The way I usually do surface mount is, I put a dab of solder on one pad, then slide the part into position with the iron still on the solder blob. When it's in position, I lift up the soldering iron, while keeping the part steady until the solder cools. That way the part is fixed in place, making it easier to work on the rest of the pads. Then I solder the rest of the pads in the conventional method (touch tip to pad and component, bring in the solder.) For parts with lots of closely spaced legs (like ICs, USB ports/other types of connectors, etc.) I do the same thing (put a dab of solder on one of the corner pins, slide the part in position, wait for the solder to cool.) Then I hit it with a lot of flux (i use the paste kind rather than the liquid, I think it adheres better.) Get yourself the kind of soldering iron tip that basically has one (roughly 45 degree angle) flat side (this is sometimes called a "hoof" tip) and put a ball of molten solder on the flat face of it, then drag that ball across the pins. Usually the pins will snap into place nicely. Sometimes you'll get a solder bridge, if that happens just take the iron and "flick" it away. (Sometimes you'll get it on the first try, but sometimes it takes one or two flicks until the bridge is gone.) I've successfully soldered lots of things that I used to think were impossible using this method, like those large microcontroller type ICs with bazillions of legs. And having a magnification device of some sort definitely helps. You can get pretty decent LCD microscopes at really reasonable prices these days. I also have a hand held magnification loupe nearby which I use to double check my work.
Thanks for the advice! I will have to look into magnification and check what other tips I have for my iron. I have tried the "tin one pad then slide the component into place" method before and had good success with that, but the components for that project were much larger.
An incredible review of my favorite core for the MiSTer. Your presentation and editing skills are top notch and the videos are always fun to watch. Thanks for sharing!
I love my MISTer and only have 1 main problem with it, I simply do not have as much time as I would like to use it, however with a few days off over Christmas I will be able to give it a play.
Fantastic Video. Just today by coincidence I was playing around with the C64 Core on my MISTER after I run the "Update All" Script after a couple of months
Thanks for this video. It was great to see all the different ways of using the C64 core, and to see an actual drive working is really amazing. I love that we do it, "because we can"! I agree, and will hopefully try it soon. Thanks.
Tip for the future: Don’t clean bridges like those with braid. Just add flux, clean the solder off your iron (preferably with the metallic wool tip cleaner), and touch again. If it doesn’t wick onto your tip and separate the first time you do this, clean/flux and do it again, this time drawing solder toward neighboring pins to distribute/spread the excess. Most of your joints could’ve used a bit more solder anyway and would’ve benefited from a slightly longer dwell time at that temperature. Your bridges were so small they probably would’ve cleared simply by fluxing and reflowing.
Thanks. Just what I needed. I could easilyt take a video on the C64 MiSTer core every week, like on a 'C64 MiSTer core channel'. Interviews with all the contributors and the original creator. All those add-ons that the core has. I just love that this core exists 😁 No wonder why David Murrey & Co base their X16 on the C64.
Oh my god! This is something that should really be implemented for other cores like CD/DVD drives and cart slots, I would love to be able to pop in one of my ps1 original disks and play it on the mister. How badass would that be?
don't use the iron to transport solder, doing so burns off the flux that is in the solder. heat the joint, bring in your solder, pull away the solder and the iron. for SMT parts I tend to tin one pad first, align the part, reflow that first pad, then solder the opposing pad while making sure the part is aligned. if the part has more than 2 pads, solder the remaining once you are certain you have it aligned fully. a quality stereo microscope helps with parts smaller than 0603, but is not strictly necessary down to that size. 0402 parts are quite easy still with magnification, and 0201 parts are still in the range of "anyone should be able to do this with a few minutes practice". 01005 parts are where the pain is. leave them to the robots.
I have tried your method as well with good success in the past. I recently saw a video that did it this way and I just wanted to give it a try :) I may have to invest in a microscope for sure.
