C64DTV

Before

After

After

WTF?

The C64 Direct-to-TV, called C64DTV for short, is a single-chip implementation of the Commodore 64 computer, contained in a joystick with 30 built-in games (C64_Direct-to-TV).

The joystick can be bought at Conrad (but I've also seen it at Zielpunkt) for ~25 Euros.

This is an amazing piece of hardware, but comes with a few weaknesses:

• Only 1 joystick, no support for two-player games
• Only a limited selection of games
• The quality of the joystick itself is far from the gold standard (Competition Pro)

..so let's remedy this:

Project Overview

The goal is to add ports for two external joysticks, a PS/2 keyboard and a disk drive (1541 compatible).

Part List

Parts, Conrad part numbers and total price in Euros:

• 2x SUB D-Stiftleiste 9 polig 742066 1.14
• 1x Mini-DIN Steckdose 738422 1.73
• 1x DIN Einbaubuchse 6-polig 738166 1.20
• 2x Buchsenleiste 32-polig 740438 2.30
• 1x 5V 7805 Spannungsregler 179205 0.65
• 1x 100 uF Elko (we've got more of these in the lab)
• 2x 100 nF Kondensator (we've got more of these in the lab)

Connectors

I have fitted the connectors onto the casing of the joystick, using a dremel and a glue gun (NB! no gaffa was used in this project :).

Connectors, seen from the front: