Feasible to replace a 6520 PIA with a 6521?

[Feasible to replace a 6520 PIA with a 6521?]

+ 1 for the 6821. Have been running one of those for years.

 

James

[Odd 1050 issue - any ideas?]

sounds like temperature drift of the pot that controls the data separator. Will need an scope to set up properly. tho can be fudged.

[Atari 800 SIO issue]

Check out R168 - R174. Make sure they are 100ohm.

Check out strip resistor R129, 4.7 kohm pullup. make sure one hasn't done something stupid.

Assume keyboard works so can rule out IRQ not working.

also check continuity between mother board and SIO connector, make sure the powerboard connector is ok.

[Atari 64K Memory Card (Atari 64KMR) for 1090 xl expansion system]

5 hours ago, kheller2 said:

1064

 Although one now wonders if you can modify the design to replace internal RAM.

 

I have done it for giggles. Had to modify both computer and 1064 to do it tho.

 

James

[Atari 64K Memory Card (Atari 64KMR) for 1090 xl expansion system]

On 1/19/2021 at 10:03 AM, Rybags said:

Remember here that the 1064 replaces all the internal Ram with it's own and it would be the case here also for a 600XL.

NO it does not. In the 600XL, the 1st 16k is ALWAYS the builtin in ram. The other 48K minus the H/W chip area and any enabled roms is on the 1064 or the 1066 in the 1090.

 

James

[What is Supermon?]

There is also a version of Supermon called Printmon. The P: driver in the OS is rewritten to drive a small interface plugged in joystick port 2  (4 on 400/800) and the std centronics connector on a printer ie a cheap printer interface.

It falls over if programs make direct calls SIO interface bypassing the P: driver eg: paperclip.

 

Still have a few unpopulated boards here.

 

James

[XF551 w/3.5" Hyper-XF and Fat12a.sys]

6 hours ago, Mark2008 said:

 it looks like exotic equipment such as the CSS upgrade with IBMREAD.COM or the Spartados X , but that's exotic equipment.

 

 

Not really. Just need a slightly modded rom for the css upgrade to work. Dongle is purely copy protection.

 

James

[Ballblazer on 600XL?]

A lot of those XE carts are a bank switched rom anywhere from 32K (not sure if it is that low) through to 128K and maybe higher.

They copy some of the banks of rom to lower ram. A std 600XL has a hole from 16k to 32K so any data copied there is lost so any game that loads stuff there will crash.

Ballblazer cart would be one of many that wont work on a std 600xl.

 

James

 

[CAS to ATR possible?]

The ATR it starts loading at 1eee (assuming to clear dos then moved down to where it should go) It means it wont work on 16K. the original cas image begins loading at 480.

 

 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

56 minutes ago, Jeffrey Worley said:

  The reason is that the Atari has an interesting format; all atari formats are interesting in that they all have at least the first sector in single density, no matter what the rest of the disk is formatted as.  This is so in order to accommodate (as I understand it), the Atari's original boot scheme, which provides only 128bytes of buffer for disk access, necessitating single-density read(s) for what is usually the first three sectors.  Once the code is gotten into memory via this route, it is executed, and the cassette buffer is concatenated to the disk buffer, allowing for 256byte reads and writes.  The originators of Atari's Operating System for our machines did not envision support for sectors larger than 128bytes.  Percom did a nice job of supplying support, but the solution is not at the ROM level; such support would probably reduce memory available to programs by 1 page, causing compatibility problems with existing software....

 

 

From what i understand, All atari DD formats except for the duplicator upgrade, have all sectors as 256 bytes. The firmware of the drive reads and writes the 1st 3 sectors as 256 bytes tho it only sends and receives the 1st 128 bytes.

The buffer is only used for the 1st sector. the 1st 6 bytes of the 1st sector has pointers for number of sectors to load, run address and buffer address where to put the sectors loaded.

 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

It shouldn't be too hard to do a utility on the atari to transfer files to a cp/m filesystem disk to a drive connected to the atr8000.

Just need to keep track of the sector numbers for a double sided drive as cp/m addresses sides in a different way.

 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

13 hours ago, moonlight_mile said:

I dumped the 3.02+ rom and attached it to this message. I am guessing you guys can figure out if there are any differences compared to all the roms floating around.

ATR-8000 3.02+ Rom.BIN 4 kB · 7 downloads

Is the same as what i have here.

