  less than $10.  It typically is a small box with a 25-pin (or 9-pin) RS232
  connector on either side.  Put it somewhere in the line between your C= and
  the other PC.


+  8. Operating Systems

+  8.1.  What Operating Systems are available?

+ Well, Commodore computers come with a standard operating system
+ built in ROM. They also contain a built in BASIC interpreter which is
+ normally activated after switching on or resetting the computer.
+ If you want alternative options to replace the existing OS, there are a few
+ that may suit your needs.  GEOS is the best known, but a number of people
+ have made UNIX-like operating system replacements for the Commodore 64 and
+ 128.  Also, on the 128, CP/M is available out-of-the-box. (see below for
+ details on different OS types.)


+  8.2.  What is GEOS?

+ GEOS stands for Graphical Environment Operating System.  It is a Graphical
+ User Interface (GUI) style of OS, and it brings to the Commodore 64 and 128
+ integrated applications.  The graphical nature of GEOS allows applications
+ to use fonts of any size, bitmaps, and menus and mice.  The system was
+ Designed by Berkeley Softworks, now GEOWorks, and is supported now by CMD.
+ There are a number of graphical style GEOS applications, like GEOWrite,
+ GEOPaint, GEOPublish, GEOTerm, etc.  The system is very easy to use, and
+ is very fast, even when comparing to other GUIs like Windows and OS/2.

  GEOS can make very effective use of a Ram Expansion Unit, a RAMDrive or
  RAMLink, or GEORam.  GEOS allows you to configure your REU to appear just
  like another (very fast) disk drive, although it does not keep its contents
  when you turn your computer off.  So, any GEOS software that works off of
  a disk will work out of your REU.  Since GEOS is very disk-intensive, this
  greatly improves the performance of your system.  Indeed, some firm GEOS
  adherents have said that they would not use GEOS without a RAM device of
  some sort.

  GEOS will not work with a stock 1700.  To have a RAM drive, in GEOS, you
  must have at least 256K of expansion.  Thanks to patches developed by Jim
  Collette(configure2.1), GEOS also supports 1 Meg, 1.5 Meg, and 2 Meg REUs.

  GEOS files are structured differently from standard Commodore files.  They
  cannot be uploaded or downloaded directly.  Before you upload a GEOS file,
  use the freeware GEOS application convert2.5 by W.C. Coleman to convert it
  to Commodore format.  When you download a GEOS file, you must use the same
  program to convert it to GEOS format.  By convention, GEOS format files
  converted to standard Commodore format have a .cvt on the end; however,
  many converted GEOS files just have the same name as the original GEOS file.
  As a rule of thumb, any GEOS file you download, regardless of the extension,
  must be converted to GEOS format with convert2.5.

  If you download an archive of GEOS files (e.g. a .arc or .sda file
  containing GEOS files), you must first dissolve the archive using your C64
  or C128 in native mode.  The constituents of the archive will be converted
  GEOS files, whether or not they have the .cvt extension.  Each of these
  constituents (which are GEOS files) must be individually converted to GEOS
  format with convert2.5.


+  8.3.  What is UNIX?

+ UNIX is an OS that was developed by Bell Laboratories in the 1960's and
+ is now used on many workstations.  It is a multi-user, multi-process
+ OS that has extensive support from the educational and commercial
+ communities.  Internet and Usenet are primarily a collection of UNIX
+ workstations networked together.  The UNIX-like OS replacements for
+ Commodore computers mainly emulate the shell of UNIX, where programs are
+ run by merely typing in their name.  Other aspects of UNIX, such as
+ multiple processes are supported by some of the offering, which are:

+      Asterix. - A UNIX-Look-and-feel Shell replacement for 64

+      UNIX128. - A small implementation of UNIX for the 128.

+      ACE 128/64. - A new offering which borrows the UNIX shell look for 64
+      and 128.  It is available at ftp.funet.fi in /pub/cbm/csbruce.


+ 8.4.  What is CP/M

+ CP/M stands for Control Program for Microcomputers and is available on
+ every Commodore 128.  There is also a CP/M cartridge available for the
+ Commodore 64, but it cannot read CP/M disks, just 1541 formatteddisks, and
+ there are questions concerning its ability to work with all revisions
+ of the Commodore 64.  CP/M was very popular in the early eighties before
+ MS-DOS became popular.  It requires a Z-80 microprocessor, which the 128
+ has, or an 8080 processor, and a disk drive capable of reading CP/M disks,
+ such as the 1571.  If you don't need to read existing CP/M formatted disks,
+ then a 1541 could also be used.  This operating system is the one that
+ MS-DOS was modeled after, so there are a lot of similarities.  If you are
+ interested in using CP/M as your primary OS, then please check out the
+ newsgroup comp.os.cpm, as they have more info on the current events
+ concerning CP/M.

+ The version of CP/M used on the 128 is 3.0, commonly called CP/M Plus.
+ It is compatible with earlier versions of CP/M but adds some new features.
+ The copy of CP/M 3.0 that ships with the 128 was specially modified to allow
+ use of the features of the 128, such as the Ram Expansion Unit as a RAM
+ disk, the SID chip, and the extra RAM of the 128.


+  9. Enhancements

+  9.1.  How do I increase my disk drive's transfer speed?

| Fastloaders

+ The Commodore 1541 drive and any drive attached to a VIC-20, C64, Plus 4,
+ C116, or C16 suffer from very slow read and write times.  This is caused
+ by Commodore's haste in "economizing" the IEEE-488 bus used in the PET
+ series of Commodore computers into the serial bus.  The IEEE-488 bus
+ transferred 8 bits of data at a time, and performed some synchronization
+ steps, or handshaking, between bytes.  Commodore reduced the path to 1 bit
+ but kept most of the original handshaking, most of which is redundant when
+ transferring 1 bit at a time.  Early on, some developers noted that, since
+ the 1541 drive was intelligent enough to execute a program loaded into its
+ RAM, and the Commodore operating system calls to do disk I/O could be
+ bypassed, they could write software that sped up the loading process by
+ modifying or completely changing the protocol used on the serial bus.  This
+ is the idea behind fastload cartridges like FastLoad, Mach 5, etc...

+ Now, as programs became more complex, some programs would not operate with
+  this approach.  Thus, the developers then rewrote parts of the Commodore
+ operating system on both the computer and the disk drive, and replaced the
+ parts of them that did disk I/O with new pieces of code.  This is the idea
+ behind JiffyDos and others.

+ The basic idea in speeding up the disk drive is to use more than 1 line
+ to transfer data, effectively doubling the transfer speed.  Then, reduce
+ synchronization requirements in the protocol to a bare minimum, as
+ synchronizing time is time not being used to do transfers.

+ The fastload cartridges are handicapped somewhat by the need to transfer
+ the portion of the program that runs in the disk drive to the drive using
+ the slow speed evry time the drive is used.  This can be alleviated
+ somewhat, but the replacement operating system replacement products like
+ JiffyDos win the race since they do not need to load code into the drive,
+ as it is already there.

+ The products are not 100% compatible, as they sacrifice reliability for
+ speed somewhat.  That means that a program that does not load due to an
+ error while using a fastload product will probably load without the
+ fastloading enabled.  Also, some programs can not handle the change in
+ loading or reading speed, so these enhancements yield about 90%
+ compatibility.

+ You can also increase the speed of disk drive operation by organizing
+ consecutive parts of a file on disk to fall a certain number of disk
+ sectors apart.  This is called the interleave or interleaving factor.
+ Normally, a 1541 disk drive space consecutive parts of a file 10 sectors
+ apart, but you can change that a little to minimize the time needed to find
+ consecutive parts of a file.

+ Also, the C 128 in 128 mode hooked up to a 1571 or 1581 has a built-in
+ fastloading scheme called burst loading.  Therefore, if you are in 128 mode
+ and hooked up to a 1581 or a 1571, you already have this feature.  However,
+ the 128 in 64 mode reverts back to the old slow serial routines, and the 128
+ in any mode using a 1541 cannot use the burst load routines.


+  9.2.  How do I expand my disk drive's capacity?

+ CMD sells hard drives for the Commodore 64 and 128.  They range in sizes
+ from 50 Megabytes to 200 Megabytes.


+  9.3.  How do I expand my computer's RAM capacity?

| C1700/1764/1750

  The original form of RAM expansion available to the C64 and C128 were the
  Commodore REUs (Ram Expansion Units).  These REUs plug into the cartridge
  port, and provide 128K (the C=1700), 256K (the C=1764), or 512K (the C=1750)
  of additional RAM.

