1050 mod

[Gunstar]

I just finished a mod to my 1050. I had an external SIO/1050-2-PC interfaces that I had connected to the 1050 with a cable interfaced on the inside of the 1050. Then they were in a generic project box with two com ports.

 

I've done away with all of that and installed them directly in my 1050. I also added a front dip switch to choose between drive 1 and 2 for use with the built-in SIO/1050-2-PC.

 

The next step is either a Happy or US Doubler mod.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Gunstar

[Ransom]

That's nice work!

[utengineer]

Excellent mod. You should post a picture with all those LEDs activated.

[Gunstar]

That picture is with all the LED's lit, the flash just nuetralizes them in the picture. I'll take a pic without a flash...well, I tried several times, but I just can't get a good pic, with the LED's flashing, it's very hard to get them all on at once. You'll have to use your imagination...it looks cool.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Gunstar

[Pengwin]

That is a nice mod, and a great idea.

[+Firedawg]

Great Mod! How did you work the power for the 1050-2-PC interface?

 

Mike

[Gunstar]

Great Mod! How did you work the power for the 1050-2-PC interface?

 

Mike

 

It draws it's power from the SIO line. That's how most SIO interfaces work. My 1050 has 5v connected to the SIO line.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Gunstar

[+Firedawg]

Thanks. A while back was reading Nick Kennedy's stuff on SIO2PC and he had mentioned connecting 1050-2-PC, but remembered the issue with power. I could have Google the topic again and got the answer, but I appreciate your answer.

[+tf_hh]

It draws it's power from the SIO line. That's how most SIO interfaces work. My 1050 has 5v connected to the SIO line.

 

Really? This is unusual and might be dangerous! Only the host (e.g. any Atari computer) should provide +5 volts power to the SIO buss, not any client. On a stock 1050 the pin 10 of both SIO plugs are connected together to pass-through the +5 volts to the next chained SIO device, but without any host in the SIO chain there´s no +5 volts. The +5 volts from pin 10 is also connected via 100k resistor to the transistor array (3086) and then to the 6532, but only as a signal - not powering line.

 

So if you want to use the 1050-2-PC interface, always a running Atari is necessary to power the SIO connector with +5 volts. Better is to take the +5 volts from inside the 1050 - you will find enough points to grab it.

[Tickled_Pink]

That's very nice ... and tidy judging from the pics. I tried something similar a while back and it was a mess. Seems I'm not very steady with a Dremmel.

 

What did you use to cut the holes for the 9-pin sockets?

[Gunstar]

It draws it's power from the SIO line. That's how most SIO interfaces work. My 1050 has 5v connected to the SIO line.

 

So if you want to use the 1050-2-PC interface, always a running Atari is necessary to power the SIO connector with +5 volts. Better is to take the +5 volts from inside the 1050 - you will find enough points to grab it.

 

What part of this don't you understand? It seems a pretty straight forward statement to me: My 1050 has 5v connected to the SIO line.

 

In any case, trust me (or not, I don't really give a damn), I know what I'm doing. I've been using this SIO-2-PC and 1050-2-PC for years without problems, both drawing from the same source, my 1050, throught the SIO port. The only difference now is it's in the 1050 instead of it's own housing, otherwise it's connected to the SIO line as it has been for nearly a decade.

 

But this isn't a tutorial, I'm not going to sit here and expalin everything I did, to you.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Gunstar

[Gunstar]

That's very nice ... and tidy judging from the pics. I tried something similar a while back and it was a mess. Seems I'm not very steady with a Dremmel.

 

What did you use to cut the holes for the 9-pin sockets?

 

Dremmel?!? I don't need no stink'in DREMMEL! I did it all with an exacto knife and a drill.

[Gunstar]

Only the host (e.g. any Atari computer) should provide +5 volts power to the SIO buss, not any client.

 

Why do you think ONLY the host can supply +5v to the SIO? The SIO doesn't know the difference, it gets it's +5v either way...if you've got multiple SIO devices without there own power source, you better get power from somewhere besides just the "host," there aren't infinate amps there you know...

 

 

Sorry if I seem a bit rude, but you are a johnny-come-lately suggesting I may not know what I'm doing when I've been using these SIO devices for years drawing power from the 1050 through the SIO line for many years, if it were "dangerous" surely something would have happened by now...Have you done similiar mods? Do you understand how electricity works? You might as well be telling me I've been breathing wrong for 43 years, that it could be dangerous for me to breath through my mouth and both nostrils, that I better plug up two of the holes and only breathe through one.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Gunstar

[Gunstar]

It draws it's power from the SIO line. That's how most SIO interfaces work. My 1050 has 5v connected to the SIO line.

 

Really? This is unusual and might be dangerous! Only the host (e.g. any Atari computer) should provide +5 volts power to the SIO buss, not any client. On a stock 1050 the pin 10 of both SIO plugs are connected together to pass-through the +5 volts to the next chained SIO device, but without any host in the SIO chain there´s no +5 volts. The +5 volts from pin 10 is also connected via 100k resistor to the transistor array (3086) and then to the 6532, but only as a signal - not powering line.

