atari8warez

No there is no secret, with version 3.0 I started using FT231X chip instead of FT232RL because I needed to save space in order to fit the PCB into an SIO plug. FT232RL versions worked fine in a real/virtual disk mix without a diode on the TXD line but FT231X apparently failed, unfortunately I became aware of the situation only after I started to sell the devices so there was no way i could have changed the design. Version 3.1 introduced a diode so it also works fine in a mixed drive scenario. I didn't issue a "recall" as most people seemed to be happy with what they had. I had only two people who notified me of the problem and only one of them wanted an exchange. So, it's no secret but it wasn't publicly announced either. The v3.0 device can also be modified by the user by replacing the short wire going from the PCB to pin 3 of the SIO plug with a small signal diode, but because the space is very limited inside the plug, it may not be as easy to do as some other upgrades. Another caveat is that you will lose 10502PC functionality when you insert the diode, so a home made fix is a compromise solution. V3.1 on the other hand retains 10502PC functionality while it also works in a mixed drive environment. Anyone who purchased a V3.0 device and needs the mixed drive environment capability can PM me to get an exchange, I do however require the return of the purchased device before I can send a replacement.

+1 for Fort Apocalypse

Why do I fail to see how Pac-Man or Pole Position or any other game for that matter will promote "enlightenment" !, if anything they will promote repetitive stress injury! and truth? what is the truth?, the only truth we are sure about is the fact that we all will die one day and everything will end as far as we know, the rest is just speculation, so how can you classify one group of people as "ignorant" and the other "in the know" when neither one knows about the absolute truth, is there even such a thing as absolute truth? So my personal view is that believe what you want to believe but don't kill me because I think differently....

You can put the diode the way it is shown on the following diagram, but since you use a breakout board you would need to put the diode inline with SIO wire SIO3

FTDI FT232RL works without a diode (at least in my SIO2PC/10502PC Dual-USB design), but FT231X for example does not. So it seems that some chips do work sometimes, some don't. I asked FTDI about this discrepency and didn't get a definite answer. Although they said that neither chip has an open collector type output, so the differences must lie in the voltage levels or some other detail in the device circuitry. Using a diode will make sure that it works in all cases.

Which diagram did you use?

In order to use a mix of real and virtual drives, your SIO2PC must have a diode (a small signal diode like 1N914) between the SIO3 pin of the Atari and TXD pin of your SIO2PC to emulate an open collector output. Without it you won't be able to access your real drives when using AspeQt. After you add the diode you can use COPY2000 utility (a sector copier) to copy disks from/to real/virtual drives, and if your real drive has a speed enhancement you can even do it in high speed, or you can use DOS's copy feature to copy individual files. And of course if you use an Atari DOS like 2.0 or 2.5, and want to assign drive numbers 3 & 4 to a real drive, you need to configure the DOS to use 4 drives (default is 2) using the SETUP.COM utility that is on the DOS disk. Not yet....

Beat me to it... lol

And for North American atarians, there's DropCheck, wonder if she can do the bezel with her new 3D printer

I guess he meant; - No, you won't lose any benefits , and - Yes, change them if you need to do so (he would also do the same if he needed to)

Yup, no problems now that I am using the XBIOS loader, thank you.

Yeah, it should be there for a reason, so I am keeping it and I already moved the U1MB to it's new location.

I should make one exception to the above statement though. I like to play Millipede, sometimes I can play it for hours trying to break my personal high-score

Yes it's really a good deal for gamers, unfortunately I am not one of them, not enough patience for games and my attention span playing games is really short. I enjoy the technical aspects of computing a lot more than the entertainment aspect. In any case yes it is working, so I can start the hardware installation

No actually you were right, after trying it with XBIOS, I can now load Millipede successfuly....

I think it pays to read the whole thread before posting anything, sometimes I am way ahead of myself, thanks Jinks, I will try that and see what happens.

I would have tried it but It's not my computer Paul, and I don't want to risk anything on somebody else's atari. I am just moving the U1MB upgrade to the other corner of the case so that it wont interfere with the keyboard cable.

