The XEP1541 cable combo

Description

The XEP1541 cable combo is a Y-shaped cable that is, actually, a pair of an XE1541 extended cable and an XP1541 or XP1571 parallel cable. It's compatible with PS/2, EPP and ECP parallel ports and with Commodore 1541, 1570 and 1571 drives.

Hardware requirements

You need the following hardware to make use of this cable:

  • A PC with a PS/2, EPP or ECP parallel port
  • A Commodore 1541, 1570 or 1571 drive or compatible clone

Software support

The following PC softwares fully support this cable:

For the list of softwares that partially support this cable, see the page of the XE1541 extended cable and the XP1541 and XP1571 parallel cables.

Important notes

  • Don't let the name "XEP1541" fool you. This cable also works with the Commodore 1570 and 1571 drive, not only the Commodore 1541 drive.
  • If you already have a Commodore parallel cable then you might want to build the XEP1541 adaptor instead.
  • There's a variant, called XMP1541 cable combo, of this cable which works under Linux, as well.
  • We have found this cable to fail to work with certain motherboards, including ones with the ALI 5 chipset and some laptops. Check your motherboard's manual or visit the manufacturer's homepage before trying this cable! Also, see the non-comprehensive list of motherboards with the ALI 5 chipset. If your PC proves to be incompatible with this cable then use the XAP1541 cable combo instead.

Construction

You can find the details on how to build this cable at the construction page.

If you already have an XE1541 extended cable then you can find the details on how to transform it at the construction page.

Usage

Connect the serial plug into the serial port on your Commodore drive. Connect the parallel plug into the parallel port on your Commodore drive. Connect the PC parallel plug into the parallel port of your PC.

Make sure to put your equipment far away from monitors, TV sets and other devices with strong emission, otherwise cables may pick up interference and you may experience data loss or corruption.

Copyright

The XE1541 extended cable is © by Nicolas Welte and Wolfgang Moser, 1997. The XP1541 and XP1571 parallel cables are © by Joe Forster/STA, 1997. If you produce and sell cables or adaptors that are compatible with this cable or the cables it implements then you must give credits to the respective copyright owners. If your adaptors are built onto printed circuit boards then you must also make the complete layout available in a format and resolution that is suitable for high quality reproduction.

Source: The Joe Forster-STA homepage

[Back]