'Commodore 64 disk/tape emulation and data transfer' comprises hardware and software for Commodore 64 disk & tape emulation and for data transfer between either the C64 computer, the Commodore 1541 disk drive or Commodore 1530 Datasette tape deck, and newer computers.
There are a large variety of adapters for C64 disk/tape emulation and data transfer, and an even larger variety of compatible software. Many of the adapters interface with the original serial bus disk drive plug or the C2N tape. Others connect to either the user port or the cartridge expansion port using either standardized RS-232 interfaces or proprietary adapters. In combination with software (or firmware), the adapters can either fully support the original communication protocols, provide partial support or apply proprietary communication protocols. Different solutions allow for letting the C64 access programs stored on another computer or the Internet, and for accessing the C64 disk station and tape deck from other computers.
History Some of the oldest adapters are the C64 user port to RS-232 converters. Those were standardized and originally designed to connect printers and other third-party hardware, including modems. Later, those adapters have also been adopted for disk drive emulation and even Internet connections. However, the most widespread adapters were probably the different disk drive and printer plug C64 serial bus to parallel port adapter that evolved for transferring data between disk drives and parallel port supplied computers. Because of hard timing requirements on the C64 side, those are unfortunately not applicable to laptops or multitasking operating systems. There also exist a more limited number of adapters for the C64 tape interface. While the data transfer over the user port is usually limited to 2.4 kbit/s, the C64 expansion port cartridge interface supports transfer rates of one to two magnitudes higher through proprietary protocols. There exist C64 expansion port adapters that support both hard disks, memory cards, USB-disks and Ethernet connections.
The software is typically open source, and so is most of the hardware designs. You can therefore build most of the hardware yourself, though they are usually also available from online shops.
Software for C64 disk & tape emulation This section comprises software for emulating the 1541 disk drive or the Commodore 1530 Datasette tape deck on external computers, making them available to a physical Commodore 64.
Remote software Remote OS Remote interface C64 software C64 emulation mode Compatible Hardware 1541-III firmware - - Disk 1541-III 1541EMU MS-DOS GUI no Disk, Fastload 1541EMU 1541Ultimate firmware - menu Disk, Fastload, Tape***, Turbotape*** 1541U-I, 1541U-II 64HDD MS-DOS GUI no Disk X1541, Power-Loader C2N Windows (Command), Linux, MS-DOS, AmigaOS text no Tape, Turbotape C2N232 C2NLOAD Windows (Command), Linux, MS-DOS, AmigaOS text no Turbotape C2N232 CMBLINK Windows (Command), Linux, MS-DOS, AmigaOS text no/yes*,** Tape C2N232, X1541, PC64 IEC-ATA firmware - - Disk IEC-ATA MMC2IEC firmware - - Disk MMC2IEC Over5 Windows 98, Linux, MS-DOS ? yes Disk UserPort-RS232 uIEC firmware - - Disk uIEC Prlink Linux, MS-DOS, AmigaOS text yes** Tape PC64, Prlink, X1541, (64NET) sd2iec firmware - - Disk SD2IEC Serial Slave Windows, Linux, AmigaOS, MacOS, Web interface no yes Disk ExpansionPort-RS232 V-1541 Web interface Web page yes Disk UserPort-RS232 VC1541 MS-DOS GUI no Disk X1541 .* no software required with C2N232, but with X1541 and PC64
.** a simple Basic version of the software on the C64 side is available for typing in to the C64 before the first use.
.*** The 1541 Ultimate II have special adapters to support TAPE emulation.
Software for PC to disk & tape transfer This section comprises software for transferring files and images between the 1541 disk drive or the Commodore 1530 Datasette tape deck and an external computer different from the Commodore 64.
