Commodore 64 Floppy USB Adapter
Hey there, this is a retro article with a twist of modernity.
The Commodore 64 is still the best-selling computer of all time and nothing has surpassed it. One common sight next to the C64 was the 1541 floppy disk drive. Interestingly, this drive was more than just a disk drive; it was a computer in its own right, complete with a microprocessor.
I’m sure you’re familiar with USB – it’s the universal connection for everything. Keyboards, mice, printers, cameras, network devices, even quirky gadgets like humping dogs – they all connect to USB.
But there’s one thing that has never existed – a 5¼-inch USB floppy drive. You can easily get a 3½-inch USB version, but the 5¼-inch just doesn’t exist.
However, given the large amount of old C64 software out there that people want to archive, a USB solution for the old 1541 5¼-inch drive was needed. And guess what? Someone actually built one.
The xum1541 is a homemade solution that allows the Commodore 1541 to connect to a PC through USB.
Take a look at it in action:
This, my friends, is true computer hacking. When something doesn’t exist, you simply create it. I hope this will eventually become a product for sale, as I’m sure many C64 owners would love to back up their stacks of disks with a simple adapter like the xum.
Who knows, if they were able to make an Apple II Ethernet Module, anything is possible, right?
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7 thoughts on “Commodore 64 Floppy USB Adapter”
Boomer12k says:
C64 Disks are constantly being converted for PC Emulation…you can find them on C64.com and Gamebase64.com. Gamebase has already converted 25,000 files for emulation, with many in languages other than English. It’s amazing what they’ve been able to do, like fixing up the notoriously difficult-to-crack game “Realms of Darkness” and finding “DAFFY DUCK.”
Boomer12k says:
I’ve been looking for a C64 USB DRIVE adapter. I want to use a regular USB stick with my C64. I already have a basic version of the Xum adapter, which works well with my 1541, but I’m hoping to use USB as storage and run D64 files on a REAL C64. It’s probably a long shot, but I thought I would give it a try.
Stack says:
Seems like you’ve never owned a C-64, or maybe you’ve forgotten how great it was. For some, it was just a computer to have, like an encyclopedia collection sitting on a shelf. It was nice to have, but how often did you really use it? But for others, it was a marvel with endless possibilities. Gaming, recipes, hacking, sprites, MIDI, SAM, word processing, BBSs, programming – it was an introduction to the internet before the internet. Using an emulator is fine for a stroll down memory lane, but something gets lost in the translation. It might seem silly to invest so much energy into a project like this, but for some, it’s like being reunited with an old friend!
John Devoy says:
It would also be useful the other way around. People who have or collect original C64 games might need to re-record the floppy due to bitrot and put a working version back into the packaging.
What’s the point? I thought every piece of software was already available on torrents for download and running on a C64 emulator on a PC?!
Rich Menga says:
Wrong. There are literally hundreds of software titles that were never uploaded to the internet from the C64. The only way to retrieve them is from the original 5.25-inch diskettes.
Rich,
I think you hit the nail on the head here. You brought this up on the live show and really ran with it. It has some real value… You are awesome, and I look forward to every Wednesday. Your knowledge and experience bring great light to this website. Keep providing value.
Rich,
I think you hit the nail on the head here. You brought this up on the live show and really ran with it. It has some real value… You are awesome, and I look forward to every Wednesday. Your knowledge and experience bring great light to this website. Keep providing value.
