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Gunstar

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  3. Gunstar
    Disclaimer: This is not meant to be a how-to tutorial or a step-by-step guide. This is merely photos of my upgrades with some description and explanation. But feel free to ask any questions about any aspect of it.
     
    This is my blog on all the upgrades, modifications and hacks that have turned a standard 800 into a machine that is still the original vision of Jay Miner's Colleen 800 at heart, and still fully compatible, but includes advancements and upgrades that Atari never envisioned. At it's core, my new 800AI includes an Incognito board which expands it's capabilities to not only that of an XL/XE machine with 64K main memory, but far, far more including; 1MB extended ram multiple OS's and hi-speed SIO, bult-in BASIC and SpartaDOS X, as well as room for other cartridges from any point in the 8-bit era, a CF card virtual HDD and PBI capabilities and much more.
     
    Beyond the Incognito the 800 has been upgraded to Stereo sound first, with a DIY dual-POKEY, then replaced with multiple POKEY cores and Covox DSP with the Pokeymax Quad + Covox board. Also a Sophia 2 GTIA replacement and upgrade board (adding more graphic modes) and modern video out with either DVI/HDMI or RGB or VGA. Also a dual PIA board for double the controller output jacks allowing many more exteral devices to be connected and controlled by the 800. An extra SIO jack, Stereo out headphone jack, S-video, composite and mono audio jacks installed for direct connect of standard cables and no more mess of various cables hanging out the side of the 800. The original SIO port is left open for easy temporary connection of peripherals or dead-end SIO peripherals. Fujinet will become a part of the Atari 800AI system as well, and will plug into the side SIO port. Also, a real PBI edge-connector port has been installed on the rear left side of the 800, and is now capable of using any exterior PBI devices, the first of which is a Turbo Freezer.
     
    With all these advanced upgrades I felt that just '800" was not good enough anymore, and there needs to be an addition to the name for it's advanced features just like the XL/XE (eXtended Line/eXtended line Enhanced). But another X and some other letter on the end is a bit unimaginative. So I came up with AI for advance(d) plus Incognito, or a playful, if fictional suggestion on the abbreviation A.I., for artificial intelligence. Or maybe in reference to Alpha and Omega, since there's the original 800 in there, but then also the probably final upgrade to the heart of the machine, the Incognito. Yes I know AI is not the same as the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, but it is the first and last letters of ATARI, the beginning and end of the name signifying Alpha and Omega in a way. So AI stands for all of the above. So now I've explained what my 800AI computer is and why, on with the details and photos.
     
    The first upgrades I did are Incognito board and a dual-Pokey upgrade (less the actual audio output). And I did some repairs on the keyboard and modified a shift key to be more balanced and sturdy by inserting an extra plunger and spring in an empty key spot below it. Hopefully this will solve a design problem that causes the plunger to crack and stop the new plunger from cracking in the outside corners that make the shift key bind.
     
     

     




     
     
     
    After the successful incognito and DIY dual POKEY installation, Plans have been changed to a Pokeymax Quad+covox audio upgrade. Quite a leap from just stereo, but I want the best for this upgrade project. The Pokeymax is plugged in the socket and is currently working as a standard Pokey until I get a couple of wires connected to the CPU and audio output with a simple pre-amp circuit to bring it up to line-level audio.
     
    I also installed a second SIO port and due to the placement of these new I/O ports I am combining the Pokeymax audio out with the SIO out on the same circuit board. The first step on the new board was to attach the SIO connector (one of half a dozen new 3D printed ones I bought from The Brewing Academy) to the board and a cable to the new SIO port that is connected at the other end to the original SIO port, continuing the SIO daisy-chain internally in the 800. I went with shielded VGA cabling since I have plenty on hand and it's the best thing to use to ensure no interference in close proximity to the motherboard. The cable is directly soldered to the new SIO connector and it's board, but I installed Dupont connectors to the SIO port on the 800's PSU board for easy removal and installation in the future. I fanned out the pins on the back of the SIO so I had room to plug in the Dupont connectors with the capacitor for the PSU in the way.
    The next step was to install a headphone jack stereo audio out to the new circuit board and attach a wire harness to the Pokeymax that will run to the new board.
     
