Today I decided to make my own SwinSID as I had the schematics and also had the parts laying about.
After a short time checking everything was going to the right places I fitted it into my C64 and fired it up.
As expected it works just fine.
The board still needs cut down to size. I didnt add the ground planes on this one due to some through hole issues.
Thanks to Swinkels for making the SwinSID software
After a few different designs and trials I think I’ve finally settled on something I like.
I’ve pretty much got double sided boards sorted but making vias are a pain but it works and looks OK.
As you can see this is destined to be fitted in Stiggy’s machine. It still needs cut down to size but im happy with that.
Sorry, I wont be making these for other people so please don’t ask.
This fancy litle thing arrived today.
It was still sealed so was a little bit of a shame to open it but whats the point in that really?
The box included a cartridge, a user port device and a serial port device
Since I love hardware I couldnt resist opening up the cartridge for a peek. Not sure what I expected to find, maybe something fancy and cool? Not likely.
I tried to open the user port device up but the screws have been deliberately sheared but there is a hole at the top where you can see in and it just looks like a load of the lower contacts are soldered together, terminals B – M according to the allpinouts.org.
One strange quirk about this adapter is it doesn’t fully fit into the user port due to the size of the case the edge connector is housed in, you have to kind of mash it in and hope for the best.
The serial port device is also the same but am unable to make out whats connected yet but its very easy to make your own up.
Running the cartridge brings up a nice keyboard test screen where you can press each key on the keyboard and it lights up the relevant key pressed
Pressing the RESTORE key moves on to the Joystick test
And finally onto the computer checks
I didnt have any of the adapter devices plugged in here but they do work, whether they prove anything or not in the event of a real failure remains to be seen.
The manual is pretty informative containing possible problems for each error very similar to the superb info Ray Carlsen has on his site.
There is also a load of order forms for different “Doctor” products for the C64
After a few seconds of google searching I found a ROM dump for this cartridge so it is entirely possible to make up a set of your own should you feel the need to.
A little while back I made up an adapter for the PLS153 so I could use a GAL22V10 in its place providing the JED file was reworked.
I made the adapter on veroboard but now I can do basic prototyping using copper clad boards I thought id make a proper one up.
The design only took 5 or so minutes in Eagle CAD and after a quick sanity check I printed and transferred it to a board.
And a little while later it was etched and time to drill this thing out.
I fitted sockets where needed and took a few comparison photos with the old proto one.
(or is it GAL2PLS?)
Time to run the game, works perfect. Im happy with this, I can now replace these parts reliably should I need to.
Today I received a ZXpand with AY sound add-on.
This is a really useful SDcard device for the ZX81 made by my pal Charlie Robson.
Havent had a chance to mess around with mine today but ive used one at RCM and have been most impressed.
Ill post more on it when I get time over Christmas