Van

Could maybe use RA connectors, ala XE. Not sure where to source the connectors, considering the straight connectors seem kind of rare. Yogi

Oh good point. In fact I had been considering this during playback, but most people want to see something and it helps during debugging. Running headless is done often with chipmusic setups for better timing. Yogi

Thanks Michael. I think I found a ball park comparison for loading speeds of different media http://atariage.com/forums/topic/264720-inflatedeflate-improving-the-speed-of-decompression/?p=3747446 Standard SIO - 1.5K/sec HS SIO - 5K/sec PBI HDD - 50K/sec So if these are close to reality, I should be fine loading from CF to Ext RAM banks Yogi

PDF scans of lots of A8 books: http://www.atarimania.com/documents-atari-400-800-xl-xe-books_1_8.html Yogi

Let me ask you Michael, or anyone, about the CF HDD speed? I'm debating the best handling of a large DRO music file, either direct from CF or pre-loaded into ext RAM. Banking the whole file is the fastest access at runtime, but the down side is the load time but that would be before play back starts. So for a 50-100k file, SIO based media seems prohibitive for pre-loading the RAM banks. Transferring from CF to ext RAM seems like it would cut the load time but if the CF access time is fast enough would rather buffer small blocks during runtime direct from the CF. Background: A DRO file is a log of register writes to an OPL chip. Each entry in the log are two bytes composing either the register number and value or command and value. The commands are delays, either 1mS or 256mS x Value+1. So during play back the main loop could be handling back to back register writes or register writes inter-spread with delays. Over all song timing depends on (register writes + delays commands)+loop/system overhead. Yogi

The input circuit to the regulators is just a bridge rectifier so with a old laptop 18VDC 70W PSU or simular and the switching regulator mod I pointed to, could power both drives. The bridge could be by-passed or left in place, it will pass DC just fine. The Switching regulators have a wide input range, up to 45V, without the heat that a linear regulator would produce. So powering the +5V regulator from +18V is no problem unlike a 7805 that would melt down. Yogi

Well, each 1050 has it's own 12v and 5V regulators so I'm at a loss to say why a single AC/AC converter couldn't feed both, as long as it can supply the total max current for both loads. I mean the Power Company does this 24x7. Not alot of difference then Two 9VAC 3A bricks plugged into the same power strip. About the only thing I would add is a common GND between both drives, but I suppose the SIO cable does this fine. Yogi

After a little searching found this about improving the 1050's efficiency http://www.mathyvannisselroy.nl/Atari%201050%20goes%20green.htm This would allow a wider input voltage to the on-board regulators without the added heat of the linear regulators.

Sure, but you would have to have a PSU that can supply the total amperage for both. It' far more do-able now a days with switching PSU designs that can supply 4-5 Amps and are smaller and lighter then the original PSU bricks. Back in the day you would have to use a very large transformer and Caps. Yogi

Glad to hear you're safe and secure. I've been watching the news and our hearts goes out to the whole area. We've been through a storm or two here on the east coast but nothing like Harvey. Hoping the gulf coast gets back on it's feet fast, clean up and rebuilding seems like it takes forever when you have to live through it. Yogi

I was also thinking this the other day about a dual Pokey set-up Yogi

Would be interested in bare board. A suggestion, add 3 pin header footprints under the DIN sockets to allow panel mounted sockets instead of board mounted DINs. Yogi

You might consider a three position screw terminal like this https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10571The 2.54mm ones should match the existing footprint, the down side is they aren't too robust and the screws can be over tightened/opened and strip. Other option could be soldering xtal leads to a cut down component carrier, https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/aries-electronics/08-600-10/A101-ND/4258They are a little spendy, but one could be cut to prep both xtals. Yogi

Yes, not liking the overhang of the XEL, just looks sloppy. Clearing the GTIA/Sophia is very do-able. Clearing the other two will have to happen in the Z-axis, either with a cable or longer header pins and/or sockets like with the U1MB. The M-PBI retrofit sound really good to me. Been thinking about placement. Pulling most of the signals from the CPU, would be tight with the KB when raising the CPU. Might consider the area over the DRAMs in a 800XL. May be interesting to incorporate a DRAM-to-SRAM mod on the board also. Just some 'blue sky' ideas Yogi

Agree , was looking over your photos with Sophia installed, just yesterday. The overhang of the XEL 'front/bottom' edge is ~10mm, with the V1.0 board, will be adjusting the M-PBI footprints to allow for this. The next iteration will shrink a bit, at least as much as possible. The header length sets the board width for the most part. On this proto I used a 2x22 footprint for one header, will be reverting to 2x17 headers. The use of the 'Adr Option' headers takes up board real estate also. If the address was locked in, could do away with some of these too. I'm reluctant to consider an SMD design just yet, but it would yield the smallest board. ATM this is a PoC, so getting it running and developing driver softs is the main push. Direct mounting to the M-PBI, the board will at the least overhang the CPU and somewhat the Antic so would interfere with Antonia or VBXE too. With these mods installed, almost the only option is a cable on the M-PBI header. This isn't a major issue for me, stock CPU and Video is fine here. I used an extra long 2x15 header for the M-PBI that adds ~10mm to typical pin length. This has the net effect of raising the attached PCB bottom 15mm above the top of mobo IC sockets but even this may not add enough clearance for the mods. Regardless of my setup, I don't want to close doors for others. Using a ribbon cable extension allows more mounting options but eats more space in the case. For use in a XL or XE, would have to connect with cables anyway so remote mounting should be a design option anyway. Seems alot like 3D chess Yogi

