Can the STE's PCM sound chip play Amiga modules?

[Can the STE's PCM sound chip play Amiga modules?]

Exactly that: Atari had head start, and was two times CHEAPER then Amiga 1000 and all this had for consequence that Amiga was not exploited properly until Amiga 500. So it is not "so what"

 

Was the A500 ever really exploited to its potential?

 

Like many (most?) here I have both Amiga and Atari ST. I like them both for different reasons. They both have some serious short comings.

 

One thing that strikes me about the Amiga though, despite the superior audio/visual hardware, is how little difference exists between the machines in the visual presentation of most original-era games.

 

I expect games like Outrun, R-Type or Buggy Boy to be jerky on an ST. But the visuals were similarly bad on the Amiga. I expected better. It's as if the programmers were unable or unwilling to find the time to optimize the code to leverage the Amiga's better graphics hardware. Flight Simulator II, Xenon 2 and Dungeon Master look pretty much identical on both systems.

 

Other landmark games of the period, such as Lemmings, Sim City, Populous or Frontier just didn't need the ability to push objects around the screen in a manner that would have allowed the Amiga to excel in the visuals. I am guessing Prince of Persia's blue-ish colour scheme on the ST is a result of the programmer's working around the machine's limitations, but it still looks very good, and I actually prefer it to the PC/Amiga's graphics of the same game.

 

Some games did exploit the better graphics hardware. The Secret of Monkey Island is one example where the ST's dithering of colours looks pretty awful compared to the Amiga's better colour palette, but those examples seem few and far between from my library of games.

 

The Atari 800 got many sub-par conversions of Apple II or Commodore 64 games, but a few games on the Atari 8-bit really demonstrate the graphical difference - games like Dropzone, Boulderdash, Elektraglide or Ballblazer demonstrate a fluidity of motion the 64 just never seemed able to deliver. I havn't been able to find many similar examples from the Amiga/ST library where one can say "look, that's why the Amiga is better". Shadow of the Beast is one. What else?

 

Thankfully most games did exploit the Amiga's better sound capabilities.

[Can the STE's PCM sound chip play Amiga modules?]

So the ST had a head start, so what? The Amiga, the BETTER machine, won out in the end. Ultimately, it was the PC that killed both of them, and the Falcon was a latecomer that drowned in the PC ocean.

Sort of like arguing that Hollywood Video was better than Blockbuster.

 

After all this time, yeah it matters....

[Questions......]

I'd still like to know, though... will an ST here in the U.S. run software from England or Germany?

 

Thanks!!

 

For the most part yes, software from the UK and Germany should run okay on a North American unit.

 

Occasionally there might be screen position or timing issues, but there is a 50/60Hz switcher program you can put in the AUTO folder that switches your ST to the European refresh rate. You can find the program in this older thread:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/230918-how-do-i-change-my-ste-from-pal-to-ntsc/

 

I am assuming you are using an RGB monitor with your 1040ST. Most composite monitors should also be okay with the timing changes. I am guessing you're not using an RF cable to a TV.

 

Of course if your game needs to auto-boot its own floppy, and won't start from the desktop, then you might not want to write any new files to the disk.

 

In addition to timing issues there are of course the usual TOS compatibility issues from time to time. But that applies to North American sourced software too.

 

Most of all of this has been addressed by developers over the years who have updated the older games to work across different TOS versions and automatically switch the refresh rate if they didn't already. You can download these files over the web and just use the documentation from the titles you imported to enjoy the game, and simply keep the floppies for posterity.

[Falcon Dallas NVRAM chip desoldering - is a Hakko "safe"?]

Both my Falcons have dead NVRAM chips, no big surprise there.

 

I've read that removing them is a PITA, and that typical soldering iron+solderpult approach will likely destroy traces and possibly the whole Falcon.

 

I've also seen the "cut the chip away from the top" approach, which seems to me a risky way to make a huge mess too.

 

How safe is a Hakko desoldering station? It seems pretty gentle on the vacuum and has variable heat settings from 400F to 750F, would this be a better option to desolder the Dallas chip from the underside and then use a plastic screwdriver to lever the chip off?

 

 

 

 

[Looking for the best Atari BASIC games]

There was an outstanding version of Othello called Reversi done in BASIC, and also Quest of the Space Beagle needed BASIC, although I suspect there might have been some machine-code routines in there somewhere too.