3:50 - "Together, these upgrades (DolphinDOS C64 ROM, drive ROM, RAM buffer, parallel interface) can result in speeds up to 20x stock performance" Wow! That's incredible! So a 1541 drive on a C64 could be up to half as fast as the Apple Disk-II! (Well, according to performance figures I found on the internet and can't be 100% certain of, anyway... Regardless I always love a good joke at the 1541's expense.)
MISTer provides for sweet C64 experience - especially purely for gaming and especially with latest s-video/composite support baked in. It was what made me get in to real HW. I eventfully got Ultimate64 to play SIDs on real HW. MISTer is still superior purely for gaming so I made UltiSID port to MISTer as the UltiSIDs in U64 sounded better to my ears. As for MISTer/UltiSID vs real SIDs... real chips have some quirks like hanging notes and such and they all sound different but music plays more organic with them and in some aspects real SIDs play better - just not always. It is good to have choice when it comes to SIDs when someone likes SID music :)
Flux needs to interact with the solder. What you used was so runny it didn't do anything. That's why your solder was a ball or blob instead of flowing like liquid. It almost looked like it dried out before you even got to it (capacitor). Try Amtech NC 559 V3 TF.
Very interesting video. I had a C-64 when I was young. I wonder how long the MiSTer will use the DE-10 Nano. Aren't there more powerful FPGA chips? Then someone could make cores for later generation consoles, for PS3 for example.
I wouldnt bet on seeing ps3 core soon, or even in the next 5 years. The step from ps1 to ps2 was already immense, if you open them up and look at the hardware. People writing the mister cores will have to write all the chips functionalities into working code.
Might I suggest bumping up your iron temp? Your joints look dry and it's taking far to long for the solder to form. Bump up another 20deg or so and be a little quicker and you should get better joints.
If you're selling any other adapters you make I'd buy one. Or even a kit of the parts to put together myself. Not that I really need one but it is a cool little project to use real hardware with the Mister. Between Mister, Ultimate64, C64 maxi, and real hardware/disks I have lots of C64's.
I have extras of all the parts, only the DIN connector isn't quite right as the two front posts don't line up to the PCB. It still functions fine though. If you want a parts kit, shoot me an email. The address is in the channel's "About" page!
Huh, I didn't think about that but there may be something to that. I was having a lot more difficulty with this than other projects for no apparent reason!
Why would you want to do that to an SX-64. though? I guess if the CRT was dead... Otherwise... Well it's not like it makes the machine any more compact, you know?
It's not OLED, but this product exists. A bit of a DIY job but the results are pretty nice! shop.tentelian.com/Replacement-screen-for-Commodore-SX-64-5-6%E2%80%9D-LCD-JD567M03-AT056TN52-p370607976
Omg at 6:41 i got immediately goosebumps! In the 80's i played Fort Apocalypse over and over. I almost forgot this awesome game! 🥰
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support!
The way I usually do surface mount is, I put a dab of solder on one pad, then slide the part into position with the iron still on the solder blob. When it's in position, I lift up the soldering iron, while keeping the part steady until the solder cools. That way the part is fixed in place, making it easier to work on the rest of the pads. Then I solder the rest of the pads in the conventional method (touch tip to pad and component, bring in the solder.) For parts with lots of closely spaced legs (like ICs, USB ports/other types of connectors, etc.) I do the same thing (put a dab of solder on one of the corner pins, slide the part in position, wait for the solder to cool.) Then I hit it with a lot of flux (i use the paste kind rather than the liquid, I think it adheres better.) Get yourself the kind of soldering iron tip that basically has one (roughly 45 degree angle) flat side (this is sometimes called a "hoof" tip) and put a ball of molten solder on the flat face of it, then drag that ball across the pins. Usually the pins will snap into place nicely. Sometimes you'll get a solder bridge, if that happens just take the iron and "flick" it away. (Sometimes you'll get it on the first try, but sometimes it takes one or two flicks until the bridge is gone.) I've successfully soldered lots of things that I used to think were impossible using this method, like those large microcontroller type ICs with bazillions of legs. And having a magnification device of some sort definitely helps. You can get pretty decent LCD microscopes at really reasonable prices these days. I also have a hand held magnification loupe nearby which I use to double check my work.
