REU Q

[cbmguy]

Hey there,

I purchased a uIEC, a C128D, and we're ready to go with it.  Ironically I have no serial cable...  I do need an REU and was wondering about alternatives out there.  I've googled and bing'd on the subject but nothing.  Would really like to know what's out there for the c128.  Not too interested in c64 only things or extremely expensive ramlinks.  Anyone have any suggestions?  I would like to finish up on these applications I have almost finished and without an REU type of device, I can't.  Any suggestions would be great.  Yes, I'm looking at ebay.... 

C

[Mark Smith]

Hi there,

I've a 512K 17xx which I am just about to put up on TradeMe (NZ equivalent of ebay) I'm looking to get NZ$120 for it.   It's in excellent condition and even comes in it's box (though the box being cardboard has suffered a bit), I've added in a socket for the option ROM though I've not gotten around to adding some jumper points for the ROM select holes, simple job just not got any suitable pins to hand to do it with.

US/Canadian dollar would be in your favor if you want it .. quite happy to pack and ship overseas.

A real CMB REU is about as compatible as you can get.  Other options around are the 1541U .. but that is a few more $$$$, the Chameleon which doesn't exist for us mortals yet, or there are are a few RAM expansion upgrades you can make that do not have a REC and only allow swapping RAM in and out through a small I/O window via the control port (ala Action Replay, Retro Replay, RAMcart etc) ... a real REU with REC has DMA and can transfer pretty fast (for a 8bit).

Regards

Mark

[Wagner]

I bought a GeoRAM cartridge on eBay for $20.50.  I know that GeoRAM cartridges were never as popular as Commodore's REU, but it has some pros over the REU.

To use the REU you must slow down to 1 MHz, but it is recommended to speed up to 2 MHz to use the GeoRAM cartridge.  To use the REU you always have to transfer memory, but because GeoRAM memory appears a page at a time at $de00, often it is enough to have access to the memory without having to move it anywhere.  Programming the GeoRAM is actually simpler (in my opinion) than the REU, although there is no BASIC support built in like there is for the REU.  And as another down side to using a GeoRAM, if you need to move large chunks of memory around quickly, the REU obviously wins (at 1 MHz).  But as I said--often just having access to the memory is enough without having to move anything.

People never mention the GeoRAM in comparison with the REU, without also adding that the REU is faster.  But if you never have to move the memory in the first place, then there may be times when the GeoRAM is actually faster!

I patched an Infocom game once to use the GeoRAM instead of the REU.  Guess which one runs faster?  Honestly?--I really can't tell the difference.

Are you planning on using a ram expander from BASIC or ML?  (These seem to be the only languages anyone uses regularly.) 

[RobertB]

A real CBM REU is about as compatible as you can get.

Yup, as compatible as you can get, even more so than a GeoRAM.

                Back from Los Angeles,
                Robert Bernardo
                Fresno Commodore User Group
                http://videocam.net.au/fcug
                The Other Group of Amigoids
                http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
                Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
                http://www.sccaners.org

[RobertB]

I purchased a uIEC, a C128D, and we're ready to go with it.  Ironically I have no serial cable...

You're speaking of the latest uIEC, right?  Because the older uIEC came with a serial cable soldered onto it.

                I'm sure another Canadian C= user can get you a serial cable,
                Robert Bernardo
                Fresno Commodore User Group
                http://videocam.net.au/fcug
                The Other Group of Amigoids
                http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
                Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
                http://www.sccaners.org

[cbmguy]

I purchased an uIEC CF.  The one with the IDE interface.

[cbmguy]

Thanks for the info, pplz.  It's the REC that I need & access to it thru ml.  I'm on my psp at the moment so I'm going to make this one short.  I thought the 1541u was a c64 cart. does it look & access the same to the 128 as an REU?

c

[RobertB]

I thought the 1541u was a c64 cart. does it look & access the same to the 128 as an REU?

Hmm, good question.  I don't have a 1541U, but we do have a SCCAN member who has one.  If he shows up to the December meeting, we can try it out with a C128.
     If you want a faster response, possibly someone could help you out at the 1541 Ultimate forum at

              http://1541ultimate.net/content/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=4

You'd have to register in order to use that forum.

                       Truly,
                       Robert Bernardo
                       Fresno Commodore User Group
                       http://videocam.net.au/fcug
                       The Other Group of Amigoids
                       http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
                       Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
                       http://www.sccaners.org

[RobertB]

...the Chameleon which doesn't exist for us mortals yet...

Unless you are talking about Chameleon, written by Basic 8 authors, David Darus and Louis Wallace.  Copyright 1985, that Chameleon was a graphics conversion utility distributed by Loadstar disk magazine.  It came with a nice booklet and advertised itself as being able to "convert graphics from one format to another, convert graphics to a C-64 Standard format that makes your pictures easy to include in your Basic programs, add Save and Load to the subset of graphics commands for Simons' Basic and Super Expander, use the C-64 Standard screen wedge to include graphics in your Basic programs effortlessly and painlessly".
     Futhermore, "Chameleon recognizes both the hi-res and multicolor graphics modes of your Commodore-64. It is compatible with the following software:

Hi-res                   Multicolor:
Cadpak                  Blazing Paddles
Doodle                  Graphics Basic
Flexidraw 4.2         Koala
Graphics Basic        Magic Paintbrush and other Koala compatibles
Logo                     Micro Illustrator
Simons' Basic         Peripheral Vision
Super Expander      Simons' Basic
The Tool                Super Expander
Video Basic            Video Basic

              A different Chameleon for a different time,
              Robert Bernardo
              Fresno Commodore User Group
              http://videocam.net.au/fcug
              The Other Group of Amigoids
              http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
              Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
              http://www.sccaners.org

[Mark Smith]

Thanks for the info, pplz.  It's the REC that I need & access to it thru ml.  I'm on my psp at the moment so I'm going to make this one short.  I thought the 1541u was a c64 cart. does it look & access the same to the 128 as an REU?

Yup works with a C128 .. the REU works great, however the freezer (which is required to swap disks on the virtual 1541) does not work so great on the C128 (being looked at apparently).

Mark

[Mark Smith]

...the Chameleon which doesn't exist for us mortals yet...

Unless you are talking about Chameleon, written by Basic 8 authors, David Darus and Louis Wallace. 

:-)  Not that one .. this one : http://www.vesalia.de/e_chameleon.htm

Mark

[RobertB]

:-)  Not that one .. this one...

Unless you are talking about the game, Chameleon. 

                Now where is Clone-A?
                Robert Bernardo
                Fresno Commodore User Group
                http://videocam.net.au/fcug
                The Other Group of Amigoids
                http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/
                Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network
                http://www.sccaners.org

[cbmguy]

That Cameleon64 looks a little too extreme & for 219Euro's...  I really can't justify purchasing it, either.  I just need the RAM and REC is all.  Everything else is not needed.  I don't think that spending $100 on a 17xx is at all reasonable, either, but rather extreme--for this part of the world any ways.  I would be interested in knowing about the 1541u.  I didn't realize that it actually worked with the 128. Would be interested in knowing who that works.

Thanks again for the suggestions.  I've got some hunting to keep me occupied for a little bit now.



C