╘HIS COLLECTION OF INFORMATION ON ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES IS ABSTRACTED FROM PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS OF THE ═╙─ ╔NFORMATION ┼XCHANGE.
╘HE ADDITION OF AN ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE IS THE BEST WAY TO INCREASE THE SPEED OF YOUR ═╙─ DISK DRIVE. ╔T IS BETTER THAN A HIGH SPEED LOADER PROGRAM, BECAUSE THE HIGH SPEED FUNCTION IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL DISK FUNCTIONS RATHER THAN ONLY FOR A FEW. ╔N ADDITION, THE INTERFACE PROVIDES THE SPEED INCREASE AS FIRMWARE. ╘HIS MEANS THAT IT IS PRESENT WHEN THE POWER IS TURNED ON; AN ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE LOADED BEFORE YOU LOAD THE PROGRAM OF INTEREST.
╚OW MUCH SPEED INCREASE YOU GET WITH THE ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE DEPENDS ON THE ONE YOU CHOOSE. ┬USCARD ╔╔ IS THE SLOWEST. ╘YPICAL ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES INCREASE THE SPEED TWO TO FIVE TIMES. ╘HE ═╙─ ╙ERVICE ═ANUAL REPORTS A MAXIMUM DESIGN RATE FOR ├-64 SERIAL DISK TRANSMISSION OF 750 BYTES/SEC. ╒SER ╩OHN ╦ROUT REPORTS AN AVERAGE SERIAL TRANSMISSION RATE OF 360 BYTES/SEC BASED ON TIMING A FULL SCREEN ─OODLE FILE. ╘HE MAXIMUM DESIGN RATE FOR THE ═╙─ ╔┼┼┼ CONNECTION IS 1800 BYTES/SEC. ╨AUL ╥USHTON HAS CONTRIBUTED A HIGH SPEED LOADER PROGRAM FOR THE ╙─-2 WITH ┬USCARD ╔╔ THAT LOADS AT 6700 BYTES/SEC.
┬ASED ON EXPERIENCE WITH ╤UICKSILVER (64), WHICH ╔ USE, INSTALLATION OF AN ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE IS STRAIGHT FORWARD. ╘HE INTERFACE PLUGS INTO THE CARTRIDGE PORT, AND A RIBBON CABLE, USUALLY PROVIDED, ATTACHES TO THE PARALLEL CONNECTION ON THE ═╙─. ╨OWER FOR THE INTERFACE IS DERIVED FROM A WIRE THAT CONNECTS INSIDE THE ├-64. ╘HIS WIRE IS EASY TO INSTALL. ╬O SOLDERING IS REQUIRED. ╧N ╤UICKSILVER A MICROCLIP CONNECTOR HOOKS ONTO THE END OF ONE OF THE RESISTORS. ─ETAILED PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING WHICH RESISTOR ARE PROVIDED.
╙OME ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES INCLUDE ADDITIONAL FEATURES AS FIRMWARE. ╤UICKSILVER PROVIDES THE FEATURES OF 1541 ╞LASH!, IE, BUILT-IN WEDGE COMMANDS AND A (PRIMITIVE) MACHINE LANGUAGE MONITOR. ┬USCARD ╔╔ ALSO REPORTEDLY PROVIDES EXTRAS SUCH AS ┬┴╙╔├ 4.0 COMMANDS. ╤UICKSILVER ALSO INCLUDES DIP SWITCHES FOR SETTING THE DEVICE NUMBER AND TO TURN OFF THE ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE IF YOU WANT TO USE YOUR DRIVE IN SERIAL MODE. ╔T ALSO INCLUDES AN EXTENSION TO THE CARTRIDGE PORT SO THAT CARTRIDGES CAN BE USED WITH ╤UICKSILVER INSTALLED. ╞INALLY, IT INCLUDES A PUSH BUTTON RESET SWITCH FOR THE ├-64.
╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES MAY ALSO BE USED WITH OTHER DEVICES. ┼XCEPT FOR THE 1541 AND THE 1571, ALL ├OMMODORE DISK DRIVES REQUIRE PARALLEL CONNECTION. ─ISK DRIVES USING THEM INCLUDE THE ╙╞─-1001, 2031, 2040, 3040, 4040, 8050, 8250, 9060 AND 9090. ╘HEY MAY ALSO BE USED WITH ├OMMODORE PRINTER MODELS AS FOLLOWS: 2022, 2023, 4022, 4023, AND 8023.
