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Wednesday, 17 August 2022 18:07

My Citizen CLP-521 Thermal Printer Notes

These are a collection of notes to help me use my Citizen CLP-521 Thermal Printer

The first label printed after power on is always corrupt

This issue has been plaguing me for a while and is shown in the image below:

Whenever I turn the printer on, the first label I print is always corrupt and has cost me a fair few labels.

Cause

  • Using Windows 10 and the USB connection on the printer
    • It most likely is a speed issue of the USB driver.
    • This printer might only like USB 1.1
    • The reason the first label gets corrupted, is the data is sent to quick over USB 2.0, but the subsequent communications over USB are clocked down to USB 1.1
    • It could be an issue with the Seagull driver itself, but this is a legacy printer so this issue is unlikely to get fixed in the driver.

Notes

  • You could try a better USB cable

Solution

  • Make sure your Windows OS is up to date.
  • Download and install the latest drivers for your printer (completely uninstalling might be better)
  • Optionally, factory reset your printer and recalibrate you label sensor
    • Factory reset did not seem to make any difference for me, but will definitely get rid of bad settings.
  • Connect you printer via one of the following methods
    • Parallel Port network print server such as the HP JetDirect Ex Plus (J2591A) Print Server. Configuration instructions can be found here and I have used this particular print server with the CLP-521 so I know it works.
    • A real Parallel port
    • COM port - I have not tested this, but I would guess it will be very slow.

Bartender prints first label blank after power down on Citizen CLP521

These solutions have only be tested using standard labels with the transparency sensor

Solution 1 - Correctly position the label before the sensor

Before powering on the printer, load the labels as shown below. You are going to position the head of the first label just before the paper sensor, but not over the sensor. This allows the printer to find the front of the first label. If you have too much space on the roll before the first label, this method will not work and the first label will probably be discarded. If the label is actually over the sensor, this will cause the first label to be discarded.

Solution 2 - Run a dummy single label through first

This was my first solution I figured out but might have relevance for further fixes.

Keep a single label on its backing paper. This backing paper should be long enough to be loaded into the printer with the label being towards the end of the paper and can be positioned before the paper sensor.

  • Load the single label into the printer before the sensor.
  • Hit the feed button
  • The label should be loaded into the correct position.
  • Print your label and one of 2 things will now happen:
    1. The label will print
    2. A blank label will print
  • The label was expelled out the front and the feed continued until the backing paper was out as-well
  • A beep and print error was showing indicating paper out
  • Put your single label paper to one side. You might need to use this in the future as printer power downs.
  • Load your main roll of labels so the first label is behind the label sensor
  • Press STOP to cancel beeping
  • Press FEED to load the label or just hit print
  • The will feed the label correctly and your labels will now print as normal.

Notes

  • Bartender prints first label blank after power down on Citizen CLP521 – BarTender Support Portal
    • Hello, on Citizen CLP521 Bartender prints first label blank after power down. As I understand the printer checks where the start of the label is, but can't this be turned off if I never remove / change paper ?
    • I believe that will be the printer itself trying to find the correct start of print position. Not sure on the Citizen but on some devices you can disable this via a front panel option but then this can cause the first label to be printed incorrectly as it starts part way through the label and only looks for the gap/mark after it has printed the first label.
    • I would suggest when you power up or reload the paper that you feed a label first to make sure the device is in the correct position to start printing.
  • Dirty paper sensor - This might causes issues
  • Do i need set on the printer the label size? Can this be causing an issue?

Reset Printer to factory defaults

When following these steps, messages will be printed so make sure you have paper in the printer.

  • When turning the printer on press and hold the MODE/REPEAT button.
  • Press PAUSE
  • Press and hold the FEED button for 3 secs.
  • Press STOP
  • Press STOP
  • Press STOP

This is an image of the printed messages you should expect:

You will now need to calibrate your label sensor.

Sensor Adjustment

This process allows you to swap between the reflective and transparency sensors. This process is covered in the manual (Page 34) for both types of mode but we will configure for standard sticky labels (i.e. transparency mode)

  • Enter sensor adjustment mode 3 buttons
    • Turn on the power while pushing the PAUSE key, FEED key and STOP key simultaneously.
  • Set the sensor mode (Transparent <--> Reflective)
    • For this we will enable the transparent sensor
    • Transparent sensor is the default
    • See page 34
    • To switch from transparent to reflective sensor, ensure the CONDITION LED is lit then hold down the MODE/REPEAT key and then press the STOP key.
    • Each time you press the STOP key, you switch back and forth between the two sensor types.
    • If the transparent sensor is selected, the PRINT LED lights up and the buzzer sounds once. If the reflective sensor is selected, the PRINT LED flashes slowly and the buzzer sounds twice.
  • Make sure top and bottom sensors align
  • Install the label paper roll but with the with the labels removed at the beginning so the print sensor can see through the paper. It cannot see through labels.
  • Hold down MODE/REPEAT and press PAUSE and release
  • If successful, the PRINT LED and CONDITION LED return to their original status.
  • Press STOP to exit out of this sensor adjustment mode.

LabelPrinterUtility

If I could get this utility to work with the CLP-521 then I could configure everything from a proper Windows computer instead of using printouts and wasting a lot of paper.

  • This use to be called BarcodePrinterUtility.
    • Also the last version of this named utility (barcodeprinterutility1202.exe) worked just the same, so this older version made no difference to compatibility.
  • Use the Printer Model: CL-S5xx
  • This does not fully work with my printer in Windows 10. It might work better in Windows 7.
  • Only the Receive 'INFORMATION' option seems to work
  • This is good for setting up the label sensor, has pictures as-well

Label Settings

These are some examples of the wheel settings for some label types

  • Small White
    • Thickness (Vertical Wheel): 1
    • Width (Horizontal Wheel): 5
    • Settings in Seagull Driver
      • Name: Small Labels
      • Type: Die-Cut Labels
      • Label Size: Width:73.0mm, Height:51.0mm
      • Exposed Liner Widths: Left:2.0mm, Right:2.0mm
    • This label Manufacturer said they were 76mmx50mm Direct Thermal Labels and the same size as Datamax 420069. (2" x 3")
    • This label is almost the same as the Datamax 420069, but the label is a bit smaller on the width. The label backing is 3" across.
    • The Datamax Labels has been renamed to the Datamax-O'Neil Labels.
    • This actual label is 2" x 2.87"
  • 6x4
    • Thickness (Vertical Wheel): 1
    • Width (Horizontal Wheel): 9
  • Media thickness from the manual (page 42) 
    Media Thickness
Dial Position          Suggested media type
0                      Direct thermal media (thin media)
1                      Standard Label media, Direct thermal media
3-5                    Thicker backing paper labels
6-9                    Cards, tags, thicker media stock.

* These values are guidelines. The exact media being used must be matched with the correct media thickness adjustment position.

- When shipped from the factory, it is set at dial 1.
- The offset adjustment varies according to the thickness and the hardness of the media.

NB: The closes the head is to the labels the more wear is likely and the life of the head is reduced.

Misc

Published in Printers
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Friday, 12 August 2022 16:15

Call waiting is not working on my Android phone

Have you had the following error when you try to swap calls or put a call on hold. This article will bring together all of the causes and solutions.

Error message
Can't switch calls.

 

Background

Before we get started I need to explain a few things

This is a message I got from my provider which helped me understand things:

4G calling uses your 4G data connection to carry your phone and video calls, rather than the 2G or 3G networks.

It also works alongside WiFi calling, so you'll automatically switch between them without your connection dropping.

If your device supports 4G calling, you've already got access to it, but you may need to switch it on your phone's settings, or you can check in our device guides - choose your device, then tap Specifications and scroll down to Communication > VoLTE – 4G calling. It will state here if your device is compatible or not.

The following points are important:

  • 2G/3G use a different technology than 4G/LTE for handling voices calls and therefore also Call Waiting is handled by the corresponding technology/protocol.
  • Networks can enable/disable Call Waiting for both of these technologies independently

Prerequsites

  • Update all of your apps. This probably wont make any difference but it wont harm.

Causes

  • Call Waiting is not enabled on your contract
  • Call Waiting is not enabled on your phone
  • Call forwarding is redirecting all calls before you get them
  • Carrier does not support Call waiting on their 2G/3G networks, only 4G/LTE and upwards.
  • Phone/ROM not support VoLTE
    • Why is this specifically and issue. Most phones support Call waiting on 2G/3G networks but these networks are now being shutdown, but your phone is still working you ask! Carriers will start by shutting down all non-essentials services such as Call waiting on these old networks and hope that customers migrate naturally to newer phones that support 4G/LTE and of course VoLTE. so while the 2G/3G networks are still working these extra features are not. If you do not have VoLTE you cannot utilise Call waiting on the newer network.
    • When the 2G/3G networks are shutdown, if your phone does not support VoLTE then you will not be able to makes voice calls.
    • Modem is too old
    • Technology that handles calls changes, but this technology is not supported in older modems
    • Modern phones and carriers require VoLTE
    • The Custom ROM such as LineageOS, does not always support VoLTE
    • LineageOS that Support Volte? - F-Droid Forum - Is there any way to tell if a LineageOS phone supports Volte?
      • Notably anything older than 2016, does not support VoLTE, devices then used non-standard IMS stacks.
      • You can check the sources to see if it supports it, but even then your carrier may not allow it or it may lack the required configs for your carrier.
      • What exactly should I be looking for when I look at the source code? 
        Check for an ims.apk in the proprietary.txt files for your device.
And because some devices use a common device tree, find the command device tree
name in the lineage.dependencies file and check the proprietary.txt files in
that repo too.
    • Another way to see if you phone can use VoLTE is when you make a voice call, 4G/LTE changes to 2G/3G/H/H+
    • Determining VoLTE support on a device : LineageOS
      • Due to the closure of 2G and 3G networks drawing closer all over the world - the latest date I'm aware of is mid-late 2022, and there are networks that will shut down earlier - devices must support VoLTE to connect to the network.
      • In order for VoLTE to work properly, carrier configuration and APN must be correc
      • For example stock Samsung OS supports it but LineageOS for S5 klte + variants does not support VoLTE (Voice over LTE).
      • You should be able to use the dialer code *#*#4636#*#* --> "Phone Information" to determine if VoLTE is working.
  • Dialler storage and cache is corrupt
  • Dialler does not have all required permissions
  • Carrier configuration and APN are incorrect
    • Because VoLTE uses data, it is important for this to be working.