[Possible final release of Pole Position for the STE?]

Yes, seems to run okay on a Falcon too.

 

Set video the ST Low compatibility first, but after that it seems to run.

[Games YOU would like to see ported to TI-99]

A few suggestions:

 

Coup d'Etat - a Sharp MZ80 magazine listing game published back in 1982. Wraithchild was going to take a stab at converting it to the 8-bit Atari.

 

Subspace Striker - a ZX81/VIC20 game from Pixel.

 

Trader - a three-part "adventure" for the ZX81 and VIC20 - also from Pixel.

 

Football Manager (the VIC version had no graphics)

 

 

Looking forward to trying Oregon Trail when I get my TI out next.

 

Thanks

[SC1224 as composite monitor?]

The SC1224 is an RGB monitor and cannot natively handle the composite signal from the TI.

 

Check this thread on how it can be done: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/169310-sc1224-on-8-bit-in-color/

 

Although I think those converters are almost impossible to find now,.

[Bosconian for the 8-bits]

This is really cool! Thank you for doing this!

[Simple way to connect a 400/600XL to a Commodore 1084S-P]

Here's another option:

 

http://www.excess-supply.com/site/cart/productdetail.exc?cmd=view_cart_product&co_id=946&item_id=111422&prod_id=934

 

We had a discussion about them a while back:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/34384-cheap-rf-demodulator/

 

But for the ST please spend the extra $$ and make yourself a real RGB video cable at least. The ST looks truly awful from NTSC RF out and both the ST and the 1084 can do much better than the results you'd see.

[Simple way to connect a 400/600XL to a Commodore 1084S-P]

Seems inexpensive options are limited since on one uses RF anymore.

 

I'd mod the 400 and 600XL to add composite/svideo output - for the 600XL it is very simple indeed - but given your criteria (compact, cheap, no-soldering) it seems your best option would be a portable VCR from Ebay or Craigslist. I checked a few and see they have them with RF in and Composite Video/Audio out, often come in carry cases and are not much larger than a couple of VHS tapes stacked together. Plus no one is bidding on them so you can snag them for less than $50 shipped to your door.

 

Yeah I know you said no VCRs, but options are limited..

 

HTH

[The 'non-ubiquitous' P-Box -- (census)]

I had a P-Box. Bulky, takes up most of the desk, sounds like a small jet engine, that damn fire hose cable....

 

I scored a CC9900 Micro-Expansion System which did everything I wanted the PEB to do, and never looked back. I sold the PEB before a move so that I did not have to lug it with me.

 

Don't miss it.

 

I now have a couple of CF7A+ expansions but still love my CC9900. Maybe Jedimatt can build on his 32K expansion design and add a disk controller to it too for a CC9900+

[ST on 6 pin DIN RGB?]

Yes, the STFM is mono, so just run that out to a white RCA jack or whatever the Magnavox needs as input.

[Is there a way to copy STX files to real floppies?]

I have some STX images loaded on my HxC2001 attached to a real ST. They work fine except for the drive always being B:

 

If you found a suitable track copier program, would that not work to make a real floppy from it?

 

The STX format is listed as supported but experimental for HxC.

[ST on 6 pin DIN RGB?]

I made a cable to connect my ST to a Commodore 1084 with the 9-pin RGB connector, and from memory I followed this diagram:

 

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=40607

 

But from memory I had to connect both horizontal and vertical sync lines pins 9 and 12, because using the composite sync on Pin 2 resulted in a rolling image.

 

Quick tip. The 13 pin Atari video connector is quite dense and difficult to solder.

 

But I found that the pin spacing exactly matches that of the small dupont connectors, so you can solder the lines to the dupont connector's pins, place them into the plastic sleeve, and then push them onto the Atari video connector. Then hood then slides over the top.

 

So yes, Red, Green, Blue, HSync, VSync and Ground. I did add the resistors shown. I have an STE so I take audio out of the stereo jacks, but if you have an STFM you will need to tap the audio line too.

 

This is from memory. YMMV.

 

Good luck.

[Did you ever make use of "official" factory service?]

I had an Atari 1050 disc drive fail while still under warranty, so it was repaired by sending it to an "Authorized Atari Service Center" or whatever they called them back in '85.

