Altirra won't boot from Disk/Floppy

[Altirra won't boot from Disk/Floppy]

Thank you - I got it!

 

I removed the device "1050 disk drive ..." (pic #2) and my emulator is booting fine from any ATR image.

 

Check out my retro Atari video (German) -> https://youtu.be/zMEw0pcmzLM

[Altirra won't boot from Disk/Floppy]

Hi,

 

I just installed Altirra 3.0 and I try to boot from a floppy image.

 

So I successfully added (System > Devices) a "1050 disk drive (full emulation) - D1:"

 

Next I "inserted" (File > Disk Drives...) a floppy "Dos2.5.atr" as seen on the attached picture.

 

Then I reboot (Shift F5) and I hear that buzzing Atari sound and get my Basic "READY"

 

I don't hear the usual beeps when an Atari tries to access a disk drive.

 

I also used another disk image, tried the cassette emulation in Basic (works fine)

 

Even the (File > Boot Image) option isn't working - I get "READY" again. I even don't get a "BOOT ERROR".

 

My Altirra behaves like a physical Atari without any disk drive.

 

What's wrong? Do I need a firmware for my ATARI 1050 virtual drive?

(I correctly installed the firmware for Baisc, XL, 400/800)

 

[Intellivision One of the Worst Console Launches...]

In the 80s me and my friends all had Ataris.

But lot's of magazines wrote about the Intellivision and praised its great graphics and great games.

 

So, 20 years later I finally bought an Intellivision on Ebay and tried to play it frequently.

Unfortunately, at least to me, I never saw any great graphics and the games were pretty shallow.

I also never got used to this strange controller.

 

Well ... to keep Intellivisions honour, the enclosure desing is really fabulous.

[Quick & Easy Video Upgrade for 800XL]

In my case, here with my PAL-Ataris, the picture doesn't get better with the video mod.

I modded two different 800XLs with different revisions. Maybe I did something wrong.

 

Mimo - you're right. It really depends on the TV set and on the video decoder installed in the TV.

Looks like 'old' machines only like 'old' displays.

 

I guess we're all spoiled by digital HD 42" displays ...

 

On the other hand ... I have an Atari 2600 VGS connected to an LG 32" LCD-TV (from 2008) via HF and I get an PERFECT display ... no 2600 video mod needed.

[Wanted: S-Video tutorial for 600XL + 800XL PAL]

Thank you for your replies ... here 're the results of my attempts

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/41580-quick-easy-video-upgrade-for-800xl/page-7

[Quick & Easy Video Upgrade for 800XL]

Well ... I tried this mod now in 2013, so 9 years after the first post.

I used an Atari 800XL-Board PAL (european version) rev.a & another board rev.d.

 

 

I removed or added the resistors as described in the tutorial and now I have the luma-out (Pin 4 of the DIN jack) and the chroma-out (end of the resistor).

 

I tried the Atari with a Sony KV21T1D Trinitron CRT-Television (20+ years old) and a LG Flatron M1921TA TFT-TV (6+ years old)

 

The results - Sony Trinitron

 

I'm using only the composite (fbas) signal from the Atari 5-pin din-connector (pin #4) and connect it via a 4-pin S-Video cable connector (mini-din) into a Scart adaptor into the Sony.

The Sony detects a composite signal coming through it's s-video connector (actually the wrong connector) and shows this great picture:

 

 

Then I used the 'right' connector. Compsite signal from Atari's 5-pin din-connector (pin #4) connected to the Sony by a RCA connector.

The Sony get's the same signal by another input and is decoding it differently ...

 

 

The results - LG Flatron

 

I'm using only the composite (fbas) signal from the Atari 5-pin din-connector (pin #4) and connect it via the correct rca jack to the LG.

 

 

Next I cut off the right lead at c54 to get only the luma signal at the Atari 5-pin din-connector pin #4 and connected it with my 'new' chroma signal to a 4-pin S-Video connector (mini-din).

The LG has a real s-video 4-pin female jack ... so everything should work all right now.

This is what i got ...

 

 

Both pictures were not stable. The LG displays either the one or the other, swaps every second

 

Well ... maybe I did something wrong but I tried this at a rev.a board and another rev.d board (both PAL), same results.

I was suprised to get all these different results with different monitors.

