Budget Upgrade Magic: The $10 RAD Expansion Unit for C64 - Boost Your Retro RAM!
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- Thank you to PCBWay for sponsoring this episode. If you need an PCBs, preassembled PCBs, 3D printed parts of excellent quality or CNC stuff, head over to PCBWay here: www.pcbway.com
In this video I will try out the (newish) RAD Expansion Unit for the C64 which is a super low cost alternative to the Commodore REU with up to 16MB of RAM.
Project homepage: github.com/frntc/RAD
Visit my store for cool merchandise like T-Shirts, Cups etc.: retro-is-the-new-black.creato...
RETRO is the new black is a retro channel for retro enthusiasts. The channel features retro computers, game consoles and gadgets from the 1970, 1980 and 1990s as well as new tech for old machines. The videos range from simple unboxing to repairs and sometimes even the creation of new things.
I try to upload two videos a week (one smaller QUICK SHOT video and one longer main Video).
Some machines featured in my (upcoming) videos are: Commodore PET, Commodore C64, Commodore VIC 20 (VC20), Atari 800XL, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad (Schneider) CPC, IBM PCs, Apple IIe, Apple Macintosh, Amiga 3000, Amiga 2000 and many more.
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This channel is hosted by Wolfgang Kierdorf. I am a retro enthusiast from Cologne in Germany. My retro videos are in english. If you are from a different county or need a different language, please check if subtitles are available.
Thanks for watching! - Наука та технологія
Making REU images in VICE is easy. When you enable the REU in settings, click "Browse..." to attach an REU image, enter a NEW file name, and click "Open/Create". Finally, make sure you check "Write image on detach/emulator quit". Load up your virtual REU with the data you want, and exit VICE. Voila! Your new REU image has been written. At this point you probably want to go back into settings and UNCHECK "Write image...". Making a GEO-RAM image follows the exact same process. Anyhow, thank you for the demonstration! I've been seeing these things pop up for sale all over. Making images directly on the RAD would be ideal, but it looks like there are still some bugs to be worked out if it can't read its own files! 🧐 -- JC
Thanks man! I will try that ... but I think the RAD can't load the REU images properly right now.
Well, that was easy. It worked. It didn't even think to check there for the image function. Any ideas on how to run these images. Maybe I am thinking about this all wrong, but in my mind I load the image and it should just work. On the other hand: there would be only code stored in the REU there. All the code in normal RAM would be missing. With GEORAM you can store all data in the expansion and then use a SYS command to start the code. BTW: double clicking on the REU files in the RAD starts a NUVIE file. You just mount the REU image with one enter tap and then ... nothing. Resetting the machine lands me in the Basic prompt. Same in VICE.
@@RetroWK At least in VICE, the image is only meant to preserve the contents of the RAM expansion unit. This is completely separate from having a snapshot of system RAM. You can SYS to start code in a GEORAM because it exposes a page of its own RAM in the I/O space at $DE00. The image, in any case, is only preserving the contents of the expansion (kind of like having a battery back-up). The 1764 Globe and Pound demos are great examples of its usefulness: most fast-loader cartridges will not work with the REU due to I/O collisions, and pre-loading those 30+ images into the REU at stock 1541 speed is like watching paint dry. If you mount a preloaded image, you still need to load the demo PRG from disk, but can answer "No" when it asks if you want to load the images into RAM at start-up. -- JC
@@BasicBitesCA Thanks for the explanation. That is pretty much what I figured in the end. So I will try those demos to check if the images work. Thanks again! BTW: I subscribed to your channel today!
@@RetroWK Thank you very much! I've been subscribed to yours for a while. 😎 -- JC
Once again you show us another interesting C64 project. This is what keeps the C-64 alive ! Thank you for spreading the word. Ordering mine now. 😃
Thanks man!
Very interesting. I haven't ever played with REUs on the c64, but this looks like something I want to try.
The REU used to cost a small fortune. It apparently is also a feature of the UltimateII cartridge. But I’ve never used an REU on the C64.
It's also featured in the Turbo Chameleon 64/TC64 V2
@@larsenmats I got a chameleon too but I only used it for Amiga on c64 🤣
@@CallousCoder I have two TC64 V2s myself. My only small complaint is the image quality. It's rather soft and causes some ghosting/smearing. On the other hand, it's quite fitting for the C64. I also rarely use REU. Actually used Turbo function more. Test Drive 1 and 2 runs nice with Turbo. And yes, running other cores like minimig with the C64 keyboard working is very cool. But then again, I have plenty of enhanced real Amigas.
Thank you for the C64 retro content!! You made my Sunday here in Ohio. I remember when your son and you made that case. Seems like it was just a little bit ago, but I bet it's been longer since you two made it. I still use the 1MB NeoRAM (GeoRAM clone) you sent me. I still want to find 3 more 1MB chips taking it up to the 4MB. Looks like this does the best of both REU & GeoRAM. I use a REU image on my UII+ cartridge of GEOS128v2 so it is up and running in seconds instead of minutes.
Thanks man! Hope you are doing well!
Love your channel - thanks!
Thanks!
i like the new format...
Does the RAD work on the SuperCPU 128 as REU?
If the original did it should.
Thanks for the video. If you start adding devices like this, Pi 1541, KungFu Flash and something like retro tink 2x mini or VIC II Kawari to get REU, cycle exact 1541, CRT loading and proper video out it starts adding up the cost and get's messy when compared to just going for something like a Turbo Chameleon 64 V2 which has all these things in one Cartridge + more.
That's true. It's the decision to invest $200 at once or in - kind of - down payments.
I have a feeling Sonic currently runs slower with the RAD than a real REU. Don't take my word for it tho', but it seemed a bit laggy.
I have to make a side by side comparison ... with my Mister ;-)
I was excited until you said raspberry pi. Not interested.
Yeah, kind of the same here. I already have a 4 core Rpi emulating a floppy drive, how much more computing power should I pack around my 1MHz C64? :)
But there are other experiments, too (not the exact same thing, but no gigahertzes are required): ua-cam.com/video/LpdZK0EoBR8/v-deo.html
Same here, adding the complexity of a Pi just for a REU solution is crazy.
I can see that. It is overkill but it is a cheaper way to have an REU for your real C64.
Extending a Raspberry Pi with a C64 is kind of nonsense. Either you build a C64 directly, which you can plug onto the GPIOs, or you just use a C64 emulation.
You can also expand an Intel Xeon PC with a C64 and use that as a memory expansion. You can do it, certainly. Does it make sense? Of course not.
And exactly the same nonsense is currently the trend to abuse a Raspberry Pi for every little thing. This has nothing to do with tinkering or hardware expansion.
People who have no idea about the real technology and hardware have tinkered with the whole thing via software. Ridiculous something like that.
I tend to agree with you on this, an RPI can speed up an Amiga quite well and I really have no issues with that. But using it as an REU memory expansion seems a bit overkill. However, I guess since it's so easy to update the software for it, it might be possible to add all sorts of features and it makes it very bulletproof to update. It's still a cool project tho'.
I agree. It's like the tail wags the dogs ... but still cool!