 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

Someone needs to invent a camera that can image magnetic flux on disks and decode it........

 

Top find

 

James

[Altirra Hardware Ref Guide]

ATR8000 responds to Z device. commands are Read memory, Write memory, Set location and Goto address. I have used that to send atr the cpm system create file to create a cpm system disk.

 

Also in the printer section. All printers respond to P1. however other Atari direct printers respond to unique printer numbers as well.

850      P2:
1025    P3:
1020    P4:

1027    P5:

1029    P6:

not sure about the X?? series tho.   James

[Chemical Bank Pronto Cart dumps]

Dont think it will work. One rom is blank (lo). Several references are made in to the blank area.

 

James

[Pal Atari 800 (not XL) PSU]

Only thing to watch is the VA rateing. The 800 takes more power then a 400. My pal 400 psu is a small brick, one for 800 was a much larger brick.

It will run the 800 but may get a lot hotter.

 

James

[Games that are bigger on disk version]

On 11/13/2020 at 1:04 AM, zzip said:

Isn't the Frogger cassette code completely also different than the disk?    I have found three different versions of Frogger on Atari8,  the Parker Bros one, and two from Sierra.  I assume one of the Sierra ones was cassette.

Correct.

Wouldn't surprise me that both are completely different code. both look the same tho so something has to be shared, different memory locations tho.

 

James

[Games that are bigger on disk version]

Frogger. tape is 16K, disk requires 32K.

Extra music and more hazzards.

 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

It is a mystery. Only other thing it could possibly be is the rom. Maybe a different version or a bit somewhere isn't what it should be. The cp/m bios overlays the rom code that is copied to ram so many routines (namely disk) that are in the rom are used by the CP/M bios.

Another possibility is the rom not being disabled. maybe the file i created isn't doing something right but others have confirmed that it does work.

 

 

I have finally managed (i hope) to create a double sided image of the latest version of the ATR8000 cpm files disk.

I have learned things about the 3 different double sided formats out there. XF, ATR and Percom and what i have said about the percom way is wrong. Turns out it is very strange.

 

Have included all 3 versions. choose only the version for the drive you are going to write to. otherwise it wont work.

 

Again, i have no way to test it yet (Get off ass and fix ATR) so feed back would be appreciated.

 

Info for anyone who is remotely interested on the layouts of double sided.

ATR. side 1 as per SSDD. side 2 starts at track 1 and steps to track 40, sectors  read from 1 to 18 for each track (ie FDC side, track, sector id field)

XF side 1 as per SSDD  Side 2 starts at track 40 and steps back to track 1 sectors read from 18 to 1 each track. (FDC fields as above)

Percom Side 1 as SSDD. side 2 starts at track 40 sector 17 through to 1 then each track after, 18 to 1 stepping back to track 1. very last sector (1440) is sector 18 on track 40. (wonder if percom reserved it for some reason or is it a programming error?)

 

James

atr8000 cpm data files atr8000 DSDD.atr atr8000 cpm data files percom DSDD.atr atr8000 cpm data files xf551 DSDD.atr

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

On 10/1/2020 at 6:52 AM, moonlight_mile said:

I think the verdict is something is wrong with my Atr. Tried a lot of different things and it just won’t boot into cp/m.

 

Thanks for all the help! It was a fun learning experience. I guess I will have to keep my eye out for when another one pops up for sale.

 

I truly wonder if this started life as a 16k and was upgraded and something is missing. It did come with the CPM supplement but there is clearly a 16 sticker on the back of it.

Please open it up and quote the the number on the ram chips. Should be something like 4116 /4164 or 4516, 4564. important part is last 2 digits . they are 8 chips inline between the power transformer and the SIO sockets. there is also some jumpers to select 16K or 64K. Please describe the position of those.  for reference, mine has nothing in J1, one marked as 2 is shorted, 4 and 6 are not . All are close to transformer.  I am guessing J1 would be shorted if 41256 or similar are used. The 4116 are 16K chips. Easy enough to upgrade to 64K tho. 16K will never work with CP/M.

 

I have a dump of the sectors of a cpm data disk that goes with the latest version of cp/m ie sectors in order the way atr cp/m reads them side 1 then side 2, track 1 side 1,2  track 2 etc  . am thinking of ways to get it in to the right sector order for an ATR file to be written by an XF551 or atr8000 double sided ( both are different). Was hoping to use my blackbox floppy board but am currently having issues with it. May have to do it by hand (doing my head in)

 

Need to get a 1797 for my ATR...............