Back from vacation last week. So here's an update. Finished up soldering (will post pixs later) but still need to test the board, will set up a midiBOX Core8 with a test harness to run some tests. Also worked a bit on another board I got in, the cart port switcher, once I got it all setup will open a thread. Decided to tackle an Atari DRO player as a HW demo, OPL files can be easily produced with DOSbox and should work with ScreamTarcker or AT][ or what have you. Wanted to get start in on the Atari code so went through LGB's C64 SFX DRO player. Added more Comments in the source and sorted out C64 and OPL code. Then started editing the OPL related blocks, as the original is targeted to the OPL2 and the OPL3 has an expanded reg set. I'm posting a snippet of the main player loop, heavily commented, for anyone interested in the code: .Snippet of Atari DRO play loop.txt It's only the start of the Atari port so don't get too excited I think the OPL code is correct but still have to replace all the Display and Keyboard code and adjust the timing delay routines. Thinking a simple GR.0 text display for starters. So lots of research still todo. Yogi

Well, being involved in some of the testing I can say that the design is solid. The issues we have overcome are/were minor (once discovered) and a fair amount of 'human error'. All to be expected with a prototype Design errors and improvements have been incorporated into the release design so builders can avoid some of the pit-falls the beta boards had. Well worth the extra time spent! I expect that whatever problems a builder faces will be due to a faulty part or faulty construction. This is not to say that building the XEL requires expert skills, it's just a matter of taking your time and double checking yourself. Any builder that can read schematics, identify parts, handle through-hole soldering and use a DMM should do well. In fact it's remarkable that a new design, a complex design, could go from an idea, to a working prototype, to a refined release in under a year! JOB WELL DONE Yogi

LOVE that case badge!!! Had to order a couple straight away Great find!!! They also do 'Atari800XL' and 'Atari600XL' badges that fit OEM cases, may have to get one or two of them too. Yogi

Look what came in the mail today! Too bad I won't have anytime to play with em for a week, but it's a good sign that the DACs come in the tape reel package, looks like true NOS The OPL3s look legit also, so fingers crossed. Yogi

Thanks, have a few more parts to order. I still have the PH0 buffer by-passed. I can revert and try LS and ACT logic, have em OH. But today is kind of busy, getting ready for the trip. Yogi

UPDATE: Got the OSH Park proto boards in Still waiting on the Yamaha chips, shipped on Jun 23 Anyway, started populating one with the parts I have on hand. A test fitting on the XEL. The YAMari2XEL board overhangs the Beta XEL edge by 1/2", I'll re-position the M-PBI header placement to better match the V1.1 mobo. A side note: in this pix you can see another mod board just above the YAMari, it's a $D2 page decoder. Breaks out the '138 Y2 to a second '138 that decodes $D2 down to 32Byte /CS blocks. The PoKEYs are still visible at $D200 to $D21F but other devices can be positioned in this I/O page such as a Covox at $D280. The headers: on the bottom-side is the 2x15 socket for the Beta M-PBI (design is changed to 2x17 header). This socket has long pins so they form the top-side header, Arduino style. There is also a 2x2 RA header to pick up the added 4 signals from the mobo. The blue jumper wires route the additional M-PBI signals to pins on the 2x20 header. Top-side: a 2x17 M-PBI header, conforming to the XEL V1.1 design and a 2x20 (30p M-PBI + 10 extra pins, for my own needs). There is an additional 2x5 header to connect additional XEL signals to the 2x20's extra pins. I still have to order a few parts but I'll be off line for a week, family event/road trip Hopefully the OPL chips will be waiting for me when I return. Yogi

There was a topic just recently about a rack mount XE. It turned out to be a TV Guide type system, looked like a XE with a gen-lock circuit mounted to a rack shelf. Sounds like your find was part of the same lot. Yogi

Thank you for your work on these books Many found memories of going thru the Compute! series back in the day, typing in the apps and playing with the code. The scans are a fantastic resource to me as I get back to my roots. Yogi

Hope the tests find the cause and treatment. I can only guess what you are going thru, keep positive. There is nothing more frighting then facing the decline of our own body. Have Faith and Hope to overcome this, we're all routing for you. Yogi

Oh my bad, thought someone had tested the VBXE. To be honest I'm very satisfied with just the S-Video from the UAV but of course the VBXE and Sophia offer enhanced modes in addition to the RGB output. Yogi