ZZTOP SOFT

Hi. I want to present my latest project: Controlling an electromechanical pinball machinne with an ATARI 800XL. Unlike electronic pinballs, electromechanical or "EM" have no electronic components, so all its operation is based on relays, coils and coils with a combination of mechanisms (called banks or units) that allow a primitive form of data storage (RAM). Well, my goal is to replace all this stuff with an Atari 800XL and buid a small controller board as an I / O. The machine chosen is one of my favorites of the late 70's: Gottlieb's Centigrade 37. Recently a friend gave me just the playfield, in not very good condition, so I'll have to retouch some cracks and repopulate it, ie buy all post, rubbers, bumpers mechanisms, and many other things. Also rebuild a proper cabinet. And finally the programming, which I will in Basic, by now, with the plus of being compiled and put into a cartridge to load automatically when you turn on the machine, like electronic pinballs does. Anyway I hope rewrite the program in assembly... later, to win some advantages of the processing speed. Yeah, I heard about Arduino's and other similar hardware`s but this is ATARI AGE ¿right? We, and I, are from that time and I love it! So... up and atom! This is the playfield I have and the cabinet Inside the cabinet of a real Centigrade 37 As you can see, getting all those parts and wired it correctly are impossible. Besides very expensive. When the project ends, the cabinet are almost empty. ZZT

If you doesn't have a tripod.... always can take a broom and use the self timer. Works fine for me.

I say it before... "Im not happy that all". At starting I know that I cut too much cover in some places. And my first idea was put the DVD in the back of the Atari, but the Power Supply ruins many of my ideas. In example: I want to put the power plug in the SIO hole, but I can't. I want to put the two joystick connector in the same location that the 800XL, also I can't. And everything fit a little tight. Also, I can't found an I/O plate matching with this Intel mother board. As somebody suggest, Im thinking in the pico PSU. With that on my hands I can improve my Atari PC. Until that happen is not more than a prototype, although a full operative prototype. .

Oh! Just a pirated pacman version from Brazil.

Sure! VHS tape and cartridge http://www.retrogame...o/videocart.jpg How works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZI-Xw0OIXI ROM: http://www.retrogame...artridge_v1.rom Schematic: http://www.retrogame...chematic_v1.jpg Components side: http://www.retrogame..._compo_side.jpg Source (in spanish): http://www.retrogame...cturbosoft.html

Now that would definitely upgrade a Packard bell, although to be fair throwing a pocket calculator in there with dead batteries would be an upgrade to a PB so it's hard to find a scenario that wouldn't be considered an improvement. relax, relax, think the quantity of people who lives in the world, all with its own ideas. Some are good, some are bad, but, without ideas, nothing can't exist. And, in case, everything can be improved. When my friends see me doing this kind of mods say me ¿why you do this that way? ¿why no this way? And I ask myself ¿why this guy dont go to the hell? And then, suddenly, I start to think on his sugestion and I found something who can be good, then I twist his idea and improve my proyect (and I keep the credit ha ha ha). So, my middle name can be "there's not bad ideas, just ideas"

Years ago I found #24 41256 chips in a old Trident VGA card.

My Atari consoles 2600 heavy sixer, 4sw, dart vader, 6sw, jr. short rainbow, jr. long rainbow 2600 heavy sixer AKA Sunnyvale. 2600 woody 6 switchs 2600 woody 4 switchs 2600 woody 4 switchs "not for resale" "NOT FOR RESALE, FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY" 2600 "Darth Vader" 2600JR Atari 7800 Prosystem carts Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark y Star Voyager never opened Indy 500 cartucho ForggerParker Brothers. DACTAR are from Brasil. Total #141 Atari Force. XD pack Star Raiders Atari Stunt cycle Super Pong Atari Lynx And my centipede toys

My Atari computers two taiwan clones, datamark, XL12 Injector, XL12, XC12, XC11, 1010, 410 Datamark - XC12 red - XC12 white - XL12 red - XL12 Injektor - XL12 grey - Data Recorder GE - Atari 1010 - Atari XC11 Atari 1050, 1050 with bad sector, fly & happy7, XF551, XF551 3 1/2 drive;, 810 Printers: Atari 1025, 1027, 1029, XMM801 and some commodore qix never opened network system Modem Atari XM301 Trakball never opened

As I say before, I have many Ataris, more than ten 800XL every with several chips burnt and useless PCB (also the keyboards are unrecoverable). Belive me, I have too many cases to play and I think this kind of mods gives them another chance to come back to life. In fact, you'r right: this case was not very very nice to say, even me are not so happy with the result. So I think change it later. But if already put two fans, one for the power supply and another to the CPU. Sorry, I just miss the pics. The last saturday I present my Atari-PC for first time in the annual Atariada, by retrogames.cl. And works twelve hours!! Without any temperature problem. I have to say, before the event I have several concerns about this item, but my atari-pc was aproved with honors. And, at this point I want to give my excuses about some 'mistakes' in my writing. In my country we don't speak or write English, but always do my best try.