  This RAM is not true system RAM however; simply adding a 512K REU to your
  system does NOT mean that your word processor will suddenly be able to edit
  512K larger documents.  A REU will only be used by a program that was
  written to take advantage of an REU.  As a caveat on this, you can use your
  REU as additional RAM for a RAMLink .

+ An REU can be used as a Commodore Disk Drive by running the program
+ RAMDOS.  This will allow users to save and load files from the REU.

+ If you are using CP/M, the REU can be configured to act like a disk drive
+ under CP/M.

  Although the C=1764 was originally advertised for the C64, and the 1700 and
  1750 for the C128, any of the three RAM expanders will work with either the
  C64 or the C128.  Note that if you want to use any of them on the C64, you
  need a heavy duty power supply.  The 1764 comes with such a power supply.

  There are hardware hacks that will expand a 1700 or a 1764 to 512K;
  additionally, a 512K REU can be expanded to 1 Meg or more.  See /pub/cbm/
  hardware on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca.  If you don't wish to do it yourself, there
  are people who will do it for you, for a fee.  While it appears completely
  safe to upgrade your REU to 1 Meg, there have been some reports of problems
  with REU's upgraded to 2 Megs.  Sometimes the REU will work fine for a while,
  then fail.  If you are upgrading your REU, it would probably be wise to stop
  at 1 Meg.  If you are still memory hungry, consider a CMD RAMLink or RAMDrive.

+ The following individual will do RAM expansions on the 17xx series. He
+ Has lots of experience doing these MODS. His current quoted price for
+ expanding a 1750 from 512k to 1 meg is $60. Call for the latest prices.
+ In addition he can do repairs on the RAM.
+
+ Raymond Day
+ 9601 Morton Taylor Road
+ Belleville, MI 48111-1328
+ GENIE email r.day
+ [phone]

  geoRAM

  When Commodore REUs became hard to find several years back, Berkeley
  Softworks introduced geoRAM, which is a 512K RAM expander.  This RAM
  expander gives you all of the advantages of a 1750 with GEOS.  However, it is
  not 1750 compatible, so it will not work like a 1750 outside of GEOS; it is
  transparent to other programs.  (As a caveat on this, see the info on
  RAMLink)).  DesTerm128 2.0 will not work with a geoRAM plugged in.  A
  special version of GEOS 2.0 (which is bundled with geoRAM) is necessary to
  use geoRAM.  No additional power supply is necessary to use geoRAM.  To the
  best of my knowledge, the RAM in a geoRAM cannot be upgraded.

| RAMDrive, RAMLink

  RAMDrive (RD) and RAMLink (RL) are RAM devices from CMD.  The
  RAM in these devices can be partitioned into native mode partitions (with
  dynamically allocated subdirectories), or competely 1541, 1571, or 1581
  emulating partitions.  Thanks to the 15x1 emulating partitions, software
  does not have to be specifically written to run with a RD or a RL. These
  RAM devices should appear as a disk drive to most programs.  One notable
  exception is DesTerm v2.00, which does not work with RD or RL.  There are
  few other exceptions, and no major commercial program has a problem running
  with RL or RD.  The deciding factor seems to be whether or not the program
  uses a drive's internal ram.  RL and RD do not `mimic' having this type of
  internal drive ram, and if a program relies upon this it will not run.  The
  heavily copy protected Digital Solutions' programs use this drive ram for
  its burst loading routines.  So, even though a Maverick/RamBoard combination
  will write a copy to it to RL, it will fail to boot.  However, these
  programs, once booted from a 1571, will use and access all of RL's many
  functions for lightening fast loads and saves.

  RD and RL both have their own power sources, separate from the computer.
  When you turn off the computer, the power to the RAM device is left on,
  leaving its contents intact.  This power supply always remains on.  (For
  safety from power outages, battery backups are also available.)

  RAMLink is a powerful, large device.  It can be configured from 0 to
  up to 16 Megs of RAM, using industry standard 1x8 (100ns) 1 Meg and 4 Meg
  SIMMs.(1x9, and faster Simms can be used.)  The RL is constructed so that
  the user may easily add additional SIMMs at any time.

  RAMLink has a port into which you can plug a Commodore REU or a geoRAM.
  You can configure RAMLink to either leave this RAM device alone, or to use
  the REU/geoRAM's RAM just as if it were part of the RAMLink's RAM.  A
  RAMLink also has a pass-through port, in which you can plug a normal
  C64/C128 cartridge, and a parallel port for a CMD hard drive.  The latter
  greatly improves the transfer speed of data between your computer and the
  hard drive.