Solutions

These solutions might not work and might not all be relevant to your phone.

  • Enable Call Waiting on your contract
    • Ring your provider and make sure this feature is enabled and available.
  • Enable Call Waiting on your phone
    • or *#43# to check (add these notes
    • LineageOS 18.1: Dialler --> 3 Dots --> Settings --> Calls --> GSM call settings --> Additional settings --> Call waiting
  • Disable Call forwarding
    • So you can rules this out. It can be put back on later.
    • LineageOS 18.1: Dialler --> 3 Dots --> Settings --> Calls --> GSM call settings --> Call forwarding
  • Update Phone Modem (to give VoLTE support)
    • Stock ROM: Updating your stock ROM will also update the modem
    • LineageOS: You will need to update the modem manually by the relevant method (not covered here)
  • Clear the Dialler storage and cache stores
    • I have seen people mention this one, but I suspect this only fixes the issue if it was working one day and then not the nexxt rather than after a phone or network update
    • Done through the 'App Manager'
  • Open the Dialler App properties and make sure it has all permissions enabled
  • Re-setup your APN
  • Use WiFi calling
    • I have not tried this, but if you can install the app, just try and see.
  • Get a new modern phone
    • This is a last case scenario

Other Notes

  • The Android Dialler uses an API to communicate with the modem so it is unlikely to be the dialler causing any issue.
  • What is VoLTE? - VoLTE stands for voice over LTE and it’s more or less exactly what it says on the tin. It's voice calls over a 4G LTE network, rather than the 2G or 3G connections.
  • Call waiting commands (from Vodafone)
    • To activate - enter *43# followed by SEND
    • To accept the incoming call and end the original call - press 1 then SEND
    • To hold the original call and accept the incoming call - press 2 then SEND
    • To swap between calls - press 2 then SEND
    • To end present call and return to holding call - press 1 then SEND
    • To cancel - enter #43# then SEND
    • Phone Information - *#*#4636#*#* then SEND
  • Vodafone 845 - Turn call waiting on or off | Vodafone UK - When call waiting is turned on, you can hear and answer a new incoming call while you're on the phone. Follow these instructions to turn call waiting on or off.
  • How To Fix Error Message Can't Switch Calls Problem Solved in Android - In this blog, I am going to tell you How To Fix Error Message Can't Switch Calls Problem Solved in Android.
  • How to Set Up Call Waiting on Android: 3 Methods | JoyOfAndroid
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Monday, 08 August 2022 16:23

eBay Android app will no longer install or upgrade on Lineageos

I am using the eBay app as an example here because it is an issue for my, but these instructions and notes should apply to most apps.

The eBay app will not longer update or when you search for it in Google Play on your phone it is not found in the search results

The Errors

You are going to see one of these when trying top install the eBay app when your device is no longer supported

On Google Play via your PC's browser

This app is not available for your device

Via the play store on your phone

This is not possible because Google actively hides the app from you here.

Via the browser on your phone

This work around requires us to search for the `eBay android app`on the Google search engine

Click on the install button and you will now see the following error message;

Your device isn't compatible with this

The Cause

eBay has flagged your device by:

  • Device name / Model Number (i.e. SN-9005) 
  • Android version
  • Both

This is why most apps still works but these bigger apps actively remove older device and OS from the compatibility lists.

Have a read of this articl as-well

The Solutions

  • Upgrade Android OS
    • Update your Android version to the latest. It must be a modern version that supports eBay.
    • Patch releases are very unlikely to fix this issue.
  • Make sure you have GAPPS installed and it is the latest
    • A lot of apps depend on services this package installs.
    • PICO/NANO/FULL I am not sure if this version makes a difference.
  • Clean Caches
    • Wipe Data + cache for Google Play
    • Wipe Data + cache for Google Services
    • This did not work for me
    • FIX: “Your Device Isn’t Compatible with This Version” on Android - While downloading specific apps on your Android device, you might find that the Play Store displays a “Your device isn't compatible with this version” error, implying that your device isn’t compatible with the app.
  • Change the phones model number - There are a couple of different methods to achieve this:
    • Change Model number in the firmware before flashing
      • This will cause issues with signatures unless you are the one signing it
    • Change the model number on a live phone via ADB and Fastboot
    • Use Magisk to change the model number

Change the Phone Model Number - The Best Solution

This method makes no permanent changes to your phone and is very easy to do when you have instructions and we will be using:

  • Magisk
  • MagiskHide Props Config
  • Terminal

Install instructions

  • Install Magisk (I did this via TWRP Recovery)
  • Reboot your phone
  • Update Magisk to the latest version
  • Download and copy MagiskHidePropsConf-v6.1.2.zip to your SD Card
  • Open Magisk in android and update it if required
  • Click on the `Modules` button at the bottom right
  • Click on `Install from storage`
  • Find the file MagiskHidePropsConf-v6.1.2.zip and double click it to install
  • Reboot when prompted
  • Now install a terminal so we can use MagiskHide Props Config
  • Run the terminal app and follow these instructions
    • type: props
    • select: Edit device fingerprint / 1
      • Make a note of your current fingerprint, i use screenshot for this
    • select: Pick a certified fingerprint / f
    • select brand:
      • My new phone brand: Samsung / 26
    • select model:
      • New model for my phone: Samsung Galaxy S8 SM-G950F (8.0.0) / 58
    • select yes to confirm
    • reboot phone when prompted

Notes

  • This allowed me to download ebay from the play store.
  • Lineagos still shows my phone as a SM-N9005
  • eBay app would not let me log in / Invalid request
    • I then tried the clear storage and cache which did not fix anything
    • I rebooted my phone, i can now log into eBay.
  • My phone still shows as a Samsung SM-N9005 on the Google Play store

 

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Saturday, 30 July 2022 12:47

Replace a text string in a Windows Batch file

This can be tricky if you do not know how to do this, it should also be noted depending on what text you are replacing your method you will use will change.

These methods can also be used to remove text from strings.

Standard Text String Replacement

This is straight forward and you should just use the example below. This will not allow the use of %

@echo off

set mystring=This is a water bottle. 
echo %mystring% 

set mystring=%mystring:water=glass%
echo %mystring%

Outputs as follows:

This is a water bottle.

-->

This is a glass bottle.

 

% Character and String Replacement

To replace % you need to do a few more steps because % is a special character. This method will also allow you to change normal strings aswell.

The following example will convert a URL that has had the slashes replaced with HTML entities and of course these include % which is a special character in batch files and cannot be escaped.

We use EnableDelayedExpansion to change when these variables are parsed allowing us to convert the %5C to \ so the URL can be used appropriately. We are just using echo here but the variable can be used like normal variable aswell.

The example will convert the following URL

D:%5Cwebsites%5Chtdocs%5Cprojects%5Cqwcrm%5Csrc%5Ccache%5Csmarty%5Ccompile%5Cd0d7cab3fc900.file.financial.tpl.php

-->

D:\websites\htdocs\projects\qwcrm\src\cache\smarty\compile\d0d7cab3fc900.file.financial.tpl.php

The Example

@echo off

:: Each variable is to be expanded at execution time rather than at parse time
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion

:: Set the URL that has been passed to the batch file as a commandline parameter
set URL=%1

:: Convert '%5C' --> '\' - Notice the command is wrapped in !
set URL=!URL:%%5C=\!

:: Optional
endlocal

:: Output the URL
echo %URL%

 

Links

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Thursday, 07 July 2022 07:29

Upgrade Xampp and keep your data

Xampp does not have an inbuilt upgrade mechanism and there does not appear to be any official instructions on how to upgrade your Xampp install in full or just certain aspects such as PHP.

My xampp location is always at:

D:\xampp
  • I put it on the D: drive because the amount of files that are created and this made it easier to defrag and keeps it away from my neat C: drive.

Full Upgrade

These instructions will show you how to upgrade your Xampp installation in full and assumes you have used the portable version. I never use the installer.

  • Backup the whole xampp folder
  • Export the Databases - using one of the options below:
    These processes will wipe any date in the target databases
    1. Copy and Paste
      • This requires xampp to be shutdown cleanly.
      • This will not work if the source is MySQL and the target is MariaDB etc... and perhaps if the version of the DB are too different.
      • Nothing needs to be done at this point
    2. Command Line
      • Dump all databases with the command line.
      • This does not suffer from timeouts
      • Run one of these commands: 
        From the xampp shell:
mysqldump -u root -p --all-databases > all-db-dump.sql

From the command line:
D:\xampp\mysql\bin\mysqldump -u root -p --all-databases > all-db-dump.sql

NB: These can be used for doing a backup of you databases
    3. phpMyAdmin
  • Uninstall xampp as a service (if enabled)
  • Shutdown xampp
  • Rename the xampp folder
     
    From: D:\xampp\htdocs

To: D:\old-xampp\htdocs
  • Download the new portable/zip/7z version of xampp
  • Inside the D:\xampp\htdocs folder there are some xampp only files, just delete them or move them into their own folder just in-case you need them later (they are always in the downloaded file)
  • Run the setup batch file 
    D:\websites\setup_xampp.bat
  • Import the databases - use the method you did to export them
    1. Copy and Paste (this works)
      • Make sure that xampp is not running
      • Delete the new database files 
        D:\xampp\mysql\data
      • Copy the old database files 
        From: D:\old-xampp\mysql\data

To: D:\xampp\mysql\data
      • Start the Xampp control panel
      • Start Apache and MySQL
      • Run the 'Xampp Shell' (by clicking the button in the control panel)
      • Run the command and wait. It might not be quick.
        mysql_upgrade
    2. Command Line
      • Import all databases with the command line.
      • This does not suffer from timeouts
      • Run one of these commands:
        From the xampp shell:
mysql -u root -p < all-db-dump.sql

From the command line:
D:\xampp\mysql\bin\mysql -u root -p < D:\all-db-dump.sql

NB: These can be used for restoring a backup of you databases
    3. phpMyAdmin
  • Copy/move all of your website files from the old location to your new xampp folder 
    From: D:\old-xampp\htdocs

