📡Remotely controlling a PET, using Linux and GPIB/IEEE-488

This week I got distracted an implemented a remote control for the Commodore PET, driving it via GPIB (IEEE-488) and a Linux PC.

Using this you can upload BASIC programs and machine code to the PET 4x faster than using a disk drive, and launch them without touching the PET.

This allows you to:

streamline development workflows with a real PET (you can modify your code on a PC, and then upload and execute it immediately when you’re ready)
getting programs onto your PET quickly if you don’t have a working disk drive (for example, to load a utility to help you diagnose problems with a drive)
control multiple PETs simultaneously, launching the same code within a few microseconds.

You’ll need an xum1541/ZoomFloppy/pico1541 with GPIB/IEEE-488 support to connect your PET to your PC.

Timestamp:
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Machine code demo
01:19 BASIC demo
02:31 How it works
10:49 Uses
13:24 Final thoughts