Xebec

Thanks flashjazzcat -- Got it on the up position.. I think there's something else going on if the .XEX files are read OK in situation 1, but the same cart gives me a 'cannot find FAT32 partition' in 3/5.. I've been trying two different CF cards (2GB and 4GB), both formatted as FAT32 with a single partition on a PC. Is there anything else that would cause the partition to be found when PBI is off, but not when PBI is on? Something wrong with the U1MB?

ok testing scenarios: 1. SIDE HW = disabled, space bar to mount a ATR gives me a no PBI driver found, but I can load .XEX successfully. switch is UP in this case. 2. SIDE on/button, the SIDE switch in the up position, sparta DISABLED L from the bios gives me basic or system test (option held down) and won't get me to the SIDE cartridge, gives me BASIC 3. SIDE on/button, SIDE switch up, sparta ENABLED, pressing L in bios gets me to SIDE cart but 'FAT32 paritition not found' 4. SIDE on/button, and the SIDE switch in the DOWN position, and spartados DISABLED, pressing L gives me BASIC 5. SIDE on/button, and the SIDE switch in the DOWN position, and spartados ENABLED , pressing L gets me to the SIDE cartridge but 'FAT32 partition not found' SDX boots with or without SIDE in system if enabled scenario 3 and 5 is what was driving me to think i need to do some special partitioning with FDISK ?

If I set U1MB to Side hardware: Disabled, it goes into the SIDE, and works for .XEX but not .ATR if I set U1MB to enabled with button, it never loads the SIDE loader... I've tried all kinds of other settings in U1MB when SIDE loader is enabled: Stock OS, High speed OS. Tried changing the BASIC/XEGS stuff around incase that matters.. the L button just brings you to basic or the sellf-test. I have PBI set to 1.. What full settings should I be running?

Hi there! I tried something like this, and while it will load .XEX files without issue, it gives me an error about D1: not mounted... so i'm not sure what else needs to be configured? It shows the ATR files on screen no problem, just won't mount them to run them...

I need some help. I have a SIDE 2 and a U1MB 800XL (Thank you very much Lotharek!!) and I've spent several hours already trying to figure out everything required to mount .ATR files on the Side 2.. From what I can tell you need SpartadosX with FDISK to partition the CF card to have an Atari partition of some type followed by FAT16/FAT32 partitions that can house the .ATR files. After finally getting a .ATR file with FDISK.EXE on it (and using APE on my Windows machine to boot it - since I couldn't figure out any other way, and the SpartadosX in the U1MB doesn't have fdisk..) it ends up showing one device but with garbage characters, and it wont' let me initialize or format the disk ("invalid size"). I was curious if anyone would be kind enough to post an image of a correctly partitioned CF card (any size) so I could just use win32diskimager and be done with it? I've tried all manners of U1MB bios settings, up/down on the switch for the Side 2 (I can't find any clear documentation on what the up position is vs. the down position on SIDE 2?). I'd just like to be able to play games that are .ATR and "enjoy" this Atari I appreciate any help anyone can give. This community is awesome and I really respect the work everyone has put into the hardware and software solutions to keep this alive.. Thank you, John

Charliecron - any chance you were using the Atarimax SIO2PC adapter? Xuel - an update, sio2linux works .. I also ordered an ODROID-X.. Same stuff - AspeQt, sio2bsd wouldn't work.. But the sio2linux link that you sent me worked flawlessly first try with my USB-->serial adapter and the Atarimax SIO2PC.. I'll go back to the Beaglebone a little bit later.. Compiling AspeQt is painful (i.e. many QT/zlib/other packages required); but if you felt like torturing yourself, I'd be grateful to see if it works for you.. Also, looking into the code for sio2linux, the only difference I think that *might* be going on: Version 3.0.1 22 Nov 2008 Preston Crow * * Clear RTS before listening for a command. This has no effect with an * original SIO2PC cable, but it enables compatibility mode in some other * cables so that they will behave as expected.

This is a very cool effort -- will the CAD drawings for the casing be made available at some point to the public? I have a couple of 3D printers i've built (thank you reprap community) and would like to try to print these

Thanks for the reply -- Yes before boot, dmesg | grep tty shows the device attached as \dev\ttyUSB0 . I have also verified that minicom works with my USRobotics modem via \dev\ttyUSB0 (tested 19200 and 115200 bps without problems).

Hi folks I was curious if anyone got SIO2PC (serial) working with an ARM powered Linux PC? I have a Raspberry Pi as well as a Beaglebone black. (and an ODROID-X on the way). I've been trying to use the Beaglebone Black as a SIO2PC server for my 8bit, but to no avail. I've verified that the USB --> serial adapter works on my Windows PC, and i've used it with a modem on the linux PC. I'm trying to use AspeQt which I believe has compiled correctly on Linux. I am able to get AspeQt working on my Windows PC with DSR / 19200 bps, but it won't work on the Linux platform.. (I am using the right /dev/ttyUSB0 serial port, but nothing happens when I boot the atari). I've also tried sio2bsd - no success. and I tried compiling atarisio, but that throws all kinds of errors.. I was curious if anyone is using sio2pc (or similar), on any ARM based linux platform? Thanks, John H

