RAM 320XL

[ctirad]

Hi,

 

the last couple of weeks was vere hectic for me (lot of work, my notebook died, etc..), thus I did not have much time to my hobbies. However, there is still some progress. Due to compatibility problems with a faulty mexican CPUs in certain machines (mainly 600XL rev B.) I decide to design a new card, lets call it RAM 320XL Plus. The features will be following:

 

a) same setup of the banks as the original 320XL (atari magazine type)

b) workaround for a faulty CPUs

c) Basic and OS status indiciated via LEDs

d) optional COVOX audio! I found a nice serial DAC with built-in headphone buffer and wrote a simple-yet-powerfull streaming routine for the CPLD Still needs some polishing, but the results are surprising.

 

The above features will be available as plug&play without need to open the atari. But that is not all. With a simple modification inside atari (cutting one trace + soldering two wire joints) there will be more:

 

e) Total RAM of 576kB RAMB0 compatible (64k machines only)

f) 130XE and 320k COMPY shop mode with the separate ANTIC access.

 

All these features will have also the upcoming RAM 320XE card, BTW.

 

If there is someone still interested in the original RAM 320XL card, let me know. If there will be at least 20 buyers, I'll create another batch ASAP.

[Rybags]

Sounds tempting... might have to eBay mine and grab the newer one once you've got it sorted.

[+Philsan]

The above features will be available as plug&play without need to open the atari.

No pigtail needed on 800XL?

[spookt]

Hi,

 

the last couple of weeks was vere hectic for me (lot of work, my notebook died, etc..), thus I did not have much time to my hobbies. However, there is still some progress. Due to compatibility problems with a faulty mexican CPUs in certain machines (mainly 600XL rev B.) I decide to design a new card, lets call it RAM 320XL Plus. The features will be following:

 

a) same setup of the banks as the original 320XL (atari magazine type)

b) workaround for a faulty CPUs

c) Basic and OS status indiciated via LEDs

d) optional COVOX audio! I found a nice serial DAC with built-in headphone buffer and wrote a simple-yet-powerfull streaming routine for the CPLD Still needs some polishing, but the results are surprising.

 

The above features will be available as plug&play without need to open the atari. But that is not all. With a simple modification inside atari (cutting one trace + soldering two wire joints) there will be more:

 

e) Total RAM of 576kB RAMB0 compatible (64k machines only)

f) 130XE and 320k COMPY shop mode with the separate ANTIC access.

 

All these features will have also the upcoming RAM 320XE card, BTW.

 

If there is someone still interested in the original RAM 320XL card, let me know. If there will be at least 20 buyers, I'll create another batch ASAP.

 

Oh man, you're determined to bankrupt me aren't you? Yes I'm certainly interested in the new version (especially Covox since I've been meaning to play with that for a while)

[ctirad]

The above features will be available as plug&play without need to open the atari.

No pigtail needed on 800XL?

 

You don't need to open an 800XL in order to install a pigtail.

[Mathy]

Hello ctirad

 

What address(es) would the Covox use? Would it be possible to disable the Covox when the computer already has Covox built in, or wouldn't that be a problem? (Just in case you wanna temporarily use it on a computer to test something for instance)

 

sincerely

 

Mathy

Edited September 16, 2010 by Mathy

[JohnBuell]

Sign me up for one out of the new new batch, after you've had time to make and test them. I better start planning now for 2011 demos.

[venom4728a]

Sign me up for one of the new batch as well, 800xl with 32 in one OS from Atari max here, I am also ordering the SIO2IDE within the next few weeks as well, any issues with these mods and your mod? I grew up on the 8bit and have just recently found this AtariAge forum and all the information and mods have made me dig out my old systems and start playing with them again. Its nice to be able to now afford all the stuff i used to read and dream about in Antic magazine.

 

Venom4728a

[ctirad]

 

What address(es) would the Covox use?

 

My current test setup uses $D600, but it can be mapped to virtually any address or even multiple addresses.

