SIPOD IEEE-488 / C64 INTERFACE

If you wish to connect a C64/128 to an IEEE-488 device such as the 8050 disk drive this enables the CBM/PET to act as an interface box tween the C64/128 serial and the CBM/PET parallel systems .
The complete package can be found in the download directory as 'sipod.zip' with a repeat of all the information here with more detailed info to be unpacked and printed out on more modern machines, with the prg and an info file for the CBM/PET .

If you wish to connect a C64/128 to an IEEE-488 device such as the 8050 disk drive this enables the CBM/PET to act as an interface box tween the C64/128 serial and the CBM/PET parallel systems .
The complete package can be found in the download directory as 'sipod.zip' with a repeat of all the information here with more detailed info to be unpacked and printed out on more modern machines, with the prg and an info file for the CBM/PET .
the complete package is here - if it don't unzip to reveal LNX's etc ~ try another unzip prg
but here's a lot of numbers to type in   if you want it and all else fails !!!

Connect the DIN plug end of the SIPOD lead to the VIC20 or CBM64's serial IEEE socket. The other end plugs onto the user-port connector at the rear of the PET, 'USERPORT TOP' label uppermost. The user-port is the one in the middle of the cassette and IEEE ports. Switch on both machines and load the SIPOD software into the PET from the cassette using: -

LOAD"SIPOD",1 [RETURN]

At this point the SIPOD software may be saved to diskette with an ordinary BASIC save command. It will be found convenient to have SIPOD as the first file on each disk containing VIC or C64 software. BASIC 4.0 PET users then simply type a shifted run-stop to load and execute the SIPOD software.

Now RUN the program. The screen will display a message and reference number.

All the parallel IEEE peripherals connected to the PET are now available to the VIC20 or CBM64 computer. These may be printers, floppy or hard disk drives, modems or plotters etc.. If the PET can run them, then so can the VIC or C64 via SIPOD.

Technical Notes

SIPOD consumes no memory space within the VIC/C64 and therefore is totally transparent in operation. SIPOD should be 100% compatible with software using the normal entry points to the IEEE Rom routines.

In the PET, SIPOD's machine code routines are entirely independant of the version of BASIC. This allows it to operate on any PET, even the old BASIC 1 machines, that will not drive CBM IEEE devices! Normally SIPOD may be exited with the RUN/STOP key and return to BASIC ready mode. If a bad signal from the VIC/C64 is received, then SIPOD may be held in one of its waiting states, and RUN/STOP will not work. This can happen if the VIC/C64 is switched off and on again. However this will not prevent SIPOD from subsequently working. Any IEEE command from the VIC/C64 will instantly restore SIPOD to its normal operating condition and transfer the instruction as normal.

Any bad data transfer, in either direction, will cause an error message to be printed at the top of the PET's screen. This message, once printed, is not erased but remains at the top of the screen. Repeated bad data transfer will cause the message to flash.
One possible cause of bad data transfer is a disk write or save command with sprites enabled on the C64 screen. This is due to the C64's video chip taking too much time to access memory for its sprite data, thus halting the C64 processor and upsetting the critical timing associated with serial IEEE transfer. As a rule switch off all sprites during IEEE In/Out operations. Commodore after all switch off the entire video chip during cassette I/O operations on the C64.