     I then attached the wire harness to the Pokeymax, with three wires going to the CPU on the CPU board and three wires going to the SIO/Stereo out board. I used a headphone jack style stereo audio out so it would fit on the board with the SIO port, and both will fit nicely where I make cut-outs for them on the underside of the case, leading out the back left recessed area of the 800 case underside.
     
    I used DuPont connectors at the audio out for easy separation from the motherboard and CPU board. The only thing left for the Pokeymax upgrade is to make a spot for the audio out wires to go through the heavy shielding. I suppose I'll have to drill a hole through the shielding near the Pokeymax chip. And I just remembered I need to connect the headphone jack's ground to ground on the SIO connector which is connected to ground through the cable to the PSU to ensure proper grounding.
     
    (Pictures are not in the order of the descriptions above)



       
     
     
        The next modification was S-video, composite and mono audio out board directly opposite the 2nd SIO/audio out board, it will be hidden underneath the PSU board and connected to the original monitor port in close proximity. Once that board is done, then I will cut out spots for all the new I/O connectors in the 800's bottom case, then mount the boards and I/O connectors.
    Next I made a DIY S-video/Composite/mono audio out board. Like the second SIO, these are just direct lines from the nearby monitor jack. As per usual now, at least one end is attached with Dupont Connectors so that all upgrades and boards can be easily separated if need be. I had left/right audio jacks on hand, so the red one has been re-purposed for composite video (I only want this for NTSC high-res games for artifact colors).
     
    The mono audio out is white. Instead of attaching a switch to one of the Pokeymax lines to change between mono and Quad-stereo out, I left it so Quad-stereo is always on as I will use the mono out for programs that don't use stereo. And of course, the main reason for the DIY mod board, is a real S-video jack. The S-video on both my Atari's gets fed through either video-to-VGA or video-to-HDMI outs and they don't make the adapters with separate chroma/luma lines. But my 1200XL uses a break-out-box for video which does have separate chroma/luma for when I get my CBM 1084S monitor repaired which does have these inputs. The 800 will always be connected to a converter.
     
    (pictures are not in order of descriptions above)

     


     
     
          Now, except for the power jack, I no longer have to have cables coming out the side of my 800 getting in my way on the desktop. All other I/O will now be discretely placed in the recesses on the underside of the 800 with all cables hidden and running out the back like XL/XE machines. Though I'm out of space there now, since the 800's motherboard fills the rest of the bottom case, my PBI and extra controller ports will have to be mounted to the rear left side of the 800 coming directly out of the back. So all that is left for these upgrades and mods is to cut port holes in the 800's case and mount the boards.
     
         Continuing my 800 upgrades and mods, I made a true PBI edge-connector port for the 800. It was already upgraded with full PBI capabilities from the Incognito, but there is a 50-pin (SCSI?) style connector on it that is the gateway to PBI devices being connected. As with my DIY PBI upgrade on my 1200XL, I created and actual PBI edge-connector port on the rear of the 800. With the 1200XL, I salvaged parts from a 600XL for the mod/upgrade. With the 800 I was able to use the a XE ECI-to-PBI adapter that I don't need for an XE and never will, that came with my Turbo Freezer 2011. I still have to get the connector and 50-wire ribbon cable to connect to the Incognito and create the physical buss. On the 1200XL I purchased a length of 50-wire rainbow ribbon cable for it, and of course had to make all connections directly to the IC's, instead of a connector to plug in.
     
    I also made an enclosure for the Turbo Freezer's PBI board, with a connector on it for the actual Turbo Freezer housed in a cartridge case. I just used an old, small, project box that has been laying around for years, the board didn't quite fit, so it has "wings" out the side, but I think it still looks better than a bare board, and I'll paint it to match the 800.


     
     
    The Sophia 2 board upgrade was the next and second to last upgrade (dual PIA IC's will be the final upgrade). Since it's a plug-in board I didn't bother taking pictures of the Sophia 2, though I did removed the original socket for the GTIA chip on the CPU board and installed a precision socket to lower it's profile so it can fit inside the shielding were the CPU board is hidden. After that, I had to cut an opening in the heavy metal shielding so the video cable from the board could "escape." I decided to place the Sophia board in between the Shielding and PSU board's heat sink vertically as there was few other choices with the modifications I've already made. I next cut out a spot on the back of the 800's upper case half to mount the Sophia 2 board. I again used E6000 adhesive to mount it as I did for the PBI and other audio/video upgrade boards. It's strong and will hold the upgrades in place without the need for screws and bolts and holes drilled, yet easily removable, if needed with a razor blade and peeling away excess. Later on, when the dual-PIA board is installed, another 2-4 controller ports will be mounted next to the DVI output.
     


