Commodore Compatibility

I have a Commodore 4032 computer with a Commodore 2031 disk drive. I am thinking about buying a Commodore 64, but only if the 2031 drive can be used with it. Is there any way this can be done?

Robert D. Byers

The 4032 computer and 2031 disk drive communicate over the IEEE-488 parallel bus. Bytes are sent eight bits at a time. The Commodore 64 and its 1541 disk drive use a serial bus that is similar to the IEEE-488, but it sends bytes one bit at a time. You cannot directly attach your IEEE-488 disk drive to the 64, but several manufacturers sell IEEE interfaces for the Commodore 64, some as low as $100.

With an IEEE interface plugged into the cartridge port, your 2031 will transfer data faster than a 1541. There are also IEEE interfaces that attach through the serial port.

In addition, your drive is read and write compatible with the 1541, so you should be able to load most commercial software. Unfortunately, few of these interfaces are perfect. Some software just won't work with them, due to changes in the memory map caused by the addition of the interface.