Atari Inside project Update

[jacobus]

I had some spare time recently, so I was able to get this project to stage 1.

 

My ultimate goal is to have an all-in-one Atari system that can be connected directly to modern peripherals such as displays and keyboards. Ideally, no one would know it’s an Atari until they power it up. Currently the system has external ports for the (XEGS) keyboard and two joysticks as well as front mounted options and power buttons.

 

The Joystick and keyboard ports are redirected to the expansion slots at the back of the case via extension cables. Power and video cables are simply run out the back. The floppy drive was dismounted from its case and mounted in the two 5.25” bays. Currently the cartridge slot is only accessible from inside the case. I tacked on wires to carry power/start/select/option/reset signals from the front of the case to the motherboard. In all cases, these wires would be very easy to remove.

 

The hardware is currently stock – with the exception of the Super Video upgrade done to the XEGS.

 

No Atari hardware was harmed during the making of this project!

 

 

 

Next steps…

 

Stage 2

 

Replace the yellow Start push button with a green one

The electronics store was out of green - strangely they didn't have any ugly pastel colours either

 

Composite to VGA adaptor

Allow the Atari to connect directly to a PC monitor

 

Simple Stereo / IO Board

Allow the Atari to connect directly to a PC keyboard

 

Internal Power bar with PC style socket

Have one power connection on the back of the case that uses a standard three prong PC power cable. Wire this up to an internal power bar and shorten all the power cables.

Move Floppy power switch to front and replace the 5.25” bezel.

Perhaps using the USB slot directly to the right of the Reset button.

Stage 3

 

Mount a Cartridge Slot in the 3.5" floppy bay

Run an extension cable from the cartridge slot and mount a new socket in the 3.5” bay. I’ll need to come up with a very firm mounting.

 

Parallel interface

Connect a SIO to Centronics interface and cable it to a 25 pin D connector.

 

Mount Start/Select/Option/Reset buttons on Atari keyboard

The buttons exist on the keyboard (since it’s an XE keyboard in a new wrapper) – I’m assuming they work – does anyone know for sure?

 

MYIDE Upgrade

 

RAM upgrade

 

VBXE Video upgrade

[MEtalGuy66]

Ok.. If I'm seeing that correctly, thats an XEGS and a 1050 you have crammed in there..

 

Dont do the "internal power bar" crap.. Thats rediculous..

 

Use a PC power supply.. This will make everything run ALOT cooler, and cut down on the noise on the power circuit dramatically, vs having the separate transofrmers, regulators, rectifiers, etc. all running inside that thing..

 

 

how, you ask?

 

The XEGS just needs 5v and GND.. (the red wire & black wire from the PC PSU, hooked to appropriate pins on the XEGS power connector)

 

The 1050 needs 12v and 5v.. FORGET the 9VAC... Remove the 7805 and 7812 regulators that are bolted to the heatsink on the 1050 board..

 

Where the 7805 was, hook the black wire from the PC PSU to the center pad, and the red wire to the rightmost pad..

 

Where the 7812 was, hook the black wire from the PC PSU to the center pad, and the yellow wire to the rightmost pad..

 

If It's an ATX PSU, you need to hook pins 13-14 together on the ATX power connector, to tell it to turn on.. You can install a front panel power switch here..

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Internal Power bar with PC style socket

Have one power connection on the back of the case that uses a standard three prong PC power cable. Wire this up to an internal power bar and shorten all the power cables.

As explained above, don't. It's possible but just a bad idea.

 

 

Mount a Cartridge Slot in the 3.5" floppy bay

Run an extension cable from the cartridge slot and mount a new socket in the 3.5” bay. I’ll need to come up with a very firm mounting.

Longer extension cable's won't work. It must be short. Really short.

 

 

Mount Start/Select/Option/Reset buttons on Atari keyboard

The buttons exist on the keyboard (since it’s an XE keyboard in a new wrapper) – I’m assuming they work – does anyone know for sure?

That won't work. The XEGS keyboard uses a 13 pole connector only providing the signals that are handled by POKEY (all normal keys and 'help') but the console keys (Start/Select/Option) buttons are handled by the GTIA.

