atarimac

Kevin, You'll need to provide more details for me to try and debug the problem. What type of controls were you using to play the game? A gamepad? Keyboard joysticks? If you were using a gamepad, how were your controllers configured. Windowed or Full screen mode? When you say the cursor was stuck in the window, do you mean the mouse cursor? If you like, you can reply via email as well to [email protected] Mark

Kevin242, Atari800MacX has four different window sizes. Look under the Display, Display Scale Factor menu. Or you can use Ctrl-Command-1 through Option-Command-4 keystrokes. Mark

Remo, Thanks for doing the testing on your MB Pro. I suspect that the problems they were seeing had to do with the "embedded" graphics of the MB (non-pro), and how SDL and OpenGL work with it's drivers. Mark

eobet, First, make sure you have an artifacting mode set in the Display panel in preferences. Then for you to see artifacting, you will have to be using a game or program that supports it, such as David's Midnight Magic for example. If you still can't get it to work, feel free to email me at [email protected], or reply on here. Thanks, Mark

All, Some users have reported that Atari800MacX is slower on Intel macs that what they remember on PPC. This seems to mostly be coming from MacBook users. However, the same users have reported that turning off OpenGL in preferences, and using Software rendering instead restores performance. As I don't have an Intel Mac, and most like will not for a year to two years, I don't have a way of debugging any issue there might be. Unless someone wants to donate one for me ......or if there is a developer out there who wants to help with Intel Macs. Thanks, Mark

All, Atari800MacX version 3.2 is released, and is now a Universal Binary, and should run natively on Intel Mac. See below for other changes. The emulator can be downloaded from http://members.cox.net/atarimac , and the links point back to AtariAge, so thanks again go to Al for hosting the emulator!!! Mark Features Added/Changed: * Application is now a Universal Binary, and should run natively on Intel based Macs. * Added true Volume Only sound to "Hi-Fi" sound mode, so that games such as Bezerk and Nexuss now have correct sound, removing "hiss" from that old sound was causing in those games. * Added ability to go to/from fullscreen mode using Cmd-Return, as well as Cmd-F. Most other emulators use that key sequence for full screen. * Updated code base to core emulator Atari800 2.0.1 release + CVS Changes. Bugs Fixed: * Fixed improper screen redraw when exiting GUI in full screen mode. * Fixed fullscreen GUI from running too fast when Limit Speed feature was off. * Fixed issue with Sirus games by incorporating Atar800 CVS changes.

Sounds like you have the joystick emulator set to use the keys on the right hand part of the keyboard...L and others. Check your joystick settings....

Mr. Fish, I haven't had any other reports of download problems, so this is strange. The file is actually hosted here on AtariAge. I'll contact you offline in a PM, and we can see if we can find an alternate download method for you. Thanks, Mark

All, The recent release of Atari800MacX was indavertetnly released with debug on, so it was not optimized by the compiler. This will cause slower pefromance of the emulator. Therefore, I've just released version 3.1.1, and I've fixed a couple of additional bugs while I was at it. The emulator can be downloaded from http://members.cox.net/atarimac , and the links point back to AtariAge, so thanks again go to Al for hosting the emulator!!! Mark Bugs Fixed: * Version 3.1.0 was inadvertently released with debug optimization turned on, which will cause the emulator to run slower. Full optimization has been restored in this release. * Fixed bug in keyboard handling with international mapping turned on. Ctrl-Shift-Alpha keys were not working before, for example, the ctrl-shift-M combination used by the Action! cartridge. * Restored operation of R: device handler for TCP/IP communication. This was broken in some past release. In addition, it is now capable of dialing out as well as receiving calls (see help or manual for details).

