Simplest SIO2PC Cable?

[jmetal88]

I was looking around for info on the SIO2PC cables and stumbled upon this one:

 

http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/atari/sio2pc-1489.html

 

Looks like that's the simplest design I've seen so far, and also the cheapest (the chip looks to be 63 cents on Digikey). Has anyone on the forum built this? Does it work well?

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I just wired up a homemade SIO connector and a 9-pin D-Sub to an empty 14-pin socket, so all I need is the chip, at the moment.

Edited May 27, 2010 by jmetal88

[Rybags]

Depends what you define as simple.

 

Simplest as in no-clutter is to build it inside the machine and add a 9-pin male RS232 port, but that means putting a hole in your case.

 

Also, I believe some have actually built one by putting the chip inside a standard Atari SIO plug shell, then just add a female DB9 plug at the other end.

[+orpheuswaking]

Depends what you define as simple.

 

Simplest as in no-clutter is to build it inside the machine and add a 9-pin male RS232 port, but that means putting a hole in your case.

 

Also, I believe some have actually built one by putting the chip inside a standard Atari SIO plug shell, then just add a female DB9 plug at the other end.

 

I much prefer the MAX233 chip version for stability (although those chips seem to be more expensive of late, and Maxim no longer sends out samples on them)

[flashjazzcat]

Also, I believe some have actually built one by putting the chip inside a standard Atari SIO plug shell, then just add a female DB9 plug at the other end.

Bottom of this page.

[Crazyace]

That's how we built the Midi-Master hardware , buffer and optoisolator chips soldered in mid air, and then expoxy'd into the SIO connector.

[Sub(Function(:))]

That's how we built the Midi-Master hardware , buffer and optoisolator chips soldered in mid air, and then expoxy'd into the SIO connector.

 

My Radio-am friend used to call this technique "Architectural Soldering"

[flashjazzcat]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/atariage/icon_smile.gif[/img])' date='Thu May 27, 2010 9:20 AM' timestamp='1274948426' post='2020683']

That's how we built the Midi-Master hardware , buffer and optoisolator chips soldered in mid air, and then expoxy'd into the SIO connector.

 

My Radio-am friend used to call this technique "Architectural Soldering"

I fancy making an AVR cable using the same technique. I actually found it easier to epoxy the IC in place legs up first (along with the caps) and then do the wiring. Interesting to note that before the days of PCBs, a lot of professional equipment had components floating around in mid air.

Edited May 27, 2010 by flashjazzcat

[PeteD]

This is about the easiest looking USB one I've seen so far.

 

 

Pete

[sloopy]

my sio2pc cable is the 1489 variety... mine works with stutters, every 8-10th packet delays but otherwise works fine at 1x only... (2x and 3x dont work well enough to be usable...) but then also i am using a very old (and abused) 1489 and not a 14C89... if you are buying the chip, i would probly suggest you spend the $3-4 and get a max233... when i get time/money i am going to order a 14C89 and try it in my sio2pc to see if it is the 1489 i am using or if its the hardware or just the design...

 

i am waiting for one of these to come and try it out...

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 250638814969

 

 

sloopy.

[Igi]

I was looking around for info on the SIO2PC cables and stumbled upon this one:

 

http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/atari/sio2pc-1489.html

 

Looks like that's the simplest design I've seen so far, and also the cheapest (the chip looks to be 63 cents on Digikey). Has anyone on the forum built this? Does it work well?

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I just wired up a homemade SIO connector and a 9-pin D-Sub to an empty 14-pin socket, so all I need is the chip, at the moment.

 

 

Recommend:

 

http://blog.3b2.sk/igi/post/SIO2PC.aspx

[jmetal88]

if you are buying the chip, i would probly suggest you spend the $3-4 and get a max233...

 

I might if I knew where to get a max233 for $3-4. On Digikey and Mouser they're $8-12.

[jmetal88]

Incidentally, the only SIO2PC design I've found a reference to that uses parts I already have is one that uses a 7404 inverter. Does anyone have a schematic for this design? I tried to build it based on the vague description of the circuit on the original SIO2PC website, but what I ended up with didn't appear to allow any data transfer.

[a8isa1]

I was looking around for info on the SIO2PC cables and stumbled upon this one:

 

http://atrey.karlin....io2pc-1489.html

 

Looks like that's the simplest design I've seen so far, and also the cheapest (the chip looks to be 63 cents on Digikey). Has anyone on the forum built this? Does it work well?

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I just wired up a homemade SIO connector and a 9-pin D-Sub to an empty 14-pin socket, so all I need is the chip, at the moment.

Just wanted to chime in.

 

I've made a couple of the max233 ones (when maxim had free samples) and also the 14C89. They all worked great (even with a 25 foot cable) and at 3X, except the 14C89 one refused to play nice with my SWP ATR8000. The max233 worked better but required 2K resistors on both Atari TX and Command lines to work with the ATR8000.

 

Also I've been wondering if this board could be adapted to an SIO2PC by using the CTS pin for Atari Command and then tying the RTS pin to RS232 Ring Indicate (and optionally DTR).

 

Almost forgot the diode.

 

- Steve Sheppard

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Back in the days I built over a dozen with only the 74LS00 or 74HC00 (with a few passive components). I know the PC-side doesn't comply with the official RS232 levels but never had one that failed. Those are used on XT up to Pentium based systems, mostly with the original SIO2PC and APE-Dos programs and sometimes with the APE-Win version.

 

As of today I still use these versions. One is connected to a FTDI based RS232-USB converter and that also seems to work (with AspeQt).

[jmetal88]

Back in the days I built over a dozen with only the 74LS00 or 74HC00 (with a few passive components). I know the PC-side doesn't comply with the official RS232 levels but never had one that failed. Those are used on XT up to Pentium based systems, mostly with the original SIO2PC and APE-Dos programs and sometimes with the APE-Win version.

