1541 Alps | DA4 02591

Single Drive Floppy Disk Model 1541

A single-sided 170-kilobyte drive for 5¼” disks made for the Commodore 64 and the direct successor to the VIC-1540.
Visually, the first models of the VIC-1541 denomination, have an off-white color like the VIC-20 and VIC-1540. Then, to match the look of the C64, CBM changed the drive’s color to brown-beige and the name to Commodore 1541. This model still features the Alps drive mechanism which was later replaced with Mitsumi/Newtronics ones.

Serial: DA4 02591

  • Type: Floppy disk drive
  • Release date: 1982
  • Introductory price: US$399 [equivalent to $1,120 in 2021]
  • Discontinued: 1993
  • Media: 5¼” floppy disk SS SD
  • Total capatity unformatted: 174.848 bytes per side (683 blocks)
  • Total capacity formatted: 168.656 bytes per side (664 blocks)
  • Coding: GCR
  • Format:
    • 35 tracks (tracks 36–42 are non-standard)
    • 17-21 sectors per track
    • 256 bytes per sector
  • ROM: 16 KByte with Commodore DOS 2.6
    • 325302-01 (DOS V2.6 LoROM $C000-$DFFF)
    • 901229-XX (DOS V2.6 HiROM $E000-$FFFF)
  • RAM: 2KByte SRAM
  • CPU: MOS 6502 @ 1 MHz
  • VIA: 2x MOS 6522 for I/O and Timer
  • Connectivity: Commodore proprietary serial IEEE-488 0.4 KB/s
  • Power: 220V 50Hz
  • Backward compatibility: Commodore 64, VIC-20
  • Predecessor: Commodore 1540
  • Successor: Commodore 1570 & 1571
  • Related: Commodore 2031, 4040 & 1551