Amiga.org

The "Not Quite Amiga but still computer related category" => Alternative Operating Systems => Topic started by: on December 16, 2004, 02:48:01 AM

Title: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: on December 16, 2004, 02:48:01 AM
I've just rescued my trusty old CBM Plus/4 from the spare room at my parents, and lo and behold, it still works!

It must be 20 years old now I reckon.

Well, I was a wondering if anyone knew what the best way of transerring programs and D64's from my migggy or pc to the plus /4.  There is no Disk drive with the Plus/4 as that broke years ago.  I know I could use YAPE/Flamingo, but it's not the same feeling.

I was hoping maybe there was some way of transferring stuff via serial/paralell cables.  I might be able to get my hands on a C64 disk drive in a few days, but i'm not sure if that would work on the Plus/4.

Anyone else an ex Plus/4 freak?
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: TjLaZer on December 16, 2004, 02:54:39 AM
I just recently got a NIB Plus/4 for $20 and I tried using it.  I was quite disappointed actually.  Beince a C64 guy from before my Amiga days, I always wanted to check out this model.  It seems like a nice little machine.  But games are horrible on it.  I actually went to www.c16.de and downloaded some games and transfered them to 1581 disks, and used my 1581 on it, and it worked great.  I used a 1581 DOs driver on the Amiga to write the EXE files to a 3.5" disk...
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: on December 16, 2004, 03:03:37 AM
Quote

TjLaZer wrote:
I just recently got a NIB Plus/4 for $20 and I tried using it.  I was quite disappointed actually.  Beince a C64 guy from before my Amiga days, I always wanted to check out this model.  It seems like a nice little machine.  But games are horrible on it.  I actually went to www.c16.de and downloaded some games and transfered them to 1581 disks, and used my 1581 on it, and it worked great.  I used a 1581 DOs driver on the Amiga to write the EXE files to a 3.5" disk...


C16 stuff is crap, 16K of RAM you see! ;-)

The Plus/4 stuff is cool as it has 64K RAM.  Also you can get a SID chip expansion for it too.

Try here for Plus/4 demoscene prodcuctions and games etc...........

http://plus4.emucamp.com/sl.php (http://plus4.emucamp.com/sl.php)

I've also had a thought on how to get T64 files transferred.

Play them with a sample player and record the output straight to cassette tape. Then load them up on the Plus/4!

I'll have to try it this weekend.
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: fx on December 16, 2004, 07:44:07 AM
I'm using a PC and 1541EMU (http://members.surfeu.fi/1541/) which I have connected to my C64 and it works just fine.
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: vpcs on December 16, 2004, 12:07:50 PM
I found the best way to dump D64 files back to floppy is with a Catweasel hooked up to the Amiga and
Get the following file....FS1541 1.3
From: http://www.fairlight.to/tools/amiga.html

And follow the directions with in the file.
Works great for me...

Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: Plus4 on December 16, 2004, 12:47:48 PM
Sure, Sure..

You may tell I'm a PLus/4 fan ! Can you tell - there are some great games on this Machine and the BASIC was waaaay beter than C64 or speccy basic...

There a a few good sites out there with goog games to download such as Summer & Winter Events, Ikari Warriors, ACE II, Bridgehead +4.

P4! :-D
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: on December 16, 2004, 01:20:59 PM
Quote

TjLaZer wrote:
I just recently got a NIB Plus/4 for $20 and I tried using it.  I was quite disappointed actually.  Beince a C64 guy from before my Amiga days, I always wanted to check out this model.  It seems like a nice little machine.  But games are horrible on it.  I actually went to www.c16.de and downloaded some games and transfered them to 1581 disks, and used my 1581 on it, and it worked great.  I used a 1581 DOs driver on the Amiga to write the EXE files to a 3.5" disk...


You mean to tell me that the 3.5" 1581 does work on the Plus/4?!?!?!

I wrote a letter to the tchnical questions page of Commodore User (i think) in 1988 (aged 11) and asked if it was compatible with the Plus/4.

They printed my letter, which got me excited as I was only 11 at the time.  I got a one word answer. "NO."  Nothing else, no explanation why not, nothing.

I was that pissed off I got my Dad to cancel my subscription. I never bought the drive because of them, and now I find out they were wrong! Arseholes.

Right, I'm off to look on ebay for one!
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: miksuh on December 16, 2004, 01:47:05 PM
"
C16 stuff is crap, 16K of RAM you see!

The Plus/4 stuff is cool as it has 64K RAM.
"

My C16 has 64kB Ram too :)

C16 and plus/4 are almost the same computer. Plus4 has more ram by default and it has couple of quite useless extra roms.

