Tiny USB-PD PSU Modernises the Commodore 64

For Commodore 64 owners in the UK, keeping a classic machine running often means dealing with a bulky original power brick, and the risk that comes with ageing hardware. A new project from Side Projects Lab, called the PD-64, offers a compact USB Power Delivery solution that fits the C64’s unusual need for both 5V DC and 9V AC.

The project was reported by Hackaday. Instead of relying on a heavy iron-core transformer, the PD-64 takes 12V DC from a USB-PD wall adapter and does the rest in a much smaller unit that sits close to the C64’s power port.

Inside, the design first steps the 12V input down to 5V DC with a standard buck converter. It then uses a 500kHz switching stage and a tiny 5:6 ferrite transformer to create an isolated supply, which is rectified to 13.6V DC before feeding a class-D audio amplifier. That amplifier is tuned to produce the 9V peak-to-peak, zero-DC-offset signal the Commodore 64 needs.

For retro fans, that matters because original C64 power supplies are well known for failing, sometimes badly. A modern replacement like this should make the machine easier to power, easier to set up, and less cluttered on the desk, while still respecting the hardware’s original requirements.

Side Projects Lab has also made the FreeCAD case files, STLs, and circuit diagram available under a BY-CC-ND 4.0 licence, and finished units will also be sold. The source also notes the group’s earlier HDMI output work for the C64, which suggests a wider interest in keeping the machine practical for modern use. For more retro hardware coverage, see our News tag and our latest retro computing stories.

Originally published by Hackaday. Read the original article.