+ RAMDrive is no longer sold by CMD, since it wasn't much less expensive than
+ the RAMLink, and it was not expandable.  However, there are still RAMDrives
+ in many sizes from 1 to 4 MB available on the used market.  They are great
+ for people who know they will need too much expansion, and the price of a
+ RAMLink is more than they can spend.

  Both RD and RL come with a very well documented, thorough, and easily
  referenced User Manual.  Contact CMD for more details.

| C128 Video RAM

  The original, "flat" C128's came with an 80 column display that had it's own
  display RAM that was separate from the system memory of the computer.  This
| "VDC RAM" was 16K in size.  After Commodore introduced the C128D, they
+ changed the design and marketed some versions of the Commodore 128D with
| 64K of VDC RAM.  Since them, some programs (e.g. I-Paint, Dialogue128)
  have come out that either need or support 64K of VDC RAM.  Owners of flat
  128's can upgrade their video RAM to 64K either by ordering an upgrade
  plug-in board(e.g. from Software Support International), or by replacing the
  RAM chips themselves.  All that needs to be done is, the two 4416 RAM chips
  next to the VDC chip need to be replaced with 4464 RAM chips.  Note,
  however, that since this involves soldering in tight quarters on your 128's
  motherboard, it is very easy to damage the motherboard or the nearby VDC
| chip.  Whenever you wish to use the extra RAM, be sure to set bit 4 in the
+ VDC register 28 (0 = 16kB, 1 = 64kB).


  The C-256 and C-512

  Twin Cities 128  issues #30 and #31 have a hardware scheme for expanding
  your 128 to 256K or 512K.  To people who understand banking on the 128, the
  256K modification adds RAM blocks 2 and 3 to your system.  The 512K
  modification adds four more RAM blocks that can be accessed as alternate RAM
  blocks 2 and 3, or as a completely separate set of RAM blocks 0-3.

  As with Commodore REUs, software must specifically support the expanded RAM.
  Since these modifications are relatively new, there is not much software out
  yet that supports the additional RAM.  However, ACE 128 does support this
  expansion without any special drivers.

  The hardware modification, while simple from software's point of view, is
  rather difficult to perform in hardware.  Richard Curcio, the designer of
  the memory modifications, can modify your 128 for you.  See Twin Cities 128
  issue #31 for more information.


  Expanded C64's

  THE TRANSACTOR had articles on expanding the C=64 up to 1 Meg using a
  combination of Bank switched RAM and an REU expanded to 512K.  There were
  two versions of this mod.  The first took it to 256K RAM with manual
  bank switching (a mechanical switch) and the next version took it to
  512K RAM with software bank switching through a latch modified I/O address
  space.

  Another version of C64 memory expansion is available on nic.funet.fi
  in file /pub/cbm/documents/256kB.  It divides the memory into 16kb banks.


+  9.4.  How do I increase my computer's speed?

+ There are a number of products that can increase the operating speed of
+ the Commodore 64.  These products work by turning off the on-board 6510
+ and turning on a compatible microprocessor, usually a 65C02 or a 65C816
+ in 6502 emulation mode.  These products will work with any software that
+ does not mind running up to 4 times faster and does not use any of the
+ undocumented opcodes of the 6502 IC.

+ Commodore 64 Accelerators:

+ Please note that neither of these two products are currently produced.
+ However, there are good chances of finding one being sold as used
+ equipment.

  Turbo Master Accelerator for C64.

  Accelerates your C64 to 4 MHz, over the 1 MHz standard.

+ Turbo Process Accelerator for the C64.

+ This accelerator, made by Rossm"oller, uses a 65C816P-4 microprocessor
+ to operate the 64 at three speeds: 1MHz, 4 MHz, or anything between 50kHz
+ and 4 MHz.  The 65C816 is a 16 bit version of the 6502/6510, so it is
+ possible to write software for the new IC that takes advantage of the 16
+ bit opcodes.

+ Commodore 128/128D Accelerators:

  The ZIP card for your C128.

+ This accelerator was not produced.  Its development has been stopped due
+ to miscellaneous problems.  There are no accelerators for the 128 or 128D


+  9.5.  How do I increase my computer screen's resolution?

+ Commodore 64

+ Some adapters for 80 columns on the 64 used to exist, but there are
+ no current products that will increase the resolution of any Commodore
+ 64 computer.