 

Would it be possible to disable the Covox when the computer already has Covox built in, or wouldn't that be a problem?

 

Because the covox registers are write only, there is absolutely no problem to have multiple covoxes connected.

[Fres]

I'm in for one!

 

John

[Syfo-Dyas]

Got my RAM expansions in the mail, and I saw the photo posted earlier showing where to solder the wire for the extra power in the 800xl, but I'm not seeing which pin exactly that the wire is running to on the expansion port.

 

Also, how do I adapt this to not use the interenal memory at all?

 

Thank you, I presume this soldering the the PBI connector is trivial for someone with basic soldering skills?

 

Yes. Look at the picture. The other side of the wire can be connected elsewhere of course. The good place is the capacitor near the power connector, because one does not need to remove the main shielding.

[Rybags]

Jumper set = disable the computer's internal RAM.

 

Power should go to the second pin from the left of the PBI (when viewed from a normal above, front position). Solder the wire there such that it won't interfere with insertion.

 

A good place to tap the +5V is near the plastic cartridge interlock device. The solder pad is about halfway along just below it, remove the interlock before doing the work. There's a picture somewhere earlier in this thread with it shown.

[+wood_jl]

Well, I finally got my RAM 320XLs going tonight. I had been on vacation for a good part of the late summer (when they arrived) and then I didn't have my 800XLs out and set up. So I tried it tonight with mixed results.

 

Bottom line: Works great on NTSC. Doesn't work on PAL.

 

The only NTSC testing I did was running DOS 2.5 with the 130XE Ramdisk. I know it's been discussed before, but can someone point to an ATR with an expanded memory tester? However, I have no reason to believe it's not working, and it's great! It even looks great, and the pigtail ain't much of a bother, compared to the convenience of just sticking this on any 800XL.

 

But PAL.... I have a PAL-B 800XL. I bought it "new in box" a year ago, from B&C Computervisions via Ebay:

 

Click pics to enlarge

 

 

I have never opened it up. I have played some games on it, enough to believe it works great. The main purpose of it was for running stuff like NUMEN, hence the utility of RAM320XL with this computer.

 

But when I tried both of my RAM320XLs, I got these screens:

 

 

and this last one managed 1 SIO beep before locking up with the Christmas colors:

 

 

Any ideas? I know I need to go back and read this thread painstakingly, because I had only been skimming it while on vacation, believing problems are confined to 600XL. I gather I need to take it apart to get to the jumpers? Will this have anything to do with my problem?

Edited September 18, 2010 by wood_jl

[ctirad]

Any ideas? I know I need to go back and read this thread painstakingly, because I had only been skimming it while on vacation, believing problems are confined to 600XL.

 

The problem is related to the CPU and not the particular XL model or motherboard revision. The only relation is the fact, that most Rev B 600XL machines were equipped by this faulty mexican CPUs. But that not means it cannot be found in other atari models as well. I recently got a two 800XL with these CPUs and thus I can confirm the issues.

 

If you do not have a MyIDE cartridge, you can easily fix it by connecting the pins 4 and 13 of the U18 chip (standard 800XL) or 1 and 4 pin (800XL with a freddie chip). Details are earlier in this thread.

[+wood_jl]

Are you sure it's due to the Mexican CPU? I just finished reassembling an 800XL (NTSC) that I'd had apart for some months. I scanned the motherboard before reassembling it and trying the RAM320XL.

 

RAM320XL works perfectly with this NTSC Mexican-CPU model.

 

It has the Mexican CPU, and it works. Is there more than one Mexican CPU?

 

click on pics to enlarge

 

 

I have yet to take apart the PAL model and look inside. How will I know if it's a "Freddie" model? It has BASIC rev C built in, but it does not have Chroma hooked up, so I'm assuming it is NOT a "Freddie." However, I will take note of CPU and motherboard variation.

 

 

Anyone point to an ATR with an expanded memory checker?

Edited September 18, 2010 by wood_jl

[oracle_jedi]

Well, I finally got my RAM 320XLs going tonight. I had been on vacation for a good part of the late summer (when they arrived) and then I didn't have my 800XLs out and set up. So I tried it tonight with mixed results.