To: D:\xampp\htdocs
  • Copy my libraries folder and update the libraries (this is only for me) 
    From D:\xampp\libraries

To: D:\xampp\libraries
  • Exit Xampp and make sure it is not running
  • Compare/merge your config files (as required)
    D:\xampp\php\php.ini
D:\xampp\mysql\bin\my.ini
D:\xampp\phpMyAdmin\config.inc.php
D:\xampp\apache\conf\httpd.conf
D:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-ssl.conf
D:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-xampp.conf
D:\xampp\apache\conf\extrahttpd-vhosts.conf
D:\xampp\xampp-control.ini
  • Additional PHP extensions - Updated versions will probably be required, they are located here:
    D:\xampp\php\ext
    • Ioncube
      • Thread Safe and 64 Bit
      • Loader Download | ionCube - Secure and license your PHP scripts with the ionCube PHP Encoder 11.0. Secure valuable code with bytecode compilation, encryption and licensing capabilities.
    • Xdebug: Downloads - Xdebug: A powerful debugger for PHP
      • Xampp 7.4 (64 bit)
        • Xdebug v2.8.1 Thread Safe 64 Bit
        • eg: php_xdebug-2.8.1-7.4-vc15-x86_64.dll
        • The file has been renamed.
      • There is a new 3.x series of xdebug that uses slightly different code in the php.ini but this can be found in the xdebug section of netbeans
        • An example file name for the required version in this series is: php_xdebug-3.1.5-7.4-vc15-x86_64.dll
      • I have not used v3.x yet but I am sure it will work fine with the right calling code.
      • Naming Explained
        • x86_64 = 64 Bit
        • nts = Non thread Safe
        • lack of nts = Thread Safe
        • TS (on download button) =  Thread safe
  • Set Notepad++ as the default text editor 
    C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
  • Enable Autostart of the Apache and MySQL modules
  • Set my folder icons so i can see things easily 
    D:\xampp
D:\xampp\htdocs
D:\xampp\libraries
  • Put a text file called version.txt in the xampp root folder showing the version installed. This can be useful if things go wrong.
  • If you have anything else like SSL certs installed you will need to figure that out yourself.
  • Final Things
    • make sure PHPMyadmin default collation has been set to your preferred option (mine is utf8mb4_unicode_ci)
    • Apply the phpMyAdmin pmahomme template fix
  • Restart Xampp

Keep your old xampp files for awhile to make sure you have not missed anything

Links

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Sunday, 19 June 2022 08:56

My Commodore Notes

These are my Commodore notes that don't fit anywhere else.

General Sites

Commodore Only Sites

A collection of forums, community and ROM sites

General Notes

Misc

VICE Emulator

  • Key Mappings (General)
    • 2.8 The keyboard emulation | VICE Manual - There are two ways of emulating the keyboard in VICE and they are described here
    • Change keyboard mappings
      • VICE --> Preferences --> Input Devices --> Keyboard
      • the files are located at:
        • /VICE Folder/Your Commodore Device/gtk3_sym.vkm
        • /VICE Folder/Your Commodore Device/gtk3_pos.vkm
    • Soft reset: Alt + F9
      • When you soft reset VICE it does NOT resets the Tape counter
    • Hard reset: Alt + F12
      • When you hard reset VICE it resets the Tape counter
    • You can add a key for 'Press PLAY on datasette' which is NOT assigned by default
      • Help --> Hotkeys
  • Key Mappings (+4)
    • Joystick Fire: Numpad 0
    • Run/Stop: End
    • Shift Lock: Caps Lock
    • Take a Screenshot = Pause
      • Files end up in the VICE /bin/ folder
    • Esc:
    • Commodore Key: Left Ctrl
  • Key Mappings (C64)
    • C64 VICE Front-End – Waiting for Friday
      • This has a image of the key mappings for the C64 used in VICE.
      • The aim of this project was to create a front-end for Commodore 64 emulation using VICE. One of the primary problems with emulators (especially for machines from the ’80s) is that there was no standard keyboard arrangement. In this project I took a broken Commodore 64 computer and replaced the motherboard with a PIC microcontroller based board which interfaces the keyboard and both joystick ports (including ADC for the paddles) to a modern full-speed USB 2.0 interface.
    • RUN/STOP: Esc
    • RESTORE: PgUp
    • CONTROL: Tab
    • Commodore Key: Left Ctrl
    • With the default english keymap file, RUN/STOP is mapped to the CAPS LOCK key, and RESTORE is mapped to the PAGE UP key.
  • Monitor
    • VICE Manual - 12 Monitor
    • The VICE emulator has a complete built-in monitor, which can be used to examine, disassemble and assemble machine language programs, as well as debug them through breakpoints.
    • It can be activated by using "Activate monitor" from the menu.
    • The monitor will either run in a separate window, or in a terminal emulation program (such as rxvt or xterm) when "native monitor" has been enabled in the settings.
  • No sound
  • When you reset the emulator, the tape counter is reset, so to disable it:
    • If using the older Win32 interface, it's in Settings -> Datasette settings -> uncheck 'Reset Datasette with CPU'
    • If using the GTK interface, it's in Settings drop menu -> Settings -> I/O Extensions -> Tape port devices -> uncheck 'Reset datasette with CPU'
  • SDL vs GTX

YAPE emulator

  • Key Mappings
    • Quick Debugger: Shift + F9
      • This will allow you to see tape counter.
      • Once the game has loaded, the tape counter will read: A simple tape counter (simply the offset in the TAP or WAV file) TAPE
      • 000000000 the underlined ones are equivalent to commodore tape counter (Tape Counter + one and lots of extra preciseness).
    • Full Throttle =
    • Tape
      • Play: F5
      • Stop: Shift + F5
    • Resets
      • Run/Stop + reset: TAB + F11
        • Equivalent to the one on the real machine
        • Jumps to the machine language monitor without losing memory contents and BASIC programs and variables.
      • Soft reset: F11
        • Equivalent to pushing the white RESET button of a 264 computer. You will not lose the memory contents only BASIC programs and variables.
        • If a program masks the RST vector, you may not be able to restart the emulated machine this way.
      • Hard reset: SHIFT + F11
        • Equivalent to turning the power on and off in a real machine in that it clears all the RAM contents
      • Forced reset: CTRL + F11
        • Will always jump to the ROM reset vector, even when it's disabled.
        • Great for debugging.
      • Drive reset: no shortcut key
        • Eventually drives may crash, too, so they can be reset here, all at once or individually.
        • This is the equivalent of turning the drive off and then on.
    • Escape: ` (tilde)
    • Commodore Key: Left Ctrl
    • Control: Right Ctrl or Insert (for laptops)
    • Shift Lock: Caps Lock
    • Run/Stop: Tab
    • Home: Home
    • Pound (£): Delete
    • Pound Sign / Hash (#): Shift + 3
    • Inst/Del: BackSpace
    • Cursors Arrows: Cursor keys
  • Joystick Mappings
    • These are the key mappings when the josytick is emulated through the PC keyboard.
    • Joystick Move: Cursor keys or Numpad 2, 4, 6, 8 (selectable via the Input dialog window)
    • Joystick Fire: Numpad 0
    • Issues with Joystick then try one of these settings:
      1. Settings --> Input setup --> Configure keyboard & Joystick --> Windows input Method = Message Queue - positional keymap
      2. Settings --> Input setup --> Configure keyboard & Joystick --> Emulation via keyboard --> port 1/2 = Cursor keys
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Thursday, 16 June 2022 11:24

Commodore Computer Repairs

These are my nots on trying to repair my Commodore computers and there various issues.