 

As of today I still use these versions. One is connected to a FTDI based RS232-USB converter and that also seems to work (with AspeQt).

 

Hmm, looks like I have a spare 7400 in my box of ICs. Do you have a schematic you can share?

[a8isa1]

I was looking around for info on the SIO2PC cables and stumbled upon this one:

 

http://atrey.karlin....io2pc-1489.html

 

Looks like that's the simplest design I've seen so far, and also the cheapest (the chip looks to be 63 cents on Digikey). Has anyone on the forum built this? Does it work well?

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I just wired up a homemade SIO connector and a 9-pin D-Sub to an empty 14-pin socket, so all I need is the chip, at the moment.

Just wanted to chime in.

 

I've made a couple of the max233 ones (when maxim had free samples) and also the 14C89. They all worked great (even with a 25 foot cable) and at 3X, except the 14C89 one refused to play nice with my SWP ATR8000. The max233 worked better but required 2K resistors on both Atari TX and Command lines to work with the ATR8000.

 

Also I've been wondering if this board could be adapted to an SIO2PC by using the CTS pin for Atari Command and then tying the RTS pin to RS232 Ring Indicate (and optionally DTR).

 

Almost forgot the diode.

 

- Steve Sheppard

 

 

Oops. Sloopy already had this idea.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Hmm, looks like I have a spare 7400 in my box of ICs. Do you have a schematic you can share?

 

Just gone through a pile of old 8-Bit related notes I made years ago to try to find it. I now know I can order a pizza from BAV-Italia in Rodewisch when I happen to be in Lengenfeld or Schreiersgruen but that's pretty much the most useful info I found.

 

To be short, yes I can if I'm able to find it again :-)

 

 

b.t.w, It's a very simple thing to made so I can probably re-draw it from scratch if I have some time.

[sloopy]

I was looking around for info on the SIO2PC cables and stumbled upon this one:

 

http://atrey.karlin....io2pc-1489.html

 

Looks like that's the simplest design I've seen so far, and also the cheapest (the chip looks to be 63 cents on Digikey). Has anyone on the forum built this? Does it work well?

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I just wired up a homemade SIO connector and a 9-pin D-Sub to an empty 14-pin socket, so all I need is the chip, at the moment.

Just wanted to chime in.

 

I've made a couple of the max233 ones (when maxim had free samples) and also the 14C89. They all worked great (even with a 25 foot cable) and at 3X, except the 14C89 one refused to play nice with my SWP ATR8000. The max233 worked better but required 2K resistors on both Atari TX and Command lines to work with the ATR8000.

 

Also I've been wondering if this board could be adapted to an SIO2PC by using the CTS pin for Atari Command and then tying the RTS pin to RS232 Ring Indicate (and optionally DTR).

 

Almost forgot the diode.

 

- Steve Sheppard

 

 

Oops. Sloopy already had this idea.

 

i didnt have the idea, you did on irc, i just ordered it to check it out... i will let everyone know how it goes...

 

sloopy.

[jmetal88]

I just wired up a gangly-looking circuit based on this:

 

http://www.kmitl.ac.th/~kswichit%20/ap275/ap275.htm

 

It's doing better than my first attempt, but still won't boot DOS. Atari810 gets two requests for sector 0 (each time the 130xe makes a clicking noise through the TV), then I get the 'READY' Basic prompt.

[jmetal88]

Hmm, looks like I have a spare 7400 in my box of ICs. Do you have a schematic you can share?

 

Just gone through a pile of old 8-Bit related notes I made years ago to try to find it. I now know I can order a pizza from BAV-Italia in Rodewisch when I happen to be in Lengenfeld or Schreiersgruen but that's pretty much the most useful info I found.

 

To be short, yes I can if I'm able to find it again :-)

 

 

b.t.w, It's a very simple thing to made so I can probably re-draw it from scratch if I have some time.

 

Cool, I'd really appreciate that.

[jmetal88]

Just tried the transistor interface with APE. The Atari at least seems to be getting something back from the PC now, as I get a screen full of 'BOOT ERROR'.

 

I'll figure this out one of these days.

 

EDIT: Might be my computer, or OS. I tried booting off an old 286 laptop I have using the original SIO2PC program, and it works flawlessly!

 

I might have to try booting my current laptop up to DOS to see if it's my hardware or my OS.

Edited May 27, 2010 by jmetal88

[+MrFish]

This is about the easiest looking USB one I've seen so far.

 

Pete

I liked the looks/cost/simplicity of that one too, especially being mini-USB. The only thing is that it's not compatible with APE. It does work with Atari810. Has anyone tried it with AspeQt?

Edited May 28, 2010 by MrFish

[jmetal88]

OK, in an update to my previous post, it's something about Windows that's making this not work. My 130XE will not boot from either of the Windows utilities I found (Atari810 and APE).

 

However, I just installed FreeDOS on another partition, and if I boot to FreeDOS I can use SIO2PC, which the 130XE boots from perfectly.

[+orpheuswaking]

OK, in an update to my previous post, it's something about Windows that's making this not work. My 130XE will not boot from either of the Windows utilities I found (Atari810 and APE).

 

However, I just installed FreeDOS on another partition, and if I boot to FreeDOS I can use SIO2PC, which the 130XE boots from perfectly.

 

in APE make sure your Serial Control is set correctly... Also if you run APE and then close it it sometimes leaves something open on the COM ports, so if you switch over to Atari 810 it refuses to work correctly... If I want to go from APE to Atari 810 I reboot the system first and then it generally works fine.

[sloopy]

did you try aspeqt? worked quite well for me in windows, and linux...

 

sloopy.