tf_hh

Thanks Paul and Lord Thag, I got an very fine offer by email and will take this. BR Jurgen

Hi Community, as some people know, I´m the one behind the ABBUC repair service for Atari computers and peripherals and also I develope hardware for the Atari 8 Bits. I own every type of Atari 8 Bit computers in my home, mostly in PAL and NTSC versions, except one: The Atari 1200 XL. It´s nearly impossible to get one here in europe, and when somebody offer one, the price mostly rises up over 200 Euro - I´m not willing and able to pay such prices. Maybe someone here in the community have one spare 1200 XL for me, so I ask. I want this for completion of my devices, to be able to test my new hardware and so on on really every machine. If somebody can make me an offer - please sent me an PN or email to [email protected] Thanks! BR Jurgen

Just a note... The "ingot" ones are only availible in the U.S. (or in other words, for usage in 110/115 volt areas). I didn´t know, if the european/australia models (220/230 volts) also were produced by "ingot", but I have had dozens of them, and never one with such a behavior like often read here. The 220/230 volt models have the typical issues like all other XL/XE power supplies: - They work - They didn´t work - no output - They have defective electrolytic capacitors side. Output voltage running idle is fine, but when a computer connected and switched on, it breaks down to something less then 4 volts with visible voltage dropdown on the scope Lower voltages didn´t kill something on the Atari, mostly such defective power supplies results in non-booting computers with red/brown screen. ANTIC, GTIA and CPU (clocks) may be able to generate a video signal until the effective voltages drops less then 4,2V. Jurgen

Yes, the MT-4067 are the same like 4464 or 41464. When you changed them already and system won´t start, the suggestion of using a wrong power supply by former user(s) is the most possible reason. I´ve had a lot of dead XL/XE on my desk which were try to power-up with a Commodore C64 power supply... instant dead will follow. The 40 pin IC down below the DRAMs is the Freddie. Freddie ist just a simple ASIC which containts some DRAM access logic and clock divider. In most cases the Freddie is also blown out when using wrong power supplies like the C64 one (this one has 9V AC... ). The reason here is, that Freddie is manufactured in CMOS, all the other custom chips from Atari are manufactured in NMOS. Most times all NMOS chips survice such a "Commodore attack", but DRAMs (also most CMOS in the XE series with two 41464) and Freddie are dead. If you own an oscilloscope, check the following points... - Pin 7 of the CPU (SYNC). Should be some transitions visible after RESET. Maybe flat line at 0V after some cycles (CPU hung up). If absolutely NO activity after RESET / Power-Up, no PHI0 clock is provided to CPU - Check OSC output of Freddie (Pin 37). This is the "master clock" for ANTIC, this one will generate PHI0 for CPU. OSC should be around 3,5xx MHz. If no transistions visible, Freddie is dead - Check pin 33 (RAS) and 35 (CAS). RAS must be constantly active, CAS also. Also no transistions = Freddie dead Without oscilloscope my Sys-Check might be helpful, but of course not in all situations. Good luck, Jurgen

This is a "Type 4" keyboard from Stackpole (Manufacturer). See here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/105170-600800xl-keyboard-variants/?do=findComment&comment=1274425 I have such defective keyboard (more than I like to have), so if you can´t get one in the U.S., drop me a note Jurgen

Thanks for that information. I compared the DOS.SYS and SDUP.SYS from "my" version and the SuperDOS 4.3T version a post later and all files are nearly the same - just a few bytes different and the text strings. So I assume it´s the same thing at all. Jurgen

Hi, nice thread... I´m wondering, why I mostly never see the HCI-DOS in the DOS lots or files... is it "rare"? Or it´s hack? I got it with a Happy 1050 clone in 1986. Anybody knows this DOS? And has a full version (I miss some tools for buffer and drive config for example)? I mostly uses this for years without any problems... BR Jurgen HCIDOS.atr