  • https://plus4world.powweb.com/forum/25481
    • MIK
      • Q: Unlucky Nightmare! I've had it happen and I'm sure many people have. A second hand Plus/4 gives up the ghost after being powered on for a short while, from maybe not being used for many years! Something I can not explain but it's happened to me once before now with a second hand P4. Everything was running sweet and then BOOM, black screen. Never fixed it as I'm running out of dead machines to fix working ones.
      • A: Sounds like the CPU.
    • MIK
      • If you can see anything on the screen right now such as messed up text and stuff then I would of gone for the TED also but a totally black screen is normally the CPU.
    • SVS
      • Unit 1551 #9 can work only if a unit 1551 #8 is connected and turned on. This means that a 1551 #9 cannot work even if a 1541 #8 is connected to Plus4;
      • The drives (any type) have to be turned on and initialized *before* to turn on the Plus4;
    • crock
      • Right to the problem, the CPU is just as prone as the TED to a premature death, and a likely cause of your black screen but it is not the only thing. The kernel, PLA, *any* ram chip, any component in the reset circuit or the crystal will also cause the same effect, so don't lose hope yet.
  • Commodore Plus/4 Specifications
    • Modulator - Analogue RF Channel 36
    • Processor - MOS 7501/8501 @0,885/1.76 MHz
    • Memory - 64 KB RAM (upgradeable) and 64 KB ROM
    • OS - BASIC 3.5
  • Dead/Non-Responsive Serial Port
    • Scenario:
      • I was using my commodore plus4 for a couple of days to capture tapes using TTAPSERV.PRG and an XE cable which worked well and then all of a sudden it stopped working.
      • I can see communication using VC1541 and a XE cable, but it is inconsistent and cannot be used.
      • The inconsistent transfer error is what I got when I used the wrong parallel port mode or a parallel port that was not compatible check the motherboard of the PC
      • It is either the serial port has failed or the parallel port
      • NB: If your adapter never worked from the beginning, the most likely cause is the printer port is not compatible with the X range of adapters.
    • Checklist
      • Check the parallel port with something to make sure it is not faulty
        • Port Tester
        • Parallel Printer
        • Try all different port modes available in the BIOS
      • XE Adapter
        • check for dry joints
        • could be the diodes on my XE adapter as they are
      • Commodore Drive
        • Check the serial port with a known good piece of commodore hardware (+4/C16/C64)
        • could be the IC controlling the serial bus in the commodore drive
        • could be the diodes near the serial port which apparently is common fault
        • check the physical connection of the serial port as sometimes the pins become dry-jointed etc.
  • Commodore 8 Bit Repair - VCF 2012 | YouTube | bilHerd - Part 1 of 2: From VCF East 2012 - Workshop on diagnosis and repair of vintage 8 bit computers; PET through C128. Presenters Rob Clarke and Bil Herd (both ex Commodore employees) demonstrate existing tools and methods for troubleshooting yesterdays computers.
  • Diag264 - Diagnostic tool for Commodore 8-Bit Machines
    • This document describes operation of the Diag264 diagnostic tool and harness. It can be used to assist in the identification of faults with RAM, ROM, I/O & CPU ports, and TED registers. It has been tested on a wide range of 264 series (aka TED) machines, including some non-standard configurations and PAL and NTSC machines. This includes the C116, Commodore 16, C232 and Plus/4, and even a V364!
    • The design and operation of Diag264 is closely modelled on the operation of the cartridges available for the 64/128 and VIC-20. One of the aspects that I was most keen to copy was the functionality of the Dead Test Cartridge of the 64. The primary use of this cartridge was to find RAM issues in a machine that otherwise appeared dead.
  • Classic computer Commodore plus 4 repair and testing | YouTube | Phil Kruman - Repairing a classic computer - The Commodore Plus/4 computer is more difficult than most of the 1980's micro's due to its short production run and Commodore only processors. As an alternative, I try an Italian made CPU daughterboard with surprising results for this ailing classic computer.
  • Commodore Plus/4 repair and demonstration | YouTube | Artic retro - I finally got my hands on a couple of Commodore Plus/4 machines. One of them not working. In this video I do a repair job, some restoration and then a demonstration of the working plus/4 machine with a few games.
  • Commodore 16 and 'Device Not present' error - Forum (#35118) - Plus/4 World
    • I have picked a Commodore 16 a few days ago from a local sale. The machine looks OK and will boot up normally. Problem is when I want to use my SD2IEC connected to the serial port, I'll just get a 'Device Not Present' error message while trying to load the SD2IEC browser. I have tried also with a 1571 Disk Drive but same message . What this can be? Faulty chip?
    • Diagnosis of this hardware issue
  • Commodore Plus/4 Repair & Restoration – Adam's Vintage Computer Restorations
    • A while back I got my hands on my first Commodore Plus/4, yet another 1980s 8-bit computer to add to my collection. The machine was in good condition and came with several accessories and its original box, however it was sold as "untested".
    • After checking that the PSU was working OK, I did a quick power-on test – the computer seemed to output video, but only displayed a “garbage” screen with flashing blocks and lines, and various artefacts which changed on reset. The unit required repair.
  • C64 "Searching for $" repair (serial bus issue) | YouTube | bwack
    • Two days ago I picked up a breadbin style Commodore 64. It worked, but the disk drive loading was intermittent. Next day it was almost impossible to get directory listing and later it was impossible.
      I swapped CIA chips, no change. I swapped C64's, bingo. Problem is within the new C64 and not the drives.
    • According to the service manual, the serial bus should be checked. On the serial bus, in both ends, there are 7604 buffers. They are like the amplifiers of the VIA (in the 1541 drive or VIC20) and CIA chips (C64). This had ofcourse failed and desperatly i borrowed one from another drive. I promise i promise i promise to replace with new one soona and clean up the rework. :)
  • Commodore Plus/4 and temperatures - Davide Bucci
    • Is temperature a big deal? Spoiler: Nope.
    • An in-depth teardown to look at this issue.
  • Repair of an Commodore Plus/4 (264) ! - Stone Oakvalley Studios - One Crazy Multi Talent - A loving restoration of an unwanted Plus4
  • IC Chip Removal
  • How to remove chips without damaging the circuit board | Yourube | Adrian's digital Basement
    • It can be tough to remove through hole ICs from boards without causing any damage. I'm using a desoldering iron, so if you don't have one, you will need something to remove solder. (Braid, manual pump, etc.) These usually leave some solder behind on double sided boards making it very hard to get chips out without causing damage.
    • I use a combination of removing as much solder as I can from the bottom and hot air on the top to get the chips out without causing any damage.
    • Makes it look easy.

 

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Thursday, 16 June 2022 09:25

Commodore Disk Transfers

The best kit setup to have (in order)

  1. Commodore 1571 Disk Drive + ZoomFloppy
  2. Commodore 1541 Disk Drive (with parallel mod) + ZoomFloppy
  3. Any Commodore Disk Drive + Any X-Cable

Buy from

These are my notes on how to transfer or image disks to and from a real Commodore Floppy disk.

Recommend Methods To Image Disks

  • Copy Protected Disks (Disk to Image):
    • PC (Windows) + 1571 + ZoomFloppy/XUM1541 + NIBTools + Images in G64 format
    • PC (Windows) + 1541 (With Parallel Port Mod) + ZoomFloppy/XUM1541 (With Parallel Port Option) + NIBTools + Images in G64 format
  • Copy Protected Disks (Disk to Emulated Disk):
    • PC (Windows) + 1541/1571 + Pi1541 + Maverick (GCR Nibbler Copier) + Images in G64 format (will not do all copy protections)
  • Normal Disks (Disk to Image):            
    • PC (Windows) + 1541/1571 + ZoomFloppy/XUM1541 + NIBTools + Images in D64 format
  • Normal Disks (Disk to Emulated Disk):
    • Commodore Computer + 1541/1571 + Pi1541 + DraCopy/Maverick (Fast Data Copier) + Images in D64 format
  • Normal Disks (Files to Image):
    • PC (Windows) + 1541/1571 + ZoomFloppy/XUM1541 + CBM-Transfer + Images in D64 format

Transfer Methods

There are some basic transfer methods I have discovered and they fall into the following groups below. Most of these methods require a real Commodore 1541 Disk Drive and they will not copy protected disks unless mentioned.

The instructions sets of the various methods for controlling the 1541 will vary, and so will the features they offer (i.e. Sector-to-Sector copying).

Directly connect a 1541 to a PC (Disk to Image)

  • PC (Windows) + 1571 + ZoomFloppy + NIBTools (can do copy protected disks)
  • PC (Windows) + 1541 (With Parallel Port Mod) + ZoomFloppy (With Parallel Port Option) + NIBTools (can do copy protected disks)
  • PC (Windows) + 1571 + XUM1541 + NIBTools (can do copy protected disks)
  • PC (?) + 1541 + KryoFlux + Their own software (can do copy protected disks)
  • PC (?) + 1541 + SuperCard Pro + Their own software (can do copy protected disks)

Directly connect a 1541 to a PC (File Transfer)

If you select all files it can work as if the disk is real standard DOS floppy disk for storing files etc. Programs with custom loaders (most full-disk games and demos) should be copied as disk images because they do not store their data in standard files.

  • PC (DOS)        + 1541 + Parallel Port Adapter + Star Commander
  • PC (Windows) + 1541 + Parallel Port Adapter + CBM-Transfer
  • PC (Windows) + 1541 + Parallel Port Adapter + Vice Emulator + (File Transfer Software | BASIC)
  • PC (Windows) + 1571 + ZoomFloppy + File Transfer Software
  • PC (Windows) + 1541 (With Parallel Port Mod) + ZoomFloppy (With Parallel Port Option) + File Transfer Software

Real Commodore, Real 1541 and an Emulated 1541 (Disk to Emulated Disk)

In this method creating a disk images is done by the fact we are emulating a real 1541 drive which stores the disk as an image. These methods will probably work when you want to copy disks between 2 real 1541 drives attached to a Commodore computer and if you really need too for some reason, a virtual 1541 to another virtual 1541.

You can substitute the 1541 with a another Commodore drive model of your choosing.

  • Commodore computer + 1541 + Pi1541 + Disk Copier Software (can do copy protected disks)
  • Commodore computer + 1541 + SD2IEC + Disk Copier Software
  • Commodore computer + 1541 + VC1541 (Parallel Port Adapter and PC) + Disk Copier Software (I am only guessing about this one but I don't think it will work)
  • Commodore computer + 1541 + 64HDD (Parallel Port Adapter and PC) + Disk Copier Software (I am only guessing about this one but I don't think it will work)

Real Commodore with a twin disk drive attached (BASIC)

I only mention this for completeness as I came across the following BASIC command

Copy the whole disk in drive 1 to the disk in drive 0 (on a dual-drive floppy only):

COPY D1 TO D0
  • COPY - C64-Wiki
  • The BASIC COPY command with logical drives can be used to copy between units of a dual disk drive (drives that use a single device number and two logical drives in that). I'm not aware any of them that could be connected to the plus/4 easily.
  • Examples of a suitable drive is probably the CBM PET 8050, 4040 etc..

 

Build your Commodore disk imaging setup in Windows

You must follow the 'Proper power-on sequence' as outlined here, also read these warnings

These instructions assume you have a Windows 10 PC, although not tested in Windows 11 and Windows 7 they might work. I will be installing all of the software you might use whether or not you use it to keep the instructions easy to follow.

