Comments on: Picodore – C64 DTV palmtop

By: conversionvansforsale

conversionvansforsale — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:10:33 +0000

With all of these advantages to van leasing, it is important to note that there are some disadvantages. The biggest one of those is that one does not actually own the van at any time. Even during the period that the individual is driving the van it is not theirs. It always remains the property of the leasing company.

By: MATTHEW DURLAC

MATTHEW DURLAC — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 18:20:37 +0000

HI is your Picodore 64 going into business on the market, if you get enough demands, for example, or if not could you make me one for a good (enough)price?
I thought I would like it the instant I read your article in RETRO GAMER page 99 (issue 35). Please see if I can possibly own one, if I like it after you give me some more details say, what can you still do with it like you could do with a commodore 64. Or is the screen 5 inch’s across including or without the diplay game window, I think you get my gist… I hope you get enough demands to be able to sell your own, do you have a factory where you can contruct copies? Yours hopefully, Matthew Durlac

By: NICK

NICK — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 07:09:40 +0000

That is amazing, and deserves a round of applause *claps for a few seconds*.

By: gert

gert — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:48:21 +0000

Did you see his other project?... he made a game controller that reads your mind, literally!

http://www.picobay.com/projects/2006/05/controlling-video-game-with-brain.html

Maybe that should be tomorrow's hack

By: markie

markie — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:30:26 +0000

Cool! I'm just about to attach a PS one display to a golden oldie C64 in my attempt on the earlier Prophet64 project posted here.

http://www.hackaday.com/2006/10/03/c64-alpha-mod/

Not in a long run will it be as small as this nice picodore C64, but a whole lot more portable than having to carry some CRT-monitor around :-)

By: Severedbrain

Severedbrain — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:57:12 +0000

Thanks for the tips, I did some further idgging on my own and found more info. Apparently the C128/C128D keyboard are nearly identical to the C64 keyboard except with some additional scan-codes added in software. In that vein, I wonder if the matrix-keyboard to ps/2 conversion done in the newer devices is done via a hardware interface (I’d love to liberate that for personal use) or in software on the Black-Blob.

-Severedbrain

By: CDE

CDE — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:24:01 +0000

The rs-232 to ps/2 is great. I have a bunch of palm v keyboards that use that, and I have yet to find a way to convert it from 232 to ps/2 or usb. I’ve seen rs232 to newton serial which send me in the right direction, but this is like giving it to me. Now all I need to do is add this to a usb pic and make it show up as a usb hid keyboard. I’ll have a nice little pocket foldup keyboard for some headless servers (along with a ps2 lcd screen)

By: akmixdown

akmixdown — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 16:00:52 +0000

wow I have to say I *really* like the construction of this project. My own hacks are often just modified boards or modified firmware; I’ve always been very poor at the “artsy” side of things, and using wood always looked “cheap”. I’d never thought of gluing contact paper on to give it a metallic look. Wow!

By: Yorgle

Yorgle — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:41:54 +0000

Severedbrain: the C=64 and C=128 had matrix-scan integrated keyboards. It was only the new C=64-based devices (like the hummer, or the joystick) that have PS2 capability.

The C=128D had a detached keyboard, but i’m not sure what signalling/pinout it used… but i’m pretty sure it wasn’t PS/2, since the 128D came out in 1986, while the IBM PS/2 came out in 1987.

By: Sonderling-Meister

Sonderling-Meister — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:58:37 +0000

i aggree. don’t post if all you have to say is “first post.”

By: MRE

MRE — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:09:44 +0000

I seriously think hack a day should auto-flood the required email address with giant banner images that read “Congratu-effin-lations! You were the first poster on H.A.D. your parents must be proud of you!” To every one that simply says ‘first post’

By: bodiby

bodiby — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:57:16 +0000

This looks great. Reminds of Ben Heck with the attention to detail. Is this his first hack? If so, extra props!!

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:54:38 +0000

there are more pictures on his blog.

http://www.picobay.com/projects/index.html

By: tom61

tom61 — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:04:01 +0000

Awesome project! Nice hacking going on there. The mini joystick is a nice touch. RS-232 to PS/2 is something I hadn’t considered recently, but could use in a project of mine.

Severedbrain: only the new mini “DTV” C64s have a keyboard port. Rather pointless to have a keyboard port on a computer that is /in/ a keyboard. Additionally, the IBM AT hadn’t been released yet, which introduces the keyboard protocol PS/2 keyboards use. So, even if it did have a keyboard port, it wouldn’t be ps/2 compatable.

By: Jason Winters

Jason Winters — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 06:51:39 +0000

Maybe this construction method will catch on. I got the stainless steel contact paper at a local big-box hardware store for a few bucks. Looks great and is fairly durable. To get nice clean egdes, I removed the backing from an oversized piece, stuck it on the surface and then I used an X-Acto knife to cut off
the excess by running the blade along the edge.