Panther

I know this isn't precisely the preferred place for this post, but I'm looking for a PIC16F1847-I/SO (SOIC) microcontroller. Since these are used in a couple projects posted here lately I figured maybe someone had extras left over. Nobody has stock on these right now. I'm in the Los Angeles area. I need two, but even one would be great. I can possibly trade with other components if something is needed.

If not directly from Panos, you can get them from ABBUC: https://abbuc.de/produkt/atari-xe-pcb-remake/

I'll see what I can do, though I'm not entirely convinced of the usefulness of something that determines the video type for machines that use completely different video connectors.

Great, thank you! Future versions will be posted on the first post. They will also be made available here: http://www.atariverse.com/files/simcheck/

This should fix the missing bank problem. I've also cleaned up one of the routines, thus the smaller size. I would like to be able to edit the initial post so I can post updates there. SimCheck-1.1.xex SimCheck-1.1.bin SimCheck-1.1.car

Thank you for the input, I was able to replicate bank $2D showing as missing and will get to the bottom of where it's hiding. I have a RAMBO 256K XL and when I hooked it up to test I was surprised to see it come up with 14 banks until I read the RAMBO manual and saw that it actually swaps in the base memory banks, so I added a check so that any memory mod that tries to swap in main memory banks into the extended location will be detected. Axlon does this too, which is why the first bank of Axlon memory is not counted. The last issue I've not been able to replicate, but it's what happens if the display list does not get put back properly. Are you using the default configuration (no CONFIG.SYS)?

A dongle sounds excessive, and the joystick method sounds iffy, so I think I'll pass on trying to implement these. I guess the user is simply going to need to peek his or her head around to the back of the system and see what monitor port it has. Only slightly worse than having to figure out of they're on an XL/XE or 800 to determine if they have a U1MB or Incognito, for which I recommended the digital scale interface method since it would be difficult to load enough accessories into an XL or XE to make them weigh as much as an 800.

When I checked this SECAM 800XL, it appeared that even though there may be differences in output capabilities, everything returned in the $d000-$d0ff registers were identical to what could be read from a standard PAL version. I don't think there is any way to distinguish the two from the CPU side.

SimCheck is a utility that's possibly useful for those with more Atari computers than they can keep track of. SimCheck detects and displays information on the following: System type (XL/XE or 400/800) CPU type (6502, 65C02, 65C816) Base memory size High memory size (65C816) XL/XE (PORTB), Axlon, and Mosaic banks PORTB bank bits and compability (Compy-Shop / RAMBO) OS version BASIC version Video system, frequency, and GTIA or CTIA U1MB/Incognito VBXE Sophia 2 PokeyMAX Display of base and extended memory maps, Axlon banks Executable and 8K cartridge version included. SimCheck-1.6.xexSimCheck-1.6.bin Version 1.2: Minor updates including some text and additional Axlon info in the memory map. Version 1.2a: Corrects Axlon detection bank order. Version 1.2c: Fixes issues with Axlon/Mosaic bank detection. Version 1.3: Adds display of writable base memory in 4K blocks. Minor fixes. Version 1.4: Reorganized memory allocation, fixes to cartridge behavior, corrected Mosaic memory detection issues, minor display updates, added GTIA/CTIA detection. Version 1.4a: Fixed GTIA/CTIA detection not always working (OS dependent). Version 1.5: Various fixes, added 65C816 high memory detection. Version 1.6: Corrects issues with GTIA/CTIA detection (finally?), now shows when unable to detect Basic version (typically when run from cartridge). SimTest is a memory test utility, available in both executable and cartridge versions. SimTest is still being developed and currently tests base memory, extended memory, and Axlon banks. It is completely non-destructive and tests all available base memory, including its own program space. On an XL/XE system with no cartridges loaded, SimTest can test all 64KB base memory except the hardware register range, D000-D7FF. Features are still being added. SimTest-0.9.xexSimTest-0.9.bin Version 0.7: Added Axlon bank testing, improved test information. Version 0.8: Added extended memory testing, fixed test of 1MB Axlon. Version 0.9: Allow additional tests after failed test (clear display and reset error count), show extended memory map at startup, other fixes. OSDump allows dumping a system's OS to disk and detects whether a system is an XL/XE or 400/800, providing the appropriate options. Each OS can be dumped in its entirety, or you can select individual portions (E000-FFFF main OS, D800-DFFF floating point math package, etc.), with support for OmniMon/OmniView and other OS's residing at C000-CFFF on a 400/800. Currently the system stores ROMs to default filenames on D:, but future versions will likely allow selecting save paths. OSDump-1.2.xex Version 1.2: Added menu with dump options. MFDisk is designed to work with the internal Atari 800 version of the MyIDE interface, such as the one found on the GPB by Panos. It's a rewrite of the FDISK.BAS program that was included on the utility disk from Mr. Atari. It might also work with other versions of the MyIDE, including the external version. MFDisk.xex

I went ahead and opened up my 65XE, which was my test bed for various mods such as the AKI USB interface. It also has my first Ultimate 1MB, an early version, and a Sophia rev. C interface. It would be much more useful of a system though if it had an ECI port. Anyway, I took a photo of the AKI USB board and pasted in a resistor to show what needs to done. The arrows point to the solder points, the pin that normally goes to the reset connection and the inner pad of the 220 ohm SMD resistor, which may be removed or not, it doesn't matter. Then, use the other end of the 100 ohm resistor for the reset line connection in the 800. Of course, if you can replace the SMD resistor with a 100 ohm SMD (0201) then that would be better. I've also included an image of where you can pick up the console keys on the 800 right next to the POKEY (Red = Start, White = Select, Blue = Option, Yellow = Reset).

