1541 Ultimate II Firmware v3.4c

Release Notes

• Fixing homedirectory function. Added possibility to use wildcards.
• Fixed file extensions. Makes songlengths load again.
• Fixed missing SID voices in U2/U2+

• Significant improvements to the Software IEC module.

• Updates to SID player:

  • Implemented pause feature (using space bar)
  • Pause will now also mute 2nd and 3rd SID chip
  • Fixed SID version check and SID header relocation
  • Fixed display issue when SID model or clock is unknown
  • Updated version of player and copyright year

General Usability and Compatibility:

• Added possibility to load / save and reset configuration settings.
• Added the possibility to have temporary configuration settings.

Improvements to the 6502 CPU for improved 1541 compatibility:

• Improvements to SID player:
  • Built-in SID player now supports MUS files as well (including stereo tunes) Music files can be found here: http://www.c64music.co.uk/
• Added support for toggling screen on/off in Sidplayer with S key.
• Added support for song length in SID header.
• Fixed correct SID model selection for SIDFX boards.

Various other bug fixes:

• Copying a file from a container now restores extension.
• Fixed issue of copying file from .t64 files.
• Added ‘Enter’ option for .t64 files.
• User Interface improvements / fixes.
• Fixed telnet connection – removing header upon connect (fixes random copy actions)
• Changed default hostname to match target.

Dropped features:

• Support for the ISO9660 filesystem.
• The audio variant no longer supports recording TAP files. The dual drive version does.

Added features since 1.24

• Debug stream over Ethernet, which logs CPU / VIC access real time, also possible to log C64 CPU and 1541 CPU alongside. U64 only.
• ACIA (MOS 6551) emulation
• Modem Layer emulation (6551 <-> LAN), supporting both outbound and inbound connections
• REU load / save commands from UCI, using the preload settings
• File append mode for Software IEC.
• Support for SuperGames cartridge

This is the quick install / user guide for the 1541 Ultimate II running firmware 2.6k.

This documentation is basically for all three of Gideon's supported hardware [1541 Ultimate II, 1541 Ultimate II+ & Ultimate 64] projects using firmware up to v3.7 (Which is 1.28 on the Ultimate 64).  Anyway, you can find the most current documentation here online.  The reason I put snapshots of it online is because someday (possibly) someone will want to look back and see the progression of this awesome piece of hardware.

Release notes Ultimate-II+ v3.1 rev 474:

• USB fixes:
  • support for sticks that do not reliably reply to the ‘inquiry’ command
  • Byte alignment issue fixed when writing. This caused corrupted G64s to be written sometimes
  • Support for composite devices added
  • Added support for USB keyboards, to navigate the Ultimate browser menu

• Incorporated patches from Markus & Henning, including, but not limited to:
  • Audio squeal fix, speaker volume addition
  • Ultimate DOS V1.1 with added commands
  • Added Home Directory support
  • Added support for GeoRAM

• IEC fixes:
  • IEC now operates properly on the bus, when it is alone (disabled 1541 drives)
  • IEC filename fixes; saving a file to IEC adds the right extension and also removes the extension when loading directory
  • IEC should now work with JiffyDOS  (not yet supporting the JiffyDOS protocol)

• UltiCopy is working again!
• Small fix in TCP support (TCP hangup on retransmission)
• Other small fixes:
  • Save disk twice bug fixed
  • Fixed load errors on tape adapter cable with some USB 3.0 cables
  • Keyboard “racekeys” fixed
  • Reduced Link Up time for the Ethernet port
  • Ultimax mode ROMs now allow video data in ROM

General Usability and Compatibility:

• Added possibility to load / save and reset configuration settings.
• Added the possibility to have temporary configuration settings.
• Improvements to the 6502 CPU for improved 1541 compatibility.

Improvements to SID player:

• Built-in SID player now supports MUS files as well (including stereo tunes) Music files can be found here: http://www.c64music.co.uk/
• Added support for toggling screen on/off in Sidplayer with S key.
• Added support for song length in SID header.
• Fixed correct SID model selection for SIDFX boards .

Various other bug fixes:

• Copying a file from a container now restores extension.
• Fixed issue of copying file from .t64 files.
• Added ‘Enter’ option for .t64 files.
• User Interface improvements / fixes.
• Fixed telnet connection – removing header upon connect (fixes random copy actions)

• General Usability and Compatibility

  • Added possibility to load / save and reset configuration settings
  • Added the possibility to have temporary configuration settings
  • Improvements to the 6502 CPU for improved 1541 compatibility
• Improvements to SID player
  • Built-in SID player now supports MUS files as well (including stereo tunes)
    • Music files can be found here: http://www.c64music.co.uk/
  • Added support for toggling screen on/off in Sidplayer with S key.
  • Added support for song length in SID header.
  • Fixed correct SID model selection for SIDFX boards
• Various other bug fixes
  • Copying a file from a container now restores extension
  • Fixed issue of copying file from .t64 files
  • Added 'Enter' option for .t64 files
  • User Interface improvements / fixes
  • Fixed telnet connection - removing header upon connect (fixes random copy actions)
  • Changed default hostname to match target

Found this older user guide for Gideon Zweijtzer's 1541 Ultimate.  Not sure if there is a newer one, but this one has a LOT of good info in it.  If you have on of these awesome cartridges for the Commodore 64, you'll want this guide.

With this software you can use your PC computer as a disk drive for those 8-bit Commodore home computers that are equipped with serial bus (this includes for example C-64, C-128, VIC-20, Plus/4 and C-16). Instead of recognizing just the stock serial bus protocol and some of the drive commands, 1541EMU completely emulates the internal hardware of the Commodore 1541 disk drive. This means that even fastloaders are supported.

1541U RTC by Torsten Kracke (Released December 12th, 2017) - This is a very handy GEOS Auto-Exec utility that will read the real-time clock on a 1541 Ultimate II / II+ or Ultimate 64 and set the time in GEOS during boot-up.  For this to work, you need to have v3.1a or newer firmware.  I tested this on an Ultimate 64 with firmware 3.10a, so I assume anything in between will work. 

Original source for this utility was www.tokra.de which was discovered from a Facebook post in the Ultimate 64 group.

1571 Clone Machine v2.0 - There are several .nib's and .d64's in this archive, but just a heads up;  none of them work 100%.  I have looked all over for a working version of this program but all I've come up with is partial working versions.

1571 Clone Machine v2.0b - Just a single .nib in this archive.  Unfortunately it's not 100% working.

Written by Jeffrey Sherman, 1571 Dual Disk Backup is just that for the Commodore 128.  Nice looking interface.

This is an article about common problems and solutions for fixing the Commodore 1571 floppy drive.

1571 MFM Toolkit v1 is a program to format disks to CP/M or MS-DOS in a 1571 floppy drive.

1571 Resurrection by John Crookshank for the Commodore 128 (40 Column) is a nice tool for pulling data off a floppy disk that might not be readable otherwise.

By Jeffrey Sherman. This is a basic full disk copier for the C128 written for 40 or 80 Column mode. Don't forget to DLOAD the program.

1571 Single Drive Backup is a Commodore 128 (80 Column only) full disk backup utility by Georg Schwarz (1988) for those of us with only one floppy drive.

1571 Single Drive File Copy is a Commodore 64 program that has the ability to copy files from both sides of a floppy.

1581 Autostart Device # Changer by Jim Collette (January 1988) - This is a handy little utility that will let you create an autostart floppy disk that will change the device number to whatever you like when the device is turned on or reset, overriding the hardware dip switches.

This is version 0.54 of the CBM 1581 floppy disk copy util for DOS. It should be able to im- or export a CBM 1581 disk within 39 seconds on a PC based 3.5" floppy drive and disk controller. There is also some information about Linux and Commodore disks included.

This simple little program tests for two problems some first run 1581 drives might have.  As stated in a newsgroup post I found:

The first one involved an improperly grounded jumper (J1) on the PC board
inside the 1581 disk drive.  Allows the drive to use the 6 ms step rate.

