Using a Raspberry Pi, create a Retro Gaming device that can connect to a TV or computer monitor (HDMI or RCA).
Equipment needed:
*Raspberry Pi 3 B+ or Raspberry Pi 4 with Power Adapter
*Micro SD Card & Reader
*PC to setup the SD Card
*USB Keyboard
*HDMI Cable or 3.5MM Video AV Component Adapter
Category: Game System Hacks
Connect a PC to a Commodore 1541/1571 drive
Did you ever want to transfer files from your old Commodore 1541/1571 drive between your computer and a real drive? Did you also want to use a real Commodore floppy drive with the VICE emulator? Me too! 😉 Both of these things are possible with the zoomfloppy device being offered by Retro Innovations. You can download basically anything you want from arnold.c64.org (or any other commodore software source) and transfer it right to your floppy device so it can be used on a real Commodore 64 or Vic 20.
This device is unlike other solutions that only worked with specially built cables and DOS. You simply plug a USB cable between your zoomfloppy and your computer and then the serial cable between the zoomfloppy and the floppy drive. Once the physical connections are made, you simply run the OpenCBM software to transfer files or backup disks.
Here’s how to install a zoomfloppy device to your Ubuntu computer.
sudo apt-get install libusb-dev build-essential linux-headers-generic git
Install the CC64 Compiler:
cd ~ git clone https://github.com/cc65/cc65.git cd cc65 make sudo prefix=/usr make install
Compile and install OpenCBM
cd ~ git clone git://git.code.sf.net/p/opencbm/code opencbm cd opencbm/opencbm make -f LINUX/Makefile sudo make -f LINUX/Makefile install install-all install-plugin-xum1541 sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/libopencbm.so.0 /usr/lib/libopencbm.so.0
Add udev rules for the ZoomFloppy hardware itself:
sudo pico /etc/udev/rules.d/45-opencbm-parallel.rules
Add this to the bottom of the file, then save and quit:
SUBSYSTEM!="usb_device", ACTION!="add", MODE="0666", GOTO="opencbm_rules_end"
# zoom floppy
ATTRS{idVendor}=="16d0", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0504", GROUP="users", MODE="0666"
LABEL="opencbm_rules_end"
Restart udev:
sudo service udev restart
Check the ZoomFloppy and IEC device status:
cbmctrl detect
Bonus: Get VICE to use the zoomfloppy interface to utilize a real 1541 Commodore Floppy Drive!
1. Settings -> Peripheral Settings -> Device #8 -> Enable IEC Device 2. Settings -> Peripheral Settings -> Device #8 -> Device Type -> Real Device Access
Emulating the Sony Playstation 2 (PS2) with Windows
To run a PS2 emulator in Windows 10, you will first need:
The emulator itself: PCSX2.
BIOS files.
Properly configured emulator.
Once you install the PCSX2 emulator, you must tell it where to find the BIOS files.
From the menu:
>Config>Plugin/BIOS Selector
Select BIOS from the left pane. Browse to your BIOS directory and select the BIOS file. Select OK
You will need to configure your gamepad so it works with PCSX2.
Menu – Config > Plugin/BIOS Selector
PAD – Configure (button on right)
Highlight each button in the area within the green boxes, then press the button on your controller/gamepad. Select OK when you are done.
Now that your emulator is in working condition, it’s time to configure it to optimum settings. Visit this video to find the right settings. The most important setting from my experience is the MTVU box in the Emulation Settings under Speedhacks.
After this is done, your emulator should be working great! To run a game:
Menu – CDVD > ISO Selector > Browse
Pick an ISO or BIN file
Menu – System > Boot CDVD full
To get games (ISOs) for this emulator, you will first need to rip your PS2 discs into ISO images. I found a great guide to do this here.
Happy retro gaming!
*With Windows 10, you may need to run PCSX2 in Administrator mode.
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