     
     
     
    This bog is not yet completed as I still have to install another multi-part upgrade/modification to my 800 will be dual PIA board to be used for additional controller ports. This upgrade and mod is there are still more than two controller ports when I'm using the 800 Incognito in XL/XE modes and ports 3 and 4 are used for Port B memory banking. I also will be using more than 4 ports, even in 800 mode on the Incognito along with a half-dozen AtariLab  Interface devices and DIY clones of the AtariLab Interfaces for help in a future project of building a robot, with an Atari 800 brain, that will eventually be autonomous, but while in the research. experimentation and prototype building stage it will be controlled through the 8 controller ports. AtariLab Interfaces are basically break-out-boxes that make it easier as I can use standard RCA cords between the Atari and all the sensors for the robot to know where it is and avoid obstacles or interact and also Ardruino boards that will control arms and trax of the Robot as well. The intention being a 100% 8-bit robot
     
    Some other changes or previous upgrades and fixes to the 800 include: luma output resister change mod (for improving picture clarity as luma is over-boosted for today's standards), The RF has been disconnected to avoid interference from signal bleed on S-video and composite, the channel switch has been re-purposed for a mono/Quad stereo switch, a wire modification to the right cartridge port (and trace cut on the left port) so that a needed signal is available so that The!Cart and MyIDE II will work in the left cartridge slot on the 800 and internal RGB-LED lighting and keyboard lighting. I also have a Fujinet on the way for this 800 too.
     
    Another possible upgrade would be a MIDI board. The problem with more upgrades is locations to mount them internally in the 800. There is still plenty of room on the left side of the 800,, but the issue is that anything mounted internally there would either need port extension modifications so I can mount them on the back by the DVI and 2nd PIA controller ports. Obviously there is the left side of the 800 to mount jacks, but I just went through a lot of trouble getting rid of side ports with cables in the way, and I don't want to start populating the left side either.
     
     
     
     
  4. Gunstar
    My first experience with Atari, was the Atari VCS like many of my generation. Before that I had a Coleco Telstar Pong clone and I didn't even get the Atari VCS until just as the video game crash was starting in '83, when it was on sale and tons of games could be had out of the $.99 bargain bin. But also that same year I got a Timex/Sinclair 1000 with 16K rampack, also out of a bargain bin, and spent two years scraping for software for a discontinued line in the U.S. I was ready to upgrade to a Timex/Sinclair 2048 or 2064 (U.S. Spectrum's) until I read in The U.S. version of Sinclair User (was it called Times/Sinclair User?) that Timex was pulling out of the partnership with Sinclair and it would be another Sinclair machine with no support, if I could even find one for sale. And even if at the time, before the internet, I was able to get a hold of English Spectrum titles, they wouldn't be compatible with the U.S. 2048/64 models.

    Backing up a bit for computer experience, I was first introduced to computers in Junior High. I took a modular class with just two other students on the libraries two computers, which were dark gray or black Bell & Howell Apple II conputers. I think they still had the Apple logo on them too, but also Bell & Howell. Later, in high-school, just about the time I got my T/S 1000, I took Basic programming class using Apple II+ and IIe's. So my next choice for an upgrade from my T/S 1000, was an Apple II. So I started saving to buy an Apple IIc.

    But at about the time I saved up about half what I needed for the Apple IIc system, I read about the "New" Atari headed by Jack Tramiel, former head of Commodore with the C64's success under his belt. The new ST's I read about, were still at least as much as the Apple IIc, IIRC, if not more, but it was a new option. But after reading more, I came across the new XE line Jack was introducing, most interesting to me was the 130XE. Here was a computer with the same CPU, 128K memory, real keyboard, and better graphics than the Apple IIc for a fraction of the price. I had enough money to get the 128K computer I dreamed of now, and could expand with a disk drive later instead of being forced to pay for the one built into the IIc. And it had a Microsoft Basic II cartridge I could use since I had learned Microsoft Basic II on an Apple II.