  • Turn on your Windows 10 PC
  • Download
    • OpenCBM
      • Transfers files/images to/from a real CBM drive connected via an 'X-cable' on the parallel port or USB via ZoomFloppy/XUM1541.
      • Win NT/2K/XP, and Linux/i386 kernel driver and development library to control serial CBM devices, such as the Commodore 1541 disk drive, connected to the PC's parallel port via a XM1541 or XA1541 cable. Fast disk copier included.
      • Successor of cbm4li
      • Contains offical firmware for ZoomFloppy.
      • Releases are in a sub folder in the repo, not in the releases section.
    • C1541 / VICE (SDL Version)
      • A utility from the VICE emulator that works with CBM Image Files (ie: D64,D71,D81 files) NEW! CBM-Transfer 1.22 now supports latest releases..
      • VICE is an emulator collection which emulates the C64, the C64-DTV, the C128, the VIC20, practically all PET models, the PLUS4 and the CBM-II (aka C610). It runs on Unix, MS-DOS, Win32, OS/2, Acorn RISC OS, BeOS, QNX 6.x, Amiga, GP2X or Mac OS X machines.
      • Get the SDL version
    • CBM Transfer (CBMXfer)
      • An open-source GUI for OpenCBM, VICE, NIBTools and several other command-line utilities for transferring files and working with disk images.
    • NIBTools
      • Utilities to transfer images via parallel port. Supports protected disks.
  • Create a folder C:\commodore
  • Install OpenCBM
    • Unzip OpenCBM to (This is a temporary folder)
      C:\commodore\opencbm\
    • Navigate to this folder
    • Run the following command (doesn't have to be run from the command prompt). This will install the software to C:\Program Files\opencbm\
      C:\commodore\opencbm\install.cmd
    • When successful you will be prompted with some instructions 
      I could install the necessary USB drivers if you like
      • Option 1 - You have a ZoomFloppy
        • Insert the ZoomFloppy as instructed
        • Wait a moment for Windows to recognise the device
        • Press 'y' and then Enter
        • Press any key to continue . . .
        • (optionally) Update the ZoomFloppy firmware by running (doesn't have to be run from the command prompt)
          C:\commodore\opencbm\firmware-update.bat
        • Press any key to continue . . .
        • Unplug your ZoomFloppy
      • Option 2 - You don't have a ZoomFloppy
        • Press 'n' and then Enter
        • Press any key to continue . . .
    • Add the OpenCBM folder to the system PATH. If you need help follow the instructions here
      C:\Program Files\opencbm\
    • Create a folder to stored your imaged disks
      C:\commodore\floppies\
  • Install VICE for the C1541 utillity
    • Extract the VICE download to
      C:\commodore\vice\
    • Run one of the emulators such as x64sc.exe to make sure it works
  • Install NIBTools
    • Extract the downloaded package to
      c:\commodore\nibtools\
    • (optional) Add this folder to the system PATH.
      • If you need help follow the instructions here
      • This is if you are going to use the Nibtools from the command line.
  • Install CBM-Transfer
    • Extract the downloaded package to the folder
      C:\commodore\cbm-transfer\
    • There is no a separate setup that needs to be run even though this is what some istructions say. It must be for an old version.
    • Run
      C:\commodore\cbm-transfer\CBMXfer.exe
    • If you get an error as follows, you need to perform an additional step, if not, skip this step

      • How to Fix the 'comdlg32.ocx' missing Error on Windows? - Appuals.com
        • The comdlg32.ocx file is a part of the Visual Basic Runtime suite and it’s not located on your computer by default.
        • This guides you through fixing the issue
        • I located the file on one of my other computers, but this one should be fine.
      • The file should be located at one of these locations: 
        C:\Windows\System32\comdlg32.ocx (x32)
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\comdlg32.ocx (x64)
      • Get a copy of the file from another one of your PCs or the Appauls article above and place it in the correct folder for your version of windows
      • Open an command prompt in Administrator mode
      • Navigate to the relevant folder from above.
      • Run these 2 commands - They might generate an error but ignore it.
        regsvr32 /u Comdlg32.ocx
regsvr32 /i Comdlg32.ocx
    • Now run CBMXFer.exe
    • Upon first running you will get a dialogue box which can be ignored because we are fixing it in the next step
    • Under 'CBM-Transfer Options' (which should popped up automatically)
      • Set the various 'Utility Paths' which we installed earlier as follows:
        OpenCBM:     C:\Program Files\opencbm\
Vice, C1541: C:\commodore\vice\
NIBTools:    C:\commodore\nibtools\
      • Set the default 'Left' directory in the menu item 'Local Paths'
        C:\commodore\floppies\
  • (optionally) You can delete the folder below if you want, but I keep it because it has the documentation in it and a test script.
    C:\commodore\opencbm\
  • Done

Using your Windows setup to image Commodore disks

You must follow the 'Proper power-on sequence' as outlined here, also read these warnings

Now the software is setup, it is now time to use it to save those disk you have. I will mention all of the methods I know of and it is up to you to choose which is most appropriate with the disks and equipment you have.

Connect and Test the drive

  • Connect your Commodore drive to your chosen adapter (we will use ZoomFloppy) to your PC as prescribed here
    • You can use other adapters to connect your drive
    • For connection issues relating to the X Series of cables, see my article Commodore Tape Transfers | QuantumWarp
    • You can only use XM1541 or XA1541.
    • XA1541 is better.
  • Test your drive is on and working by trying these commands
        cbmctrl detect     - checks the drive is there (might be only ZoomFloppy)
    cbmctrl reset      - resets the drive
    cbmctrl status 8   - Will output some information about the drive

Making the Images

Now it is time to insert your disk that you want to image

  • OpenCBM - d64copy.exe
    • This will only work to copy 1541 formatted disks (D64)
    • Navigate to
      C:\commodore\floppies\
    • Run the command
      d64copy 8 test.d64
  • OpenCBM - imgcopy.exe
    • This is stilll under development and is not as stable as d64copy
    • This can be used to create D64, D71, D81 etc..
  • NIBTools - nibread.exe
    • Requires a 1571, or 1541 with parallel port mod
    • Will do copy protected disks
    • If you have a parallel connection in your Commodore drive, or a 1571 you can enable the "Use NibTools" option and create additional image types NIB, NBZ or G64 in a similar fashion. NibTools has many options, so please refer to the Nibtools documentation for correct usage of the various switches.
    • Navigate to
      C:\commodore\floppies\
    • Run one of these commands
      nibread test.nib
nibread test.nbz   (same as above, but compressed)
    • Convert NIB to G64 or D64 disk files
      • These NIB/NZB can be converted to G64 or D64 as required. Unless needed you should always convert the disks to .G64 as this can handle protected disks and is a better format.
      • You use nibconv.exe to change the format or removed the compression.
      • How to use NIB Disk Image Files | Commodore 64 | YouTube | Basic Bites
        • Using NIB files with your C64/1541 emulator: what they are, and how to easily convert them to G64/D64 floppy disk images.
        • As always a very clear and concise video.
    • nibread.exe can be tweaked with advanced options when edge-case disks are not working. 95% of disks should image with the default settings.
  • CBM-Transfer
    • This is a GUI for all of the above software and most functions can be done through this frontend.
    • Are using a X-Cable?
      • There are several different types of X-Cables. I recommend you use an "XM" or "XA" type for use with windows. Other types may not work.
      • XA is better.
    • I prefer to use this software.
    • Easy Disk copy
    • To make a D64 image from a disk (uses d64copy.exe)
      • Make sure NO files are selected in the RIGHT pane,
      • then click the "<-" button.
      • You will be asked for a name to save the image (the Disk Title will be the default).
      • If you have a 1571 dual-sided floppy, simply change the extension to D71.

Installing and Using links (sort)

Software

  • Fast Disk Copiers (Disk to Disk)
  • Nibblers (Low Level Disk Copiers) (native)
    • Maverick
      • C64
      • Is by far the more advanced copy program. very handy program.
      • [CSDb] - Maverick Copy by Angels (1999) - Commodore 64 Tool: Maverick Copy by Angels. Released on 1999
      • Maverick - C64 Copy ProtectionC64 Copy Protection - Maverick is one of the best software copiers for the C64. Maverick V2.0 was originally called ‘Renegade’ but was forced to change their name for copyright reasons. The last legitimate version is v5.04
      • Also has a Fast Disk Copier (sector by Sector)
      • Has a GCR Nibble mode
    • Fast Hack'em
      • C64
      • [CSDb] - Search for Fast Hack'em - CSDb
      • Fast Hack'em Parameter List - C64 Copy ProtectionC64 Copy Protection - Fast Hack’em v6.04 Parameter List Here is the list of the parameters found in Fast Hack’em version 6.04, There are 189 parameters: Fast Hackem 6.04 Parameters List by Craig A. Ernster    
      • Fast Hack'em v9.5a - Commodore Software - Fast Hack'em v9.5a by Mike J. Henry and the Basement Boys is I believe the last version of the awesome Commodore 64 copying arsenal.
      • Fast Hack'em - Wikipedia
        • Fast Hack'em is a Commodore 64 fast disk/file copier, nibbler and disk editor written by Mike J. Henry and released in 1985.
        • The most popular feature of Fast Hack'em was its ability to produce copies of copy-protected commercial software. When using the nibbler, disk copying is done on a very low level, bit-by-bit rather than using standard Commodore DOS commands. This effectively nullifies the efficacy of deliberate disk errors, non-standard track layouts, and related forms of copy prevention
    • Ultrabyte Disk Nibbler
      • Ultrabyte Disk Nibbler | C64 Copy Protection - Ultrabyte has quite a few version. From the ads 2.1, V4, V5 and V6. Early version where out in 1985 including routines to copy Electronic Arts titles. V4 included a powerful new GCR Nibbler and 105 parameters. V5 now copied Rapid Lock protection and had 205 parameters including VMAX protections. Finally V6 now has 305 parameters.
  • Other Copiers
  • GUI
    • CBM-Transfer / CBMXFer
      • GitHub - sjgray/cbm-transfer - GUI for OpenCBM and others to transfer and view Commodore disks and files.
      • The CBM-Transfer Homepage
        • An open-source front-end to several command-line utilities for transferring files and working with disk images.
        • CBM-Transfer makes using those utilities easy by providing a familiar windows interface that removes the need to learn the commandline syntax of each program.
        • CBM-Transfer also includes a multi-format file and picture viewer.
      • Windows based
      • Uses the OpenCBM driver for Windows 10, a utility from VICE and NIBTools and has some of its own binaries for copying
      • Commodore 1541 Disk Drive connected via parallel port
      • This is a front-end
      • CBMX-Transfer is a front-end to several command-line utilities for transferring files and working with disk images. CBM-Transfer makes using those utilities easy by providing a familiar windows interface that removes the need to learn the commandline syntax of each program. CBM-Transfer also includes a multi-format file and picture viewer.
      • A PC running Windows 95 or higher (see note below). Tested working on Windows 10.
      • Written in Visual Basic
      • CBM-Transfer (aka "CBMXfer") is based on GUI4CBM4WIN (G4C from now on) and is a lot more improved
  • File Transfer
  • Imagers
    • CBM-Transfer / CBMXFer
      • See above
    • OpenCBM
      • see below
    • NIBTools
    • d2d64 – Preserving your C64 disks - World of Jani
      • I needed a program to transfer C64 disks to .d64 images with a good overview of the process, but more importantly, it had to be fast and with minimial interaction to be used for reading disks in large batches. I ended up making a modified version of Nibread which i decided to call d2d64 so it would not be mixed up with the original Nibread. Nibread is part of the Nibtools utilities by Pete Rittwage at the C64 Preservation Project.
    • D64it Plus4 - Software Details - Plus/4 World
      • Plus4 / PRG
      • Creates D64 images and transfer them into mass storage devices.
  • Drivers
    • OpenCBM
      • A package of core utilities as-well as drivers and firmware for the ZoomFloppy/XUM1541 and several other related devices.
      • GitHub - OpenCBM/OpenCBM
      • OpenCBM download | SourceForge.net - Download OpenCBM for free. Win NT/2K/XP, and Linux/i386 kernel driver and development library to control serial CBM devices, such as the Commodore 1541 disk drive, connected to the PC's parallel port via a XM1541 or XA1541 cable. Fast disk copier included.
      • OpenCBM Changelog | Spiro
      • Win 7/8/10, and Linux/i386/AMD64 kernel driver and development library to control serial CBM devices, such as the Commodore 1541 disk drive, connected to the PC's parallel port via a XM1541 or XA1541 cable. Fast disk copier included. Successor of cbm4linux. Also supports the XU1541 and the XUM1541 devices (a.k.a. "ZoomFloppy").
      • Contains firmware for the ZoomFloppy
      • Has copying programs in it.
  • File Management
    • 64Copy
      • By Peter Schepers
      • 64COPY is an all-purpose DOS and C64 emulator file manager, modelled after Norton Commander, and runs under the Windows DOS VDM (32-bit or lower), and in real DOS. The 64-bit editions of Windows have no DOS VDM, so you will need to install a DOS-like emulator like DOSBox. It specializes in converting and manipulating emulator files between various formats, as well as a very flexible 6502 disassembler. 64COPY does not do any communication to the 1541/71/81 floppy drives to read disks
      • Latest v4.45 2014
    • DirMaster: a d64 editor and more | Style64
      • A Windows-based GUI application designed to help Commodore enthusiasts explore and manage their disk image collections.
      • DirMaster supports common (and uncommon) emulator disk image formats (such as .d64, .d81, .d2m, etc), almost every native Commodore archival format (such as .arc, .sda, .lnx, etc), and many native graphic formats (such as koala, doodle, amica, etc).
      • DirMaster was designed to give users a perfect blend of familiar appearance (e.g. natural looking disk image contents using the PETSCII character set) and modern GUI functionality (e.g. drag and drop, opening multiple disk images at once).
      • Extact PRG from the D64 easily with this.
  • Commodore Emulators (Can connect directly to a real 1541)
    • Vice Emulator
      • Commodore 1541 Disk Drive connected via parallel port
      • I am not sure how reliable this is reliable
  • 1541 Emulator
    • VC1541 (Hardware Emulator software)
      • 1541 Drive emulator you run on your PC (supports X1541 or XE1541)
      • This works with any Commodore that has the serial port.
      • Copy from the real disk to an Emulated disk
      • Use native Commodore disk copying software or commands to copy from the real disk to an image on the emulated drive.
    • 64HDD
      • A serial bus and disk drive emulator
      • Will run with either X1541 or XE1541 cables
      • 64HDD in action | youtube | Psylicium - I found an old IBM Thinkpad laptop in the trash a couple of months ago, and decided to turn it into an emulated floppy drive for my Commodore 64, using 64HDD. This is a short video of what it does :)
      • 64hdd for real dummies! - Commodore 64 (C64) Forum - I've no idea if this is going to be of any use to anyone, but I had a lot of trouble getting 64Hdd to work. I managed to figure out most of this either myself, or by googling.
    • See this article for more information Commodore Tape Transfers | QuantumWarp