@TheMontezuma Marcin, here's a video of what is happening, hope that helps. Do you think it's a baud rate problem? http://youtu.be/QiYOpoTiJoQ

Jinks, here's a little update: I was able to fix the IDC connector with two missing pins with a homemade solution and it works, but it is temporary and I am waiting for the new IDC connector to arrive, which by the way turned out to be a rare item in North America. Only Jameco carries it, and I also needed to buy other stuff to avoid paying an extra 5 dollars handling fee they charge for orders under $10. I needed other parts anyway but the way Jameco structured their shipping fee is strange, and if you add an extra item after you have a certain number of items in your shopping cart, no matter how small the item is, the shipping fee jumps from $10 to over $25 because they now use UPS instead of USPS. Strange part is that they use number of items in determining which carrier to use, instead of shipping weight and/or size of the package. Anyway I had to do some juggling around to avoid the handling fee and keep the shipping rate at $10 So now the U1MB works fine but the extra keyboard connector on the 600XL poses a problem with the U1MB's installation position. That means I will have to move U1MB to the left side of the case between the power switch and the "former RF modulator". This was one more reason to get rid of the RF modulator which is now removed. You will have separate Composite and S-Video jacks + two RCA jacks for audio. Both audio jacks will have the mono signal, but if you install a stereo pokey mod later, they can be used for stereo output. In the meantime I am playing with the SIO2BT using my 65XE to make sure it's functional before I install it internally to your 600XL. Once it is installed, I will modify one of the U1MB OS slots to have the BT compatible OS as an option. I was planning to use the space reserved for the Diagnostic ROM unless you have another choice. Here's some photos of the current upgrade status. Note that U1MB will no longer be mounted near the SIO plug due to keyboard interference as mentioned above.

And the chances of that happening increases if one decides to put the BT module inside a SIO plug, which means the Atari and the BT module must be turned ON at the same time and before a pairing is accomplished. That's of course unless an external power source or a battery is used, which in turn makes the plug option less likely due to space limitations in the plug. And fitting the module inside a plug in the first place isn't as easy as it's shown on the photo in the manual, mainly because one first have to desolder and remove the 4 pin header from the board, trim the corners of the board, plus somehow make room for SIO plug pins + the BT module inside the case. Make sure that SIO pins are solidly supported against insertion forces. Also remember there are different types of SIO plugs and the one shown in the manual is perhaps the easiest to modify. I've looked at the possibility and it can be done if one is really determined, but it's not a task for the casual hardware modder.

It is about 465Ohm per resistor, this one isn't a mylar foil keyboard, and yes it makes safer for multiple removal/insertions, I guess I just have to find a way to make it fit properly with the U1MB upgrade in the vicinity. When I look into my own 600XL i see no difference in the motherboard as far as the keyboard circuitry is concerned, so the resistor pack must have something to do with the keyboard itself. Thank you guys for the tips.

Hi Marcin, I am trying to test the SIO2BT with a 65XE. I connected the BT module to the 65XE externally, using the cable provided by you. I downloaded the SIO2BT app to my Samsung Galaxy SII and mounted the XL_XE_XEGS.ATR to D1:, and a DOS2.5 disk image to D2: of SIO2BT app. The module is powered and paired to my smartphone and ready to communicate. When I try to boot the 65XE, I hear the SIO bleeps and SIO2BT app keeps switching between disks D1: and D2: giving me "BOOT ERROR" s on the monitor. I tried to change the "write delay" value but it doesn't make any difference. This particular 65XE is 100% stock. I wonder if the BT module is still configured for 19,000bps, is there an easy way to verify that without going through the serial cable procedure. If i had to reconfigure the BT module, what is the exact procedure? Thanks

I am doing a few upgrades to this 600XL and this extra piece is getting into the way of fitting the keyboard cover properly, so i was wondering if removing it will do any harm.

I have this 600XL with what seems to be an extra keyboard connector board that goes between the keyboard connector on the motherboard and the 600XL keyboard ribbon cable. Did anyone see that before and know what it is used for?. This particular 600XL does not have any upgrades other than the 64K Ram mod. Here's a photo of the extra connector board: