Dear Robert, I don't know of any USB related project for the Commodores. But I don't think it's impossible; one could possibly find enough information in the USB driver source code of Linux or BSD systems, even if the relevant standard documents cannot be obtained at a reasonable cost. Let's see if anyone on the cbm-hackers list warms up for this idea. I wouldn't try to interface the USB directly to a 6502-based processor; instead, I'd use a simple microcontroller that is better equipped for the task. Along these lines, I'm developing a simple device that acts as an interface between the cassette port of any 8-bit Commodore and an RS-232 asynchronous serial line. With my custom protocol (for which the driver can be loaded using the standard cassette protocol), it transfers data at 38400 bps. Alas, I've heard that USB has a complicated protocol stack that might be too big to fit in a small microcontroller. I don't know if this is true. Also, implementing a file system (which would be required in the application you are suggesting) is no trivial task. I guess the microcontroller would need several kilobytes of memory for buffering data and several dozens of kilobytes of program code memory. Marko ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 09:57:15 -0600 From: Robert Eaglestone <eaglesto@nortelnetworks.com> To: marko.makela@hut.fi Subject: USB-to-C64 ? Greetings Mr. Makela: I've been browsing the web, looking for someone who has thought about creating a protocol translator that could make a USB mass storage device look like a 1541 (or a group of 1541's). I've also been looking for the protocol standard used by the C64 to talk with the 1541, without success. Perhaps you know of someone who has figured out if such a project can or can't be done. Or perhaps you know someone who would know if it could be done. If you know of such people, could you let me know? I am very curious about it (if only because my 1541-II is not getting any younger). Sincerely, Robert Eaglestone Message was sent through the cbm-hackers mailing list
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