Data transfer hardware

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This page lists properties of Commodore 64 data transfer hardware, including cables, interfaces, adapters and standalone hardware. A similar is planned for Commodore 64 data transfer software (with reference to the different hardware).

Original Commodore Datasette tape deck and the 1541 disk drive are not listed, but hardware that supports the original C64 KERNAL control routines of these peripherals are indicated.

Comparison of data transfer hardware[edit | edit source]

Note: The two first rows have been interchanged to allow sorting by column content.

Name Year HW/SW compatibility Computer mass storage External mass storage[1] Internet Modem (BBS) C64 disk station C64 tape deck On C64 (hw limit) Disk[2] (2.4kbps) Fast loader (x5) Tape (0.4kbps) Turbo tape (x10) Proprietary Disk (C64 side) Tape (C64 side) Proprietary (C64 side) Proprietary (external side) Schematics available (color) & price (text) Name
!a Interface !a External side computer !a External side storage + connector !a Maximum data rate !a C64 side SW support + connector !a Data browsing !a Availability
Turbo Chameleon 64 Home 2008-present Proprietary HW No SD,MMC With RR-Net No Yes No 1x-14x Yes Yes No No Expansion Port Yes No No Yes 199 EUR Turbo Chameleon 64
1541U-II Home 2009-present Proprietary HW No uSD,USB No No Disk Station planned Tape Deck adapter ? Disk Port planned Disk Port planned Tape Port adapter Yes Expansion Port Yes No No Yes 129 EUR 1541U-II
1541U-I Home 2007-2009 Proprietary HW No SD,MMC No No Disk Station Tape Deck adapter ? Disk Port Yes No No Expansion Port Yes No No Yes Discontinued 1541U-I
SD2IEC 2008-2010 Proprietary HW No SD No No No No 1x-20x Disk Port Some No No No Yes No No No 60 USD SD2IEC
MMC2IEC 2007-2008 Proprietary No MMC No No No No 1x-20x Disk Port Some No No No Yes No No No ?, 19 EUR (kit) MMC2IEC
1541-III Home 2006-2008 Proprietary HW No SD No No No No Native Disk Port No No No No Yes No No No ? 1541-III
µIEC 2005-2008 Proprietary HW No SD,CE,IDE No No No No ? Disk Port ? No No No Yes No No Yes 50 USD µIEC
IEC-ATA 2002-2005 Proprietary HW No ATA No No No No Native+ Disk Port No No No No Yes No No No ? IEC-ATA
1541EMU Home 2001-2002 Single task OS only Parallel + Game port No No No No No Native Disk Port Yes No No No No No No Yes 18 EUR, schematics 1541EMU
64NIC+ Home 2009 Any No No Ethernet No No No ? No No No No Expansion Port No No No No ?, 50 USD 64NIC+ Ethernet Adapter
Turbo 232 Doc ? Any RS232 No (Ethernet[3]) RS232 No No 57.8kbps (230kbps) No No No No Expansion Port No No No No ? Turbo 232
Silver Surfer Doc + RR[4] ? Any RS232 No (Ethernet[3]) RS232 No No 57.8kbps (460kbps) No No No No Expansion Port No No No No 30 EUR Silver Surfer
RR-Net Home + RR[4] ? Any RS232 No Ethernet RS232 No No 57.8+kbps No No No No Expansion Port No No No No ? RR-Net
SwiftLink Doc ? Any RS232 No (Ethernet[3]) RS232 No No 38.4kbps No No No No Expansion Port No No No No scematics (clone) SwiftLink
Comet64 Home ? Any RS232 No Ethernet RS232 No No 2.4kbps No No No No User Port Yes No No No 70 USD Comet64
Handic V24 ? Any RS232 No (Ethernet[3]) RS232 No No 2.4kbps No No No No User Port No No No No ? Handic V24
VIC-1011A R232C Doc ? Any RS232 No (Ethernet[3]) RS232 No No 2.4kbps No No No No User Port No No No No ? VIC-1011A R232C
64NET Single task OS only Parallel No No No No No ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 64NET
C2N232 Home 2001-2003 Not RS232 USB- adapters RS232 No No No No No 38.4kbps No No Tape Port Yes Cassette port No ? No Yes schematics, 20 EUR (closed) C2N232
PC64 Doc 1994-1996 ? Parallel No No No No No ? ? ? ? ? User Port No No ? ? 8 EUR, schematics PC64
PRLINK Home 1994-1998 ? Parallel No No No No No ? ? ? ? ? User Port No No ? ? schematics PRLINK
X1541 Home 1992- Mainly single task OS RS232 No No No No No ? Yes ? No No No Yes No No No 5-15 EUR, schematics X1541
XP1541 Home 1997 ? RS232 + Parallel No No No No No ? Yes No No No No Yes No No No 15 USD, schematics XP1541
XU1541 Home -2007 ? USB No No No No No ? No No No No No Yes No No No 20 EUR, schematics XU1541
Cassadapt Home 2010 Any Audio No No No No Tape Port ? No No Yes ? No No No No Yes ? Cassadapt
C64S tape adapter Doc Any No No No No No Tape Port ? No No No No No No No No Yes 9 AUD(closed) C64S tape adapter
ZoomFloppy Home Any No No No No Disk Port No ? No No No No No No No No No 35 USD ZoomFloppy
~z Interface ~z External side computer ~z External side storage + connector ~z Maximum data rate ~z C64 side SW support + connector ~z Data browsing ~z Availability


  1. Most storage media can be interchanged by use of common PC adapters.
  2. The Disk Port uses the IEC Serial Bus = IEEE-488 serial bus
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Internet connection can be obtained through the external computer or via a series to Internet adapter, such as Using a UDS-10 (UDS-100) Device Server with HyperLink.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Here RR refers to Retro Replay [www.schoenfeld.de/inside/Inside_Replay.txt Doc] or compatible cartridges that support adding RS232 adapter.