 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

7 hours ago, a8isa1 said:

I wasn't asking if I could copy a system disk to an image. I was asking if [EDIT] an image of the newly created double-sided disk of files can be used along with CPMBOOT to make a new bootable disk.

 

There is no need to answer my earlier question. It worked!

 

-SteveS

Yes you can, but once you have the system booted and a data disk with all the files, it is much easier to use DDSYSGEN to create more 'system' disks. As usual like with most other disk boot type systems, format a data disk 1st then write system to it. There are utils to move the system down lower in memory. Don't know the reason for doing that yet.

 

One thing to do is a program on the atari side to write files to a cp/m data disk to easily transfer programs and data. Need remember block size etc.

 

Below is the readme file on the data disk. Apologizes if it already has been shown earlier.

 

James

 

What is on this disk
====================

from SWP:
---------
MAKESYS.DOC .... read this to learn how
                        to make a system disk.
NEWS.DOC ....... read about new ATR8000
                         CP/M system software.
MODEM.DOC ...... instructions for modem
                         program from CPMUG.

DDINIT.COM ..... diskette formatting
                          and verifying program.
DDSYSGEN.COM ... program to read/write
                           system area of disks.
CONFIG.COM ..... customized CP/M system
                         generation program.
SYSTEM.SWP ..... relocatable copy of
                          CP/M and SWP bios.
MODEM.COM ...... MODEM7 communications
                          program for ATR8000.
DISKDEF.COM .... program to set up ATR
                         to use disks made by
                         other computers.
DISKMON.COM .... utility program for
                           tinkering with disks at
                           the track/sector level.

 

from Digital Research:
----------------------
DDT.COM ........ 8080 machine language
                        debug utility.
ASM.COM ........ 8080 assembler.
LOAD.COM ....... loader for making .HEX
                          file into .COM file.
ED.COM ......... simple text editor.
MOVCPM.COM ..... CP/M relocator.
SUBMIT.COM ..... batch command file
                           processor.
XSUB.COM ....... more batch processor.
SYSGEN.COM ..... 8 inch single density
                           disk sysgen.
PIP.COM ........ file copying program.
STAT.COM ....... program to display and
                        change various system
                         parameters.

 

from the public domain:
-----------------------
D.COM .......... fancy file directory
                        listing program.
DISK76.COM ..... improved file copying
                        utility. replaces the
                        functions of PIP.

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

8 hours ago, Jeffrey Worley said:

Moonlight_Mile has a slew of 1797 controller chips, three I think, new, so ask him for one.  That way you can get your ATR up and running the way it should be.  Also, some 1050's come with that controller the 97 chip, with a pin broken off.  You can replace the pin and have a chip for your ATR, and swap the 93 into the 1050, which won't know the difference.

 

Best,

 

Jeff

The 1050 uses a 2797 . Very different beast when compared to a 1797 hardware wise. Programming both however are almost the same.

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

Cpm boot is a modifyed version of sysgen file (whatever it is called) it formats only the 1st 2 tracks then writes the cpm system  out. Can be done to any data disk as the directory starts on track 3. However the sector size is 512 bytes (i think)  apart from sector 1 which is 128 bytes regardless of what sector size the rest of the disk was formated at,  so trying to make an atr image of one will fail. 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

It will do. Most people will have a mech on the atr8000 anyway.

 

James

[ATR-8000 (and other) CP/M System disks here]

Please note that the files that come with the different versions of CP/M cannot be interchanged for the most part. The BIOS is different and the files match the differences. There is a text file listing the changes. 

 

Can you please format a double sided 256 byte sector 5.25 disk and copy the files from the atr above onto it. Dont make it a system disk. Then make an atr image file of that disk from the drive connected to the atr8000. Then if you can, make an atr file using an xf551 of that same disk makeing sure that both read 1440 sectors. Please post both versions in this thread. That way, others dont have to use magnets ,witch craft and wizardry  to create the cp/m files disk. I had to assemble that disk by hand using a hex editor. Couldnt wrangle the double sided as ATR8000 and XF551 handle the 2nd side differently and did my head in.  Percom is different again!

 

It was a team effort to create the cpm boot file. My ATR8000 wont format (suspect fdc as mine has 1793 instead of 1797) so had to put file out there for others to test.

 

James