 

Bottom line: Works great on NTSC. Doesn't work on PAL.

 

 

I also have a PAL-B 800XL purchased from B&C about 18 months ago.

 

I have the Numen demo running right now at VCF MidWest 5.0 with the 320XL memory expansion in the back.

 

The problems is not anything generic to the PAL 800XLs from B&C.

[HiassofT]

Are you sure it's due to the Mexican CPU? I just finished reassembling an 800XL (NTSC) that I'd had apart for some months. I scanned the motherboard before reassembling it and trying the RAM320XL.

 

RAM320XL works perfectly with this NTSC Mexican-CPU model.

 

It has the Mexican CPU, and it works. Is there more than one Mexican CPU?

Not all Mexican CPUs are bad and not all non-Mexican CPUS are fine.

 

But Mexican CPUs seem to have a higher percentage of being bad than the other ones. So it's just a rule of thumb.

 

Anyone point to an ATR with an expanded memory checker?

There's an ATR with MyDOS and several checkers on my homepage: http://www.horus.com/~hias/tmp/ramdisktest.zip

 

A very good one is the "PAGEFIND.BAS" (you have to load it with basic enabled from MyDOS - other DOSes won't work since it uses a MyDOS specific XIO call to load object code).

 

First start the "#1" test, it will detect the type of your ram expansion and check for timing errors. The timing check is really great, it will detect (subtle) timing problems that most other checkers miss.

 

If the test was OK you should see something like "bei 65536 Versuchen gab es 0 Fehler" (0 errors in 65536 runs).

 

Of course you may repeat the test several times as it's very short (and sometimes timing errors only show up if the Atari has warmed up a little bit).

 

The other 2 tests (#2 and #3) are more or less standard memory tests.

 

Also on the disk are "XRAM021.COM" (the satantronic memory tester) and "MEMDRV.COM". The latter also detects extended memory switched by $D600 (instead $D301) and includes a RAM refresh test (might not be that important for the SRAM extension, though :-). Start the standard test with "M", "D" is for a continuous test.

 

so long,

 

Hias

[ctirad]

I have yet to take apart the PAL model and look inside. How will I know if it's a "Freddie" model?

 

The freddie 800XL has 6 big 40pin chips ( CPU, ANTIC, GTIA, POKEY, PIA and FREDDIE ) instead of 5. There is clearly non freddie 800XL on your photo.

[Defender II]

I have yet to take apart the PAL model and look inside. How will I know if it's a "Freddie" model?

 

The freddie 800XL has 6 big 40pin chips ( CPU, ANTIC, GTIA, POKEY, PIA and FREDDIE ) instead of 5. There is clearly non freddie 800XL on your photo.

 

He was talking about his other computer (a PAL version) which he hasn't opened yet. I think he doesn't want to open it. He wants to know how to tell if it has a Freddie chip without opening it. I don't think you can tell any other way unless someone has a list of serial numbers.

[Syfo-Dyas]

Rybags: The photo posted earlier was not clear, can you point out the connection I need to goto this photo? That's the only connection I could not make out.

contacts.bmp

[Mathy]

Hello Defender II

 

He wants to know how to tell if it has a Freddie chip without opening it. I don't think you can tell any other way unless someone has a list of serial numbers.

You could if you had a special camera.

 

sincerely

 

Mathy

[Defender II]

Hello Defender II

 

He wants to know how to tell if it has a Freddie chip without opening it. I don't think you can tell any other way unless someone has a list of serial numbers.

You could if you had a special camera.

 

sincerely

 

Mathy

[Rybags]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/162420-ram-320xl/page__view__findpost__p__2041346

 

Go back to that post. Good pic of power connection there.

[Syfo-Dyas]

Rybags: Perfect!

[ctirad]

He was talking about his other computer (a PAL version) which he hasn't opened yet. I think he doesn't want to open it.

 

I see. Why to care about the freddie, then?