olix

I think I have found a switch for the Rom bank (RF switch) SW1 that will fit. Not perfect, but I think it will work: Apem 25536NA6 Mouser No: 642-25536NA6 The switch has the correct pin spacing and fits into the motherboard but it is a little smaller. However, the switch length should be long enough. Unfortunately I can't test this as I only have PAL Ataris and they don't have a cut-out in the case for this switch.

Today I received my package with the 5 circuit boards. It was a collective order for some ABBUC club members in Germany. I would like to say a big thank you to Brian. Not only did he do a great job with the development of this board, but he was also very helpful in arranging a cheap shipping to Germany. @reifsnyderb: Thank you very much!

Does anyone have a part number from Mouser or Digi-Key for a compatible SW1 switch: ROM Bank (was RF Switch) I live in Germany and this switch was not installed on the PAL machines. So I don't have a sample to look for a replacement.

Can I use a 74HCT14 instead of a 74AHCT with IC U19? What is the difference?

Did I understand correctly that the number of reresh cycles (128 or 256) only plays a role with DRAMs? So if I use a 64K extension with SRAM, like the one from Lotharek, it shouldn't matter whether I use the older ANTIC with 7-bit refresh counter or the newer one with 8-bit refresh counter? Is that right?

How do i know, if the ram is a 128 or a 265 cycle refresh type?

Is this project still alive? If so, will it be possible to purchase a PCB or are the Gerber files available to make the PCB yourself?

With the new adapter, is it also possible to desolder the original keyboard socket and solder the new adapter PCB horizontally with a 1x24 2.54mm pin header?

I am very interested in a V3 PokeyMax. I will write you an e-mail ...

I've been hoping for a long time that the Pokeymax will finally be available again, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any Pokeymax 2 or 3 or other Pokey FPGA replicas. I would be happy with a simple Pokey replacement or a simple stereo Pokey FPGA solution.

I organized a collective order of the small keyboards for some of the ABBUC members. "Overange" provided great support with the order and shipping to Germany. There were no problems with customs. Of course, customs duties and taxes still had to be paid, but I knew that beforehand. The kits all arrived super packaged and sorted and the assembly was a pleasure. The keyboards work fantastically and will be a great help when repairing and upgrading the XL and XE machines in the future. 👍 Thanks for this small but nice hardware. VID_20240210_100415_f736.mp4

Here are more pictures of what the finished case looks like now:

Very simple: draw a simple sketch with the holes and cutouts you want to have, like this one: Then write a mail to "info at hypercolor.de" - to the attention of Michael Schoen and ask for a quote for the side parts. Or if you want to have exactly the ones I had made then just ask him for them*: https://abbuc.de/forum/viewtopic.php?p=13774#p13774 * But attention: I had two different back panels made, one back panel has 8mm holes at the vertical holes (4+5), the other back panel I had made with 6mm holes at the two vertical holes (4+5). Michael works at the company that makes the acrylic cases and he is always very helpful when it comes to special requests. However, quality of course has its price. I paid € 22.00 for the two extra side panels. The price for the basic housing is then of course still added.

@baktra That sounds good! I'm still working on the documentation of the source code at the moment and I'm still transferring the source code for use in MADS Assembler. This will probably take another week or two. Then I'll get back to you here and we can do it as you suggested.

The 5200 was not sold very often in Germany. I don't think it was officially available here, and there is no PAL version of this device. Unfortunately I don't know the programming of the 5200 at all. For these reasons I will not be able to do a port for this Atari. But if there is someone who wants to do this, I will gladly provide him with my source code. This is documented very detailed, but only in german language.

I have now also created a floppy version for 16K systems, based on the MyPicoDOS Boot Loader from HiasSoft. Just for fun, I'd love to make a version on cassette, but how do you do that? How do you create a tape from a COM file from a floppy disk? GH16KV10.atr

Looks really great! Do you also have a template for the cartdridge sticker? Looks really great! Do you also have a template for the cartdridge sticker? And is it ok, if i use your design for my box (only for private, non profit use)

Now I am a little confused! Are you the fastest game box designer I know or does this game already exist and I did all this work for nothing?😕

So, finally done. I decided that my little game, inspired by the VCS classic is now finished. "GEISTERHAUS" is the German word for a building that is haunted The game is programmed for PAL, but also runs on NTSC machines. (But I only did a color adjustment and no speed adjustment. That means it runs a bit faster on NTSC than under PAL). I could test the game only on my PAL hardware, NTSC only on the emulator. So it would be very helpful if someone with realt NTSC hardware could test it ... The ROM version fits on an 8K EPROM and even runs under a 400 and 600XL with 16K RAM. The floppy version needs 48K RAM. It should be run on 400/800/XL/XE with OS-A, OS-B and all XL/XE OS. I think my result is very close to the old VCS classic. After all, I reprogrammed it completely without insight into the original source code. Only by playing, watching and trying out the original. However, I only used 6 instead of the 9 game levels from the original, but maybe I'll do that when I have more time. I admit the game isn't particularly exciting, but I was always jealous of the VCS in my childhood because this program didn't exist for my Atari 400. And if it's not perfect, please keep in mind that this is my very first game that I wrote completely in assembler... Quick Guide.pdf Geisterhaus_1_0.atr GHV10.XEX GHV10.ROM

Other Codec: GEISTERHAUS.mp4

... after 6 months programming break I'm back again: I had no peace to let a half-finished program rot in the disk box. So I decided to finish the port. First I had a look at the last state and fixed some stupid bugs. But now I have a bug free version that has 4 game levels: Visible walls with 3 monsters Visible walls with 5 monsters Dark rooms with 3 monsters Dark rooms with 5 monsters This version is fully playable and I have at least one finished playable program. My very first real game written in assembler. (Apart from a Pong ... ) But what's missing now is the really difficult game level, where the rooms are partly closed with locked doors and can only be opened with a key, which has to be found first. That sounds easy, but I still have a lot of open detail questions for which I have to look for solutions. And then came the shock: Despite my really very detailed documentation, I partly don't understand my own program code anymore. And that after only 6 months. Now I have to muddle through my source code subroutine by subroutine to fully understand the exact process again. But I'm working on it, and I'll get it done. Until then a small impression, how the dark mode looks like: VIDEO_13C.avi

I placed a pre-order in March. Should I receive a response via PM? Haven't received any information yet on how and when to pay.

Good news: My problem is solved. Simius is right. The older versions of the Sophia2 do not have this startup problem. I removed my old Sophia2 from my XE computer and put it into my "problem" XL board: The power-up problem disappeared. The XL started every time. And the second piece of good news is that the newer Sophia2 that was causing problems in my XL board works fine in the XE. So swapping the two Sophias solved my problem and there is no need to send the part to Simius. Of course it would be good to know the reason of the problem on Atari side. After all, the new Sophia2 work in the vast majority of Atari computers. Maybe it would be easier to fix the problem on the Atari board than to change small SMD components on the Sophia.

This would be an explanation, but why does the error only occur on certain boards and on others the same Sophia works without problems? I also have an older Sophia2 (2 years) built in a Atari XE. So if you have right, and my newer Sophias have the problem with the 3.3V regulator, then the older Sophia should work in the XL board, that make problems with the new Sophia. I will test it this evening and then post here the results.

Was this a fix on the atari or on the sophia? I would think if it is a problem with voltage spikes, then a capacitor somewhere in the voltage supply line on the XL board should help