What kind of extra port slots would you like to have on the MEGA65 ?

adtbm · Feb 13th 2020

Hello,

we are finishing the case design for the MEGA65 and we wanted to ask you, what you would prefer ?

2 Break-out ports (If not used, the case will be closed but they could be broken out, if someone wants to implement something to the MEGA65).

2 Normal slots, the ports are plain open, might be a little cheaper in the production.

The slot sizes will be standard Userport (15 x 76mm) and standard Tapeport (15 x 51mm) slots

6581 · Feb 13th 2020

Just to be clear... there's no chance for "recloseable" slots, because that would be too expensive, right?

Then I think I would prefer the "normal slots", just to keep all cases the same and not having expensive "Ebay cases" later with the break-out ports still intact and cheap "already destroyed" cases with the ports broken out. - How long will the vote be open?

gonzoMD · Feb 13th 2020

I'd prefer the open ports too. We have many options for 3d printed slot doors which could be used to close them, if wanted.

wins4 · Feb 13th 2020

If somebody may design the backdoors and publish it at thingiverse.com might be helpful.

ZeHa · Feb 13th 2020

I would like to vote for the following:

No matter which solution, as long as there are ports. I think it's okay if they are break-outable, it's also okay if they are already open. And it's also okay if there are 3 instead of two (though I have no idea what the IEEE-488 is for). But don't go for the "no ports" solution. I also don't understand the "to keep it as original as possible" reasoning, because it's different from the original C65 anyway already.

The #1 expansion which I'm hoping for is an additional S-Video out...

adtbm · Feb 13th 2020

Quote from 6581

How long will the vote be open?

probably a week or two, depending on, when we have the meeting with Hintsteiner.

Quote from ZeHa

it's also okay if there are 3 instead of two

We're not sure about the stability point of view. we want to keep the case as sturdy and strong as possible, we also believe two ports should be absolutely sufficent.

Quote from ZeHa

though I have no idea what the IEEE-488 is for

here is more information. but this bus is not on our scope at all, we could check the dimensions of that port and maybe increase the size of the Userport slot, so the IEEE-488 could fit as well.

FeralChild · Feb 13th 2020

adtbm - IMHO such User Port + IEEE-488 slot would be far too wide, it would have weakened the case. Besides, covering just one unused part of the opening probably wouldn't be practical.

My suggestion (after reading the wishes above): put the User Port and Tape Port, see how much space is left at the back of the case. If above, lets say, 8cm, add a 3rd opening, without any specific bus/socket in mind - maybe for additional joystick ports, maybe for S-Video, maybe for IEEE-488, maybe for MIDI, maybe for something else not yet foreseen by anybody. Otherwise - future extensions can always go the Ultimate64 way: internal User Port, original User Port hole reused for other purposes.

ZeHa · Feb 13th 2020

Is the "weakening" part really an issue? The C64C case and A1200 case have ports from left to right too. Shouldn't those cases be "weak" then as well?

Snoopy · Feb 13th 2020

Quote from adtbm

... we want to keep the case as sturdy and strong as possible, ...

Commodore-Israel · Feb 20th 2020

There must be a tape port (datasette), whether this port is a slot or breakout port, because we all have Commodore 64 software on tape that we want to load and save to modern fast media.

I have a lot of turbo saved software on tapes from my teenage years that I need to load.

Snoopy · Feb 20th 2020

Quote from Commodore-Israel

There must be a tape port (datasette), whether this port is a slot or breakout port, because we all have Commodore 64 software on tape that we want to load and save to modern fast media.

I have a lot of turbo saved software on tapes from my teenage years that I need to load.

Why not using a C64 with SD2IEC (or something else) for this task?

Freddy · Feb 20th 2020

Quote from Snoopy

Why not using a C64 with SD2IEC (or something else) for this task?

Why waste room on desk if you own a MEGA65??

Snoopy · Feb 20th 2020

Quote from Freddy

Quote from Snoopy

Why not using a C64 with SD2IEC (or something else) for this task?

Why waste room on desk if you own a MEGA65??

Okay, that's an argument.

Zaadii · Feb 23rd 2020

I think most important, or even crittical for the success, would be to have a Ethernet-Port-Connection.

adtbm · Feb 23rd 2020

Quote from Zaadii

I think most important, or even crittical for the success, would be to have a Ethernet-Port-Connection.

This is included

Freddy · Feb 23rd 2020

Quote from adtbm

Quote from Zaadii

I think most important, or even crittical for the success, would be to have a Ethernet-Port-Connection.

This is included

Isch wollt scho frogn ob där schdereo sörfen wollt.

ivettaB · May 21st 2020

I would like to prefer a midi port in/out ( could be a mini hosiden like the yamaha reface synth series or micro din female port).

It would be also great as an arcade gamer to have joystickports with more than one firebutton. so three is minimum.

dont need to be parallel port pins, serial protocol aka ps1 controller or NES is enough...

why everybody here speaks english in this german forum btw.

A SD Card slot i assume will be there for saving and loading stuff ?

ZeHa · May 21st 2020

Quote from ivettaB

why everybody here speaks english in this german forum btw.

because this part of the forum is the official MEGA65 forum and thus both english and german are official languages here

Freddy · May 21st 2020

Quote from ZeHa

because this part of the forum is the official MEGA65 forum and thus both english and german are official languages here

La discrimination de la langue française...

ivettaB · May 21st 2020

zeha: of course, I see thanx a lot

ce n'est pas la première fois pour les français?

What kind of extra ports would you prefer on the MEGA65 ? 37