Ordering process

If you are interested in one of my DIY kits or devices (and, even better, these are also listed as available) then:

• make sure you provide the details requested for the option you selected (such as the firmware or Pro-Micro board variants);
• choose the shipping method, either “Standard” or “Tracked and Signed” (availability is based on the destination);
• get in touch with me through my contact form here.

Payments

Payments are exclusively in GBP through PayPal.

It only makes sense to ask for the details of a payment once the device or kit you are ordering is available to ship.

Shipping

For the shipment of my kits and devices outside of the UK you are requested to choose between:

• “International Standard” shipping with Royal Mail (not tracked, no signature, and no insurance cover),
• “International Tracked and Signed” shipping with Royal Mail (tracked, requires signature upon receipt, and includes insurance cover).

Supporting firmware and software

When you receive one of my devices or kits you should expect that the micro-controllers were pre-programmed and that all the details of the PC-side software, where applicable, will be provided to you via email upon confirming your order. You should also expect to be able to find the latest stable releases of such software in my software page.

DC2N

DC2N comes in different forms and with different features, which also means a wide price range. The sections below outline the feature set for each device that is (or has been, up until recently) for sale.

DC2N5-Low Cost

DC2N5-LC is the last member of the DC2N family, based on a 32-bit ARM MCU.

This device can be used for a number of purposes:

• make backups of Commodore PET, C64/128, VIC-20, C16/+4, Sinclair Spectrum, BBC Micro, MSX, and Spectravideo tapes (including using both signal edges, a.k.a. halfwaves);
• record from a PET, C64/128, VIC-20 (with a third party adapter C16/+4 is supported as well);
• playback v0, v1, and v2 TAP files to PET, C64/128, VIC-20 with support for IDX files (using a third party adapter C16/+4 is supported as well, which is the one that would benefit from the support of v2 TAP files);
• playback PRG files using either the CBM ROM or Turbo Tape 250 encoding;
• read 30-column TXT files (e.g. software instructions).

DC2N5-LC uses a micro SDHC card as storage medium and provides a wide TFT display, useful for monitoring the signal coming from a Commodore 1530 (or compatible tape player) thus allowing precise and effective read head (azimuth) alignment.

A regulated +5V DC power supply, capable of providing at least 300 mA, is required in order to power the device, the cassette player and its motor when making tape backups. The power supply has to terminate with a 2.1 mm (inner)/5.5 mm (outer) DC plug. The inner part has to be +5V, the outer one GND.

A 12mm coin cell battery (e.g. CR1225) can be used to hold the current date/time so that files written to the micro SDHC card are stamped accordingly.

Who is DC2N5-LC suitable for? Anybody willing to backup tapes AND playback TAP/PRG files into their Commodore home-computer.

DC2N5-LC: mounted in a 3D-printed enclosure

If you are into soldering, here’s an option you might be interest in:

DC2N5-LC: DIY kit

For a fully assembled + tested device the following option is also available:

In both cases, you are requested to choose between the firmware that displays a 3-digit counter (a la C2N) or the one that displays a MM:SS duration.

DC2N5-LC: assembled device (suitable for mounting in a 3D-printed enclosure)

Miscellaneous devices

Tiny C2N Monitor

The Tiny C2N Monitor is a device that sits between a C2N cassette player and either a C64 or DC2N, ‘spoofing’ the signal coming from a tape being played back and displaying it on a TFT display.
As part of the spoofing process this device is also capable of intercepting “CBM ROM” and “TutboTape 250” file names, upon detecting the relevant signal. Any intercepted file name is shown on the TFT display as well.

Tiny C2N Monitor: spoofing a tape port signal

Note on assembling the device, for those who buy a DIY kit: users are required to confirm the orientation of the two tantalum (polarized) capacitors before powering up the device. There’s a dark mark on one end of these capacitors that MUST face the integrated circuits (U1 and U2) in both cases. Mounting this component the wrong way around will result in a device that might work for a while but the capacitor closer to the blue tape port connector will eventually blow up and possibly short the 5V supply rail to GND.

The assembly process I use is illustrated in this blog post.

If you are into soldering, here’s an option you might be interest in:

For a fully assembled + tested device the following option is also available:

IECHost

IECHost is an IEC bus master that can control Commodore drives such as the 1541 and 1541-II, and possibly other Commodore devices interfaced via the IEC bus such as printers and plotters.

Current features include (durations were measured using the IECHost GUI client for Windows and might be different for other OSes):

• 35/40 track fast DOS disk imaging (23 seconds, for 35-track disks) and restoration (36 seconds, ditto) for 1541 drives and compatible,
• file exporting and importing for any IEC drive,
• disk validation and formatting for any IEC drive,
• 35/40 track fast DOS disk formatting (19 seconds, ditto) for 1541 drives and compatible.

Support for nibbling disks with a 1571 drive, leveraging the SRQ line, is available through an alternative set of software utilities.

3D printable enclosure: User-provided design files to 3D-print your own enclosure are available here.

IECHost: “white knight” model

If you are into soldering, here’s an option you might be interest in:

For a fully assembled + tested device the following option is also available:

• a micro-USB connector, or
• a Type-C USB connector (stronger and therefore more durable).

Bear in mind that the main PCB was designed to accommodate the board with a micro-USB connector, which is shorter than the one with a Type-C USB connector. Hence, case designs, where available, are not interchangeable.