Commodore PET SuperPET Connect IEEE Cable To An SP9000 Edge Connector Circuit Board - Episode 3259

Описание: Before even thinking about testing any IEEE disk drive on a PET, you need a PET-IEEE cable...and they are rare, hard to find and expensive so it is best if you get a drive that one comes with it...but if not, well, search the internet or check in with some of your commodore friends! After all these years, I did spray some chemical assistance into both ends of the cable and of course, I managed to mix up the ports, and the cable originally came with these little plastic things to ensure that you always selected the correct port, but they are long gone...so, I mixed them up, but no damage was done! Of course, to give this the best chance of working, I just cleaned the edge connectors on the ports with a pencil eraser!

I am going to test the 1541 High Profile Disk Drive, but before I do that, it is important to tidy up the edge connectors of the IEEE and User Ports...maybe the cassette port as well! It is not hard, take a pencil with an eraser on the end and rub it all over the top of the port...after so many decades, micro-corrosion can build up and prevent the signals from getting through...I will also give a bit of a spray with some chemical assistance, and let it dry for at least a minute...very important to keep your ports clean!

More RAM Chip extraction, cleaning, and using this spray contact cleaning solvent to get rid of any micro-corrosion...and then of course see if anything makes any difference in the SuperPET board...good to tidy up all available sockets with this relics! There are 4 more to do, and then of course I will continue with the endless tidying of the table...so I can perhaps test the 2031 disk drive before starting the surgical operations on the SP9000!

Time to do more checking as well as pin cleaning using a pencil eraser and spraying contact cleaner into the sockets one by one as the chips are removed...you never know where micro corrosion might be lurking...interesting results as we talk to Rudy of ‪@RudysRetroIntel‬ on the phone...he is the SuperPET master as he has written two manuals to help people fix the 2 and 3 board models...Much more testing to do, but I think we will go for one of the ROM chips soon...it will need to be de-soldered...and a socket installed...but that is the way we roll...take a seat, pull up a chair...and we will see what we see!

Time to try to record the things that come up on the screen for Rudy of ‪@RudysRetroIntel‬ and take pictures of the wires on the bottom of this B version of the SuperPET board...more testing...with nothing really changing, but it is all part of the process...I think next time we will call Rudy on the phone!

If you switch over to the 6809 option, and all you see is a solid cursor in the top left corner of the screen, replace the 6809 chip...this is according to the SP9000 repair manual made by Rudy of ‪@RudysRetroIntel‬ and so, it is time to snag another SuperPET board, borrow the alternative microprocessor and see what is what!

The SuperPET board is ready to be tested not that I have found the other parts needed...which really means the switches go to go between 6502 and 6809 mode...etc...so, to add to the excitement, I will get Rudy on the phone to see what is what...or what is not what...we shall see...my guess is that we will soon have to refer to the manual that Rudy created for the SP9000!

Testing the keyboard and installing it into the 8032 case that will be used to test the SuperPET Board...

On both of these computers, the screws are very tight and it is a battle to get them out!

The keyboard in this 8032 is not fully functional, so it is going to be removed, so I can replace it with the one from the SuperPET, to see if it is working!

This 8032 is just about ready to have another working circuit board installed into it...to make sure that all is well and good with the monitor, they keyboard and well, yes, the circuit board and the power supply...one logical step at a time...

I have another case with a working and tested power supply and monitor that I will use to test things...first I will assess it and to make sure that I have everything at the ready, and then, I will move on to the next logical step...

This SuperPET has never been opened before...and it has not had power in 32 years...time to have a look...and apply power...while Rudy listens in and offers his SP9000 expertise!

Do not keep drinks on the table...sigh...

I was generously gifted a SuperPET and a 2031 disk drive just very recently, and I wanted to get a look at it right away...here is the first of a series of videos on the explorations...and hopefully eventually this pair of vintage machines will work again and be connected back together!