    So, I ended up buying a 130XE in August of 1985 (at the age of 17, and a junior* in high-school) with an after-market Taihaho tape drive and some books and magazines with type-in software, either Atari Basic or Micro-soft. About six months later I bought a 1050 disk drive, and six months after that I did my first ever Atari upgrade, by installing a an ICD U.S. doubler in my 1050. I fully believe to this day I made the absolute right choice with the most powerful and flexible 8-bit computer with the wonderful SIO smart peripherals.

    Even with it being the underdog with little support by the time I got my first Atari 8-bit, I would make the same choice again. There was enough support for everything I needed and more than enough software choices, meager as they were compared to C64 or Apple II, for the money I had to spend. I was a lone Atarian where I lived and in my High School, with only a couple of computer dealers and Atari magazines to keep me linked into the world. And the only way I got software was to buy it. I didn't have a clue, or a source to copy from to do pirating or get my hands on pirated software. And all the copy upgrades were too expensive anyway. But I love the machine, and for many of my favorite software titles, it had the best versions, IMHO, anyway, compared to friends C64 and Apple II's.

    Two things that always bothered me about my Atari system were the 130XE's mushy keyboard, and the mis-matched peripherals with XL and third party, due to pricing and availability at the time (No XF551 yet), I had mostly XL peripherals with an XE in the middle. I kept that system until the early 2000's when I bought a 1200XL off someone here on Atari Age, IIRC, and upgraded it to 256K and other upgrades. I fell in love with the style, size, port placement and keyboard of the 1200XL and sold off my 130XE after about 20 years.

    I now own several 1200XL's, an 800XL, a 600XL for salvage only, and an original 48K 800. I have upgraded or plan to upgrade all of my machines and peripherals. But I've had Atari 8-bits in my possession and actively used for the most part of the last 34 years. 1985-2019. Both my 1200XL and 800 have been majorly upgraded now (2021), see my other blogs.

    Though beyond my Basic programming class, my Atari was not used for more than games and graphic art until I went to college, at the age of 24 after working and traveling for several years. But I took my 130XE to college, with my 1050 drive and a Panasonic 24-pin printer, Microprint interface and Atari Writer+ and it was used for every paper I ever wrote through my college career.

    After college, in '96 I did some more traveling and moved to Southern California. I lived in Huntington Beach for a few years, and learned to surf and do my art and writing (art and English were my major's/degrees) while working as a manager of a magazine stand on Pacific Coast Highway across from the Huntington Beach Peer, it was named Taxi's News. My Atari remained in storage for these years.

    In the spring of 1999 I moved from California back to Wisconsin, where my parents lived, and where I went to college, at Ripon College, previously until 1996. At this point I decided to go to a technical college and get an associates degree in electronics while working nights, I was 32 by this point.

    This is when I pulled out my old 130XE again, and also acquired my first ST and Amiga computers, and really started upgrading my classic systems. I sold off most everything in a move from Wisconsin to Texas in 2004, except for my Atari 8-bit and Jaguar systems. While in Texas I re-acquired ST's& STe's, a Mega STe, and a Falcon. Also a 400, 800, 1200XL and sold the 130XE. Most of it was eventually sold off again and I just kept what I "needed." I currently have 3 1200XL's (one massively upgraded) and a massively upgraded 800. I also have an 800XL. One 1200XL and the 800XL I'm restoring and upgrading and they will be given to friends.

    *I was held back between grades 2-3 early on due to an un-diagnosed light case of A.D.D. But mostly I was bored and unchallenged, and unfocused because I learned so quickly and quit paying attention to the teacher because I didn't have too anymore and also didn't do homework because it was boring and not challenging, and I became a slacker in the system until I returned to college as an adult. Public school was too stupid for me. But that's a whole other story, though I've had my I.Q. tested many times over the years, and always scored low-end genius between 135-143 even though I was under the influence of Marijuana every time (it helps me focus so I don't get distracted). Maybe my I.Q. would be higher I didn't have A.D.D. and could be sober while taking the tests.
     

  7. Gunstar
    AtariLab Interface modding and hacking
     
    The AtariLab Interface is a peripheral that plugs into the controller port(s) of the 400/800/XL/XE machines and as many can be used as you have controller ports for. Originally the Interface came in the 'AtariLab starter set' which was to be the main kit in a series of educational experiment software and hardware modules. The 'starter set' came with one Interface and tools and software cartridge for the first module, the temperature module. Do to poor sales and/or the video game crash of '83/84 which lead to the sale of Atari and the new agenda of Jack Tramiel only one other module for the series was ever released, the light module.
     
