+tf_hh Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Hi, another little project is made by me: A SRAM-Charger board for the Indus GT drive (and compatible ones). This board enables the usage of CP/M inside the drive´s electronic (based on a Z80 CPU). The PCB is already tested and ready. Here are two pictures: Because this is a very special thing and I assume that not a huge amount of people want one, I want ask for your interest about such a board. The final price will be something between 8 and 12 Euros each. Please show your interest here, if you want one (or more). I will collect the answer for 2-3 weeks and will made some pieces then. They´re offered as my other projects then in my "info pdf". A very big "Thank you!" to Eric Bacher, who enables me to make this thing real. Best regards, Jurgen 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariGeezer Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Cool gizmo, I would buy 2 or 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roydea6 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 I will need two (2) of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ZuluGula Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 I will buy 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xrbrevin Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 1 please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR> Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 2 please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 if these are Indus only - i'll take one if they'll fit to CA2001 and LDW2000 then count me in for three thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentarian Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Two for me please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndary Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 i will take 2 Nir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+kheller2 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Sign me up for 2-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACML Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Will this work on any Indus GT? I would want it to run CP/M. Is the 64K RAM on board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMartian Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 I would like one as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACML Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Will this work on any Indus GT? I would want it to run CP/M. Is the 64K RAM on board? Sorry, I realize the RAM is onboard, but is this all that's needed to run CP/M? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caterpiggle Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 (edited) PLEASE add 1. Edited August 3, 2018 by Caterpiggle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionik Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 I'd like 5. thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 yes the ram is what's needed, then you can boot the cpm disks and use the Atari as the terminal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandor Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Interested in 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mytek Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 I remember using CPM on an Osborne running WordStar and a database program I think around 1985. Pretty much all text based applications if I recall. So what makes this so attractive on the A8 vs. running equivalent Atari native applications such as The Last Word and SynFile, SybCalc, ect.? Seems like any native Atari application would run circles around a similar CPM application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umberto Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 I would buy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oracle_jedi Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 I remember using CPM on an Osborne running WordStar and a database program I think around 1985. Pretty much all text based applications if I recall. So what makes this so attractive on the A8 vs. running equivalent Atari native applications such as The Last Word and SynFile, SybCalc, ect.? Seems like any native Atari application would run circles around a similar CPM application. Probably the same reason that we would consider using The Last Word and SynFile, SybCalc, ect over Office 2016. Because we can! And we're a little odd. I already have an Indus GT Super Charger, from the run Tregare did a few years back. It's fun to boot the Indus into CP/M mode and play around with those old apps. I've especially enjoyed playing Zork in native 80 column mode, but be warned - it is pretty slow! Glad to see this great expansion option being produced again. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACML Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 (edited) I remember using CPM on an Osborne running WordStar and a database program I think around 1985. Pretty much all text based applications if I recall. So what makes this so attractive on the A8 vs. running equivalent Atari native applications such as The Last Word and SynFile, SybCalc, ect.? Seems like any native Atari application would run circles around a similar CPM application. Pure nostalgia. I ran an ATR-8000 and CP/M 2.2 around 1987 and had an awesome graphing program called "Energraphics". You couldn't see the result until you printed in on paper, but it made report quality XY scatter plots and did polynomial curve fitting. I had Wordstar, but like you surmised, Atariwriter was a better application. Was there a FORTRAN for CP/M? Back in the day, I always wondered why Atari never had a FORTRAN for the 8 bit. I guess it was too close to BASIC. I could format a 1.2Mb floppy as a 77 track 8" floppy and you had a 1MB floppy for the 8-bit that MYDOS could write to. Would have never had that capability without CP/M and my ATR-8000. Edited August 3, 2018 by ACML Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorsten Günther Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Interested in one unit. Now time to acquire such a drive... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mytek Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Ok that all makes sense, just checking to see if there were a lot of CPM applications that never had an Atari equivalent that would make this a must have item. But yes I can see the appeal from a nostalgic aspect, which is probably why a bunch of us are here in the first place . Besides the CPM aspect, is there any other Atari related benefits of having the extra RAM in the Indus? Lastly without opening the case, is there any way to peek and/or poke to see if an Indus drive already has a RAM-Charger installed? Reason I am asking all of this, is because I have a very nice Indus drive sitting over here that I wouldn't want to see it miss out on this new run of boards if it made sense for my use. Probably the same reason that we would consider using The Last Word and SynFile, SybCalc, ect over Office 2016. Because we can! And we're a little odd. I already have an Indus GT Super Charger, from the run Tregare did a few years back. It's fun to boot the Indus into CP/M mode and play around with those old apps. I've especially enjoyed playing Zork in native 80 column mode, but be warned - it is pretty slow! Glad to see this great expansion option being produced again. Pure nostalgia. I ran an ATR-8000 and CP/M 2.2 around 1987 and had an awesome graphing program called "Energraphics". You couldn't see the result until you printed in on paper, but it made report quality XY scatter plots and did polynomial curve fitting. I had Wordstar, but like you surmised, Atariwriter was a better application. Was there a FORTRAN for CP/M? Back in the day, I always wondered why Atari never had a FORTRAN for the 8 bit. I guess it was too close to BASIC. I could format a 1.2Mb floppy as a 77 track 8" floppy and you had a 1MB floppy for the 8-bit that MYDOS could write to. Would have never had that capability without CP/M and my ATR-8000. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 I have 2 Indus GT's that I'd love to upgrade to try out the CP/M stuff, so definitely 2 for me, and probably 1-2 more in case I come across other drives in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Besides the CPM aspect, is there any other Atari related benefits of having the extra RAM in the Indus? I've yet to witness it myself, but what I gather from the writings of others is that with RamCharger+Super SyncroMesh, the drive would to full disk read caching (buffering) at the sector level, maybe up to 64K worth? So most of a disk could be stored in RAM and not have to spin up the disk access after the 1st time. Much more buffer compared to single track buffering like Happy/Speedy/Duplicator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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