+ Commodore 128

+ The Commodore 128 comes equipped with an second video display controller
+ in addition to the 40 column VIC chip.  This chip can be used while in
+ 64 mode through clever programming, and the controller standard 640*200
+ pixel size can be expanded to 640*400.  However, there is now way to
+ completely overcome the color limitation.


+  9.6.  How do I increase my computer's serial transfer speed?

  SwiftLink

  Normally, the C64/128 can easily support up to 2400 bps without special
  hardware.  (DesTerm will take the C128 up to 9600 bps, however; Dialogue128
  will do 4800 bps.)  If you wish to use a faster modem, you can do so via
  the SwiftLink cartridge put out by CMD which allows speeds up to 38.4 Kbps.
  This device plugs into your cartridge port and supplies you with a standard
  9-pin serial port.  You then connect the desired modem.
  Telecommunications software must be specifically written to support a
  SwiftLink; fortunately, this is not rare.  For instance, Dialogue128,
  Novaterm64, and Kermit(v2.2s) support the SwiftLink.


+  9.7.  How do I increase my computer's sound quality?

  SID Symphony

+ The C64 and C128 come equipped with 1 Sound Interface Device (SID) IC.
+ This provides 3 channels of output.  For more channels, one can purchase the
+ SID Symphony cartridge from CMD to provide 3 extra channels.  Most newer
+ sound playing and editing software is able to use the extra channels.

+ There are also a number of units one can purchase or build that will
+ provide MIDI capabilities for Commodore 64 and 128 users.


+  9.8.  How do I hook a Hayes(tm) compatible modem to my Commodore computer?

  There are a number of homemade interfaces available.  The TRANSACTOR
  published an interface in the Nov 87 issue (V8iss3) and Commodore Hacking
  Online Magazine published plans for one in issue 4 (See MailServer section
  for retrieval instructions.  These are both supposed to emulate the
  VIC1011A that C= put out many years ago, and you might find one at a
  computer "flea market".  Another version is designed by Stephen Coan.
  Send email to [e-mail] for a copy of the schematic in ASCII
  format.  The differences between the two is the Transactor one has
  switchable options for some of the leads and the Coan one is hard wired.


+ 10. Emulators

+ 10.1.  What is an emulator?

+ An emulator is a piece of software that runs on a given platform and
+ emulates, or mimics, the operation of another machine.  When the
+ emulator loads up a program, the programs runs as though it were running
+ on the emulated platform.

+ For more information on emulators and their use, please see the emulator
+ faq, located in the same directory as this one, under the name of
+ cbm.emulation.faq.  The Commodore emulator FAQ is maintained by Peter
+ Weighill and can also be obtained from him at [e-mail].


+ 10.2.  What platforms do 64 emulators exist on?

+ Well, C64S exists for the IBM, and X64 is available for anyone running
+ X over UNIX.  There is also some development on a C64 emulator for the
+ Macintosh.  If you own an Amiga, you can purchase A64 to allow the Amiga
+ to run C64 applications.


+ 10.3.  What platforms do 128 emulators exist on?

+ None at this time.  The 128 is a lot more complex than the 64.

+ 10.4.  Are any other Commodore computers emulated?

+ There is a commodore product called the PET emulator that remaps a
+ Commodore 64 to emulate a PET 40 column unit (i.e. PET 4032).  You can
+ run this program on a C64 to emulate a PET, or you can run this program
+ on a 64 emulator to emulate a PET on an IBM, for example.


+ 11. Demonstrations

+ 11.1.  Just what is a demonstration, or demo?

+ A demonstration, or demo as they are know, is a piece of software that is
+ specifically designed to show off some programming trick.  This trick
+ usually has its roots planted in sound or video, as these two aspects can
+ be witnessed by the user.  Programmmers, or "coders", will use one or more
+ programming tricks to achieve some sound or video effect that cannot be
+ done with normal preograms.  Here are a sampling of the effects proved
+ possible in various demos:

+ Removing the top and bottom border.
+ Removing the side borders.
+ Placing text (text mapped sprites) in the open borders.
+ More than 8 sprites on screen at once.
+ pseudo interlacing to create illusion of up to 640*400 resolution.