 

 

 

 

 

[Wanted: S-Video tutorial for 600XL + 800XL PAL]

Hello,

 

I'm looking for a tutorial to upgrade my 600XL & 800XL PAL with a S-Video output.

The PAL version already has a built in composite output (DIN connector) so the mod is different to the NTSC version.

 

I already googled a lot and also found some threads here on AtariAge,

but most mods I found are for NTSC or the threads lead to broken links or the tutorials are incomplete.

 

Does anybody have a working S-Video mod tutorial for PAL Ataris?

 

These are my boards ...

 

[Atari 600XL Memory Test shows BAD ROM]

The printing on the Red-Bar-ROM-Error CPU says:

 

8323

co14806-03

c10794/322

Thailand

 

It looks like this is the original CPU of the Atari 600XL and nobody opened the case before.

[Atari 600XL Memory Test shows BAD ROM]

Boooaahh ... I fixed it, finally.

 

I got a second (broken, shows no picture at all) 600XL, where I took the ICs from.

 

First I replaced the RAMs, then the OS-ROM, the BASIC-ROM, the Pokey, the PIA-Chip ... but always the same Red-Bar-ROM-Error while testing the XL.

Then I swapped the CPU ... and now the Memory Test works flawless for two days.

 

Really strange ... the 600XL actually worked fine, even with that (defective?) CPU, just only the Memory Test failed

[Atari 600XL Memory Test shows BAD ROM]

Where are these ROMs located in my picture (No.1-7) ?

[Atari 600XL Memory Test shows BAD ROM]

Is there a common ROM problem with the 600XL or 800XL?

I have some other XLs and some show up a problem with the RAM but I've never seen this ROM issue.

 

Unfortunately I didn't run the Self Test before I upgraded the RAM.

Well ... indeed it looks like I have to swap some ICs from my other 600XLs for testing.

[Atari 600XL Memory Test shows BAD ROM]

My Atari 600XL lives in Germany and has a PAL modulator plus a composite video port.

[Atari 600XL Memory Test shows BAD ROM]

Hello ...

 

I have a problem with my Atari 600XL. Last week, after years I took it out of the box and it still worked well.

I decided to upgrade the RAM from 16K to 64K. I found this tutorial http://atariage.com/forums/topic/183694-600xl-64k-upgrade-pictures/.

 

Now my machine has 64K of RAM and it works without any problem (apparently).

When I do the built in Memory Test (picture) it shows no error the first 1-4 runs, but then the left ROM bar turns red !

 

Well, the XL works fine so far. I can copy disks 1:1 (the copy prog. uses the whole 64K RAM), I can play games without any issue.

I can't find any error while working with the XL.

 

Has anybody an idea why the Memory Test shows up that red bar?

 

I already removed the ICs and cleaned their pins. Maybe the Atari has this issue because I'm running it without the metal shielding?

 

Thanks

 

[Atari 1010 tape drive BOOT ERROR]

Hi,

 

I got a problem with one of my 1010 tape drives.

First of all the drive looks ok. The mechanics are fine, the belts are clean and tight and the counter works.

I already cleaned the head and all connectors and contacts. Rewinding and fast-forwarding are working.

 

But nevertheless I always get the error message "BOOT ERROR", when I try to boot from commercial, original game tapes.

 

I put in the game cassette, press PLAY, hold down OPTION and START and turn on my Atari 800XL.

The drive starts and I hear the (correct) data sound from my tv speaker.

After 1-3 blocks I get the "BOOT ERROR" message on my screen and the 800XL is starting the self test.

 

I already tried to adjust the tape head position with a little screw driver.

When I turn the screw to the left, the data sound sounds really bad and when I turn the screw to the right it also gets worse.

So I guess the head is already in a good position.

 

Of course, I tried different commercial tapes. When I write a little Basic program an 'csave' it, saving works but I can't reload it from tape.

 

Think it is an adjusting issue or the head is kaput ?

[Atari 8-Bit keyboard adapter to USB ?]

Dziękuję!

 

An 'Atmega'-Chip ... again!

I made some experiences with Atmega while assembling my 'Uzebox' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzebox

Looks like the adapter Atari-Keyboard -> USB will be a project for next christmas

[ATARI 810 reads only first track]

Thanks! I still have another dozen '810' in my collection to fix and will see if that helps. I have the '810 diagnostic cartridge' and a speed measuring program.

[Atari 8-Bit keyboard adapter to USB ?]