 

I lovingly packed that drive back in the original packaging, with the sytrofoam clam-shell pieces, the silica gel pack, the outer sleeve, and then placed into a mailing carton and sen it on its way...

 

I was 14.

 

Sure they repaired it. And they sent it back in a simple cardboard mailer, no styrofoam clam-shell, no outer sleeve with the gorgeous glossy color printing designed for a retail shelf.

 

Boy I was so pissed.

[A1200 Ctrl key not working?]

Okay so I traced the circuit with a multi-meter and I can find no evidence of a break between pin 11 of the keyboard connector or pin 35 of the keyboard controller.

 

So my choices seem to be; either the keyboard controller chip is bad (on just one pin), or the keyboard connector itself is bad.

 

I think the more likely scenario is the white plastic keyboard connector.

 

Does anyone sell replacements? I googled but could not find any.

[A1200 Ctrl key not working?]

Okay I have been doing some reading and researching.

 

And I have learned that the Ctrl key is Pin 11 on the ribbon connector.

 

http://www.amigahistory.plus.com/a1200info2.txt

 

And that connects to PD3 (pin 35) of the Keyboard MPU, which is U13 on the motherboard.

 

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schematics/computer/pictures/amigaa1200keyboard.gif

 

I see a mark on the chip which I am assuming is Pin 1, but it is in the middle of chip, not on the edge.

 

Can someone confirm for me which is pin 35 on the Keyboard MPU?

 

Am I on the right track here?

[A1200 Ctrl key not working?]

I have an A1200. Original Commodore model. North American spec.

 

The Ctrl key does not work, which among other things, means no hard reset short of power cycling the unit.

Every other key on the keyboard works ok.

 

I have reseated the ribbon cable with no luck.

 

I have tried to clean the keyboard connector on the motherboard with compressed air. No change.

 

I replaced the keyboard membrane with one of the new ones manufactured by RWAP. It made no difference.

 

I replaced the key spring mechanism with the Esc key. The Esc key works fine, the Ctrl key continues to do nothing.

 

Besides the Ctrl key, this Amiga seems to work fine. I don't think it has been recapped and I am hesitant to do so as I have little experience with SMT boards. Could this really be a capacitor issue?

 

Any suggestions on what to try next?

[Beige Expansion Peripherals]

I actually prefer the beige TI.

 

<ducks>

 

... especially the power switch. See my post on adding an LED to it.

 

Yeah me too - and thanks for the instructions on adding the LED.

 

 

[Issue with Prince of Persia on STE?]

Tested the updated 2MB version patched by ParanoidLittleMan - looks great! thanks

[Pack-Mania]

Nice work! Thanks for putting this together.

[Issue with Prince of Persia on STE?]

Weird results. At the moment the only things that come to my mind are a) RAM problems - maybe your RAM modules are dodgy and corrupt code or data, b) loading problems - something is corrupting things when loading data off disk.

 

We can eliminate a by using a RAM tester. I suggest you try Christian Zietz' one here. Let it run for a while so we can be sure.

 

For b, you'll have to provide a bit more info about your machine. How are you loading things? Floppy? Real hard drive? Ultrasatan? Cosmosex? Gigafile? Something else? What hard driver are you using? It can also be a case of bad FDC DMA - do you have the chip info handy? Read this page for more info on this.

 

If we rule both these out we'll work from there, but please check these out first.

 

Hey ggn,

 

Tried the memory tester and all tests passed without error.

 

I am using an Satan Disk device to load the files. Most games and apps are working but I am running into problems here and there - mostly I am putting this down to the TOS or the 60Hz refresh - and I am slowly making my way through games I have downloaded to see what works and what doesn't.

 

Is there a software method to downgrade to a lower TOS level? Sort of like Relokick on the Amiga?

 

Thanks for the help on this.

[Issue with Prince of Persia on STE?]

Like simonsunnyboy said - red potions restore 2 units of health, blue potions take it away. There are also some larger bottles that add 3 units of health, and the game will allow up to a maximum of four units of health.

 

At least that is what I have observed from playing it on the Amiga where I can get to Level 6 without using trainer mode.

[Issue with Prince of Persia on STE?]

Thanks ggn, I tried that and after the intro screen, I get a blank white screen and nothing more.

 

My STE is a U.S. spec, and I also tried adding the 50/60Hz switcher program to the AUTO folder, and I have no accessories loaded. But still no dice.