FastPC
Here you can learn more about FastPC, download it from Projects
section.
Note: this stuff is quite obsolete. Please visit
64net/2 project page on Sourceforge.net. It is more powerful than this one.
Latest CVS snapshot of 64net/2 source code can be
downloaded here.
FastPC is an alternate connection of C64/128 to PC. It is a parallel
cable so the speed of transmission is very high - about 15-18K/sec.
To use it you must make a special cable, so here goes the list of connections:
| C64/128 USER |
PC LPT |
| A |
18..25 |
| B |
1 |
| C |
2 |
| D |
3 |
| E |
4 |
| F |
5 |
| H |
6 |
| J |
7 |
| K |
8 |
| L |
9 |
| 8 |
10 |
The best way is to use a 16-wirewrap. You can also use the rest of the
wires to mount a RS-232 interface.
Then you have to setup your system. FastPC assumes that LPT port
has base address $0378 and the IRQ 7 (15) is free. You have to also change
LPT settings in BIOS to BIDIRECTIONAL.
You may plug in the cable only when one of the computers is turned
off and it's safer when it's a C64/128.
FastPC may be considered as a simple server-client network. You have
one server program on PC and a batch of clients on C64.
Description:
FPCSERVR.EXE - PC server, just execute it; to stop in any moment use ESC;
if the server encounters an error it will show a message and exit -
then you have to execute the server and the client again and start the program
once more.
C64/128 proggies:
FPCDXFER.PRG - it will send disk images (*.d64) from C64 to
PC; in case of disk-error it will hang up - you have to stop the server
on PC (ESC) and start everything again.
FPCFSNDR.PRG - this one sends files from C64 to PC
In both programs you can type in full path by replacing \ by the pound
sign.
FPCFRECV.PRG - for receiving files from PC - when you start it
you have to type in the filename on PC, you can use 8.3 filenames only
- files only from current directory
FPCFRUN.PRG - start by SYS$0334 - it works like FPCFRECV but
after receiving it immediately executes the file; it is smart enough to
distinguish BASIC from ML programs - BASIC RUN or jump to the first byte
of received file
C128 section:
FPCFS.COM - this one is dedicated for C128 CP/M system - it
works like FPCFSNDR.PRG; source included
FPC.INC - include file for Turbo Pascal 3.0 with everything
needed to write programs with FastPC cable
FastPC cable is also compatible with the device U: from ACE
(UNIX for C64/128). You can redirect output of programs to U: e.g.
cat file.txt >u:
ls >u:
or just copy something there:
cp file.txt u:
By now the transfer is only in one direction - from C64/128 to PC.