All, I've released a new version of Atari800MacX for the Mac, mainly a bugfix release, see below. I will be working on a Universal Binary version in the coming months, so if anyone has an Intel Mac and wants to volunteer for testing, please email me. You can dowload the emulator from http://members.cox.net/atarimac , and the links point back to AtariAge, so thanks again go to Al for hosting the emulator!!! Mark Features Added/Changed: * Integrated new Warm Reset handling from Atari800 2.0.1 * Integrated new Hard Disk emulation from Atari800 2.0.1 * Added NTSC palette files. * Cleaned up autoswitching between computer and 5200 modes, so that switching occurs from 5200 mode when user inserts computer media (catridge, disk, executable file). * Added menu in preferences so that user could select which computer type is switched to when user inserts computer media (cartridge, disk, executable file), when emulator is in 5200 mode. Bugs Fixed: * Fixed slashed zeros in Epson Printer Emulation * Fixed Atari 1020 Printer Emulation issue of crashing when print with auto adjust is on. * Fixed handling of Ctrl-Shift and certain key combinations, enabling such programs as Paperclip and Extended DDT. * Fixed issue where machine was not reintialized when OS ROM was changed. * Fixed issue where window title bar was not updated when autochanging modes between computer and 5200. * Fixed issue where machine type menu was not updated when autochanging modes between computer and 5200. * Fixed issue where emulated screen was not cleared properly when autochanging modes between computer and 5200.

Trebor, I took the hex values for the palette from the source code for Stella. I'm attaching TIA.cxx, which contains both the PAL and NTSC palettes. They are in a format similar to the 7800, except instead of 3 8Bit numbers for each color, there is one 24 bit number, in the format 0xrrggbb, for red green and blue. Mark TIA.cxx.zip

All, One of the Atari800MacX users pointed out that all the current palettes distrubuted with the Atari800 emulators do not display the real colors for NTSC machines. He especially noted the purples instead of reds in PacMan and Ms. PacMan. I had never noticed it before, but found several threads in the 800 forum about the real colors. It looks like all the original palettes were developed by PAL users. Since the 800 and 2600 used the same palettes for NTSC, I've converted the three different types of palettes used by Stella. The user who pointed it out said that the new Stella palette was the best, and that is what I have found in Stella also, but I've also converted the original Stella and the Z26 palettes. I've attached the three .pal files, and they should be useable with Atari800, Atari800WinPlus, and Atari800MacX. I'll be including them in the next release of Atari800MacX. Enjoy! Palettes.zip

All, For any of you who have version 1.0 of Sio2OSX, I realized tonight that I had screwed up and left the expiration timer that was in the Beta test vesions active in the real code. So all of the copies expired today. I have a new 1.1 version which as soon as Al posts it to the server, I will link from my web page. I've emailed it to the registered users, but if anyone else needs a copy before then, please email me..... Thanks, Mark

Ask and you shall receive. I sent the author a Xcode project as well, it was a 5 minute task to build it. Unlike Atari800MacX and StellaOSX, you need to have libSDL installed on your machine (the framework version for the Mac, not the fink version). It was a quick 5 minute build project. Thanks, Mark

doctorclu, I'm glad to hear the program is working for you. Al, I'd lone you a cable, but I'm afraid the drive from Arizona to Texas is a long one

Yes, doctorclu is correct, all of the adapters I tried during development except for FTDI based ones failed. These includes ones with chipsets by Prolific (most of the ones you find at CompUSA, etc. nowadays), Keyspan, Belkin, etc. The other reason I warned about registering was issues with drivers on the FTDI. I never had any issues on my hardware, but one of by Beta testers did, and was fixed by a different version of the FTDI driver. So please email me at [email protected] if you have the same issues. For reference I have a Dual 1.25GHz G4 MDD, running 10.4.4, and a B/W G3 500MHz running 10.2, and have tested on both. It has also been tested on a G5 tower and a laptop. Thanks, Mark

Currently, Sio2OSX doesn't have any support for R: emulation or internet use. It might be added in a future version.

They are the only one of the type that I have run across. I'm a consultant for a embedded software company in my daytime job, and it is the only one that I have seen like that, not that there may not be others. Many of the common ones you can buy in retail stores today are based on the Prolific chipset, which does not do this. The issue isn't a physical hardware limitation, but is in the format of the received data, which is normally on a USB Bulk Input pipe. With FTDI, the first two bytes of every bulk input are the status of the control lines, where other adapters, you have to send a seperate USB vendor specific command to retrieve the status. The packets aren't time stamped. So you are right, jitter and latency could cause a problem if they are important. And you are correct about OS latency. Although the Mac OSX Mach kernel scheduler seems to do a good job of keeping that to a minimum when I assigned the thread that is processing the serial data a high priority. But then, this version of SIO2OSX doesn't include any copy protection duplication schemes, such as your libraries provide, so I haven't had to worry about that yet. The best source I've found is here, http://www.usbgear.com/computer_cable_deta...06%2C1009%2C601 . USB Gear caries several adapters using FTDI chips. FTDI's support has been helpful and responsive, so they might be able to recommend other sources. Mark