In worst case the flash ROM become unusable content and the computer doesn´t start - but the flash is changeable, because it residents in a socket. So you´re safe in most way. Take a look at the flashchip. It is a AMD 29F040B one? Maybe it has a defect. In the last years where I built U1MB and Incognito in several computers sometimes I´ve got problems with the AMD flashchips while writing data to them. In three times I´ve to replace them, because after flash-failure also in a professional programmer (Conitec GALEP-5D) these flashes won´t be writable again. Maybe someone can sent you a replacement flash. The SST39SF040 is very cheap (less then 3 bucks) and well supported by UFLASH and the SDX flash files. If you live in europe, I can sent you one. In the U.S. it´s faster and cheaper (shipping) if somebody else offer it. Jurgen

The CPS SALT cartridge has one error code for bad ram issues directly after boot-up - it shows a "System Failure #04" if memory is so bad, that the CPU´s stack can´t used. And the normal RAM test of course

The pictures from Candle´s installation guide shows a PAL CPU board. All PAL CPU boards I´ve ever seen have the 6502C ("Sally") CPU installed. The most NTSC CPU boards I know have the 6502B Standard-CPU and a 74LS245 (?) chip and some more logic to enable ANTIC´s DMA on it. Maybe some of the last production runs of NTSC CPU boards also have the 6502C without DMA-additional logic. After flashing the new BIOS - did you remove the battery again for 5 minutes? Sometimes there are old values stored in the RTC´s NVRAM which may disturb the actual BIOS. I remove the battery, wait 5 minutes and mostly all issues are gone. When you´re flashing the SDX, which device is used for storing the programming files? I suggest only to use a native SIO device (i.e. real floppy disc, SIO2SD or SIO2PC-xxx). Jurgen

The main goal is... every PBI expansion which need $D1xx (what is mandatory if the expansion has an own ROM and want to be 100% PBI compliant) can´t count on the existence of a supplementary connected /D100 signal on the PBI. So every designer has to decode the A8...A15 lines byself to generate this signal. Newer expansions use a CPLD or a GAL, the older ones a TTL 74 chip (74xx682 as a 8 bit comparator) or a bunch of AND/OR chips. Jurgen

Yes. A lot. But mostly only optional - Any Turbo Freezer (from the oldest original to the newest Remake, Turbo Freezer 2011) - Any KMK-IDE Interface - ROM-Disks like mentioned in my post before - Sys-Check ... and a lot of other modern expansions. Mostly they can also fed by external power supply and/or joystickport-connection to pin 7, but a lot of expansions need only small current and can be fed by the computer. Bigger expansions like the BlackBox need their own power supply instead. Jurgen

The most actual and made-in-the-past also PBI devices doesn´t require any additional connections. This would disagree the concept of an external buss like PBI and should not recommanded in any design - otherwise any user of this specific PBI expansion must open his computer and solder wires. I think, there are only a very small amount of such expansions require additional connections. I know only one... the Ralf David ROM Disk. This one has a modified OS on it´s PCB and requires 2 or 3 (don´t remember right now) additional wires from specific points on the XL mainboard to the PBI. Also traces must be cut on the XL mainboard an so on. Ok, the Turbo Freezer 2 XL (from B. Engl, not any of the remakes from Hias) has the optional possibility to connect the /HALT signal to the PBI on pin 31 (when I´m remember right) to make the memory expansion on the Turbo Freezer 2 XL compatible to the ANTIC-mode like in any 130 XE. The ROM-Disk also uses pin 31. So that´s the second reason why not to support these mods... a computer modded for usage with the Turbo Freezer 2 XL in ANTIC/CPU seperate mode (memory expansion) won´t work the ROM-Disk... and more side-effects are possible. Jurgen

I´ve made a XE (cart + ECI) to PBI adapter some time ago, but no PCBs left. If you own a Turbo Freezer 2011 with XE adapter, you can use this one Maybe before more action is taken... somebody who owns both should test it. There are some signals from the PBI (XL) missing at the XE (ECI), for example RAS/CAS. Specially RAS is sometimes used by PBI expansions to generate something like a shortened PHI2 phase (one solution before the actual usual way with the 74LS123/74HCT123 was developed). I didn´t know anything about this MIO thing, so maybe here´s a user with MIO and Turbo Freezer 2011 XE adapter und would check this together using a 130 XE... Jurgen

