C65GS Developers Introductions

[Michael Zaffuto]

Hello, my name is Mike Zaffuto, I am a senior electrical engineer and will primarily be providing schematic, pcb and hardware prototype manufacturing and support.

Have owned a few C64s, had an original KIM-1 board long ago, a C64, Vic20, 1541, 1571 and a 1702 monitor survive.

Hope to dabble in some VHDL along the way.  Let's bring this thing to life! C65=< !!

[Magnus Wedmark]

Hi, my name is Magnus Wedmark. I'm a software engineer working with Visual Studio, C#, .NET framework but also done C/C++ for many years before that. As a hobby I've played with FPGA's for the last 10 years. I've tried working with both Altera and Xilinx (have 2 of each development boards) and also tried both VHDL and Verilog. Mostly small but awarding projects usually including either Sound or Graphics.

I've programmed both BASIC, assembler, C/C++, C# and some other languages. Some other special interests are 3d-graphics, music-making, emulators, virtual machines, compilers.

I actually never heard about the C65 before getting in touch with this project. So I have no knowledge about the actual C65, beside the surfing I've done the last days.

The only touching subject I've fiddled with is the FPGA-64 project before it got "Chameleon'd" and went closed-source. I've managed to include a soft-SID into it and got some sound out of it too. Tried playing some games on it too, which worked great but was limited by not having 64KB free RAM within the FPGA.. I would really like to have a simple FPGA-C64-clone to be able to play the old great games.

I've owned an original high-profile C64 lots of years ago, but today I only have all tapes with games and own stuff left.

[Wayne Sander]

Hi, my name is Wayne Sander.  I'm just your run of the mill, yet slightly obsessed, Commodore fan.  I have several C64s, an SX-64, 2 PET2001s (one with chicklet keyboard and built-in tape drive, one with full sized keyboard), a PET4008, a couple of datasettes, a 1541-Ultimate2 cartridge, a few 1541 drives, a 2031 drive, an 8050 drive, a Plus/4 and a non-functioning revision 2A C65 (it's missing the VIC-III chip).  I've been meaning to post on here and get more involved in this project, but it's been a busy past several months for me.  I'm hoping that my time will free up now and I can begin to help out.  I'm not formally trained in any of this, but I like to tinker and I'm pretty handy with a soldering iron.  I'm also trying to learn VHDL.

A year ago I disassembled my C65, desoldered all of the components and made a few replica motherboards.  I listed one for sale on Ebay to try and recoup some of my costs.  Some of you may have seen it listed.  I also copied the C65 Widget board that allows some C64 game cartridges to be played on the C65.  Attached are some photos of those two projects.  If anyone would like copies of the revision 2A schematic that I drew, it's available on Bo Zimmerman's site.  You can find it on this page - http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/schematics/computers/index.html

[Gurce Isikyildiz]

Hi all,

I'm a c64 fan from my childhood days. I loved learning BASIC via the wide variety of printed literature back in those days (eg, those nice USBORNE books :)). I was just underway with my assembly learning curve (figuring out raster interrupts, making joystick drivers and routines to load art onto the screen from saved art programs), when commodore went bankrupt and I felt compelled to jump ship.

That feeling of leaving a system that I was loyal to for about a decade was quite heart-wrenching. Having to start from zero in the ibm-pc compatible world, it was a world I tolerated (os/2, dos, windows, linux), but it never really felt like "home".

I always felt that one day I'd return back to my first love, the c64, and finish the learning curve that I had started. I always thought I'd return after having kids and retiring, but your project re-kindled an interest, enthusiasm and desire in me that had been buried away for some time.

I haven't had a "fun" project in my life for a long time really, it's just been work and home-life, that's it. Sure, work is important, it makes the money, but maybe I shouldn't wait till retirement to have some "fun" :)

Ah, so skills, what can I offer... Hmm... How about: patience, determination, consideration, courtesy, humbleness? :)

Hehe, ok, "soft" skills aside, what about "hard" techy skills then:
- a modest understanding of the 6502 instruction set
- a modest understanding of vhdl
- a keenness/enthusiasm to document/wikify things :)

Hopefully that'll be enough to see me through and help to contribute something positive over the long haul, fingers crossed :)

Regards,
Gurce

[defto...@gmail.com]

Hi Michael,

I stumbled over your post today and would like to ask you if you are still interested in VHDL development. We are currently looking for someone to help us enhancing some bits of the VHDL especially regarding C64 compatibility. Please contact me over the contact forms on mega65.org or m-e-g-a.org or directly via deft<somesymbol>m-e-g-a.org ... thank you!

best
Deft

[defto...@gmail.com]

Hi Magnus,

I stumbled over your post today and would like to ask you if you are still interested in VHDL development. We are currently looking for someone to help us enhancing some bits of the VHDL especially regarding C64 compatibility. Please contact me over the contact forms on mega65.org or m-e-g-a.org or directly via deft<somesymbol>m-e-g-a.org ... thank you!

best
Deft

[Ben-401]

Hi All,
My name is Ben and i also used the c64 when i was a youngster. Yes i still have two of them boxed up somewhere.
I would like to help contribute this this project.
Although it has been some time since i did any real VHDL programming, i can at least say that i have done some VHDL programming during my career. I also have systems engineering experience, and enjoy documenting my work as i go.
I look forward to working with you.
Ben.