Anyone knows an adapter or just an project to connect an A800 keyboard to a PC USB port?

[Atari Keyboards around the world?]

In Germany we never ever had 'QWERTZ' keyboards for Atari's 8-Bit models, only 'QWERTY'.

[ATARI 810 reads only first track]

I think you're right.

 

I have two different types of 810 drives. The 'normal' ones (with the button on the front door) and one with a kind of lever as closing mechanism.

The latter has a screw in the drive, next to the drive's head, probably to adjust the track 0 position.

When I turned on the drive the head moved to this position and hit (the screw?) pretty hardly with a loud noise.

I turned back that screw a little bit and that hitting sound got less noisy.

 

Next, I attached a 1050 drive as drive #1 and the 'problematic' 810 as drive #2.

I booted DOS2.5 from the 1050 (D1:), put an empty disk into the 810 (D2:) and formatted it.

Worked fine, without any error. I wrote DOS onto that disk, removed the 1050 and booted up from that 'new' disk from the 810 (D1:).

Worked perfectly, too.

Now I can read format, write and read disks again.

 

Unfortunately I experienced today, that one of my disks, formatted and written on this 810 was not readable on another 810 drive.

But ... as you wrote ... looks like an alignment issue.

[ATARI 810 reads only first track]

Hi there,

 

I have an ATARI 810 drive issue - it only reads the first track of a disk, if you try to boot:

 

I turn on my drive - the head moves correctly on the rails to it's starting position - I insert a DOS disk and turn on my Atari 800XL.

The drive starts and it reads the 18 sectors from the first track - I hear 18 beeps.

Then, the step motor on the right tries to move the head to the next track (track #2 ?) but fails.

 

Repeat

{

The head shakes a little bit, but remains on the original first track.

}

Until [Turn_Off_Drive]

 

I already cleaned the head, I cleaned and put some oil onto the rails.

When the drive is turned off, I can move the head on the rails and when I turn it on, the head is positioned correctly by the drive onto track #1.

I already cleaned all socketed ICs and all plugs.

Yesterday, all of a sudden it worked for 10 minutes, after I pulled off and reattached some connectors.

 

But now I have the same issue permanently.

Anyone has an idea?

 

Thomas

[Atari XF551 & 1050 don't format Disks]

This morning I resoldered lot's of the pins on my XF pcb, especially the pins of the SIO connectors and the pins of some ICs, although they looked good.

 

Well ... now the drive is formatting my disks again ... let's see how long that lasts.

[Best 8-bit Atari disk drive? 810, 1050, XF551]

I have about 10 Atari 810 stations. One (1!) of them is working fine !

I got about 15 Atari 1050 original drives, but only three of them are broken.

I got about five Atari 1050 with Happy/Turbo/Speedy enhancements. None of them is working permanently flawless.

I got three XFs. One XF is operating fine. One works just 'sometimes' and the other one doesn't read the backside of a disk.

 

Best drive ever is a originally sealed Atari 1050.

[Atari XF551 & 1050 don't format Disks]

Well I'm not using any HD disks, only SD or DD.

This is only happening on a few drives of mine collection.

Strange, that two weeks ago my XF worked properly and just now this issue is showing up.

[Atari XF551 & 1050 don't format Disks]

I have serveral floppy stations, f.e. some 1050 and one XF551 with the following issue:

 

Floppies first behave 'normal'. I can boot any DOS on any densities with these stations properly.

After I have booted up I insert a new 5,25" disk into the drive and try to format this disk with my OS (S/E/D/Qu).

 

Format procedure starts and all forty tracks get formatted (head moves forty times).

Then these floppies try to write the directory onto the disk but obviously not successful.

 

I get an error on screen and the disk is eventually not formatted ...

 

Did anyone had that problem, too?

[Atari 850 Serial Interface Repair ?]

Mmmh - I can't find any crystals here on my 850 pcb, maybe integrated in an IC - or maybe the pcb is driven by the Atari Computer?

Maybe it's a voltage issue. Immediately after I replaced the capacitor at the bottem on the right of the pcb (red arrow), the interface worked a little bit more stable.

 

On Ebay Germany, I found this a minute ago -> http://www.ebay.de/itm/Atari-Interface-850XL-RS-232-inkl-original-Atari-Netzteil-/160967726046?pt=Klassische_Computer&hash=item257a6c93de

 

I guess I try to get that.