µIEEE for CBM Computer

[Diddl]

After his µIEC-SD Jim Brain will bring us a new amazing piece of hardware: µIEEE


A dream comes true, µIEEE is a µIEC-SD with a IEEE-488 interface, ready to replace floppy drives for our CBM Computer: µIEEE
2GB for my 8296-D, space enough for all disks available for CBM computers. Transfer of files between 8296 and PC is much easier.


After receiving my µIEEE I will report ...
                     

[RobertB]

After his µIEC-SD Jim Brain will bring us a new amazing piece of hardware: µIEEE

Ah... but Jim gives no timeline when he will produce such a product.

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

[Diddl]

Ah... but Jim gives no timeline when he will produce such a product.

Yes, no timeline.

But I'm wondering he develop this hardware. For maybe 12 customers worldwide?


I'm waiting hard for this! Since no one knows how long our IEEE floppys will work in future ...

[Steve Gray]

Jim needs some more encouragement to get his uIEEE completed... Respond here and let him know you'd be interested!

I'll definately order one or two units.

Steve

[Diddl]

Jim needs some more encouragement to get his uIEEE completed... Respond here and let him know you'd be interested!

Good idea, so Jim can see the potential market for this!

I already pre ordered one.

[RobertB]

Respond here and let him know you'd be interested!

I'd order one, as would Larry A. of the Silicon Realms BBS.

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

[carlsson]

Well, I suppose I might get one too, if the price is as affordable as the uIEC/SD is. In the mean time, I'm sure someone with programming skills and too much time on his hands could have a go at porting Uz' CBM-II routines using the cassette port adapter with an IEC device. While loading from an IEEE drive usually is much faster, it should work fairly well to connect an IEC drive (including the uIEC) to a PET once you get the interface and firmware in place.

Not to forget the various cbmlink compatible solutions, depending on what your goal is. That is the beauty of modern retro computing, there always are two or five ways to do quite the same thing.

[RobertB]

I forgot to mention that friends, Shaun B. from England and Dirk K. from Germany, would probably order a uIEEE, too.

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]

...someone with programming skills and too much time on his hands could have a go at porting Uz' CBM-II routines using the cassette port adapter with an IEC device.

That would be a worthy project.

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

[Diddl]

IEC on a PET/CBM/CBM-II is possible simply since 1 year with my IEEE2IEC Interface.

It' like to drive a Ferrari with a beetle engine ...


IEC on a cassette port of a PET has 2 main disadvantages:- You will need a firmware or a changed kernel

- speed is horrible slowly

[RobertB]

IEC on a PET/CBM/CBM-II is possible simply since 1 year with my IEEE2IEC Interface.

I have one of those.  Unfortunately, I never got it to work.    Though it recognizes that an IEC drive is there, when it is given a command like LOAD, there is no drive activity.

Thanks for the link to the webpage,
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

[for(;;)]

I would like to order one too! Immediatly!

[Diddl]

I have one of those.  Unfortunately, I never got it to work.    Though it recognizes that an IEC drive is there, when it is given a command like LOAD, there is no drive activity.

Which configuration do you use? CBM-8032 with IEEE2IEC bridge on a 1541?


Please try to disable IEEE-488 timeout by entering

Code Select Expand

POKE 1020, 255


This solution is from this location: click


Maybe the problem is, Atmel is too slow after a request from your BASIC-4 Host.

A real IEEE-488 floppy has a hardware (Exclusive OR) to flag NRFD immediatly after PET set ATN line. Your PET expects NRFD low nearly immedeatly after setting ATN, otherwise it reports a timeout.

This doesn't occur if you have IEEE2IEC and also a 8050 Floppy on the bus. The floppy does the "trick" for the IEEE2IEC bridge.

I will see to get it work with an PIN interrupt. A 14,7MHz AVR should fast enough for this ...



Same problem exists with some Commodore IEE-488 hard disks I heard a short time ago ...

[polishedball]

I was able to get this working tonight had some difficulty flashing the device.  I had and outdated avrprog.exe upgraded and it flashed fine;  however if I put anymore that 25 files on the SD card it errors out and locks up the uiec if I try to load them.  It gives a file not found for anything in the list after the 25th.  Is this a limitation of the interface?  Is there a way to setup directories or use some sort of image file?  I use jiffydos on the C64 side so I don't know many of the long string commands. Thanks for your software it is a huge improvement over tape, and having to repair my drives. 

[Diddl]

I was able to get this working tonight had some difficulty flashing the device.  I had and outdated avrprog.exe upgraded and it flashed fine;

very fine, gratulation!

I first saw your PM and was wondering about this problem and did not know the solution.

  however if I put anymore that 25 files on the SD card it errors out and locks up the uiec if I try to load them.  It gives a file not found for anything in the list after the 25th.  Is this a limitation of the interface? 

Maybe a limitation of the µIEC, not of the IEEE bridge.

Never heard about such a limitation. I'm using sub directorys so maybe I never got this limit.

Is there a way to setup directories or use some sort of image file?

Yes, µIEC supports sub directorys and of course D64 and D81 image files.

You can change into it with

@CD:SUBDIR
@CD:IMAGE.D64

I use jiffydos on the C64 side so I don't know many of the long string commands. Thanks for your software it is a huge improvement over tape, and having to repair my drives.

first: IEEE2IEC is deeply beta. I made it and nobody was interested first. So I didn't give it much time ...


second: I only tested it with real drives like a 1541, never tested it with µIEC.


The bridge should be improved with Jiffy support and maybe better timeout handling.

But I'm hoping someone make a real SD2IEEE hardware and I can change µIEC firmware to support it. This would be a better solution than this bridge with µIEC.