Hi, there are a LOT of different ROM images for the Happy 1050 and clones in the wild. I think, 95% of them are patched or hacked versions in any way. In most cases the source and intention of the patch / mod is not reproducible. The MegaSpeedy is delivered without Happy ROMs installed due to copyright limitations. So I think you downloaded the ROMs "anywhere"... and then nobody knows, which files you have. I have 10 or so versions and also not really know the differences. Some pass all 7.1 tests (also ROM), other not. The main difference I found in writing. Some ROM files enables fast, highspeed writes with typical software (U.S. sector copier, Speedy copier, Copy2000 and so on), other not. They switch only to highspeed-mode if a "Verify = OFF" command is sent, which is unusual. Most of the hacked / patched versions have problems with the trackbuffer when writing to disc. I use most times the version from AtariMax, it works fine also for the MegaSpeedy. BR Jurgen

I´ve some PCBs left and constantly produce more on demand. So if you want one or more, just follow the info in post #1 BR Jurgen

Do you know if the drive was working before? Or it is a eBay purchase or something like that? If you´re not sure if this drive ever works fine, then check the settings of the JP1...JP4 bridges. You will find two settings, one for MASK-ROM and the other for an EPROM. Settings are described in the SAMs computerfacts or the Jerzy schematics. Check if the setting is right depending on the ROM- or EPROM-type the drive using. This behavior means mostly that the RESET routine can´t use the 6502 stack ($0100-$01FF, in the 1050 circuitry only $0180-$01FF) properly. Mostly the 6810 SRAM is defect, do you really change all chips? Also a bad RIOT (6532) with one or more defect portbits can force this issue. When you can exclude all that, next steps need an oszilloscope. Good luck, Jurgen

Hi, that´s quite simple. Just use a wire from the upper side of the capacitor left to the cartridge port, that´s plus 5 volts. Solder the wire to pin 47 or 48 of the PBI. You can use the second one from the left. See the picture below - it´s easy. Jurgen

Hi Marius, thanks Only the trackbuffer SRAM (8 KByte, mostly now used 32 KByte, because easier to get) and the TTL logic chIp (fits under the EPROM socket) are SMD parts. I never had defects with such simple parts in the last years. Main reason to use these both parts in SMD is to fit the PCB in 5x5 cm. Cheap, simple to assemble and - look at my picture - the left part could be "hold" by the blue trim pot, so the PCB is very fast and strong mounted. Jurgen

Hi, I create a new version of the Mini-Speedy 1050 for the ABBUC. The new PCB - only 5 x 5 cm in size - will be offered in the ABBUC shop in about 2 weeks. Here´s a picture of the new version: It´s equipped with a 27256 EPROM. Without changing anything, the built-in HSS copier is booted with open disc lever at power-on, when the both pads "OS" are tied together (using a switch etc.), then the ROM-version of BiboDOS 6.4 is loaded from the Mini-Speed´s internal memory. No solder work required. Just removal of two chips, place the Mini-Speedy 1050 in the CPU socket und removal of four caps. That´s all. Jurgen

Hi, thanks for feedback. Got some PMs, too. I think this was only a single-time issue. But if somebody has trouble, please report. Thanks. Jurgen

Yes, I´ve some left. If you want one, use follow the hints in post #1 Jurgen

Hi NTSC Users, does anybody has use the new flasher already? My questions affects to the graphical view of Sys-Check V2.1 versus Sys-Check V2.2. One user reports to me, that the picture isn´t stable and rolling top-down. I have one 800 XL with NTSC and connected to my multi-system television (PAL, NTSC, SECAM compatible) all is fine. The display list for this screen doesn´t overrun the maximum for NTSC based screens. Any feedback welcome. Jurgen

Not exactly. The MegaSpeedy is able to emulate the Super Archiver, but not the BitWriter. The BitWriter is needed to copy some special copy protections. But the BitWriter could be much more, it´s only a question of software. Like some other projects from Dropcheck for example, the main reason why I make the BitWriter Replica was keeping such a fantastic unit alive. The main goal of the MegaSpeedy was to enable as much as possible enhancements for the 1050 in one single expansion. Jurgen

PM sent!