C2NEmu: A USB datassette emulator (finally)

[Luigi Di Fraia]

Hi all,

just a quick post about the soon to be available C2NEmu. This device connects to a Commodore 64/VIC 20 tape port and to a PC through a USB cable.



It offers 2 modes of operation:

• 1. playback a TAP file (version 0, 1, or 2) from a PC into a C64/VIC20
  2. record the write signal from a C64/VIC20 to a DMP file on a PC

C16 is supported as well by means of a converter, which I won't be supplying myself.

Unlike "audio playback" equivalents, this device fully supports the motor signal, which is not just fundamental at the "FOUND" message or at a Credits screen. There are a number of games whose tape loader requires data playback to stop for a fairly large amount of time at given points: this device takes care of it for you, without manual intervention.

It's still early for (pre-)ordering as I am still running tests but I assume the final price is likely to be about 8 GBP + shipping.

Cheers,

Luigi

[mrr19121970]

Seems like a great idea. Shame about needing pc. What's wrong with a usb stick or sd card ?

[Luigi Di Fraia]

What's wrong with a usb stick or sd card ?

That's what DC2N3 and DC2N2 + DC2N5 work with, respectively.

This is an alternative device to address the requests of those who want to use their PC as a repository of TAP files, which allows for greater organization of a large collection including scan covers, documentation and other metadata in general. Besides, the USB connection route proves to be much cheaper...

[Mclane]

Normally when its tape related I make a groan sound and think "Why?" but I like this, love the ingenuity of it...

Mind you, I don't have a 64 any more.... Perhaps I need to rectify that....

Pauul..

[MartinPiper]

How about a mode where you can connect it to a C2N and transfer TAP files from the PC to real tapes?

[Luigi Di Fraia]

I don't encourage that sort of transfer, but the short answer to your question is: that's what a tape duplicator would come handy for.
A "clean" TAP file would be an ideal source for mastering: C2NEmu is a very specialised real-time device so the signal on its tape port connector would be better than anything a C64 would be able to generate. Again, that obviously depends on the absence of noise in the TAP file used to start with. TAPClean and TAPClean Front End would be an obvious choice for noise removal.

[MartinPiper]

I generate original software to TAP files using PC tools. It would be useful to write these to tape without analogue hacks.

[Luigi Di Fraia]

C2NEmu+tape duplicator would cover your requirements then. USBhost-64+tape write tool would be another way to go about it without analogue processing.

[vimfuego]

Seems like a great idea. Shame about needing pc. What's wrong with a usb stick or sd card ?

I think this device is another great option for those that have a PC or laptop in close proximity to their C64 if they have their TAP file collection on that same PC. No need to copy the TAP files to an SD Card, just plug this new device in to the USB port and away you go. And with the expected price of on 8 GBP it seems like a bargain.

[Luigi Di Fraia]

I think this device is another great option for those that have a PC or laptop in close proximity to their C64 if they have their TAP file collection on that same PC. No need to copy the TAP files to an SD Card, just plug this new device in to the USB port and away you go. And with the expected price of on 8 GBP it seems like a bargain.

Thank you. I would also point potential buyers to one of my posts under the DC2N4-LC subject that really applies to this device:

I honestly would be looking at a more ambitious project than that: A distributed (in the way Git is) archive of tape images with metadata attached to them that most people can download and update locally and some people can write to/update centrally. Obviously individual contributions could be submitted, reviewed, and integrated (in a way similar to a Git pull request + merge). This model would allow a wide flexibility locally to each user and retain some due discipline on the central archive.
Such archive's metadata would also contain information more relevant to my C2N emulator, e.g. rewind points (for "zero tape counter/rewind to zero" scenarios).

That said, I am not suggesting that I will work at such project.

In the short term I plan to have a PC GUI application that can be used to select a TAP/PRG file, play it, rewind, etc. At the moment I am testing with a commandline application that is very basic: It accepts the filename of the TAP file in use and the USB interface to use. The hardware then makes sensible use of the data within the TAP file

[Luigi Di Fraia]