 

So if you want to use the 1050-2-PC interface, always a running Atari is necessary to power the SIO connector with +5 volts. Better is to take the +5 volts from inside the 1050 - you will find enough points to grab it.

 

I'm just screwing with you man, in those other replies. I'm going to be doing a Happy mod to this same 1050 soon, and when I do, I'll take pictures and describe whats going on with this SIO/1050-2-PC mod. Believe me, I've taken everything into account as far as the power goes, I really have been using it this way for years getting the power through the SIO port, but maybe not extactly the way you are picturing it in your mind from my over-simplified explanation you quoted.

 

The reason for the simplified explanation is that I don't exactly recall how I have it hooked up; I did the initial mod years ago, and at the time it was thought through to a logical conclusion that I don't remember all the details of it now. The current mod I did didn't disconnect the original mod, I just moved the interface into the 1050, instead of having a cable running out of the 1050 into a seperate device box. The original cable is still there, it's just tucked inside the 1050 now with the board and com ports.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Gunstar

[+bob1200xl]

Since the SIO is connected inside your computer to +5v, you need to be careful that you don't power your computer with +5v from the 1050 - and your 1050 with +5v from the computer. If you want to plug two systems into one 1050 (works fine, by the way), put isolation diodes in both systems for +5v.

 

Other than that, it sounds like this setup only connects the SIO2PC to the SIO +5v, not the 1050 +5v bus.

 

Bob

[Gunstar]

Since the SIO is connected inside your computer to +5v, you need to be careful that you don't power your computer with +5v from the 1050 - and your 1050 with +5v from the computer. If you want to plug two systems into one 1050 (works fine, by the way), put isolation diodes in both systems for +5v.

 

Other than that, it sounds like this setup only connects the SIO2PC to the SIO +5v, not the 1050 +5v bus.

 

Bob

 

Sorry Bob, I was sort of messing with tf__hh, as I stated in my last post (sorry, I'm just feeling "rambunctious" today). IIRC it is getting it's power from the 1050, through the SIO, but I did "isolate" as you mentioned, it's just been so long I don't remember the details of the circuit mods, I just moved everything from one housing to another without touching the actual ciruit except for the LED's. So the circuit part of this mod was done years ago and my memory needs refreshing. The only reason I even remember this much is I did notice where I had some SIO lines cut and jumpered to the MOBO when I installed the SIO/1050-2-PC board. The RX and TX led's also work when loading from or saving to floppy, not just when using the 1050/SIO-2-PC.

 

The reason why I did it the way I did is becuase I didn't want my SIO-2-PC hogging the SIO line by dead-ending the daisy-chain, or connecting it to the far end of my daisy-chained system, as well as the fact I have other devices drawing power from the SIO line, my printer interface for one.

 

Actually, as I've been pondering this, my memory of it is starting to return. I believe the 1050/SIO-2-PC interface IS actually getting it's power from the computer through the SIO line, but it's isolated at the SIO ports of the 1050, and then I have +5v power jumpered from the 1050 mobo to the SIO ports feeding the +5v to the rest of the SIO daisy-chain.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Gunstar

[+bob1200xl]

I'm sure you're OK - I think people may be confusing your setup with other issues on the +5v SIO power.

 

Bob

[+Firedawg]

Sorry Gunstar as it was not my intention to draw a review of your mod. I was thinking about buying one of those units on eBay 1050-2-PC and I noticed that it had a 5v power plug for a wall wart on it, but in looking at your mod I did not see that, hence my question to you earlier. No, you are not required or expected to give me a complete schematic or tutorial of your mod, although it would be nice . Very nice work! I will do my homework and make it happen for me as you have for yourself.

 

Mike

[Gunstar]

Excellent mod. You should post a picture with all those LEDs activated.

 

I finally got a decent pic of the drive in action. Here I am using the 1050-2-PC to write an ATR image to a real disk.

Yes, the power LED was red and is now green; the red one burned out (bad resister) and all I had was green LED's left to fit the hole..

Edited February 26, 2012 by Gunstar

[sup8pdct]

There appears to be some confusion of the 5v connected in the 1050. It is and every 1050 has it. several other drives have it as well. HOWEVER, it is not connected to the 5v buss in the drive, but to a transistor buffer chip where the processor can check the status of the 5v line.

 

James

[Gunstar]

There appears to be some confusion of the 5v connected in the 1050. It is and every 1050 has it. several other drives have it as well. HOWEVER, it is not connected to the 5v buss in the drive, but to a transistor buffer chip where the processor can check the status of the 5v line.

 

James

 

Good info. It had been so long since I did the circuits of this mod I just didn't remember, but gradually it has all started coming back (without opening it up and looking, just from memory). The situaltion with this mod is there is an SIO-2-PC and 1050-2-PC on the same board and sharing some of the same SIO lines, but they are seperately powered. The SIO-2-PC part is drawing power from the SIO line and the 1050-2-PC part is drawing power from the 1050's 5v line. But, neither device will work without the 1050 being powered up (that part I'm still pondering). Which is why I was confused at first as to where the power was coming from after so long.

 

I'm going to do a happy upgrade to this drive in the near future and when I do I'll take pictures of the SIO device mods and describe what's going on then. It's a bit of a rat's nest of wiring inside right now, and not worth opening up just for show and tell right now. I might have a few pics I can post from before, if I can find them I'll post them.

 

I found some pics I took when I was putting it together...they don't show everything though as you only see the bottom of the mobo and one side of the SIO-2-PC circuit board...

Edited February 26, 2012 by Gunstar

[atari8warez]

Sorry Gunstar as it was not my intention to draw a review of your mod. I was thinking about buying one of those units on eBay 1050-2-PC and I noticed that it had a 5v power plug for a wall wart on it, but in looking at your mod I did not see that, hence my question to you earlier. No, you are not required or expected to give me a complete schematic or tutorial of your mod, although it would be nice . Very nice work! I will do my homework and make it happen for me as you have for yourself.

 

Mike

 

Hey Mike,

 

The SIO bus was designed so that only the host (your Atari computer) supplies +5v through SIO pin 10 to the peripheral devices. Devices need that 5v on SIO10 to function properly.

 

There are various ways to power an internal 10502PC. You can either draw the power from SIO pin 10 by connecting an Atari computer to the SIO chain, or if you don't want (or can't have) your computer connected use an external power adaptor to supply the power, and finally - and to me the most logical solution is to - supply the 5v from the drive itself. There are several points on a 1050 mobo where you can tap into the regulated +5v. One of the simplest is the TP13 (test point 13) which is a pin on the component side of the mobo.

 

Power obtained this way is fed to the 10502PC circuitry and through it to the SIO pin 10 of the drive (so 1050 is supplying 5v for the interface as well as for it's own use on SIO pin 10). This setup works fine however it also breaks the rule above for SIO protocol which is "only the host device would supply the 5v on SIO10". In fact if you have an Atari computer connected to your drive with an internal 10502PC which is powered from the drive, you will see that the power LED on your computer comes on when you power-up your drive (even when the power switch on Atari is in OFF position). This is not good, you are feeding the Atari with 5volts from the SIO pin 10, so what do we do in this case. Well, we need to do 2 things:

 

1. Add a power switch to your internal 10502pc interface. When in OFF position the switch will cut the +5v from the drive to the interface (and thus to SIO pin 10) enabling you to connect your 1050 to your Atari computer safely as usual. When in ON position the drive will power the interface and supply SIO pin 10 with +5v enabling you to connect your 1050 to a PC, just don't forget to unplug your Atari computer from the SIO chain before connecting your 1050 to a PC.

 

2. Ok what if you want the drive to be connected to both your Atari computer and the PC all the time (Which is fine as long as the Atari and the PC don't try to access the drive at the very same moment). To achieve this objective you would need to install a forward-biased diode between the Atari mobo and it's SIO pin 10. The diode will allow passage of the 5v current from the Atari to the SIO10 but prevent 5v from coming from the 1050 into your Atari through the same pin.

 

There is one more thing you may want to implement and that's to add a similar diode to your 10502pc interface to prevent it from being powered by your Atari computer since it should only be powered by your drive and when your drive is switched ON.

 

Hope this helps a bit..... I just recently upgraded one of my drives this way, and I do normaly build RS232 based external SIO2PC and 10502PC interfaces. I will also soon start building this internal 1050 version for parties interested in getting one for their drive. I will post some pictures following this message.

 

Ray

 

P.S: By the way the unit you have seen on ebay is probably one of my 10502pc

Edited February 28, 2012 by atari8warez

[atari8warez]

Here's some pics of my 10502pc internal upgrade along with my SIO2PC internal on a 130XE.

 

I chose to put the port and the switch on the side of the drive for convenience only, easier to access and visible from where I sit.

 

I already build and sell SIO2PC and 10502PC (serial only) interfaces and will be adding the smaller (1.5" x 6/8" ) internal 10502PC version to my list.

 

If anyone is interested in getting one please see the links in my signature (the small internal 10502PC version is not on the website yet, so please PM me if you want one before the webpage gets updated)..

 

Ray

Edited February 29, 2012 by atari8warez

[Gunstar]

I like your LED's on the XE, it looks cool with the oval opening. I didn't bother with seperate power switches, they just come on with the 1050 power switch.

Is that serial-to-USB adapter you have plugged in require a driver on the PC? I'm just curious, I already have a serial-to-USB legacy adapter, the one I got did require a driver installation on my PC, but works flawlessly.

[+Firedawg]

Thanks Ray,

 

Very sweet mod and thank you for your indepth explaination of the power requirements and connections as that will assist me in completing my drive mod. Yes, it was your eBay listing I have been looking at. I will probally secure one from your website later here in the week. Great pics too!

 

Mike