Remote software Remote OS User interface Transfer mode Compatible Hardware C64S x x x x Disk64 x x x x Linux Server 64 x x x x MNIB ? text Disk ? mtap & ptap DOS ? Tape X1541, C64S tape adapter NIBTOOLS Windows XP (etc.)*, Linux* text Disk X1541&XP1541, XU1541 OpenCBM Windows XP (etc.), Linux separate GUI tool Disk X1541, XP1541, XU1541, ZoomFloppy Personal C64 x x x x Star Commander DOS textmode dual pane file manager Disk X1541, XP1541 TRANS64 x x x x X1541 DOS text Disk X1541 .*This software requires that OpenCBM is available.
Hardware The following table addresses hardware for connecting the Commodore 64, the 1541 disk drive or the Commodore 1530 Datasette tape deck to external computers, data storage (such as disks and memory cards) or the Internet.
Hardware TypeCable: Wires and plugs only, Connector: Wires, plugs and simple components, Adapter / Cartridge: PCB with standard and or programmable components C64 interface 1541 / C2N interface Remote interface Compatible software 1541-III Adapter Disk connector SD card, MMC card firmware 1541EMU Connector Disk connectorDisk connector interfaces (e.g. x1541/xp1541 cables) have hard real-time requirements, and are in general not compatible with Pentium and newer PCs or multitasking operation systems. Disk Parallel, game port 1541EMU 1541U-I Cartridge Expansion port, disk connector SD card, MMC card firmware 1541U-II Cartridge Expansion port, disk connector, TAPE adapter MicroSD card, USB flash drive, Ethernet, TAPE adapter Integrated 64NET Cable ? Parallel Prlink C2N232 Adapter Tape connector Serial C2NLOAD, CMBLINK C64S tape adapter Adapter Tape Parallel mtap & ptap Cassadapt Adapter Tape Audio TapWav, TAPClean, AudioTAP, WAV-PRG Comet64 Adapter User port Serial, Ethernet V-1541 Handic V24 Adapter User port Serial Over5 IEC-ATA Adapter Disk connector ATA hard disk drive firmware MMC2IEC Adapter Disk connector MMC card firmware PC64 Cable User port Parallel CBMLINK, Linux Server 64, Personal C64, Prlink PRLINK Cable User port Parallel Prlink Power-Loader Cable User port Parallel 64HDD SD2IEC Adapter Disk connector SD card firmware Silver Surfer Cartridge Expansion port Serial Serial Slave Swiftlink Cartridge Expansion port Serial Serial Slave Turbo Chameleon Cartridge Expansion port Disk Ethernet, MMC card, SD card Http-Load, WarpCopy64, Contiki Turbo232 Cartridge Expansion port Serial Serial Slave uIEC Adapter Disk connector CF card, SD card, IDE hard disk drive firmware VIC-1011A RS232C Adapter User port Serial Over5 X1541 Cable Disk connector Disk Serial X1541, Star Commander, CBMLINK, Prlink, disk64, c64s, 64HDD, VC1541, trans64, mtap & ptap XP1541 Connector Disk Serial, parallel Star Commander, OpenCBM XU1541 Adapter Disk USB OpenCBM ZoomFloppy Adapter Disk USB OpenCBM USB2IEC Adapter Disk USB OpenCBM, VICE Emulator
Software by C64 compatibility Full emulation of the Commodore 1541 disk drive or Commodore 1530 datasette is required e.g. to support fast loaders. Software that supports the basic transfer protocols, such as load and save, will not support fast loaders.
Software exists that replaces the basic transfer protocols with proprietary alternatives. These protocols require special software on both the host side and the Commodore 64 side.
Some software supports transfer between a disk or tape drive and a computer other than a Commodore 64.
