yorgle Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 http://www.cyberroach.com/analog/an10/atari1200xl.htm According to this article, one of the new features of the 1200xl was the ability to swap cartridges without manually turning off the computer. Is this true? No, I don't want to try it and find out. Maybe someone here knows for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 The XL OS even has code to cater for it. An earlier verion rebooted the machine as soon as it detected a cartridge insert or removal. Later versions went into a loop, and you have to press Reset to start it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I had no idea. After all these years, I had no idea it was OK to swap carts without turning an XL machine off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorgle Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 I summoned up the courage to try it. From the ATARI rainbow screen, plugged in a BASIC cart, the screen went black or three seconds then viola! READY. Pulled the cart out, again the screen went black for three seconds and guess what- back to the ATARI rainbow screen! I didn't even have to press RESET. Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Thank you for testing it out, Yorgle! What a cool feature. I just love the Warner Atari 8-bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I personally wouldn't do it. Cartridges designed for this task have the 5V contact(s) made shorter than the rest so that contact with power is made last and is never applied to the cartridge before contact with ground is established. Otherwise, excessive current may flow out of address or data lines and fry something. I think the code in the OS is there because without the 400/800's top door the cartridge may indeed go missing, but I've never seen where Atari said it was now proper to hot-swap them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I wouldn't recommend it either. I think they catered for it possibly for "professional looks" reasons more than anything. Especially on side/rear mounting mechanisms which are clumsy enough to engage as it is. I only ever used to insert carts when "backing them up". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathtrappomegranate Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I only ever used to insert carts when "backing them up". Yes, that's the only good reason for doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Yes... well... I plug or unplug the cart if I want to force a cold start without losing what's in extended memory. (on those machines with no battery backup) I've never had a problem other than locking up bank-switched carts. Doesn't hurt them, but doesn't get the job done, either. I've never zapped a cart by plugging it with power on. Doesn't make it OK, necessarily, but I wouldn't be afraid to do it if you need to. Bob I only ever used to insert carts when "backing them up". Yes, that's the only good reason for doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 You don't even need to do that, Bob. Thanks to a somewhat annoying "feature" in the XL/XE OS, you can force a coldstart by pressing Reset twice, just get the timing right. I did it by accident on my XE the other day... annoying, but luckily didn't lose much. The "Power Up Magic" numbers are cleared during warmstart, then re-initialised. If you happen to press Reset the second time in the intermediate period, the OS thinks you've freshly powered up and will coldstart. Might be the part of the reason they changed the Reset action on XE vs XL... it's really easy to coldstart an XL, but a bit harder on the XE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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