Thanks for the advice! I will have to look into magnification and check what other tips I have for my iron. I have tried the "tin one pad then slide the component into place" method before and had good success with that, but the components for that project were much larger.
I used to do fine circuit board work under a microscope. You did a fine job putting your boards together!
Thanks! I may have to get a microscope one of these days myself and also find a way to position the camera so I can work closer to the board :)
An incredible review of my favorite core for the MiSTer. Your presentation and editing skills are top notch and the videos are always fun to watch. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the positive feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
My fave 8bit computer. So many great games and great times on the good ole commodore 64.
Great video. The MiSTer Vic-20 and Plus/4 cores also support the IEC adapter.
I'd love to see a demo of those cores.
Nice, thanks for the tip!
I love my MISTer and only have 1 main problem with it, I simply do not have as much time as I would like to use it, however with a few days off over Christmas I will be able to give it a play.
Yes, it simply does too much :D I just go back to the few cores I really like since discovering new can take too much time. Crazy.
Fantastic Video. Just today by coincidence I was playing around with the C64 Core on my MISTER after I run the "Update All" Script after a couple of months
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great video and fun to watch!
Banging!
Thanks for this video. It was great to see all the different ways of using the C64 core, and to see an actual drive working is really amazing. I love that we do it, "because we can"! I agree, and will hopefully try it soon. Thanks.
Makes me happy to see people using the modem. Nice video :)
It sure is nice to have Hayes AT support built right in. Thank you for your contributions to the MiSTer project! MidiLink is quite excellent :)
Neat, nice to see the c64 settings covered.
The reason is quite simple: The drive makes noise. It is reminiscent of the good old days.
ouah, many years with my MiSTer, but i have learn many things with your video, like how to load different kernal rom !
Tip for the future: Don’t clean bridges like those with braid. Just add flux, clean the solder off your iron (preferably with the metallic wool tip cleaner), and touch again. If it doesn’t wick onto your tip and separate the first time you do this, clean/flux and do it again, this time drawing solder toward neighboring pins to distribute/spread the excess. Most of your joints could’ve used a bit more solder anyway and would’ve benefited from a slightly longer dwell time at that temperature. Your bridges were so small they probably would’ve cleared simply by fluxing and reflowing.
Cool, thanks for the tips!
Thanks. Just what I needed. I could easilyt take a video on the C64 MiSTer core every week, like on a 'C64 MiSTer core channel'. Interviews with all the contributors and the original creator. All those add-ons that the core has. I just love that this core exists 😁 No wonder why David Murrey & Co base their X16 on the C64.
Oh my god! This is something that should really be implemented for other cores like CD/DVD drives and cart slots, I would love to be able to pop in one of my ps1 original disks and play it on the mister. How badass would that be?
don't use the iron to transport solder, doing so burns off the flux that is in the solder. heat the joint, bring in your solder, pull away the solder and the iron. for SMT parts I tend to tin one pad first, align the part, reflow that first pad, then solder the opposing pad while making sure the part is aligned. if the part has more than 2 pads, solder the remaining once you are certain you have it aligned fully. a quality stereo microscope helps with parts smaller than 0603, but is not strictly necessary down to that size. 0402 parts are quite easy still with magnification, and 0201 parts are still in the range of "anyone should be able to do this with a few minutes practice". 01005 parts are where the pain is. leave them to the robots.
I have tried your method as well with good success in the past. I recently saw a video that did it this way and I just wanted to give it a try :) I may have to invest in a microscope for sure.
3:50 - "Together, these upgrades (DolphinDOS C64 ROM, drive ROM, RAM buffer, parallel interface) can result in speeds up to 20x stock performance"
Wow! That's incredible! So a 1541 drive on a C64 could be up to half as fast as the Apple Disk-II!
