Feature Request Connect a Real Datassette

[sharklodon]

Hi,

It would be nice to connect a real datassette to user port interface (like iec). Could you add this feature?

I appreciate your huge effort.

Thanks and best regards,
Shark

[LamerDeluxe]

I see that USB to Datasette adapters exist. So if that would be supported by both MiSTer's Linux system and the core, it could work.

[FPGA64]

You must be the only person longing for the C64 tape days. They were a nightmare back in the day unreliable at best and slow. I lived through that and much prefer the near instant loading.

[DaveGeorge]

I’m probably one of the few who mainly loads tape images on the c64 core. The load screens and the music makes the nostalgia factor even greater. A datassatte adapter would be cool, but I doubt my old tapes still works

[FPGA64]

You can get that though with the Taps. I hated the C64 datasette. It was better than the speccy but it was a pain if it didnt work. Adjusting the azimuth screw was about the only thing you could do

[Chilli_Vibes]

Why would anyone put themselves through all that pain, again ?
You can load tap images, directly from the menu, and they will load exactly like a real tape, but with 100% reliability.
I just don't get anyone wanting to load their original media, even real floppy disks - it just beggars belief. The end result of loading, whether it's original media, or modern images, is the same - you get to play the same game. So why sit for hours and hours, to get to the same result as you would loading an image, and no waiting ? Who has the time anymore ?

[akeley]

I hated the C64 datasette. It was better than the speccy but it was a pain if it didnt work.

ZX Spectrum didn't have a dedicated tape recorder, so the Datasette couldn't really be "better". The ZX experience was either as good or as bad as the quality of the recorder/tapes you had. I actually much preferred dealing with Spectrum tapes, because the overall feedback was a bit more clear. And of course the waiting times were between 3-5 minutes max on the 48k, so it was less painful, especially when the chuntey field failed.

Of course, C64 had more memory so it's understandable the big games would load longer, but even so it took bloody forever ~30 minutes wasn't unusual. When I moved to it from the ZX I couldn't afford the FDD, so I remember doing my homework when waiting for the likes of Defender Of The Crown or Pirates! to load. Yes, hated it too, and it motivated me to eventually get an Amiga.

So while I load ZX tapes regularly on my real hardware, because it's actually fun, I also wouldn't touch the C64 ones. But, this is MiSTer, so if somebody wants to have this option then all the best

[FPGA64]

I hated the C64 datasette. It was better than the speccy but it was a pain if it didnt work.

ZX Spectrum didn't have a dedicated tape recorder, so the Datasette couldn't really be "better". The ZX experience was either as good or as bad as the quality of the recorder/tapes you had. I actually much preferred dealing with Spectrum tapes, because the overall feedback was a bit more clear. And of course the waiting times were between 3-5 minutes max on the 48k, so it was less painful, especially when the chuntey field failed.

Of course, C64 had more memory so it's understandable the big games would load longer, but even so it took bloody forever ~30 minutes wasn't unusual. When I moved to it from the ZX I couldn't afford the FDD, so I remember doing my homework when waiting for the likes of Defender Of The Crown or Pirates! to load. Yes, hated it too, and it motivated me to eventually get an Amiga.

So while I load ZX tapes regularly on my real hardware, because it's actually fun, I also wouldn't touch the C64 ones. But, this is MiSTer, so if somebody wants to have this option then all the best

Later speccy did have tape decks built in. The Mk2 for example

[akeley]

Later speccy did have tape decks built in. The Mk2 for example

These weren't actually that much worse than a Datasette...maybe less comfy but did the job all the same. Mine still works And I'm quite amazed that ~95% of tapes I have acquired in the last 2-3 years also do, at least the original ones. I expected much higher failure rate given how fragile this medium is.

[sharklodon]

Hi,

It's true, we can load .tap files from the OSD menu, but I need this feature to preserve taps.

Thanks and best regards,
Shark

[Caldor]

Hi,

It's true, we can load .tap files from the OSD menu, but I need this feature to preserve taps.

Thanks and best regards,
Shark

You could just convert the tapes to TAP files yourself or extract PRGs from them. I have done that, all it requires is a regular cassette player of a reasonable quality, use a cable tp plug the audio output directly into your computers audio in port in the sound card / motherboard and then save the audio as WAV files and use some tools to convert the WAV file to TAP or PRGs.

Check this thread. If you got original tapes you want to backup chances are someone else already did:
https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic ... 1c3f527d75

If you still want to convert your own tapes try this:
https://wav-prg.sourceforge.io/faq.html ... 0do%20that.

or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dS5JWh1Aw8

[Caldor]

Oh and if you still want to connect a datasette or floppy drive directly to the MiSTer there is this option:
https://www.antoniovillena.es/store/pro ... or-mister/

[eriks5]

Oh and if you still want to connect a datasette or floppy drive directly to the MiSTer there is this option:
https://www.antoniovillena.es/store/pro ... or-mister/

Won't work for the datasette. The edge connectors only provides power on that. There's no tape signals on it, it's for powering an SD2IEC.

[Caldor]

Oh and if you still want to connect a datasette or floppy drive directly to the MiSTer there is this option:
https://www.antoniovillena.es/store/pro ... or-mister/

Won't work for the datasette. The edge connectors only provides power on that. There's no tape signals on it, it's for powering an SD2IEC.

Oh yeah... that is a few pins short there. I guess there might not be a way to connect a C64 datasette drive to the MiSTer. Unless the method other systems work, but those systems lack the advanced features the C64 has... which I guess is mainly being able to stop the datasette? Anyway that allows to connect a tape through an audio in port. I got one of those for my MiSTer but have not tested it with any system yet.

[eriks5]

I suppose the core could be updated to provide the signals to a new adapter that hooks a datasette to the MiSTer user port. But it'll be more complicated than most adapters as the datasette motor requires 9 volts to operate.

[sharklodon]

I suppose the core could be updated to provide the signals to a new adapter that hooks a datasette to the MiSTer user port. But it'll be more complicated than most adapters as the datasette motor requires 9 volts to operate.

At the end, I think that 9V is not an issue!! You could do it with a step up booster (5V to 9V).

Regards,
Shark

[kathleen]

I suppose the core could be updated to provide the signals to a new adapter that hooks a datasette to the MiSTer user port. But it'll be more complicated than most adapters as the datasette motor requires 9 volts to operate.

At the end, I think that 9V it's not an issue!! You could do it with a step up booster (5V to 9V).

Regards,
Shark

I'm using this device on my PC to "dump" the cassettes. https://www.load64.com/1530usb/
This devices (which works pretty well) has no need of additional power source, the USB is enough to energize the C64 1530 tape player So yes, I guess that there is inside a kind of step up booster that you're talking about.

Regarding the start/stop of the player, this device cannot handle this however.

I've unfortunately no knowledge on how to code something for the mister, just some/few electronic knowledge thanks to my work, and I'm wondering if it couldn't be possible to use a simple Optocoupler + a NPN/PNP transistor and a couple of other passive components for instance and get them wired to the mister to give the on/off signal to the tape player. With this there will be a perfect insulation between the motor of the 1530 and the Mister right ? Or am I completely wrong ?
I'm just thinking aloud, not sure if this is possible. I already discussed this a while ago with Roger, the guy who developed the RealCoco core and well, it seems that this could be doable but no interest for him to put it in place and spend time to work on this.

[dave18]

I suppose the core could be updated to provide the signals to a new adapter that hooks a datasette to the MiSTer user port. But it'll be more complicated than most adapters as the datasette motor requires 9 volts to operate.

Are you sure? The cassette port only provided 5v, it was the user port that had a 9v connection.

[eriks5]

Are you sure? The cassette port only provided 5v, it was the user port that had a 9v connection.

According to the schematics, it uses +9V unreg for the motor

Screenshot 2022-10-05 123928.jpg (123.8 KiB) Viewed 4041 times

[dave18]

Ah right, because that was labelled Motor rather than +9v on the pin out I didn't realise. Thanks.

[Caldor]

Seems it is somewhat possible to load tapes from the C64 cores using the ACD port, which I guess is the audio in port you can get for the MiSTer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvtQIBmj_DM

Notice his comment in the description though that he is not having much success with it, it fails more often than not.

[sharklodon]

Seems it is somewhat possible to load tapes from the C64 cores using the ACD port, which I guess is the audio in port you can get for the MiSTer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvtQIBmj_DM

Notice his comment in the description though that he is not having much success with it, it fails more often than not.

Good news!! But is very common that it fails (due to volume adjustment).

Best results with a real datassette!!

Regards,
Shark