pixelmischief Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I'm working with a buddy of mine to design a carrier board for the Atari Falcon. For the uninitiated, a carrier board is an adapter board that allows one form factor to be mounted in a case designed for a different form factor. It plugs into and reroutes all the ports and provides a platform with proper screw hole placement. In this case, we mean to develop a carrier that will make it easy to install the Falcon in an ATX case, routing the ports to the usual place. Requests, recommendations, expertise, and interest are all welcome. When the design is done and I'm ready to send it to the manufacturer, I'll offer an opportunity for people to get in on the order. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I'm always conflicted about re-casing. I see the benefit of the extra room and expansion, but to me there is something about the original aesthetics of the machine that completes the experience. What benefit does the re-casing have for you? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 I've always been conflicted about re-casing as well. For many years, the Falcon was a museum piece for me. But recently I've started doing development on the platform. Without any really solid emulation options, I am forced to compile and test on a real machine. This has made some of the practical limitations of the platform real thorns in my side. To ease my pain, I'm making a number of modifications and augmentations to the system; replacing the power supply, installing a buffered adapter on the IDE, and replacing the floppy drive with an HxC solution. Suddenly, re-casing the Falcon no longer feels like an act of defilement; or at least not the only such act. And, of course, a cased Falcon with a separate keyboard is much friendlier to my already busy workspace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Thompson Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Yeah, I feel like this is going to be for a very select few as most will probably want to keep their Falcon in the stock case as-is. I personally have no interest in a Falcon that's been stripped from its original case and when it comes to things like this, am all for stock or very mild modding like memory expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Yeah, I feel like this is going to be for a very select few as most will probably want to keep their Falcon in the stock case as-is. I personally have no interest in a Falcon that's been stripped from its original case and when it comes to things like this, am all for stock or very mild modding like memory expansion. As in all things, motive makes an enormous difference in the way we think about things. If the Falcon was still JUST a nostalgia piece for me, I would agree with you completely. The moment it became an active development platform, my need for something functional overwhelmed my need for something pristine. That said, I am altogether committed to developing software whose target is an unmodified Atari Falcon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CyranoJ Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 What's the likely cost of these? I can't justify a falcon on the desk with a horrible keyboard, but I could justify a tower under it and a nice keyboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I would disagree that this is just for a few. Of all the Atari machines, the Falcon is one of the most modified of the line. Even back in the day people recased it because the mods were too big for the stock case. You can still get the Wiztronics cases for it. I understand the nostalgia part though, which is why I personally bought 2. One I will keep stock, except for the 14mb (it came with that and even has an original internal IDE drive) and the other I bought stock except for the CF adapter and the "mystery mod" that I plan to recase and modify the hell out of it. Looking at the 8bit Forum, you can see how many people are willing to push the limits of Nostalgia. As to this project, I'd make one huge suggestion... In addition to the carrier board, come up with a solution for the keyboard so you can keep your Falcon keyboard. Sure you can use an IBM keyboard easily with mods, but the Falcon kbd is better IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 What's the likely cost of these? Not much actually. I'll Eagle up the design and get a quote, but it should be somewhere in the range of $50 each for a small run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 (edited) As to this project, I'd make one huge suggestion... In addition to the carrier board, come up with a solution for the keyboard so you can keep your Falcon keyboard. Keeping the Falcon keyboard is a nostalgia play, I think. The Falcon keyboard isn't really superior in any meaningful way to a modern offering, and there are a number of fine solutions out there for using one. Plus, adding that feature to the project requirements would ratchet up the complexity quite a bit, in relative terms. A carrier board is really a very dumb device; no logic at all. Perhaps this will evolve into a future "Swiss Army Knife" of improvements for the Falcon, but for now I just want to re-case the thing and get on with development. Edited February 27, 2015 by pixelmischief Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galax Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Using a Mega or TT keyboard seems more logical than keeping the Falcon keyboard, as they are actually decent to type on, and it's not very hard to connect these to a Falcon- easier in fact than a PC keyboard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I've always been conflicted about re-casing as well. For many years, the Falcon was a museum piece for me. But recently I've started doing development on the platform. Without any really solid emulation options, I am forced to compile and test on a real machine. This has made some of the practical limitations of the platform real thorns in my side. To ease my pain, I'm making a number of modifications and augmentations to the system; replacing the power supply, installing a buffered adapter on the IDE, and replacing the floppy drive with an HxC solution. Suddenly, re-casing the Falcon no longer feels like an act of defilement; or at least not the only such act. And, of course, a cased Falcon with a separate keyboard is much friendlier to my already busy workspace. For actual development work, I understand the practicality. And as for the keyboard, I agree that the Falcon's OEM one would be awful to use long term. A Mega keyboard would be nice though. I'm interested in seeing how this turns out for you. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christos Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 The best option would be an eiffel adapter and a kvm switch. That way you can reduce a lot of desk clutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 (edited) I'm scrapping the carrier board idea. Going with custom cut 1/8" brushed steel panels. Those, a tap and dye set, a nibbler, and some fasteners, and I should have a spiffy looking, low-profile case with cutouts in a Saturday's-worth of work. I'll put all the goodies in the box; buffered IDE, NetUSB, keyboard and mouse adapters, etc. I just couldn't justify the enormous size of a full tower and a custom carrier, knowing that the box would be, essentially empty. Edited February 27, 2015 by pixelmischief Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) You could do like a couple of the expansion cases from the past did - use the bottom half of the Falcon, and design your case to mount on top of that. The Desktopper did this - actually worked pretty good. As far as the original Falcon keyboard goes, you can use the "TT-Touch" upgrade from Best Electronics with it, just like a stock ST keyboard. It makes it much nicer, better tactile feedback and reduced mushiness. Hard to beat the original Mega ST series keyboard, but they are a bit expensive, and sometimes hard to find, so this might be an option for some. When I first started updated my Falcon years ago, I too went through a phase where I didn't want to do any mod that wouldn't fit into the original case, so I fully understand everyone that feels this way. Once I actually put mine into a Wizztronics Falcon Rack case though, I never looked back. CT60xx, SuperVidel, 80 gig IDE hard drive, Lite on DVD burner, ATX power supply, all inside one case with an external (and original, but updated with the TT-Touch kit) Falcon keyboard. Yum. BTW, last I heard these cases were unavailable any more - has that changed? Edited February 28, 2015 by DarkLord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 I replaced my clock chip yesterday. NVRAM settings are saving again. That is good. Here's what's not so good... I cut the power supply and rewired it to a female ATX power connector. Also, I rewired the rocker switch to the right pins so I can use it for power. It works great, but... I regretted it immediately. I looked down and realized, it's not a Falcon anymore. It's something else. And that realization felt like the loss of something important to me. I think I'll connect a PicoPSU in there, fit the adapter connector to the back of the case, and close it back up in the original shielding and plastics. I wish I had never opened it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I replaced my clock chip yesterday. NVRAM settings are saving again. That is good. Here's what's not so good... I cut the power supply and rewired it to a female ATX power connector. Also, I rewired the rocker switch to the right pins so I can use it for power. It works great, but... I regretted it immediately. I looked down and realized, it's not a Falcon anymore. It's something else. And that realization felt like the loss of something important to me. I think I'll connect a PicoPSU in there, fit the adapter connector to the back of the case, and close it back up in the original shielding and plastics. I wish I had never opened it. Understood. This was my earlier point about re-casing. It becomes something else. I see the benefits for many users, but to me there is something lost in the change. At the end of the day, it is just a machine though. A fact I tend to struggle with sometimes. Hang in there. -Pete 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 At the end of the day, it is just a machine though. A fact I tend to struggle with sometimes. But, of course, it's not "just a machine". It's a symbol of my childhood and of the passion that has become my life. Computers are both my job and the overwhelming majority of my recreation. The name Atari is synonymous, to me, with all that is good. The Falcon is the pinnacle achievement of that legacy. To have one if to be a true and dedicated worshiper at the Church of the Fuji. And I have defiled my sacred 030. I'm exaggerating the melodrama, but not by much. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I understand some of the feelings running in this thread. I've been involved in several "discussions" about it before. My advice is, even though they are rare, is to pick up 2 Falcons. Keep one totally unmodded and pristine to solve that angst like feeling concerning even turning 1 screw 1 turn. Take the 2nd Falcon, got hog-wild crazy with it and do everything you've ever dreamed about to it. Can't go wrong like this guys. I've actually been told that because of what I've done to my Falcon, that I don't have an Atari Falcon. I agree it doesn't look like the original Falcon from Atari anymore - at least on the outside. But it is an Atari Falcon. If not, then I ask someone to step up and tell me what it *is*, not what it isn't, in their opinion. Friend of mine has a restored Camaro. He's changed the paint, tires, seats, rebuilt the motor, upgraded a ton of things. Added spoilers and more. So...is it not a Camaro anymore? It doesn't look like the factory Camaro that it was orginally sold to someone as. I submit that it is indeed, still a Camaro. 'Nuff said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillek Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Well, that's what I did. I bought the second Falcon just to keep it pure. Not even a CF drive. The other one..... Wild!... Someday. But the thing to consider, Falcons were one of the most modified, especially to the point where a new case was needed. Thing is, companies made cases especially for modifying a Falcon! So is modding a Falcon really a sin? It isn't like defiling a TT or Mega by putting it in a new case. The motherboard is the computer. If it is a Falcon main board, it is a Falcon. Plus, as a development system, it is for a good cause. But I do understand all about the church of the Fuji. I felt like I was ordained an Arch Bishop this summer when I finally got my TT030 and STacy. When I get set up in my new apartment later this month I'll post pics of my command center / retro shrine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 So, I attaches a PicoPSU to my falcon and used a universal laptop power brick. When flip the power, I see the fan on the Falcon twitch, but then nothing, System works fine with a regular ATX power supply. What gives? I don't know jack about power (yeah, it's on my list), so I'm really just looking for a link to make and model of power brick right for powering a Falcon through the PicoPSU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 So, I attaches a PicoPSU to my falcon and used a universal laptop power brick. When flip the power, I see the fan on the Falcon twitch, but then nothing, System works fine with a regular ATX power supply. What gives? I don't know jack about power (yeah, it's on my list), so I'm really just looking for a link to make and model of power brick right for powering a Falcon through the PicoPSU. Not sure if this will help, but there is thread on Atari-Forum about Falcon PicoPSU http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=21469 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Will this do it? http://www.microcenter.com/product/317906/AC-DC_Power_Adapter_%282AMP_,12V-5V%29_w-_4-pin_Molex_Connector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fletch Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'd think this would be a complete solution : http://www.ebay.com/itm/120W-PicoPSU-120-DC-DC-Power-Supply-80W-AC-Adapter-/110351601088 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixelmischief Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'd think this would be a complete solution : http://www.ebay.com/itm/120W-PicoPSU-120-DC-DC-Power-Supply-80W-AC-Adapter-/110351601088 Problem is, I have a boat load of PicoPSU's. I just need a power brick. Also, I ask about the other one because the shop is right near my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 Seems like a rather obvious question, so I beg forgiveness for asking it, but did you ground/short the 2 pins on the Pico? I had to do the same when I was using one to power my STacy. Just like you have to do on the ATX power supplies sometimes. HTHs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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