    But the AtariLab Interface was made for so much more, and the starter set explains, with minor examples, of using the Interface for your own experimentation and projects. It's essentially a controller port break-out-box allowing for the easy connection and interfacing to the Atari computer through RCA jacks that use every line of the controller port(s) but for the trigger/fire button line. The Interface can be used as a prototype and experimentation device for anything one can dream up to interface with Atari computers (and any computer with Atari compatible controller ports really) and through it either control or communicate with external devices from the computer or vice-versa. I have no idea why they didn't include all 8 I/O lines (one line is ground) and instead decided to include two +5V outputs on the 8 Interface I/O lines and leave out fire/trigger input.
     
    I was dissatisfied with two things about the AtariLab Interface. One, the missing fire/trigger button input line, and two, a power switch as the interface powers up with the computer or when plugged in if the computer is already on. A pet peeve of mine are devices that only power on and off by plugging them in, when a on/off switch is literally the simplest circuit one can build in electronics and is the basic circuit and basis of all computers. On/off, zero and one, open or closed. Computers are literally made from this simple circuit and would not exist as we know them without it. It's literally what makes up the internals of all I.C.'s and computers work based on which of them are on and off, high or low, one or zero. So why power switches aren't included in every electronic device made is beyond me. But, since it is such a simple and basic circuit, I add my own to devices without them, and the AtariLab Interface is one example.
     
    So after investigating and researching the interface and it's circuit, I added power switches and fire input to the three Interfaces I own. The power switch I installed myself and created the circuit for it. The fire button I implemented trough one of the two +5V lines which are really both connected to the one +5V line of the controller port, and if I need more than one line, it's easy enough to use an RCA splitter to get two or more +5v lines back through the interface. I wanted to make sure that every single controller I/O line is available for me to use for my interfacing projects and experiments.
     
    I have purchased two extra interfaces that are surplus, with no labels, separately from B&C Computervisions (MyAtari on eBay). So why do I want or need more than one? Because I may want I/O possibilities through more than just one port. For example, and the project that caused me to gain interest in the interfaces is the 'Arm your Atari' article from Analog magazine issues 44 and 45, summer 1986. It's a project for connecting a Radioshack Armitron robot arm to your Atari through the controller ports. The full project requires 3 of the 4 ports of an Atari 400/800 and originally requires the user to hack together connectors for the controller ports to interface with the robot arm. With the AtariLab Interface, this is not required and I can connect everything, at least in the research, development and prototyping stages. If needed, the final project can have it's own controller port plugs. I intend, now that I know the interfaces inside and out, to build my own DIY forth interface as I intend to make the 'Arm Your Atari' project merely a starting point that I will expand on, eventually building and interfacing an entire robot through the controller ports and I also foresee the possibility of needing even more I/O lines through controller ports, so I intend to add a second PIA I.C. to my 800 and even more controller ports for this long-term project and others.
     
    So why interface with the Atari through the controller ports (aside from the initial project from Analog doing it that way)? Because the SIO, PBI and cartridge ports on my systems are already clogged with devices that I will need too, and clogging up the plumbing even more for such interfacing could cause traffic jams and interference, etc. with other devices connected to the system. A perfect example of this is the SDrive-Max device that connects through the SIO but will not work with other devices on the SIO unless another circuit is made to allow it to work. I don't want to have to worry about device and communication conflicts when I do my interfacing projects. Also because the PIA chip(s) is a wonderful little chip with all kinds of communication and I/O properties that are hardly ever used and free to use with my projects even with everything else being used.
     
    The pictures below are of what I've modded on my interfaces, and also show how the first interfaces were totally screwed up and Atari had to manually rewire them by hand to make them work correctly, like the center interface, where the green wiring is all Atari's rewiring. Only the yellow, blue and red wires were added to the interfaces by me to create fire button input and power switches. The interfaces on either side are the extras I purchased, which are a later, correctly done revision of the Atari Interface. I scanned the original interface's labeling and printed and cut out two copies for my other devices. They are slightly blurry due to the power switch not allowing the device to lay flat while scanning it, but it's good enough for me, and still better than hand labeling it all myself.
     

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