C64 DTV

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The C64 DTV

The C64 DTV ( DTV stands for D irect to TV ) is one in the United States developed a single-chip version of the Commodore 64 , which in a joystick housing is built and equipped with a ROM for 30 games. The C64 DTV was developed by Jeri Ellsworth , who had previously developed the C-One emulation board . The C64 DTV can be expanded into an almost full-fledged C64 with little tinkering.

Versions

The C64 DTV exists in several versions. The DTV1 is a pure NTSC version with 2 MB read-only memory (ROM) and was sold in the USA / Canada from the end of 2004. The DTV2 (sometimes called the C64D2TV ) was sold in Europe from the end of 2005 and also supports PAL . The DTV2 contains 2 MB instead of 128 KB of RAM , and the read-only memory has been exchanged for flash memory . The DTV2 / 3 has an assembly error that manifests itself in poor color rendering (in some games the character is difficult to see or the text is illegible). When DTV3 finally a small problem of was blitter corrected for transparent blits. Furthermore, there is the so-called Hummer - game consoles , variant, which uses the same chip as the DTV3 but in a steering wheel housing sitting and just a car race runs, which was written specifically for the DTV3 CPU.

hardware

Motherboard of the C64 DTV (NTSC)
  • Housing / connections
    • integrated in a joystick housing
    • pure battery operation (4 × Mignon )
    • Composite video , mono audio (both cinch )
    • The joystick is port 2, additional buttons are connected to lines from port 1.
    • The joystick looks like a Competition Pro , but is more simply built (thinner plastic, rubber button instead of microswitch).
  • graphic
    • NTSC (from DTV2: NTSC / PAL)
    • programmable palette (4 bits luma, 4 bits chroma)
    • from DTV2: 256 color mode, fast image manipulation using blitter
  • Sound
    • Filters are not supported
    • from DTV2: 8-bit digital output, further options for the envelope curves
  • Storage
    • DTV1: 128 KB RAM, 2 MB ROM
    • from DTV2: 2 MB RAM, 2 MB flash memory
    • DMA engine for copying RAM / RAM and ROM / RAM
    • from DTV2: access to the RAM over 64 KB via bank switching and blitter (in addition to the DMA engine)
  • CPU
    • ASIC , 0.35 micron , 32 MHz
    • from DTV2: improved CPU (fast / burst mode, additional registers and commands, support of illegal opcodes of the 6510 )

Games included

The following games are included on the device (PAL version):

Software differences to the C64

The C64 DTV uses a Kernal slightly modified from the original C64 . First and foremost, the datasette routines have been removed and load routines for the built-in ROM have been added instead. Access to device 8 ( LOAD "*", 8 ) is forwarded to any connected floppy, the ROM can be addressed via device address 1 (read only). A very simple directory structure stored in the ROM is accessed and the desired file is copied from the ROM to the RAM.

Unlike the usual C64 emulators ( VICE etc.) there are no disk images or an emulated floppy. Therefore, at least the programs that access the floppy during the program do not run from the flash of the C64 DTV without changes. However, there are versions of some games that have been adapted for the C64 DTV. Developments of DTV software or adaptation of software for DTV can be implemented relatively easily with VICEplus.

Modding

Since there are soldering pads for some essential lines and they are labeled, the C64 DTV can be easily expanded. Some modifications are only possible with version DTV2.

Hardware modifications

  • DIN or PS / 2 keyboard connection
  • External joystick (port 1 and port 2)
  • Floppy connection
  • Power supply connector
  • Correction of the color error of the PAL version
  • S-video connection
  • User port

More hardware

  • Data transfer cable PC parallel port / joystick port DTVTrans

To mod the C64 DTV you don't necessarily need a floppy. On the DTV side, you can type a small bootstrapping software for the DTVTrans cable and thus get a more comfortable transfer software or flash utilities on the DTV.

Web links