Hi there, I have Lotharek's Ultimate 1MB and an Atari 800XL (NTSC). I'm trying to find the right 4 pins to grab for PHI2, R/W, Reset, and Halt. It looks like I can grab PHI2, R/W, and Reset from the Parallel bus connector in the back.. My question is, I want to verify I have the right soldering points on the PBI connector, Using a conductivity test, I can find which pin is Reset by testing PBI vs. a pin on Antic. However, for the rest of the pins my problem is: PHI2 - what chips on an 800XL have this signal? Reset - Fails a conductivity test between the PBI connector and pin 34 on the CPU, or or 36 on Antic. (but the cpu and antic conduct OK) R/W - Can test for success between antic and cpu, but not to the PBI connector Any suggestions? Anyone do this before on an 800XL that lives in the US and wants to make a few bucks? Thanks, John H

Will do Paranoid -- and thanks for the tip on both floppies being accessed... Can you verify for me that your HxC is simply connected via the regular floppy connector, and that you have ID0 set to 'A', and nothing else jumpered? I appreciate it

Quadrunner -- the SF354 with the 14 pin / chinon connector is the slanty kind (#2). I agree with the other poster I think slanty is original. And the 4 pin power connector for the SF354 does have both 5V and 12V (per circuit board), and the connector is reversed/not working right with the HxC -- for now i'm using a PC power supply for the HxC and also the ultrasatan I have here.. (Thanks Lotharek for making these toys ) Thanks for the link -- I'm hoping to keep this external (once i figure out wiring, I'm going to try to design a case to print via my reprap 3D printer), but i may eventually put one of these inside the Mega STE . On a geek note, I kept thinking these 3D Printers for home use could have been invented back in the late 80s and used on computers like the Mega STE.. You'd pre-calculate the 3D --> "G CODE" (plotter code) before printing.. and then when printing time comes, you don't really need much horsepower to control the printer.. (The arduino brains are an 8bit microcontroller, receiving input at 57600 bps, 115200 bps, or 250000bps). Sorry back to reality. Poobah -- Tried pin 12 instead of 14 for chinon pin 6 (good idea - drive select change) - no go.. tried both a and b on ID0 and also on ID3 (which is indicated for swapped floppy cables). Behavior is a bit different - it doesn't get confused on internal vs external. in all cases it assumes 'B' is a second disk in the internal..(i.e. insert disk b in drive a). also tried each setting with the ultrasatan disconnected. Maybe there is just something weird with this SF351 controller.. and my SF311 controller is 34 pin but it's soldered on = ugh.. Anything else special about a Mega STE , tos 2.06 uk (yes in US) that might not like the HxC as an external drive? Thanks everyone

OK - This works great now - thanks everyone for the help and Poobah for the wiring!.. I was able to use my HxC with the "evil chinon" setup SF354 on my (2.5MB) 520STm.. (although neither the chinon, nor SF314 with 34 pin want to work right on my Mega STE as an external/secondary floppy.. Tried all kinds of jumper/ID settings.. will have to search the web some more when i'm in the mood ). Thanks again! John H

Sure - attaching pics now. Hopefully this works :

Thanks Poobah - that's a great start and i'll see what i can do to get the rest of the chinon wiring.. I appreciate that Quadrunner - that is what i was hoping to do but when i opened up i wasn't lucky enough to have a SF354 board with standard 34 pin setups.. i do want to do the A/B swap and keep the 'real' floppy inside my 1040 and mega ste, just need to get this floppy emulator working externally first, which will require some kind of 14 pin to 34 pin adapter i'll have to hack together...I appreciate you taking the time to write this up.. I may just tear open my external SF314 next and see if that has what i need..

Thanks Paranoid - unfortunately this is a very old mechanism with the 14 pin setup instead of a normal 34 pin floppy connector. Poobah - yes, i searched, searched and searched.. google, atari-forums atariage .. found a few posts referring to it but the pics and links from those posts with the info needed no longer worked.. tried a bunch of 'poobah floppy' 'poobah sf354' poobah sf351 searches etc just now... no luck

Hi Folks! I need some help/advice.. I have an older SF354 that is in bad shape. No real desire to fix it since I just picked up a Mega STE and a 1040 ST each with nicely working internal floppies.. (I've always wanted the Mega STE and really enjoying having it now ). I took apart my SF354 after receiving the HxC (SD Card version) and realized it's the really old type with the 14 pin connector.. I did a ton of searching on the web and was hoping to figure out how to wire up that 14 pin mechanism to the 34 pins on the HxC (if it's even possible). I have some IBM floppy cables I can use for hacking/testing purposes.. So questions are: - does anyone have a wiring diagram? - is there a solution I can just buy if I'm lazy to hook up the HxC straight to the atari via the standard DIN / external connections? (I also have an UltraSatan which i'm enjoying, but was looking for some floppy emulation for my 2.5mb 520STm) (Yes I eventually will look into the a/b floppy switches ) Thanks very much! John H

I think I deserve some kind of award for what I just did.. I unpacked my old Atari 8bits -- a couple of 800XLs, and old 800s I also had while growing up. In the process of checking everything out, with the machine powered off, I plugged a Spy Hunter cartridge into the RIGHT cartridge slot of one of the (original) 800s.. The original Atari 800 was working but will no longer power on.. Any ideas what I may have damaged? Thanks, John