650 replies to this topic

[candle]

since i've finnished with shipments of boards from previous run, i'm able to make another 100 boards

preorder will be open for a month

board wasn't altered so there is still a need of adding 2 resistors to RD4 and RD5 signal lines (please see spiflash.org, or previous preorder thread for details)

as for now, boards are partially assemble to the point where semiconductors should be soldered in, this means shorter time for delivery
realistically it will be 3 or 4 months starting from now (some parts have very long lead time, and aren't stocked)

board cost is $50 or 40 euro (170pln), shipment is $7 for up to three boards

preorder will be open for a month, and then i'll contact each of you individually with the details

please put quantity and target machine type in this thread, it will shorten my paper work and prevent situations i'm having right now (few boards are still undelivered because of missing shipping address or machine type)

Sebastian
memo

[sloopy]

Put me down for 2, one XL one XE...

sloopy.

[Gandor]

How hard is it for somebody with no soldering experience to install?
Any link to an install guide for a 800xl?

thanks

[sloopy]

Gandor, on Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:04 PM, said:

How hard is it for somebody with no soldering experience to install?
Any link to an install guide for a 800xl?

thanks

If the machine your installing it in is already socketed, then its just simply 4 wires... (getting dropchecks adaptor is a good idea too)

If it isnt socketed, you need to remove the OS ROM and MMU, and put sockets in their place...

there are many people who are capable of doing this for cheap...

sloopy.

[Blues76]

1 xe and 1 xl
Thanks

[enito]

Hi im interesed in 2 for 1200xl ntsc and one upgraded 320kb 130xe pal.  Thx again candle

Edited by enito, Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:19 PM.

[tf_hh]

Put me down for 2, one XL one XE.

Thanks!

[candle]

Blues76, tf_hh: one xe is defining (unless its a secam xe), but one xl is not good enough - you have to choose from 600 800 or 1200xl
Gandor: http://spiflash.org/block/21.html

Edited by candle, Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:26 AM.

[ProWizard]

I think you deserve a lot of thumbs up for all the work you are doing, but wouldn't it be better if other things on this project are finished first now?

I would love to see a good manual, build instructions for other Atari machines, tools for flashing OS / Basic...

And I guess although the first batch is great, the Ultimate 1MB almost begs for a few fixes. The resistors you mention, the possibility to flash the firmware (the setup program and other features) of the Ultimate itself with the Atari, perhaps the possibility to use battery for SRAM backup (unless I'm really the only one that needs that).

Don't get this response wrong. I really appreciate very very much what you are doing, but on the other side, Ultimate 1MB has lot of cool features, which not all can be used (by me) at this moment. It was my choice to order 5 of them, but I had in mind that I could flash the OS's, and till I can't do that, the upgrade is not offering me more than what I already had.

Thanks a lot!
Marius

[ProWizard]

Gandor, on Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:04 PM, said:

How hard is it for somebody with no soldering experience to install?

When you have no experience at all, don't do it. First convince yourself that MMU and OS are on socket in your Atari. If not: don't mess with it yourself, it is far too hard with no experience at all to remove the chips without damaging your PCB. Second: soldering wires is not hard, but even then it is rather easy to do the solder job wrong and create shortcuts. Third: you need to create some kind of connector. I have rather much experience on soldering, but I never created such a connecter; I was not satisfied by this, I did not trust the connector I created myself, so I soldered the needed wires direct on the Ultimate board. This is not hard, but there is not much room on the board to do it right.

Drilling is not necessary.

Folding the ribbon cables (which could be described a bit better too IMHO) isn't very hard, but when you want to do it nice, you should take some time for it.

Greetz
M.

[tf_hh]

Sorry, ich can´t edit my post as ever on AA... :-(

Put me down for 1 XE and 1 800 XL Ultimate 1 MB, PAL both.

Is the 800 XL version really only for 800 XL? What is the difference for 600/800/1200 XL? Different boards or only different cables?

Reason of question is, that I´m note sure in which of my systems the U1MB finally should be find it´s home

[candle]

Marius, flash ultility is "ready" as i told you it would be - its just me getting tested it before i'll release it for GP
tf_hh just cable lenghts

[sloopy]

Marius1976, on Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:40 AM, said:

I think you deserve a lot of thumbs up for all the work you are doing, but wouldn't it be better if other things on this project are finished first now?

I would love to see a good manual, build instructions for other Atari machines, tools for flashing OS / Basic...

And I guess although the first batch is great, the Ultimate 1MB almost begs for a few fixes. The resistors you mention, the possibility to flash the firmware (the setup program and other features) of the Ultimate itself with the Atari, perhaps the possibility to use battery for SRAM backup (unless I'm really the only one that needs that).