I went through every key combination I could think of on the one keyboard I have connected right now , but no <>. It lacks a ten-key, so I'll try another keyboard later. If you can send me a high resolution image of the bottom of an AKI USB adapter I'll gladly annotate it.

I've started getting impatient with finishing this project and didn't take photos of the work I did on the AKI USB, but basically I just bypassed the 220 ohm SMD resistor that was tied to the reset output and used a 100 ohm 1/8th watt through hole resistor. As for mounting, I like to keep things clean and functional, so I cut holes in the back of the case for the DVI, USB, and RCA jacks. The Fuji key is mapped to the Delete key and the break key is mapped to the...break key. I did notice a lack of greater than and less than keys, but I didn't look very hard yet.

Thanks! I hope to get my Incognito, Sophia 2, PokeyMAX 3, AKI USB, Atari 800 back together soon! Unfortunately, I just noticed a core update available for the PokeyMAX...can't resist...

I ended up removing the surface mount resistor and soldered one leg of a 100 ohm resistor across the pin and to the back pad where the original resistor was, both bridging the connection to the pad and giving support via the pin and then connected the 800 to the other end of the 100 ohm resistor. Reset works now.

Has anyone else installed one of Lotharek's AKI USB keyboard interfaces in an Atari 800? I discovered that the reset key doesn't work on the USB keyboard due to the AKI USB having a 220 ohm resistor instead of 100 ohms, so it doesn't pull the circuit low enough to trigger the interrupt. While this might sound like a simple matter of replacing the resistor on the AKI USB with the correct resistance, it is a 0201 SMD package mounted between two pins. I estimate my chance of success with this would be right about 0.00001. I'm considering attempting to remove the resistor and then solder across the pads, but lacking spare AKI USB adapters to experiment on I figured I'd check if anyone else has tackled this somehow.

What is the issue with this particular design?

I built my first U-Switch using through hole components from a schematic that Lotharek sent me back before he started producing them and that worked great. Of course, his version is much smaller and cleaner, but either way they are very handy devices for all sorts of switching.

And the truth is out! Even I didn't make a hole in the case for my disk swap button (though the idea for this wasn't mine)...

I'm almost finished installing POKEYMAX 3, AKI USB, and Sophia 2 in my Incognito 800. Unfortunately, my time has been limited lately, so I get to put in only a little work at a time on this. I've drilled enough holes in my 800 case and shielding to make Faicuai's head explode. Hey, I do have another 800 that's completely stock. Two actually, but I'm giving one to a friend.

That would be an excellent solution. Okay, I'm not buying any more U1MB or Incognito cards until this feature has been added to them! =B>

Thank you for the explanation on the 4MB PORTB expanded memory. It makes much more sense now understanding that it didn't really work, not with any normal software anyway.

I am absolutely not trying to put down the PokeyMAX, I was just trying to understand if they had worked some magic to manage the full keyboard without the connections. I was surprised to see the PS/2 capability included at all. I actually stuck an AKI USB under the PokeyMAX 3 on my 800, which seems to be working.

I just noticed that there's no input for the Start, Select, Option, or Reset lines on the PokeyMAX 3, so how does the PS/2 keyboard function?

Connecting the SF314 to an ATR8000 is quite straightforward, with absolutely no modifications to the drive, you just need a 14-pin DIN for connecting to the SF314 and a 34-pin IDC card edge connector. I used a project box to join the ribbon cable to the cut SF314 drive cable. ST -- IDC Signal 1 -- 30 Read Data 2 -- 32 Head Select 3 -- Odds Ground 4 -- 8 Index 5 -- 10 Motor 0 6 -- 12 Drive Select 1 7 -- Odds Ground 8 -- 16 Motor 1 9 -- 18 Direction 10 -- 20 Step 11 -- 22 Write Data 12 -- 24 Write Gate 13 -- 26 Track 0 14 -- 28 Write Protect The remaining wires were left unconnected. After initial heavy use, my cable has been bounced around in various boxes for decades and is a bit dirty, and the soldered wires were simply taped as I didn't have any shrink tubing (or a PCB project board) back then. I wasn't about to dig into that gooey mess now. I had to use contact cleaner on the connectors just to be able to tone out the connections.

Sure. I did this over thirty years ago, so I'll need to take a meter to the cable ends and write it down. No modifications to the SF314 are required by the way.