╘HE COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS OF ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES SHOULD BE NOTED. ╙OME ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES, MOST NOTABLY THE ═╙─ ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE, USE PATCHES IN ├-64 MEMORY TO CORRECT CERTAIN PROBLEMS. ╘HESE PATCHES MAY SOMETIMES BE OVERWRITTEN BY PROGRAMS MAKING PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH ═╙─ DRIVES INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE. ═OST OF THE INTERFACES NOW AVAILABLE HAVE CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM. ╘HEY ARE COMPATIBLE WITH ALMOST ALL SOFTWARE THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR ═╙─ IN SERIAL MODE.
╘HE EXCEPTION IS HIGH SPEED COPY PROGRAMS FOR THE ╙─-2 DUAL DRIVE. ╬EITHER ╞AST ╚ACK'EM NOR THE ╒LTRABYTE NIBBLER CAN BE USED WITH ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES. ═╙─ ╙HURECOPY IS REPORTLY COMPATIBLE WITH ┬USCARD ╔╔, BUT NOT WITH ╤UICKSILVER.
┬ASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE ─ECEMBER, 1986, THE FOLLOWING ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES ARE AVAILABLE--
┬USCARD ╔╔, ┬ATTERIES ╔NCLUDED, 30 ═URAL ╙T, ╥ICHMOND ╚ILL, ╧NT, ╠4┬ 1┬5, ├┴╬┴─┴, 416-881-9941. ╘HIS IS THE MOST POPULAR ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACE. ╔T IS NO LONGER BEING MADE, BUT SOME MAY STILL BE IN DISTRIBUTION. ╔T INCLUDES EXTRA FEATURES (┬┴╙╔├ 4.0 COMMANDS). ╔T HAS THE HIGHEST SOFTWARE COMPATIBLITY. ╔T IS USUALLY REGARDED AS SLOW COMPARED TO THE OTHERS. ╔T IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE ├-128. ╘HE RECOMMENDED LIST PRICE WAS ABOUT $150.
╤UICKSILVER 64, ╙KYLES ┼LECTRIC ╫ORKS, 231-┼ ╙OUTH ╫HISMAN ╥OAD, ═OUNTAIN ╓IEW, ├┴ 94041, 800-227-9998 OR 415-965-1735. ╘HE EXTRA FEATURES NOTED ABOVE ARE INCLUDED. ╔T IS ONE OF THE FASTEST. ╔T IS HIGHLY SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE. ╔T DOES NOT SUPPORT THE ├-128, BUT A 128 VERSION IS AVAILABLE FOR $120 LIST. ╤UICKSILVER 64 HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEW IMPROVED VERSION CALLED ╔┼┼┼ ╞LASH! 64 FOR $100 FROM ╙KYLES. ╤UICKSILVER 64 WAS AVAILABLE IN MIXED VERSIONS WITH 1541 ╞LASH! FOR USE WITH A 1541 AND AN ═╙─ DRIVE.
╟-╠INK, ╘RANSACTOR, 500 ╙TEELES ┴VE, ═ILTON, ╧NT ╠9╘ 9┌9, ├┴╬┴─┴ ┴ LOW COST ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES SUPPLIED WITHOUT THE RIBBON CABLE AND WITHOUT A CARTRIDGE SLOT EXTENSION FOR $50. ╔T IS NOT ├-128 COMPATIBLE AND IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FROM ╘RANSACTOR. ╬O MORE ARE BEING MADE.
├-64 ╠INK, ╚ANDIC, 190 ═OORE ╙T, ╙UITE 202, ╚ACKENSACK, ╬╩ 07601, 609-663-0660. ╘HIS INTERFACE IS HIGHLY REGARDED AND IS USED BY ═╙─ OWNERS, BUT NO INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON PRICE OR FEATURES. ┴N ┼ASYSCRIPT LOAD TIME OF 28 SEC VS 40 SEC FOR ┬USCARD ╔╔ IS REPORTED.
═╙─ ╔┼┼┼ ╔NTERFACE, ═╙─ ╙YSTEMS ╔NC, 10031 ═ONROE ─RIVE, ╙UITE 206, ─ALLAS, ╘╪ 75229, 214-357-4434. ╘HIS IS THE ORIGINAL INTERFACE OFFERED FOR THE ═╙─ DRIVES. ╔T HAS VERY POOR COMPATIBILITY WITH COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE. ═OST USERS REPORT HAVING REPLACED IT WITH OTHER INTERFACES.
╧THER ╔┼┼┼ INTERFACES FOR THE ├-64 LISTED BY ╔NFO (64) INCLUDE ┼-╠INK ($120, ╨ROGRESSIVE ╨ERIPHERALS), ├╙╔ ├ONNECT ╔┼┼┼ ╔NTERFACE ($100, ├OMPUTER ╙PECIALTIES), AND ╠INK-2 ($90, ╥ICH ╚ILL). ╒SE OF THESE INTERFACES WITH ═╙─ DRIVES HAVE NOT BEEN REPORTED.