Don't get this response wrong. I really appreciate very very much what you are doing, but on the other side, Ultimate 1MB has lot of cool features, which not all can be used (by me) at this moment. It was my choice to order 5 of them, but I had in mind that I could flash the OS's, and till I can't do that, the upgrade is not offering me more than what I already had.

Thanks a lot!
Marius

I agree, better Manual and build instructions...

The resistor issue he has addressed, he ordered all the PCB's with the first batch, so the PCB's from this batch arnt new PCB's but still the same PCB's from the last order. He stated when he has to order new PCBs the resistor fix will be implemented...

The firmware update app he also has said someone else is writing, so its dependant on someone else's schedule...

sloopy.

[ProWizard]

sloopy, on Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:23 AM, said:

The firmware update app he also has said someone else is writing, so its dependant on someone else's schedule...

You misunderstood me here. I mean: the new run should have an option to flash the actual firmware of the Upgrade itself. I do not mean the ability of flashing the OS. I mean that the program inside the Ultimate 1MB will be updated one day. Now there is additional hardware needed for doing that. That is why I wrote that the current Ultimate 1Mb almost begs for a few fixes.

I did not read in this thread that it is the same stock as the first batch. That's why I responded about this.

[candle]

marius: there is no way to do what you want for the price it costs, add another $50 on top of that and it will be possible

[ProWizard]

@candle :s seriously :S is there no way Atari could communicate with the chip? :S

[candle]

it would end up as core controller similiar to this that soundboard, vbxe and speeddrive is using
its really not that easy to get this done
even if that would dumb port, then complexity and board size would increase to the point you wouldn't want that anyways

[rdemming]

Marius1976, on Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:05 AM, said:

the new run should have an option to flash the actual firmware of the Upgrade itself. I do not mean the ability of flashing the OS. I mean that the program inside the Ultimate 1MB will be updated one day. Now there is additional hardware needed for doing that.

candle, on Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:57 AM, said:

marius: there is no way to do what you want for the price it costs, add another $50 on top of that and it will be possible

I supose you two are now talking about updating the "programmable logic chip" inside the Ultimate1Mb, not the "Ultimate Setup" firmware code which sits in the Flash memory chip?

Robert

[sloopy]

rdemming, on Wed Jan 18, 2012 9:54 AM, said:

Marius1976, on Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:05 AM, said:

the new run should have an option to flash the actual firmware of the Upgrade itself. I do not mean the ability of flashing the OS. I mean that the program inside the Ultimate 1MB will be updated one day. Now there is additional hardware needed for doing that.

candle, on Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:57 AM, said:

marius: there is no way to do what you want for the price it costs, add another $50 on top of that and it will be possible

I supose you two are now talking about updating the "programmable logic chip" inside the Ultimate1Mb, not the "Ultimate Setup" firmware code which sits in the Flash memory chip?

Robert

Yes, the actual chip that runs the U1MB, not the memory used by the Atari on the U1mb...

sloopy.

[venom4728a]

Is this in addition to what we preordered the first time, but postponed until the second batch?  My first preorder was for 2 first batch and 1 second batch.   For the second batch; I would like it for an 1200XL.

Thanks Sebastian,  the two from the first batch look great, and also looking forward to your Atari 800==800xl board when you get a chance to do that.

Best Regards
Robert Miller

[Frankie]

put me down for new cables (800XL) so I can replace my hack-soldering-job with dropchecks's adapter. Yes, I managed to hack up the wide ribbon cable too.

Frank

[candle]

this is another 100 units that were mentioned in first preorder thread

[Gandor]

sloopy, on Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:10 PM, said:

Gandor, on Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:04 PM, said:

How hard is it for somebody with no soldering experience to install?
Any link to an install guide for a 800xl?

thanks

If the machine your installing it in is already socketed, then its just simply 4 wires... (getting dropchecks adaptor is a good idea too)

If it isnt socketed, you need to remove the OS ROM and MMU, and put sockets in their place...

Unfortunately it isn't socketed so this rules out the 800xl.

sloopy, on Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:10 PM, said:

there are many people who are capable of doing this for cheap...

Who?

In addition I also have (2) 1200xl and looking at the previous thread this would be much easier to mod!

[candle]

should i put you for any boards?
so far 30 out of 100 is already reserved (here, and on atariarea

[rdea6]

candle, on Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:52 AM, said:

should i put you for any boards?
so far 30 out of 100 is already reserved (here, and on atariarea

I want 2(two) both XL type.