 

 

If you're in need of an external SIO connection, you can get away with using a 9 pin Sub-D chassis for about all SIO operations. The XFD602B disk drive uses it (to just name one) so you may wire it up like that.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Fox-1 / mnx

[Havok69]

What would be cool is to mount an SIO2SD on your external keyboard, if you go with a IBM style keyboard. If you keep the XEGS keyboard, mount the SIO2SD in a 3.5 external bay.

[+bob1200xl]

I used an XF551 m/b and a 5.25 drive mounted in the drive bay normally. A 34 pin edge connector socket, like they use on a 5.25 floppy, will just fit inside a 600XL or 800XL cartridge connector plastic (after you sand the edges a little). You can make a little PCB to plug into the cart connector that feeds up to the remote connector or you can hardwire it in. I mounted the remote cart connector on a big hunk of plexiglas mounted in a 5.25 to 3.5 adaptor, which was then mounted in the second 5.25 bay. Back then, we used TransKeys for the k/b.

 

Can't find the little guy or I'd post some pics...

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

I had some spare time recently, so I was able to get this project to stage 1.

 

My ultimate goal is to have an all-in-one Atari system that can be connected directly to modern peripherals such as displays and keyboards. Ideally, no one would know it’s an Atari until they power it up. Currently the system has external ports for the (XEGS) keyboard and two joysticks as well as front mounted options and power buttons.

 

The Joystick and keyboard ports are redirected to the expansion slots at the back of the case via extension cables. Power and video cables are simply run out the back. The floppy drive was dismounted from its case and mounted in the two 5.25” bays. Currently the cartridge slot is only accessible from inside the case. I tacked on wires to carry power/start/select/option/reset signals from the front of the case to the motherboard. In all cases, these wires would be very easy to remove.

 

The hardware is currently stock – with the exception of the Super Video upgrade done to the XEGS.

 

No Atari hardware was harmed during the making of this project!

 

 

 

Next steps…

 

Stage 2

 

Replace the yellow Start push button with a green one

The electronics store was out of green - strangely they didn't have any ugly pastel colours either

 

Composite to VGA adaptor

Allow the Atari to connect directly to a PC monitor

 

Simple Stereo / IO Board

Allow the Atari to connect directly to a PC keyboard

 

Internal Power bar with PC style socket

Have one power connection on the back of the case that uses a standard three prong PC power cable. Wire this up to an internal power bar and shorten all the power cables.

Move Floppy power switch to front and replace the 5.25” bezel.

Perhaps using the USB slot directly to the right of the Reset button.

Stage 3

 

Mount a Cartridge Slot in the 3.5" floppy bay

Run an extension cable from the cartridge slot and mount a new socket in the 3.5” bay. I’ll need to come up with a very firm mounting.

 

Parallel interface

Connect a SIO to Centronics interface and cable it to a 25 pin D connector.

 

Mount Start/Select/Option/Reset buttons on Atari keyboard

The buttons exist on the keyboard (since it’s an XE keyboard in a new wrapper) – I’m assuming they work – does anyone know for sure?

 

MYIDE Upgrade

 

RAM upgrade

 

VBXE Video upgrade

[Sikor]

http://www.arsoft.netstrefa.pl/ares.htm

http://www.arsoft.netstrefa.pl/artari/artari.htm

http://xebox.webpark.pl/xebox/index.html

 

Good luck!

[jacobus]

Dont do the "internal power bar" crap.. Thats rediculous..

 

Thanks for the directions! One issue I have with this plan is that the original case power supply is way too big (see picture). I'll try to find a smaller one (this is also one of those funky left-handed Dell cases which will likely bugger things up as well)

 

That won't work. The XEGS keyboard uses a 13 pole connector only providing the signals that are handled by POKEY (all normal keys and 'help') but the console keys (Start/Select/Option) buttons are handled by the GTIA.

Thanks - I was afraid of that.

 

http://www.arsoft.netstrefa.pl/ares.htm

http://www.arsoft.netstrefa.pl/artari/artari.htm

http://xebox.webpark.pl/xebox/index.html

Good luck!

Those are quite nice - I obviously have a ways to go. Thanks for the links.