X1541 Cable

Project: 1541 <-> PC data transfer cable
Target : 1541, 1570/71
Time   : 25 min.
Cost   : <10 US$
Use    : Transfer data between PC and C-64, for example data you
         downloaded from internet on a PC disk, or save your old
	 C-64 software to PC harddisk or save it for use with an
	 emulator.

         Additionally, you can build an XP1541 cable to triple
         the speed.

Summary

You can't solder?

• EDV-CDROM [39.90DM]
• phs EDV [25DM] - you can even attach the datassette here
• Vintage Micro-Computers [$12]
• Web Creations [$25] - comes with software and manual
• X1541 Shop [DM 8 / $4.80 + shipping] - sells all X1541 variants!

Details

An important Note: NEVER connect the floppy drive to your PC and a C64 and have both switched on simultaneously! I highly recommend that you use a separate floppy drive exclusively for data transfers with the PC.

Ingredients

• 1 ~1-2 m five-core cable, shielded, if possible (2 m work for me)
• 1 DB-25 connector (male) with plug cover (the one which is on the PC side of your printer cable)
• 1 6-pin DIN connector (male) (the one which is on the cable between C64 and 1541)

Instructions

1. Read Joe Forster's 'The X1541 Interfaces' first! Not all parallel ports are compatible with the X1541 cable!
2. Disassemble the DIN connector.
3. Strip the wires at one end of the cable and solder one wire to each pin of the DIN connector, except for pin 1, which is not needed.
4. Put the plug sleeve on the other end of the cable and move it to the plug so that it is ready for assembly.
5. Now strip the wires at the other end of the cable and solder them to pins 1,14,16,17 and 18-25 of the subminiature connector as follows:

   
   (Click here for ASCII version)

   The interconnection between pin 2 and pin 15 of the 25-pin plug is not needed by all programs, at least not by Star Commander, but since the original program 'X1541' uses it for autodetection, you should add it, now that you are at it :)

6. Connect the cable to your 1541 and to your PC.
7. Turn on the drive and the PC.
8. Configure your favorite transfer program to use the right parallel port (LPT1, LPT2 or LPT3). Note that it MUST be in SPP mode if you have an ECP/EPP capable printer port; it won't work in ECP/EPP mode! For Star Commander, you would execute scsetup.exe. You should also configure them to use the slowest (most secure) transfer speed first, if possible.
9. Insert a formatted disk into the 1541 and try to access it using one of the transfer programs, e.g. for Star Commander hit [Alt]-[F1] and then 8 (or 9 if your drive's device address is 9), the Star Commander should now display the disk's directory.

   If the program cannot access the drive, adjust the delay value (at least there is one in Star Commander); see the program's documentation (or press F1 while in the appropriate dialog box in Star Commander).

10. Disconnect the cable (WITH THE FLOPPY SWITCHED OFF!) and assemble the DIN and the DB-25 connector.

Possible failures

• The printer port MUST be in SPP mode, if it is capable of ECP/EPP mode. You can setup its mode either in the BIOS setup program if it is an onboard printer port, or in the setup program of your I/O card containing the port. For older cards, setting jumpers might be necessary. Some older printer ports (like the one on my Hercules graphics card) don't work with the X1541 cable at all.
• Soldered wires to wrong pins on one or both of the connectors. The figure above depicts the plugs from the SOLDER side and the jacks from the PLUG side, respectively.
• Some programs, for example Star Commander, need a delay value, which has to be adjusted for the computer's speed. Please check the accompanying documentation which will tell you in which range you have to adjust it.
• Some programs are said to not work with the reset line connected. Try unsoldering this line. And tell me if that helped.
• Cable is too long -> shorten cable (1m should work fine).

Site copyright © 1997 by Marc-Jano Knopp