Already done too many times. Have at least 2 laying around that came with 2 different batches of 8-bit stuff. Yeap, very nice mod, but I already did it a couple of years before, In fact I put the Atari and the PC together in a old Epson, plastic case. If I remember well, an Equity I or II. The mod was not a good idea, because you have to have two screens. One PC monitor and a TV set for the Atari.

Those are really nice keyboards to type on (like Amiga 2000 actually but hard to find now. I don't understand exactly how you got the keyboard working, did you wire each Atari XL key to PC packard bell points one by one? Not precisely, the Atari keyboard matrix match in a 35% with the Packard Bell. The rest was rewire one by one, sad but true. My goal at this point was left the atari keyboard remains is normal order as much as posible. In fact when runs the AtariWin emulator the keys match in 99%. Not bad. The only exceptions: R-Shift now is ALT Reverse video are Function key And If you are thinking ¿what happen with the specials keys? RESET = F1 OPTION = F2 SELECT = F3 START = F4 HELP = F5 I don't use F6 to F12 so this fact don't bug me that all. However, I already have the solution: using a couple of CD4066 (quad bilarteral switch) wired to the Function Key, I can change F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 by F6 F7 F8 F9 F10. A real easy trick. PD: Im sorry, the keyboard is actualy a Pacard Bell, my mistake.

Well, as the title says I put a full PC inside an Atari 800XL. Do not be sad if you think "this guy destroy an Atari to do that," I have enough Ataris, many out of service, so in fact in some ways came back to life one that no longer worked. So, I would like to share the process with all AA users. Starting, first ideas. First problem: the processor dissipating fins are too long and make contact in the keyboard pcb. To solve that, I cut a small piece of the cover To solve this I cut a piece of the cover because the beveled edge caused the motherboard is nearly 1cm high (0.25 ") Also bent the fins As seen in the picture the fins no longer touch the circuit. Holes for the I/O The keyboard. I choice this HP I followed carefully all the tracks and got the schematic And what followed was a bit more complicated: I cut the Atari keyboard tracks and rewire everything to match to the HP that is PS2 Then I got a pc power supply and 2.5 SATA hard drive, and a DVD! Everything is fine, although a little tight. I forgot, to fit the power supply was a bit tricky, as did several custom modifications: Cut and re-solder all the cables was a nightmare (hours of hours), but not enough to give the precise form to the shield. But the order been worth every tear. Fixing keyboard wirenigthmare. I/O plate, not new but works Power SW, power led and HDD led. and And finally, works. Running Visual Pinmame: Running APE, to transfeer games to an 800XL. Windows XP, SP3 Im very happy with it. Specs: Intel Mini ITX mother board, Athom CPU dual core 1.8x 1.8 mhz, 4GB RAM, 1TB 2.5"HDD, notebook DVD rom+ide-sata adaptor. I have not enought time to install the joystick connector, but I will soon. Now I can still remember every day the atari times, with the performance of a modern PC. And of course with the atari emulator loaded! I hope you like what I did.

I do not agree at all about the lenguage complain, there are hundreds of translators. Is easy to complain when someone posts a new creation and no details of how to doit yourself, and the only thing he wants is sells to us a similar (as is the custom here), but when another person, NOT people from the USA, creates something new without copying to anybody and makes it known on the Internet, in detail and clear instructions and most importantly, for free, Im sorry to tell you, is pure envy.

I take all the rear connections (audio video. power supply. sio plug) and put all of them in one single DB-9 male connector. In addition the extension cable I used is much more flexible that all the originals together. Finally the Atari looks like a PC keyboard. The goal was to have my Atari computer with a single connection cable that gave all the connectivity needed. In addition the modification help me to keep my desk clean. I do not use the Atari every day so this modification allows to unplug it of a fast and easier way. 1° Many hard cables (I hate them's ). 2° Make a hole and put one DB-9 male connector. 3° Solder conections. 4° Put the cover. 5° Ready to go. All cables good bye. I will try to improve the images as soon as I can.

USPS owned you parche. Best luck next time. PD: take the insurance for the other.

looks well. thanks dude. Nice Web, but the prices…. one keyboard for over an 50 dollars plus delivery to Chile is too expensive for me, even more considering the computer cost was only 6 dollars...... i keep searching.

From today i'm a proud owner of one Atari Mega ST2 but "without" keyboard&mouse. Because in Chile found one is impossible, i'm looking for if someone here knows how to build one or replace with standar PC keyboard. Appreciate any advice.

easy way to unsoldering chips:

Still working since 1987. Inside: Sorry, the voice is in spanish.

Here the schematic: Instructions: http://www.retrogames.cl/grabador.html

today i found one vcs with these two beautiful centipedes stucks in the cover. Real pic. The only pic i found on the internet ¿somebody knows any history about this toys?

Te esperamos!!

atarichile is no longer aviable. see the mod in the new site: http://www.retrogames.cl/xecarts.html

Shure, you don't see that schematic in any another place, because i made it yesterday!!