If you have memory expansion in your C16 then it is as good/bad as plus/4 (if you forget those extra roms). It was easy to add memory expansion to C16.

C16 was my first own computer and I learned programming using it. I still have it, but I don't have working PSU right now..

Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: on December 16, 2004, 02:00:58 PM
Quote

miksuh wrote:
"
C16 stuff is crap, 16K of RAM you see!

The Plus/4 stuff is cool as it has 64K RAM.
"

My C16 has 64kB Ram too :)

C16 and plus/4 are almost the same computer. Plus4 has more ram by default and it has couple of quite useless extra roms.

If you have memory expansion in your C16 then it is as good/bad as plus/4 (if you forget those extra roms). It was easy to add memory expansion to C16.

C16 was my first own computer and I learned programming using it. I still have it, but I don't have working PSU right now..



I forgot you could increase the RAM on C16.

Can you add the SID cards to a C16 also?
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: miksuh on December 16, 2004, 02:16:17 PM
Quote
I forgot you could increase the RAM on C16.


And I didn't know SID cards exist for the Plus4 :)

Quote
Can you add the SID cards to a C16 also?


I don't know about that. How do you connect that to Plus4 ?

Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: CU_AMiGA on December 16, 2004, 03:07:34 PM
Quote

Plus4 wrote:
Sure, Sure..

You may tell I'm a PLus/4 fan ! Can you tell - there are some great games on this Machine and the BASIC was waaaay beter than C64 or speccy basic...

There a a few good sites out there with goog games to download such as Summer & Winter Events, Ikari Warriors, ACE II, Bridgehead +4.

P4! :-D


Hell Yeah! :-D Also POD, Paperboy, BMX Sim, all pretty decent conversions.
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: TjLaZer on December 16, 2004, 03:19:20 PM
Yes the 1581 does work on the Plus/4 !!!!  :banana:
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: on December 17, 2004, 02:03:34 AM
Quote

miksuh wrote:
Quote
I forgot you could increase the RAM on C16.


And I didn't know SID cards exist for the Plus4 :)

Quote
Can you add the SID cards to a C16 also?


I don't know about that. How do you connect that to Plus4 ?



There are a few different SID cards, here (http://web.archive.org/web/20030604201202/http://solder-synergy.de/plus4/hardware/sid.gif) is the circuit diagram for one of them, if you are handy with a soldering iron! :-)

This (http://plus4.emucamp.com/dl/demos/s/sid_inside_2.prg) intro plays a c64 SID tune through the Plus/4 TED soundchip, or through a SID chip if you have one plugged in the expansion port.

Emulators that supprt the SID card expansions are  Flamingo (http://amigos.amiga.hu/rachy/flamingo.html) for the Amiga and YAPE (http://yape.plus4.net/) for UN*X's, BeOS, Windows.

Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: miksuh on December 17, 2004, 09:41:23 AM
Quote
There are a few different SID cards, here (http://web.archive.org/web/20030604201202/http://solder-synergy.de/plus4/hardware/sid.gif) is the circuit diagram for one of them, if you are handy with a soldering iron! :-)


Hmm it looks like it might work in C16 too, maybe i'll try that someday :-)
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: on December 19, 2004, 01:46:08 AM
Quote

miksuh wrote:
Quote
There are a few different SID cards, here (http://web.archive.org/web/20030604201202/http://solder-synergy.de/plus4/hardware/sid.gif) is the circuit diagram for one of them, if you are handy with a soldering iron! :-)


Hmm it looks like it might work in C16 too, maybe i'll try that someday :-)


You can even upgrade the RAM on a Plus/4 to 256KB.

I'm having trouble finding a 1581 drive, but when i do then i'll max out my plus/4 as much as i can.

256KB RAM
SID Audio Card
3.5" 1581 Floppy
I'm gonna look into whether the IDE64 can be adapted for use with the Plus/4.
If not, then maybe the new MMC64 will.
Maybe even a Super CPU could work? The Plus/4 expansion port is the same as the C64 with two wires swapped i believe.

Just me dreaming! :-)
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: K7HTH on December 19, 2004, 02:16:06 AM
Quote

mdma wrote:

Just me dreaming! :-)


mdma can do that to you.
Title: Re: Commodore Plus/4
Post by: on December 19, 2004, 02:24:23 AM
Quote

KD7HTH wrote:
Quote

mdma wrote:

Just me dreaming! :-)


mdma can do that to you.


:lol:

Yeah, and it can give you flashbacks to using 8bit and 16bit computers made by Commodore too! ;-)