Floppy disks Full emulation The 1541EMU emulates the internal hardware of the Commodore 1541 disk drive on a host computer and supports the 1541EMU cable only. The 1541EMU software was designed in 2001–2002 by Ville Muikkula et al. The realtime requirements for emulating the 1541 disk drive are exceptionally hard. PCs with multitasking operating systems are therefore not supported. Even though the timing can be adjusted in software, the communication is not likely to work on PCs with newer processors than Pentium.[ref required] The 1541 Ultimate firmware completely emulates the Commodore 1541 disk drive on the 1541U-I cartridge, using a disk connector output on the cartridge. Full emulation is also planned for the 1541U-II cartridge. It allows access to the disk content on memory cards (I) and USB-disks (II). The selected disk can be downloaded either through an accurate 1541 on-board emulation (II). A proprietary protocol is also available for faster but not fully compatible transfer (both I and II). The Chameleon firmware completely emulates the Commodore 1541 disk drive on the Turbo Chameleon 64 cartridge, using a disk connector output on the cartridge. The emulator provides access to a MMC or SD card on the cartridge.
Partial emulation The 64HDD is a serial bus and disk drive emulator, developed in 1999–2010 by Nicholas Coplin. The MMC2IEC firmware provides emulation of the Commodore 1541 disk drive on the MMC2IEC adapter, providing access to a MMC memory card. The sd2iec firmware provides access to an SD card with a Commodore DOS-compatible interface on the SD2IEC adapter. It also supports many fast loaders, but it is not a Commodore 1541 disk drive emulation. The uIEC firmware provides emulation of the Commodore 1541 disk drive on the uIEC adapter, providing access to either an IDE hard disk, a CF memory card or a SD memory card, depending on the version, but it has been superseded by a port of the sd2iec firmware to the uIEC hardware in 2008. The VC1541 is a Commodore 1541 serial protocol emulator developed in 1997–1998 by Torsten Paul.
Proprietary options The Over 5 is a software package for transferring files between a C64 and a host machine (which can be an Amiga, PC or Unix box). It works in two different ways, either using the C64 as a server to the host for accessing floppy disks or using the host as a hard disk server for the C64. Over5 was developed in ????-2002 by Daniel Kahlin. It was later ported to Win32 by Martin Sikström and to Unix by Andreas Anderson. The Serial Slave allows you to use a PC as a virtual disk drive for your C64 or C128. It was developed in 2001–2002 by Per Olofsson and friends.Home of Serial Slave The V-1541 is a program that replaces the standard LOAD and SAVE operations on a Commodore 64 computer. The V-1541 program allows your Commodore 64 computer to access files and other content on the Internet at CommodoreServer.com. CommodoreServer.com is a Virtual Disk Drive to which you can upload D64 disk images from any Internet computer and later download the disk from the Commodore 64.
Disk transfer The C64S (C64 Software Emulator) is a Commodore 64 emulator that supports transfer to/from a 1541 disk drive. It was developed in 1994–1997 by Miha Peternel. The DISK64 is a disk transfer tool developed in 1993–1994 by Alfred Schwall. The MNIB was developed in 2000–2004 by Markus Brenner. It has been succeeded by NIBTOOLS. The NIBTOOLS is a disk transfer program designed for copying original disks and converting them into G64 and D64 disk image formats on a PC. NIBTOOLS requires OpenCBM. NIBTOOLS is based on MNIB and was developed since 2005 by Pete Rittwage. The OpenCBM allows for access to a VIC 1540, 1541, 1570, 1571, or even 1581 floppy drive from the PC on Windows NT, 2000 and XP. With OpenCBM you can copy D64 or D71 images from a real drive to the PC, or from the PC to a real drive with the help of d64copy. Furthermore, you can copy single files in both directions. Some more tools (for example, cbmctrl) are given, too. OpenCBM started out as cbm4linux, a Linux-only solution written in 1999–2003 by Michael Klein. Spiro Trikaliotis ported it over to the Windows platform in 2005 under the name cbm4win. With version 0.4.0, both versions were joined back into one source with the common name OpenCBM. For Windows, due to limitations of the drivers of the cards, it is unlikely that PCI or CardBus cards will work. However, ISA cards will work. For Linux, chances are high that all cards will work.