The second involved a bad batch of WD1770 chips that were later replaced
with the WD1772 chip.  A typical symptom of this problem is a corrupted
directory after a disk copy.

By Thomas R. Grady. This is a directory editor for 1581 disks. As noted in the built it documentation, this early version only allows for swapping positions of files and a few other basic functions. I like to include early program versions like this for historical completeness.

By Thomas R. Grady. This is a directory editor for 1581 disks. As noted in the built it documentation, this early version only allows for swapping positions of files and a few other basic functions. I like to include early program versions like this for historical completeness.

1581 Directory Doctor by Steve Granat is a tool to sort directory entries on a 1581 floppy disk.  Instructions are built into the program.

1581 Disk Doctor imported on January 18th, 1990 by Fantasy. This is a modified version of the original 1581 Disk Doctor written by Kevin Pickell. Wanderer of Fantasy added a multi-drive selector to the program.

1581 Disk Doctor imported on January 18th, 1990 by Fantasy. This is a modified version of the original 1581 Disk Doctor written by Kevin Pickell. Wanderer of Fantasy added a multi-drive selector to the program.

1581 Disk Jacket v1.1 by Julie Coupal is a utility for printing the directory of a 1581 floppy disk and creating a protective disk jacket out of the printout.

1581 File Copy is a super simple file copier.  Supposedly is supports dual drives but I only had a single drive to test with and it supports swapping disks for file copies.

Based on LM Backup by Luke Mester, this version is for the 1581 drive. The interesting thing about this file copier is that it will let you copy files between partitions on the same drive with a 56k buffer. Note that line 2 of the program has the default drive set to 9, so you may need to edit it if you have a single 1581 setup as drive 8.

Based on LM Backup by Luke Mester, this version is for the 1581 drive. The interesting thing about this file copier is that it will let you copy files between partitions on the same drive with a 56k buffer. Note that line 2 of the program has the default drive set to 9, so you may need to edit it if you have a single 1581 setup as drive 8.

This Commodore 128 directory editor for the 1581 is very capable. Among the options are alphabetizing a disk, inserting comments, exchanging directory entries, inserting blank entries and even operating on sub-directories. Built-in help is more than adequate. Also on this disk is a C64 version.

1581 MS-DOS Format by Sogwap Software was released in 1988 and allows a Commodore 128 to format a DSDD Floppy to a 720k MS-DOS disk on a 1581 floppy drive.

This program lets you create subpartitions (aka. subdirectories) on your 1581, or compatible drive.  This program works with a C64 or C128 computer.

Note:  Although this is originaly a CMD utility, it was modified by Adam Vardy to make it easier to use and more reliable.

By Joe Gilberto. Release October 20th, 1988. This utility appear to handle some basic housekeeping tasks for a 1581. It can create sub directories and read seq. files among other things. Help is built into the program.

Written by Riff Raff & The Burglar. V1.0 Released August 1986. As far as Hackers / War Dialers go, this is a pretty nice one. It has some extras like a prank dialer, keypad echo and even a mini terminal.

17 Second copier was "spreaded" by the Fall Guys.  This is a straight forward 40 track disk copier.

1702 Monitor (1199x1164)

This is the demo disk that comes with the Commodore 1764 (256K) RAM expander, which could be upgraded to 512K if you were good with a soldering iron.

Here's a link to the manual.

This upgrade disk I think provided with the Commodore 1764 RAM Expander to upgrade GEOS 1.2 to 1.3 so it could support RAM expansion.

This article outlines how to upgrade a Commodore 1764 RAM Expansion Unit (or 1700) to 512MB RAM.

This is the users guide that comes with the Commodore 1764 RAM expansion.

1942 Instructions

19080's Console / Computer Timeline (1600x1200)

Not really a wallpaper, but really liked it so adding to the collection.

The TAX RETURN HELPER helps you organize tax-related data and prepare the most common tax forms and schedules. The program does all the required computations. so you have only to supply the data.

Please remember that although the TAX RETURN HELPER allows you to explore "what-if" alternatives, it will nor provide tax advice or interpretation of tax laws. In other words, the program can help you evaluate different options, but it will not make any decision for you.