• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

C2n232

I've got loads of pet software as .d64 files and can't get any onto the PET, I have only managed one program (Cosmic Cosmiads) by recording to tapoe and then loading, but cause it's machine code I can't then save back to disk !!!

There are various tools for manipulating at least d64 images, maybe even d80s, but I had the most success using VICE. The d64 can be attached as one drive and you can simply copy .PRGs over to a virtual 8x50 drive with a blank d80 attached. As far as I can remember the transfer of the d80 to a real disk was just a matter of following the cbmlink documentation.

And yes, you need the PC64 cable: DB25 at one end and PET user port edge connector at the other. Not hard to make (the pinout is in the cbmlink docs) but I did have a job finding a suitable edge connector.
 
I got an XE1541 cable and 1541 drive before I found out that images written on a 1541 are not compatible with the 8050
I am a little luckier I think because the 2040 is read compatible with the 1541 drive so I have more options.

I have only managed one program (Cosmic Cosmiads) by recording to tape and then loading, but cause it's machine code I can't then
save back to disk !!!

You should be able to do this if you are at all familiar with the machine language monitor that is built into ROM. From a fresh load from tape, go into the machine language monitor with a sys 1024. Using the memory display command (.m), check from 0401H in blocks of around 0800H untill you find some code (non hex AA pattern). That is the start of the program. Record that address. Then keep going until the code ends (hex AA pattern starts again). Record the end address. At this point you have the information the save the program to disk. Use the SAVE command (.s) with the following syntax:

.s "0:name_of_program",08,start address in hex,end address in hex

Use exit command (.x) to get back to BASIC.
If you are not familiar with the monitor program, go to this link:

http://generalthomas.com/PET/BATPRO_Ref.pdf

and check p.60 for info on the memory display command, and p.62 for info on the save command. Some of the other commands listed need a Batpro EPROM but these are OK without it.

Right at the moment I am having a hard time with the pc64 cable trying to transfer files to/from my PET 2040 disk using cbmlink but I hope it is just cockpit errors. You may have better luck with the 8050.
-Dave
 
Last edited:
dave_m,

Many thanks for the tips, I'll give it a go as soon as I get chance, I've also enquired with a friend who's alot better than me with a soldering iron to see if he can construct a PC64 cable !!

Stu.
 
Actually I used Bill Degnan's CBMXfer, but I'm quite sure that program leaves the track numbers out. After all, the D80 format (in my case) should already have the tracks defined.

Anders, I'm hurt... you don't remember who wrote CBMXfer :-( LOL

Actually, as far as I can tell cbmlink continues until it gets an error on sector 0 of the current track. It increments the sectors until there is an error then moves to the next track, and when it gets an error on sector 0 it assumes it's done. I recently tried transferring a disk and it just gave up after a couple tracks with no error. Of course the banging noise told me there was an error, and the file size of the D80 was way too small.

Currently CBMXfer doesn't check the result but it's something I plan on implementing at some point.

Steve
 
CBMXfer

CBMXfer

Anders/Steve,
I am getting nowhere with transfers to/from the 2040 disk drive (connected to a PET) and the PC using cbmlink via pc64 cable. The PET 8032 hangs up with no disk activity or lights. I am thinking of trying CBMXfer in case I am using the wrong syntax somehow with cbmlink and let it talk to cbmlink.

As a backup I have ordered a XM1541 cable from a company in Europe and, in a month or so when it arrives, hope to communicate with a 1541 drive (of unknown operational status) and the PC.

Then I could sneaker-net (walk) diskettes to the 2040 drive. And since 1541 drives are supposed to be read compatible with 2040/4040 PET drives, I should be able to load programs into the PET. And finally write the files back on 2040 formatted diskettes. What a process that will be as I had better remember to initalize the diskettes properly when I switch diskettes for writing or the diskette can become corrupted.

One problem may be how to format diskettes on the 1541 from the PC (I do not have a C64). Does any transfer software help with this issue? I do have a few old C64 diskettes but I would like to use new diskettes.
-Dave
 
Yes, OpenCBM (cbm4win, cbm4linux) includes formatting commands. Actually the 1541 is an intelligent device so you just send the command "go format yourself" and off the drive goes to format itself.

I will try to remember to conduct some more tests, but I fear either your PET is partly broken (bad VIA?) or your PC64 cable is not correctly made. Well, it could be your PC has a non-compatible parallel port too, something you will find out sooner or later after receiving the XM1541 cable. However your PC should be of a quite odd model in order for it to fail. Perhaps you can look it up or even better try another PC if you have one to make sure the problem does not lie on that side?
 
Anders,
OK good things to check. However my parallel port in on my WIN98 Toshiba laptop (Pentium II type) so while the port should be compatible, I don't think I can use OpenCBM to format as it works on XP class machines.