(Well, according to performance figures I found on the internet and can't be 100% certain of, anyway... Regardless I always love a good joke at the 1541's expense.)
🤣
Wow. That Batman music sure sounded different on NTSC. :) Mediocre game but great SID rendition by Matthew Cannon.
MISTer provides for sweet C64 experience - especially purely for gaming and especially with latest s-video/composite support baked in. It was what made me get in to real HW. I eventfully got Ultimate64 to play SIDs on real HW. MISTer is still superior purely for gaming so I made UltiSID port to MISTer as the UltiSIDs in U64 sounded better to my ears. As for MISTer/UltiSID vs real SIDs... real chips have some quirks like hanging notes and such and they all sound different but music plays more organic with them and in some aspects real SIDs play better - just not always. It is good to have choice when it comes to SIDs when someone likes SID music :)
I got my SNAC to IEC from Antonio Villena when I ordered his I/O board. It was just too affordable for me to bother DIYing!
Flux needs to interact with the solder. What you used was so runny it didn't do anything. That's why your solder was a ball or blob instead of flowing like liquid. It almost looked like it dried out before you even got to it (capacitor). Try Amtech NC 559 V3 TF.
Thanks for the pointer!
I have all of the parts but the circuit board. I think I need one of these!
Drop me an email, the address is in the channel "About" page!
Very interesting video. I had a C-64 when I was young. I wonder how long the MiSTer will use the DE-10 Nano. Aren't there more powerful FPGA chips? Then someone could make cores for later generation consoles, for PS3 for example.
I wouldnt bet on seeing ps3 core soon, or even in the next 5 years. The step from ps1 to ps2 was already immense, if you open them up and look at the hardware. People writing the mister cores will have to write all the chips functionalities into working code.
@@R4mbo87 I am just dreaming of it, I do not expect it soon. FPGA is in a way the best way to preserve games and software in my mind.
Is there a snac adapter setting for the c64 core
Wasn't "Demicco" a super-villains family?
Might I suggest bumping up your iron temp? Your joints look dry and it's taking far to long for the solder to form. Bump up another 20deg or so and be a little quicker and you should get better joints.
Thanks for the tip!
If you're selling any other adapters you make I'd buy one. Or even a kit of the parts to put together myself. Not that I really need one but it is a cool little project to use real hardware with the Mister. Between Mister, Ultimate64, C64 maxi, and real hardware/disks I have lots of C64's.
I have extras of all the parts, only the DIN connector isn't quite right as the two front posts don't line up to the PCB. It still functions fine though. If you want a parts kit, shoot me an email. The address is in the channel's "About" page!
Anyone know the model of the Dell monitor?
It's a Dell 2007FPb (1600x1200)
I don't know whether they treat black PCBs differently, but I find they're the WORST to solder SMD to.
Huh, I didn't think about that but there may be something to that. I was having a lot more difficulty with this than other projects for no apparent reason!
Will the next version be named Mistress FPGA or is that ist and phobe lol.
alas, having to build that fiddly adapter put this out of reach of pretty much everyone
They are also available for purchase fully built from at least one vendor but the price is kind of high, around $40 if I recall correctly.
I have never heard the term 'cancatinate' before. Where did you hear that?
... and now we just need an OLED 4:3 screen that fits the SX-64.
Why would you want to do that to an SX-64. though? I guess if the CRT was dead... Otherwise... Well it's not like it makes the machine any more compact, you know?
It's not OLED, but this product exists. A bit of a DIY job but the results are pretty nice! shop.tentelian.com/Replacement-screen-for-Commodore-SX-64-5-6%E2%80%9D-LCD-JD567M03-AT056TN52-p370607976
I'm lucky with a stock 64 and FCIII. Yep, CBM should've pushed the RAM expansion cardridges. Imagine 60% C64 owner would have 256k in 1988.
the only problem is aging disks are dying