Hardware

  • 1541 Emulator
    • SD2IEC (Hardware Emulator device)
      • This connects direct to a real Commodore computer
      • Commodore 1541 Disk Drive connected to the commodore computer
      • Use native Commodore disk copying software or commands to copy from the real disk to an image on the emulated drive.
      • How to Copy C64 Disks between SD2IEC and Real Drives | YouTube | Jan Beta
        • A little tutorial video about how to copy .D64 disk images from an SD2IEC (or equivalent device) to a real floppy disk using a 1541 disk drive (and also vice versa).
        • Set SD2IC to Device 9 (non permanent)
          • OPEN 15,8,15 - Opens channel 15 for device 8
          • PRINT#15,"u0>CHR$(9) - this send the command to change the drives address to 9
          • CLOSE 15 - Closes channel 15
        • Use DraCopy on a real C64
      • sd2iec (firmware) - C64-Wiki - This page describes the functionality of the sd2iec firmware including disk commands that can be issued from the Commodore.
      • Does not support G64 images
    • Pi1541
    • Raspberry Pi
  • PC 1541 Adapters
    • ZoomFloppy Adapter
      • Based on XUM1541 developed by Nate Lawson.
      • ZoomFloppy brings Commodore disk archival into the 21st Century, bridging the gap between the both the IEEE-488 and IEC-based disk intelligent Commodore™ disk drive line and contemporary personal computers.  Taking up the baton from the ever-popular X*-1541 line of parallel port interfaces, ZoomFloppy provides complete functionality for newer machines running multitasking and multi-user operating systems and those systems lacking the legacy parallel port upon which the X*-1541 interfaces depend.
      • ZoomFloppy Set Up | YouTube | Hey Birt!
        • Follow along as we wrap a case around a ZoomFloppy board, install the USB driver and OpenCBM software on the PC as well as learn how to back up a floppy disc to a .d64 file. There is a lot more you can do with a ZoomFloppy, if you have questions let me know in the comments below.
        • In this video he uses GUI4CBM4WIN to transfer files.
      • ZoomFloppy will always be compatible with the XUM1541 firmware
      • ZoomFloppy – RETRO Innovations
        • Excellent description of this product and it's features.
        • How is the Zoom Floppy different then the XU1541?
          • Performance
            • 25-second backup without optimizing (parallel transfer, needs cable in drive).
            • Still faster even for serial xfers.
          • Functionality
            • supports Burst Nibbler protocol via nibtools. Allows raw g64 backups (read and write). Works with vmax/epyx etc etc.
          • Reliability
            • interrupt xfers in the middle (^C), start another transfer, and everything gets reset and restarted properly
            • Supports infinite holdoff
          • IEEE-488 Support
            • ZoomFloppy is one of a few solutions for USB access to the IEE-488 drives, and the only one that understands PET/CBM IEEE commands.
            • Can talk directly to Commodore Disk drives such as the PET 4040 and PET 8050.
          • Future Expansion
            • All signals are available on the X5 Expansion Port.
            • only 7 KB used out of 32 KB FLASH on microcontroller
          • How does ZoomFloppy compare to a XUM1541 device?
            • ZoomFloppy is an implementation of an XUM1541-compliant interface. XUM1541 specifies a protocol that is used to transfer data from the interface to the OpenCBM libraries. In many cases, the terms can be used interchangeably, though they do not mean exactly the same thing. Incidentally, ZoomFloppy is partially named after the “xum” in XUM1541, which many people pronounce as “zoom” .
        • How to use ZoomFloppy – The WP Guru - ZoomFloppy is an ingenious contraption by Nate Lawson which lets you connect real Commodore disk drives via USB to modern computers.
      • ZoomFloppy adapter can access CBM Commodore PET Dual drives (i.e. 4040/8050)
      • ZoomFloppy – RETRO Innovations - homepage
      • ZoomFloppy review – Vintage is The New Old
      • This seems to be a next generation adapter that works with everything including PET drives.
      • I have not used this but included it because it keeps popping up
      • Commodore Software - CBM Transfer v1.22a - CBM Transfer v1.22a by Steve J. Gray (Released Sept. 13th, 2021) - This is an excellent Windows based program for transfer files from a real Commodore 1541/71/81 to a PC using either the Zoom Floppy or USB based XUM cable.
      • XUM1541 Setting up guide | load64.com
      • ZoomFloppy from Box to using in 10 minutes. | YouTube | Steve's Real World - Unboxing and use of a ZommFloppy
      • A ZoomFloppy, PixelBook Go, and Raspberry Pi - marcbilodeau.com - The ZoomFloppy is an essential tool for any serious Commodore 64 enthusiast. Learn about it and how to set one up with a Pixelbook Go and Raspberry Pi.
      • Getting two ZoomFloppies to Work on the Same Windows 10 Box - Realm of Zoggins - You have probably made poor decisions in life when you come to the conclusion that you need so many Commodore drives hooked up to your PC that you need more than one ZoomFloppy, but here I am to tell my story.
    • XUM1541-II
    • KryoFlux (PC Adapter)
    • SuperCard Pro (CMBSTUFF)
    • Burst Nibbler
      • The package came with software to be run on the Commodore C64
      • The connection cable is the same pinout of the ZoomFloppy (i am guessing)
      • Commodore 1541 Parallel Cable with ZoomFloppy & Burst Nibbler Demo | YouTube | Steve's Retro Gaming - This video shows a mix of ZoomFloppy/Burst nibbler hardware and software and how they can be mixed and matched when using the parallel mod on a Commodore 1541.
      • [CSDb] - Burst Nibbler V1.9 by Octagon (1988) - Commodore 64 Crack: Burst Nibbler V1.9 by Octagon. Released on 1988
      • Burst Nibbler for Commodore 64/128 Datel Parallel Cable & Software Zoom floppy compatible - GameDude Computers
        • Deep Scan Burst Nibbler!  Zoom floppy compatible Powerful Software
        • The notes below explain how the ZoomFloppy and this Burst Nibbler gets the un-modified data to make perfect backups.
        • The Burst Nibbler system is probably the most powerful disk copier available for the Commodore computer.
        • It gains its power by using parallel data transfer. With standard nibblers the data is read from the disk and decoded into a standard format before being transferred to the host computer by the serial bus. This is all well until it comes across some non-standard data on the disk. Because it can't recognize the code it is unable to decode into the form needed for serial transfer. With parallel transfer the data is read from the disk and transferred directly to the host computer without the need to decode it. This is achieved because the Burst Nibbler System is actually hardware and software package. The hardware consists of a parallel cable that plugs into the computers user port. The other end of the cable plugs into the Via chip socket inside your disk drive. The software is a powerful Nibbler control program with various parameter settings to maximize results.
        • Transfers raw GCR Code via cable!
        • Fitted in minutes usually no soldering!
        • Only package to copy up to 41 tracks!
        • Will copy a whole disk in under 2 mins!
        • Full and half tracks copied - no problem!
        • Make a perfect copy every time!
        • Fitting involves lifting the 6522 Via chip inside the drive, inserting it into the socket on the cable and plugging the whole assembly back into the socket, the other end just plugs into the user port and has a through connector for your other hardware.
    • Parallel Port Adapters (XE1541/XA1541/etc....)
    • XU1541
      • The xu1541 | Spiro's home on the web - Homepage
      • Originally developed by Till Harbaum
      • This project is now dead and you should not use these adapters anymore unless you have one already.
      • The xu1541 was the modern way to connect CBM IEC bus devices to todays USB equipped PCs (The more modern alternative is the XUM1541).
      • It was meant to replace the printer port solutions based on the so-called original x1541 cable.
      • It provides a means to send low level IEC commands forth and back via the USB. PC software developed to support this interface may then directly access the disk drive and the contents of a disk inserted. It should also be possible to access other IEC devices like printers. Currently e.g. the git version of the OpenCBM software supports this interface.
    • XUM1541
      • Developed by Nate Lawson
      • The firware and schematics are released as Open Source
      • ZoomFloppy is based on this.
      • Introducing xum1541: the fast C64 floppy USB adapter | rdist
        • I’ve been working on a project in my spare time that I’m now ready to announce. It is a USB interface for the C64 1541 floppy drive, which allows it to be connected to a modern PC.
        • The xum1541 (pronounced “zoom”) is built from a modified version of the xu1541 firmware.
        • It is a USB full speed device and supports high-speed parallel cables.
        • The hardware USB support significantly speeds up transfers.
        • It will support mnib (aka nibtools), which provides low-level imaging to backup copy protected disks. I’m most excited about this feature since it is critical to archiving original floppies for the C64 Preservation Project.
      • XUM1541 Homepage | Nate Lawson - Nate's original prototype page.
      • Nate recommends buying a ZoomFloppy prebuilt.
      • A GitHub XEUM1541 project
      • OpenCBM/xum1541 at master · OpenCBM/OpenCBM · GitHub
        • Official XUM1541 firmware
        • Win 7/8/10, and Linux/i386/AMD64 kernel driver and development library to control serial CBM devices, such as the Commodore 1541 disk drive, connected to the PC's parallel port via a XM1541 or ...
  • Commodore Drives
    • 1541
      • Commodore 1541 - Wikipedia
        • Disks formatted on the 1541 are compatible with the 1551
        • You can only change the devices ID number permanently with a hardware mod.
        • the default device ID is 8, but this can be changed to 9 and possible 11.
        • You can use software to change the device ID temporarily
        • Both theses change methods are written in the user manual.
        • Commodore Pet can read 1541/1551 formatted disks
      • Readers' Feedback: Commodore 1541 Disk Drive Device Number Update
        • Commodore Disk Drive Device Number Update (From Compute! Issue 50 / July 1984)
        • Covers hardware mod and software method, both mentioned in the user manual (page 48)
        • The 1541 demo disk that was included with your drive also contains a program to change device numbers. LOAD the program DISK ADDR CHANGE then RUN. The user prompts will tell you what to do.
        • If you feel uncomfortable changing the device number using the hardware method, the same thing can be achieved with a software (program) modification. Here is the procedure:
          1. Turn off all disk drives
          2. Turn on the disk drive whose device number you want to change
          3. Type and enter the following commands: 
            CLOSE 15: OPEN 15, 8, 15
PRINT # 15, "M-W", CHR$(119) CHR$(0) CHR$(2) CHR$(n + 32) CHR$(n + 64)
CLOSE 15
            • Change the n in the PRINT#15 command above to the device number you want to assign to the disk drive. It might be best to limit the device numbers to the range between 9 and 14.
            • Note the syntax of the PRINT#15, "M-" … command. Contrary to the instructions in the 1541 user's manual, do not include the colon after the memory-write (M-W) command. If the colon is included, the device number change will not be successful.
          4. Now you can turn on the other drive(s), and start processing.
        • The 1541 demo disk that was included with your drive also contains a program to change device numbers. LOAD the program DISK ADDR CHANGE then RUN. The user prompts will tell you what to do.
      • Change Device Number - Software Method (From Manual / Pg48)
        • The device number is selected by the drive by looking at a hardware jumper on the board and writing the number based on that jumper in a section of its RAM. Once operation is underway, it is easy to write over the previous device number with a new one.
        • The Code 
          FORMAT FOR CHANGING DEVICE NUMBER:

    PRINT#file#,"M-W:" CHR$(119) CHR$(0) CHR$(2) CHR$(address+32)
    CHR$(address+64)

EXAMPLE OF CHANGING DEVICE NUMBER (FROM 8 TO 9):

 10 OPEN 15, 8, 15
 20 PRINT# 15, "M-W" CHR$(119) CHR$(0) CHR$(2) CHR$(9+32)
    CHR$(9+64)
      • "HOW TO" change the 1541 drive assignment. | AmiBay
        • Every now and then i see that people are wondering how to change the 1541's drive assignment from say,8 to 9. So here is a little write up on how to do it, with pictures and a little hand drawn diagram.
        • This tutorial show you how to add your own DIP switches to your drive.
      • The 1541 demo disk that was included with your drive also contains a program to change device numbers. LOAD the program DISK ADDR CHANGE then RUN. The user prompts will tell you what to do.
      • Ruud's Commodore Site: 1541 - Ruud's Commodore site, information about Commodores and old PCs. This particular page is dedicated to the 1541 hardware and how it works.
    • 1541-II
      • Commodore 1541-II DIP switches - The Silicon Underground
        • Commodore's 1541-II disk drive has a pair of DIP switches in back. Here's how to set the Commodore 1541-II DIP switches so you can run more than one drive.
        • It shouldn’t strictly matter how you connect the drives, but Commodore recommended plugging drive 8 straight into to the computer. Plug drive 9 into drive 8. If you need help connecting them, see my earlier post on connecting Commodore disk drives.
        • For what it’s worth, the switch settings are the same on a 1571 or 1581 drive as well.
      • Device 12 - Changing the Commodore 1541 Default Device Number To Anything! | The Commodore Room - In this video, we change the 1541-II device number to start at 12 rather than the default 8. This way, you can avoid the lengthy process of software device number changes and easily daisy chain a couple dozen 1541's together!
    • 1551
      • Commodore 1551 - Wikipedia
        • Disks formatted on the 1551 are compatible with the 1541
        • You can only change the devices ID number permanently with a hardware mod.
        • the default device ID is 8, but this can be changed to 9 and possible 11.
        • You can use software to change the device ID temporarily
        • Both theses change methods are written in the user manual (age 71).
        • Commodore Pet can read 1541/1551 formatted disks
      • Change Device Number - Software Method (From Manual / Pg71)
        • The preferred way to temporarily change the device number of a disk drive is via a program. When power is first turned on. the drive reads an 110 location whose value is controlled by a jumper on its circuit board, and writes the device number it reads there into memory locations 119 and 120. Any time thereafter, you may write over that device number with a new one, which will be effective until it is changed again, or the 1551 is reset
        • The Code 
          FORMAT FOR TEMPORARILY CHANGING THE DISK DEVICE NUMBER:

    PRINT#15,"%n"

    Where n = 8 or 9

EXAMPLE

    Here is a program that sets any device number:

10 INPUT "NEW DEVICE NUMBER"; DV$
20 IF NOT (DV$ = "8" or DV$ = "9") THEN 10
30 OPEN 15,8,15, "%R"+DV$: CLOSE 15

If you send only the % sign, the device number will toggle between 8 and 9.
      • The 1551 demo disk that was included with your drive also contains a program to change device numbers. LOAD the program DISK ADDR CHANGE then RUN. The user prompts will tell you what to do.
      • Commodore 1551 and Plus 4 Update | YouTube | OldSkoolCoder - A simple repair for a 1551 not reading disk because the head is jammed.
      • Commodore 1551 Disk Drive - Peripheral - Computing History - Originally known as the SFS481, and designed specifically for the Commodore Plus 4, it is in appearance like a charcoal grey 1541. The drive plugs into the cartridge slot of the machine, using its own wired in interface.
      • Commodore 1551 - C64-Wiki - A small article on this unique drive.
      • Commodore 1551 - Hardware - Plus/4 World - The Commodore 1551 floppy drive is a rare beauty. Designed for the Commodore 264 series, it borrows the nice black look of the Commodore Plus/4. It connects through the parallel port, unlike the more common 1541 drive, which had a serial connection.
      • Commodore 1551 Academic - The Commodore 1551 (originally introduced as the SFS 481) was a floppy disk drive for the Commodore Plus/4 home computer. It resembled a charcoal-colored Commodore 1541 and plugged into the cartridge port, providing faster access than the C64/1541 combination. Commodore reportedly planned an interface to allow use of the 1551 with the C64, but it was never released.
    • 1571
      • The internal RAM of this drive is sufficient to load a complete track into memory which is require to beat some copy protections.
      • A 1571 can backup protected disks natively becasue it can read the a whole Track into RAM including read errors.
      • A parallel mod on a 1571 just speeds the drive up. I have not seen anyonbe who has done this mod so I could be wrong.
    • Parallel Port mod
      • This is mainly done on the 1541 thought it can be done on the rest of the drives with varing levels of difficultly.
      • It allows greater speed for transfers but it main feature is it allows direct access to the GCR data so copy protectsion can be imaged as-well. See Burst Nibbler notes above for more information.
      • Commodore c64 128 user port parallel adapter + 1541 drive parallel port | eBay
        • I know you have to add the parallel mod onto a 1541 to allow nibbling and it gives it speed increase. But I see on the mod 1571, does this mean you can apply this parallel mod to a 1571 for increased speed?
        • Yes, it can be used in a 1571 also, but in this case you can't use a header connector because the space inside is limited and you may need to raise the cover a little.
        • The 1571 has also the "burst" mode that can be used to increase speed and burst nibbling without parallel connection, so the mod in the 1571 is not very useful.
    • Disk Misc

Commodore BASIC/Disk Commands

  • COPY - C64-Wiki
    • Copy the whole disk in drive 1 to the disk in drive 0 (on a dual-drive floppy only) 
      COPY D1 TO D0

or possibly

COPY D8 TO D9
    • The BASIC COPY command with logical drives can be used to copy between units of a dual disk drive (drives that use a single device number and two logical drives in that). I'm not aware any of them that could be connected to the plus/4 easily.
    • Examples of a suitable drive is probably the CBM PET 8050
  • To load and show directory 
    LOAD"$",8
LIST
  • To load a PRG and execute it 
    LOAD"TTAPSERV.PRG",8
RUN
  • DIRECTORY - C64-Wiki
    • BASIC 3.5+ (i.e. C16 and Plus4)
  • DLOAD - C64-Wiki
    • BASIC 3.5+ (i.e. C16 and Plus4)

Notes

Published in Emulators
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Thursday, 26 May 2022 15:26

My Evolis New Pebble Card Printer Notes

I have an 'Evolis New Pebble' Card printer (a.k.a Pebble 2) and these are my notes (and solution) for getting this printer to work on a Windows 10 PC.

