Doz' Blog: Building the XUM1541 USB to IEEE Serial interface

Wednesday 12 October 2022

Building the XUM1541 USB to IEEE Serial interface

A while ago I repaired a 1541 Disc drive (here), and despite fixing the VIC-20 (here) I hadn't tested the drive.

I had, however, seen a project called XUM1541 (details are here) which gives us a USB to IEEE serial....

So simple!

An Arduino Pro Micro is pressed into service, but V8 of the firmware resisted many attempts to flash onto my Pro Micro... the webpage described hitting the Reset button just before running the avrdude command line.... but the Pro Micro doesn't have a reset button. I used a pair of tweezers to short out the RST line to GND on the Pro Micro, but still couldn't get it to work ...

After a lot of messing about, what you need to do is plug in your Pro Micro (into a windows machine), and open device manager. Expand on "Ports and LPT" , and you should see your board appear as "Arduino leonardo" .... this is where it goes wrong... Now short out RST to GND Twice in quick succession. Your board should now appear as "Arduino Leonardo Bootloader" ... note THAT com port number and insert it into the command line.

Now, short out RST and GND twice again and hit return on the command line within 8 seconds..... bingo!

All the software and drivers can be found in this handy download https://github.com/r1me/TapeXUM/releases/download/1.0/xum-installer-x64.zip

Once everything is installed, it all works superbly...

A simple box is printed out..

Software works great!

Now , I really need a real C64 to try it all out!

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Disclaimer.

Many pages on this blog describe working with high voltages, and vintage equipment. Sadly in this day of litigation, and common sense being absent, I must publish a disclaimer.

WARNING. Do NOT try these things at home. Most of the equipment I deal with in these pages uses high voltage, it will floor you or kill you if you come into contact with it. It will not warn you, blow a fuse, nor pull your safety trip. It may not give you a second chance. RESPECT IT'S AUTHORITY.

Many pages describe working with mains, or dealing with mains powered equipment which may have exposed mains connections inside the enclosure. Pull the plug and isolate before removing covers! Some equipment, in particular valve (tube) amplifiers, television sets and switched mode power supplies, can store high voltages for a considerable period of time after the power has been removed, especially if a fault condition exists. Always check and safely discharge capacitors. Safety is paramount.

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Not a business.

I repeatedly get requests, via messaging etc, asking me to fix their kit for them. This is just a hobby for me. I don't take on repairs on a commercial basis. The idea is to give my readers an insight into what's involved, and enable them to fix their own gear, (within the realms of safety of course), and I'll always help if I can. It's really for my own enjoyment and entertainment. It all started out with a simple website to actually document what I was doing, rather than making copious notes on paper, which I'd been doing since the late 80's. It was a friend that suggested I should make it all public, so I did. I never dreamed anyone else would find it interesting, and yet, I get around 200 people visiting everyday, which astounds me even to this day. So, sadly I can't fix your gear for you. Take it to a local firm. There are still a few TV repair places dotted about, a good few repair cafe's operate up and down the country, and see if you can find a tame radio ham who may share some of their knowledge and experience. There are a few "Makerspaces" dotted around the country, and they may be willing to help. I currently work as an engineer in the broadcast industry, and, until that changes, this will just remain a hobby. Thanks. Doz.

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Wednesday 12 October 2022

Building the XUM1541 USB to IEEE Serial interface

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