+ It is important to note that demos are actually an outgrowth of the
+ Software Engineering "proof of concept", which is a piece of software
+ written to prove that some idea can be implemented.  Demos do not
+ perform actual work other thn pleasing the audience with visual and
+ audio displays.  Demos are mostly passive entertainment, and
+ appreciation for the effects generated in a demo increases as one
+ realizes the normal limitations of the Commodore line of computers.
+ So, sit bcak, load up a demo, run it, and enjoy.


+ 11.2.  What does NTSC and PAL mean?

+ These two acronyms refer to the type of TV broadcasting signals used
+ to create the video picture on your TV or monitor. American, Japanese, and
+ Canadians use NTSC, while a good part of Europe uses PAL.  This usually
+ makes no difference to programs, as the C64 and C128 in C64 mode always
+ present 200 lines of pixels to the video display.  However, since the PAL
+ standard allows more lines to be dsiplayed on the screen and has a slower
+ screen refresh time, the PAL computer has more time before screen
+ refreshes to perform other ooperations, and also can put more information
+ on the screen in some cases, since there are more lines in a PAL dislpay.
+ Since demos use highly optimized timing and complex routines to perform
+ the effects, some demos can only be written for PAL machines.  Sometimes,
+ a demo is written for a PAL machine, but it can be made to run on an
+ NTSC machine.  Demos that can run on both machines without any code
+ modification are called regular demos, those that can only run on PAL
+ machines are PAL demos, PAL demos that have been modified to run on NTSC
+ machines are called NTSC-fixed demos, and NTSC demos that have been
+ modified to run on PAL machines (rare) are called PAL-fixed demos.


+ 11.3.  Where do I get demos?

+ There is a whole site full of  demos.  They are located in the /pub/demos
+ directory of bert.psyc.upei.ca.  See section 5.4 for directions on how to
+ transfer files from this site.


+ 11.4.  What is a demo competition?

+ (Can someone fill this in, too?)


+ 12. Troubleshooting

+ 12.1.  What do I do for my ill disk drive?

+ If your drive won't even accept input from the computer, and the drive
+ light is making some blinking pattern, then the drive may be telling you
+ what is wrong.

+ No Blink       Kernal (E000-FFFF) ROM or 6522 VIA Failure
+ One Blink      6116 RAM Failure
+ Two Blinks     Possible Zero Page RAM Failure
+ Three Blinks   DOS (C000-CFFF) ROM Failure
+ Four Blinks    DOS (C000-CFFF) ROM Failure
+ Five Blinks    6116 RAM Failure
+ Six Blinks     6116 RAM Failure
+ Seven Blinks   6116 RAM Failure
+ Eight Blinks   6116 RAM Failure

  1541

  The most common problem facing the 1541 disk drive is alignment.  If your
  1541 has trouble reading commercial disks, or reading disks written some
  time ago, but has less trouble reading recently written disks, chances are
  that your 1541 is out of alignment.  C= service centers will typically align
  a 1541 for anywhere from $20 to $45.  There are also 1541 alignment
  programs, (e.g. Free Spirit's "1541/71 Alignment System") which allow you
  to align a 1541 yourself.  There are those who claim that this does not
  produce good results, but there are others who claim to have had
  satisfactory results with these programs.  There were a couple of articles
  in COMPUTE Gazette and I think RUN on how to do this.  The real problem is
  mechanical in nature and can be over come.  Other products are PHYSICAL
  EXAM 1541 and 1571 versions.

  1571

  The C=1571 drive is normally a double sided drive.  However, it can also
  emulate a 1541 and read single sided disks.  Some of the earlier 1571's had
  older system chips (ROMs) which caused a couple of problems.  One, these
  older drives were typically very slow when writing to the back side of a
  disk.  Two, it would take these drives ~30 seconds to go into single sided
  mode.  To check your ROM version, read the error channel of the disk drive
  right after startup.  On the 128, just PRINT DS$.  On the 64, use:

  10 open15,8,15:input#15,a,a$,b,c:close15:printa,a$,b,c

  Run the program; if the message says v3.0 or v3.1, you have the newer ROM.
  If it has a version <3.0, you probably have the older ROM.

| One problem that might occur is not having the head close enough to the disk
| as required because of the light tension of the spring that pulls the head
  down.  Somewhere I remember that there was supposed to be a replacement
  part.  However, one of the alignment programs suggesting using pennies to
  weight it down and lo and behold it started working.

  1581

  The C=1581 drive is a 3.5" drive that uses DSDD 800K disks.  It is
  compatible with both the C64 and C128, although some programs will not work
  correctly with the 1581.

  A small number of 1581's were shipped with an early version of a controller
  chip which has problems with some software.


+ 12.2.  What do I do for my ill computer?

| Commodore 64

  The most common problem with the C-64 is it's power supply.  The C64 power
  supplies are not especially powerful, and have this disturbing tendency to
  fail.  If your computer stops working, first check the power supply.
  Replacement power supplies can be obtained from a number of mail order
  places (e.g. Tenex, Parsec, Inc.).  Additionally, several places advertise
  "heavy-duty" power supplies that come with warranties, and give the C64
  enough power to run a REU.

  If your power supply goes, it can sometimes take other parts of the
  computer with it.  If your power supply has died, but the C64 continues
  to fail with a known working power supply, it is likely that a few of your
  chips got fried.

| Commodore 128 and 128D

  Like the 1571, the C-128 has an older ROM and a newer ROM.  The differences
  between the two are less serious than is the case with a 1571.  The easiest
  way to tell the difference is to click down the CAPS LOCK key and hit Q
  while in BASIC direct mode.  If you see a lower case q, then you have an
  older ROM.  If you see an upper case Q, then you have a newer ROM.  New ROMs
  can be ordered from (e.g. the Grapevine Group) for about $25.  The ROM chips
  in the 128 are all socketed, so replacing the chips is relatively easy.


+ 12.3.  What do I do for my ill keyboard?

+ Clean it.


+ 13. Miscellaneous

| 1571 side swapping

  On a 128, you can force the 1571 to go into single sided mode with the drive
  command "u0>m0".  (Issue such a command with open15,8,15,"u0>m0":close15.)
  On the 64, a 1571 defaults to single sided mode, but you can convert it to
  double sided mode (and read full double sided disk in 64 mode) with the
  drive command "u0>m1".  While in single sided mode, you can actually format
  both sides of the disk as separate file systems.  The command "u0>h0"
  selects the regular side of the disk, and "u0>h1" selects the flip side of
  the disk.  Note that the flip side, when formatted this way, cannot be read
  by a 1541; neither side will be readable by a 1571 when the disk is
  inserted upside-down.

| 1581 initial drive number

  When the 1581 is initialized, as well as checking the boot sector of the
  disk, it also looks for a file "copyright cbm 86".  This file, if found,
  can specify a device number for the 1581 disk.  Whenever the 1581 is booted
  or initialized with this disk inserted, its device number will be changed
  to the specified number.  The utility 1581-auto-dev by David W. Tamkin
  (can be found on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca in the utilities directory) will create
| this file


+ 14. Credits

+ I want to extend my thanks to the following people for their help in
+ providing correct, up-to-date information in this FAQ:

+ Fred Mueller, who maintained this FAQ before I.
+ Compuserve Commodore Forum Sysop Marte Brengle, for the write up on CIS.
+ Gunther Birznieks, for the updated info on the Zip-Card.
+ Jouko Valta, for the info on accessing the extra VDC RAM.
+ Robert Cook, for the correct info on the fastloader internals.
+ Andreas Boose, for the info on the Turbo Process.
+ Craig Bruce, for proofreading, spellchecking, LRR info, and .bco info.
+.Richard Hable, for info on 1541-dos.
+ Peter Weighill, for info on the emulation FAQ.
+ Georg Schwarz, for proofreading the FAQ.
+ Gaelyne Moranec, for info on CEE-64 Alive!
+ Kevin Jensen, for the magazine and repair info, and for proofreading.
+ George Page, for info on Colorado User's Group.
+ Fredrik Ekman, for info on the commodor mail list.
+ Chris Bongarts, for more info on the commodor mail list.
+ Russell Alphey, for info on cbm-hackers mail list.
+ Craig Bruce, for info on the new home of ccosun.
+ Michael Kelley, for updated info on BBCG User Group.
+ Richard Hable, for info on RAMDOS.
+ Philip Zembrod, for info on drive blink patterns.
+ Tom Netsel, for info on Compute's Gazette.
+ Shahriar Ghadishah, for more info on the disk drive blink patterns.
+ George Page, for still more info on the drive blink patterns.



--
Jim Brain, Embedded Systems Designer, Brain Innovations.
[e-mail]
Dabbling in VR, Old Commodore Computers, and Good Times!
"The above views DO reflect my employer, since I am my employer" - Jim Brain