Computer

MaxFake64, the Commodore 64 clone with current components

Due to the wear of the electronic components with the passage of time, today a good part of the systems with a certain seniority have stopped working. However, when a computer like the C64 ends up becoming a milestone that marks an entire generation, everything possible is done to keep it alive even beyond its commercial life. Is it possible to recreate a Commodore 64 with 21st century components? Well that’s him MaxFake64

One of the reasons why many older systems are being lost completely is due to the fact that they used proprietary ICs that have stopped working over time and no longer have replacements in the world. That is why one of the things that is being done is to recreate the old chips using the new technologies. To do this, two different methodologies are used: the first one is to configure an FPGA or a CPLD as if it were the original chip or, failing that, create a microcontroller programmed to perform the same function as the original chip.

MaxFake64, a Commodore 64 that is not a C64

In the end, the goal is to have a device that works just like the original system, with no emulation in between, but at the same time it’s also not the original hardware. This is what the MaxFake64 is, which is a reconstruction of Commodore’s classic 8-bit computer using currently available parts.

In reality, it is common among this type of systems for restoration to take parts from incomplete or partially working systems to build a fully functional version of the system, however, due to the problems that can be caused by elements such as broken capacitors, It is normal to recreate the entire original PCB and place the different elements.

Although the new is not only made up of changes in the analog electronics of the board and in elements such as renewing the power supply and external video connectors, which were soldered on the original board and, therefore, have had to be redone again in this reconstruction of this classic 8-bit computer.

MaxFake64, board

What elements are not original to a C64?

For example, websites such as AliExpress sell components that serve as replacements for several of the generic chips used at the time, such as the Texas Instruments 7400 series TTL chips. However, the problem lies more with the specific chips that the manufacturer designed for the system at the time.

  • The VIC-II was the video chip for the C64, the MaxFAKE64 uses an FPGA implementation called Kawari that supports both PAL and NTSC modes.
  • The CPU was the 6510, a system-modified version of the 6502 with additional I/O pins and the ability to be stopped by the VIC-II to access shared system RAM. The classic chip created by Chuck Peddle is still being sold to this day, but not the 6510. Although this is solved with the use of a special adapter that allows the standard 6502 to be used in a C64 as a replacement for the original system chip.
  • The PLA was the chip in charge of intercommunicating the others, which is why in this case the creator of the project has programmed two CPLD chips to perform the same function.
  • 8-bit computers used ROM memories, which was where their simple operating system was loaded from, its BASIC interpreter, in addition to the character map, today they can be replaced by EPROM memory or, failing that, with small flash memory chips.
  • The famous SID audio chip, which gave the Commodore 64 its personality, has been replaced by a SinSID chip.

MaxFake64 Components

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