I'm glad some people are interested in using SIO2PC on the Mac. I thought I might give some technical details here as to why only an FTDI serial adapter will work. SIO2PC cables use modem control lines to do the Atari SIO bus command signaling. They either use RI, DSR, or RTS. With a hardwired serial port of the type on PC's (Although not all newer ones, they are showing up without serial ports now as well), software is able to read the state of these lines quickly. However, with USB Serial adapters, the software is subject to the delays of the USB bus. For SIO2PC applications, by the time the software finds out about a state change in the Modem control lines, it is too late, and the data it wants to look at (the command itself) is already gone. The FTDI USB adapters work differently, in that every time any data is received, the state of the modem control lines is sent with it, so that the state change and the command arrive at the same time. So that is why FTDI is the only serial adapter that works, and believe me I tried a bunch. (and I've written USB Serial adapater drivers as part of my daytime job ). One other option is that in looking in the drivers in Mac OSX, there is actually a 16550 Serial port driver. This may mean that you could use a PC PCI Serial card with 16550 Serial chips on it in a Mac. I looked long and hard, and didn't find anyone on the web doing this, but I always thought it would be interesting to try. Of course, it would only be for tower machines (Laptop users would be left out), and new machines with only PCI X might be left out as well. Mark

Sorry, a colon got included in the Web site link, here's one without it: http://members.cox.net/atarimac/Sio2OSX.html Mark

All, I've created a new Mac/Atari program, in addition to my Atari800MacX emulator. It's called Sio2OSX, and here is the blurb from it's web page, http://members.cox.net/atarimac/Sio2OSX.html: Sio2OSX is a peripheral emulator for the Atari 8-bit computers that allows the Atari computer to use an OSX based Macintosh as a disk drive, a cassette drive, and a printer. Sio2OSX peforms functions similar to APE or SIO2PC on Windows based computers. Sio2OSX is a shareware program, and must be registered for full operation. The unregistered version of the program will run for 5 minutes before quiting, allowing you to verify operation with your hardware setup before purchase. The software can be easily registered for $24.99 through Kagi. A full manual is included within the application's Help menu. Note, as this does require serial USB hardware, and is a new product, please try it out on your hardware before you pay the registration fee. I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have by email. Requirements are 10.2 or later, and a PPC Mac, as well as a FTDI based USB Serial adapter and a SIO2PC Hardware cable. Details are on the web site about the USB adapter and SIO2PC cable. Thanks, Mark

Al, The Cmd-Enter shortcut works for me on the Mac. You might want to try what Steve suggested as well, to see if the menu item works. Of course, that would be a problem if it worked, and the shorcut didn't, as you wouldn't be able to get back from fullscreen. Mark

Yes, Atari800MacX does support the 5200. Version 2.1 is available now, and version 3.0 will be coming out in the next few days. Regards, Mark

Hi, I'm the author of Atari800MacX, and I'll try to help. If you are getting the monitor window, it means that the emulated Atari machine has crashed or hit a breakpoint (of course you aren't setting breakpoints, but you may be hitting a breakpoint in a corrupted ROM). I've tried it hear, and have no problems with the rom the author of Adventure II posted. One thing could be it's extension, .bin. This was previously used by Apple and other to denote a binary image, and whatever browser you are using to download it may have a helper app set to translate the .bin type. What is the size of the file if you look at it in the finder? If I do a get info, it has a size of 32,768 bytes, and a creation and modification dates of June 19, 2005. Cafeman is correct on the monitor. If you use the 'cont' command it will continue, 'quit' will quit the emulator, and you can find the other monitor commands by using '?' or 'help', but you won't need them unless you are doing programming on the 800 or 5200. Thx, Mark

Thank you for the manual pointer, it was very helpful. Does anyone have an image or disk of "Print 'n Draw"? Thanks again, Mark