If you saw my pc64 cable, you would worry about shorts, but it does work for load and save commands (transfers to/from the PC to the PET RAM). But I'd better check the wiring. I may yet have to switch to the XU1541 USB cable so I can use OpenCBM with my WIN-XP machine.
Thanks, Dave
 
The XM1541 cable will work with Star Commander in pure MS-DOS. As far as I remember there is no software that runs natively in Windows 98, with the exception to running Star Commander in a command window and cross your fingers it will work.
 
The XM1541 cable will work with Star Commander in pure MS-DOS.
That's good to know. That should be easy for me to try.

As far as I remember there is no software that runs natively in Windows 98, with the exception to running Star Commander in a command window and cross your fingers it will work.

I will double check, but I think the cbmlink documentation says their windows version will work on Windows 98.
 
I'm unsure to what extent cbmlink supports the X-series cables, but in any case I would expect it to connect to a computer in the other end rather than a floppy drive. However I'll admit I never investigated what it can do. Perhaps you are familiar with the 64HDD software, which lets you connect a MS-DOS PC to a Commodore computer and use the PC like a virtual floppy/hard drive. That is far from your intended use, but it goes to show the IEC bus just as well lets you connect two computers together as one computer and one storage/printing device.
 
Success with Star Commander

Success with Star Commander

The XM1541 cable will work with Star Commander in pure MS-DOS.

Anders,
I purchased an XM1541 cable from Europe and hooked it up to a DOS PC and a CBM 1541 Disk Drive. With Star Commander, it works like a champ. I am able to transfer files to and from the floppies and the PC. The user interface seems a bit odd, but it works.

Then I am able to LOAD the file into my 8032 PET via the Model 2040 IEEE drive which is “read compatible” with the 1541. I then place a 2040 formatted floppy into the drive, initialize the drive to make sure the BAM is updated, and finally SAVE the file to the 2040 diskette.

It is a bit cumbersome, but for me, it seems more reliable than the cmblink/pc64 cable method which has a habit of hanging-up too often.
-Dave
 
Can someone show me where these cheap plentiful Datasettes are? I can't find any here for less than $40, and most of them go for $70 or so - quite expensive if you ask me, and my Datasette is dead.

Disregard this post - I didn't see that there are many pages and the comments about plentiful Datasettes are from 2009.
 
Raven, if you like I can try to dig up a C2N and send to you for shipping costs. However since I'm overseas, it probably will get quite expensive. I can't believe they should be that expensive on the US market, but perhaps the early shift to floppy drives means less Datassettes were sold and remain than the situation is over here in Europe. Many of us European collectors are flooded in tape recorders, like for every new computer we obtain, we get two more Datassettes.

On regard of the C2N232, I had a long bout tonight but failed most operation. I can load simple files, but the cbmlink communication is intermittent. :-( I don't know what is wrong, but it is quite frustrating.
 
Can someone show me where these cheap plentiful Datasettes are? I can't find any here for less than $40, and most of them go for $70 or so - quite expensive if you ask me, and my Datasette is dead.

Disregard this post - I didn't see that there are many pages and the comments about plentiful Datasettes are from 2009.

I have a Datasette sitting in my attic that I'm not likely to use, and the shipping probably would be pretty small. It however may be a week or two before I can get up there to get it out.
 
C2N232 .. I can load simple files, but the cbmlink communication is intermittent.
Update: After switching from CBM 8032 and VIC-20 to using a CBM 710 (or a CBM 610 for that matter), it works much better. Those CBM-II computers have a cassette port but no ROM support to use it. I wonder if it means less routines may interfer with the cbmlink process. I gotta try a bit later, but for now the CBM-II are my 8250 gateways. :)
 
Update: After switching from CBM 8032 and VIC-20 to using a CBM 710 (or a CBM 610 for that matter), it works much better. Those CBM-II computers have a cassette port but no ROM support to use it. I wonder if it means less routines may interfer with the cbmlink process. I gotta try a bit later, but for now the CBM-II are my 8250 gateways. :)

Anders,
As best as I can guess, when the CBM utility (plain.prg) is launched (it loads in high memory), it operates as a daemon (background process) by wedging itself into the system timer interrupt chain which allows it to 'come alive' on a periodic basis and monitor for cbmlink commands from the PC. When it 'springs into action' based on commands from the PC, perhaps infrequently it can interfere with the CBM operations based on random or asynchronous activity, who knows. The code is good but not bullet proof although the concept seems sound to me.
-Dave
 
No idea. I've exchanged messages with my friend and the program's author Marko. He mentioned something about 16550 serial ports could cause problems, but I don't know if that is the case. However I wonder if the automated bootstrap method using c2nload is the optimum one. Perhaps it would work better if I save the server part to floppy disk or cartridge and load/run it locally instead of bootstrapping it.
 
Back
Top