I have the PDS software for both PC and C64..

Unfortunately without its hardware its useless (custom ISA card communicating with the c64).

IIRC The package includes xasm for Z80, Amstrad CPC..

The PC-software itself requires an old DOS version and an old processorfamily. (PC XT?).

I think i got the software running but it went out searching for the ISA card so it was not of much help.

the card actually isnt all that "custom" - it is a simple EPP printer port :) DATEL sold the same card much later as "commslink" for use with their psx action replay. the software itself should even work when patched to use the i/o adresses for a regular pc printer port.

one thing that comes to mind would be hacking "dosbox" - it should be relativly easy infact, find out where the software expects the pds card registers, and then map a regular epp port there. even transfers to the c64 could work then :)

My interest in this forum stems from the fact that I used to write C64 games professionally 20-25 years ago and I would love to get back into it as a hobby. To that end I have been trying to put my old development system back together again. I used a PDS system (Programmers Development System) which, as you may know, links a PC to a C64/128 via a proprietary 8-bit ISA card and an interface cable connecting the card to the C64's User Port.

All I had left of this system was the ISA card, the interface cable, the PDS manuals and a bunch of disks containing the PDS software. All my other C64 kit I had sold off years before. First I had to get a PC old enough to use the PDS hardware (i.e. with an ISA slot and an CGA/EGA display) fortunately I managed to acquire an old Amstrad PC1640 with an 8086 CPU, 640k RAM, 20MB hard drive, 5.25" floppy drive and a monochrome EGA display. Despite being absolutely filthy it was in excellent working condition which was amazing.

On the Commodore hardware side I have just bought a C128D (which is what I used to use back in the day) and an extra 1570 drive. I have a Commodore 1701 monitor which I use with my Atari 800 but I'm looking for one of the later Commodore monitors which will take advantage of the C128's RGB output. After also acquiring copies of my favorite books - the "Commodore 64 Programmers Reference Guide" and "Programming the Commodore 64" (by Rae West) I am pretty much set to go, apart from one thing...

Unfortunately, after 20 years of storage my PDS disks have turned into plates of oxide pate' and are totally unreadable. So I will end my first post with a plea for help, if you have or know anyone who has copies of the PDS software (consisting of the 6502 assembler/editor that runs on the PC and the PDS downloader which is loaded into the C64/128 and handles the I/O with the PDS), I would be very grateful if they could send me copies (I will of course pay for any expenses incurred).