Running a Evolis New Pebble (a.k.a Pebble 2) on Windows 10

This is my easy solution

  • Install and use Pebble 4 Windows 10 drivers (Pebble 2/3/4 share the same driver,)
  • Connect the Pebble on to a HP JetDirect Ex Plus (J2591A) Print Server.
  • Set the print server up on your network
  • Install the printer in Windows 10 using a standard TCP/IP port with the IP of the print server and then select the Evolis Pebble driver.

 

My Research

Make new Drive Belt (Poly Belt / PU Belt)

I could not find anywhere I could by a new drive belt but discovered you could make your own very cheaply

The belt is a Round PU Belt and we will replace it with a one having the following specs:

  • 2mm Diameter
  • 6 inches / 152mm

This is what my belt looked like when I took it out. It is no longer flexible and if you look you can see where the PU join is.

What you need

  • A couple of bricks
  • A PC Blanker plate with a flat head (where you screw it to a case) which allows it to be head in place by the brick
  • A small blow torch
  • A 6 inch length of your PU belt

What I did

  • Heated up the top of the blanker plate with the blow torch until read hot.
  • Touched the top of the blanker plate with each end of the PU belt.
  • When they were melted (hot enough) I removed them from the blacker plate and pushed them together making sure they were even.
  • I held the 2 ends together for about 2-3 mins
  • Leave for a few minutes more.
  • Test the new belt is strong by pulling it.

What other people have done

Replace Pebble 2 Drive Belt

This is just an outline of what to do as stripping the printer is easy, just a bit fiddly at ppints.

  • Drive belt location
  • remove lid screw
  • remove the card bucket screw
  • remove screws on the side
  • remove screws below
  • waggle top cover off (carefully)
  • unscrew control board and pull out
  • remove the drive motor
  • take the circlip of the drive cog
  • replace drive belt (made earlier)
  • re-assemble printer

HP JetDirect Ex Plus (J2591A) Print Server

This is an old piece of kit with no Web Admin so some notes are required.

HP Jetdirect EX Plus Print Server Manuals | HP® Customer Support - Manuals or user guides for your HP Jetdirect EX Plus Print Server

Reset Configuration

  • Make sure the unit is off
  • Connect the unit tot he network with an ethernet cable.
  • Hold the 'Test' button down
  • Power on the device
  • keep holding the 'Test' button for 5-30 seconds and then release.

Get IP Address of Box

Pick the easiet option below to get the IP address of the box.

  • Option 1 - Press the 'Test' button and a diagnostic sheet will printout with the IP.
  • Option 2 - Check you DHCP server for a new entry.
  • Option 3 - Scan your network with an IP scanner.
    • Advanced IP Scanner
    • Angry IP Scanner
    • Slitheris Network Discovery
  • Option 4 - Check to see if you can connect to the box's fallback IP of 192.0.0.192
  • Option 5 - Possibly use Web JetAdmin?

See Current Configuration

Do this

  • telnet 10.0.0.127
  • Press Enter
  • Press Enter
  • Press / + Enter to show current configuration
  • Press ? + Enter to show configurable options

Gives this

Please type [Return] two times, to initialize telnet configuration
For HELP type "?"
> >
   ===JetDirect Telnet Configuration===
        Present Config  : BOOTP
        MAC Address     : xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
        Host Name       : 10.0.0.127

        IP Address      : 10.0.0.127
        Subnet Mask     : 255.255.255.0
        Default Gateway : 10.0.0.1
        Syslog Server   : 0.0.0.0
        Idle Timeout    : 90 Seconds
        Set Cmnty Name  : Not Specified

        DHCP Config     : Disabled
        Passwd          : Disabled
        Novell          : Enabled
        DLC/LLC         : Enabled
        Ethertalk       : Enabled
        Banner page     : Enabled
>
        To Change/Configure Parameters Enter:
        Parameter-name: value <Carriage Return>

        Parameter-name  Type of value
        ip:             IP-address in dotted notation
        subnet-mask:    address in dotted notation
        default-gw:     address in dotted notation
        syslog-svr:     address in dotted notation
        idle-timeout:   seconds in integers
        set-cmnty-name: alpha-numeric string (32 chars max)
        dhcp-config:    0 to disable, 1 to enable
        novell:         0 to disable, 1 to enable
        dlc-llc:        0 to disable, 1 to enable
        ethertalk:      0 to disable, 1 to enable
        banner:         0 to disable, 1 to enable

        Type passwd to change the password.

 Type "?" for HELP, "/" for current settings or "quit" to save-and-exit.
 Or type "exit" to exit without saving configuration parameter entries
>

Set Static IP

This sets static IP and disables some unused protocols. The settings above are only temporary so need to be set permanently.

NB: when you type these in, you will not see text appear in the console

  • telnet 10.0.0.199
  • Press Enter
  • Press Enter
  • host-name: JETDIRECT
  • ip: 10.0.0.199 <Carriage Return>
  • subnet-mask: 255.255.255.0 <Carriage Return>
  • default-gw: 10.0.0.1 <Carriage Return>
  • dhcp-config: 0 <Carriage Return>
  • novell: 0 <Carriage Return>
  • dlc-llc: 0 <Carriage Return>
  • ethertalk: 0 <Carriage Return>
  • banner: 0 <Carriage Return>
  • quit

Notes for Options

  • DLC/LLC
    • HP's proprietary Logical Link Control/Data Link Control protocol.
    • DLC/LLC protocols are provided for legacy systems that might require support
  • Ethertalk
    • Is for Apple Mac OSand devices.
  • Banner
    • Print a port-specific LPD banner page.
    • From HP Jetdirect Print Servers Administrator's Guide.

JetDirect Notes

Downloads for Pebble Printers

  • Pebble 2/3/4 share the same driver, so use the Pebble 4 driver for Windows 10
  • Seagull do a generic driver which i have not tried.

Most downloads are not available on the evolis.com website for the older printers so I had to look on 'The Wayback Machine' for some.

 NB: I have most of the drivers and some manuals stored locally.

 

Published in Printers
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Thursday, 07 April 2022 13:14

My Network Cable Notes

I am installing network sockets in every room in my house. I will have at least 1 Cat6a socket in each room running back to a nexus in one of the small bedrooms that is being used as a server room.

I will make sure that the socket locations allow the rooms to be used as normal if i decided to remove all of the kit.

I want to future proof the cabling so Cat6a is the best choice. Cat7 is difficult to use and only delivers the same as Cat6a. Cat8 has run length limitations and should only be used in datacentres for that reason. Not much stuff supports Cat8.

My Cable Selection

All sockets and wires must be shielded to CAT6a specs otherwise it is pointless. Use what ever you want to connect into the socket (patch cables) as you wont be burying these into the wall and they can easily be upgraded later if you kit needs a faster speed.

Cable Research

I took a while to find all of this information out but I have now put it here as a reference

Where to Buy

This is list of places in the UK to buy network cable and in particular Cat6a. Make sure you buy the right stuff.

  • Kenable
    • UK’s biggest selection of computer cables, network, audio, video & CCTV equipment | Buy Online
    • A company with a wide range of networking products. The descriptions are clear and correct.
    • kenable_ltd on eBay
  • Excel Networking Solutions
    • Excel Networking is a world-class premium performance end-to-end infrastructure solution – designed, manufactured, supported and delivered – without compromise.
    • Cat6a Cable
    • Look through their catalogue for the right type of cable. The information is very clear.
    • All datasheets are available.
  • Comms Express
    • Complete network supplies specialists providing all types of business solutions, including server & data racks, network cables, & cabinets. Order online today.
    • Supplies Excel products including network cable.
  • The Network Store 
    • We supply a large range of cat 5 cable, cat 6 cable, network sockets, patch panels, cabinets and fibre optic products all at competitive prices
    • Supplies Excel products including network cable.
  • broadbandbuyer
    • Distributors of WiFi, routers, access points, switches, cables, firewalls, VoIP, and data cabinets to small business and installers.
    • Supplies Excel products including network cable.
  • FruityCables
    • Patch Cables from 29p. All types of Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a & Fibre Patch Cables delivered tomorrow.
    • Supplies Excel products including network cable.
  • Universal Networks
    • Universal Networks is a network cable supplier, providing a wide range of bespoke networking systems since 1994. Find out more about our solutions here.
    • This company is probably for SMEs
  • Datazonedirect
    • Networking and Telecommunications Products For All Job Sizes!
    • Only company I found that sells External Cat6a F/FTP
    • datazonedirect on eBay
  • Cablenet
    • Audio Visual, Voice and Data Cables and professional hardware at Cablenet.co.uk
  • Connectix Ltd Group
    • Cable Monkey
      • Thousands of products in stock | Next day delivery or same day collection | Premium quality products at low prices for home and business
      • Wide variety of products.
    • Netstore Direct
      • Networking equipment, cables, fibre, switches, routers, racks & cabinets in stock and available for next day delivery. Discover our fantastic prices and order online today
    • Magic Patch
    • Connectix Cabling Systems
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