Why isn't there a PBI version of Sio2SD

[Marius]

With all the harddisk interfaces floating around, I was wondering, why isn't there a Harddisk interface that plugs in the PBI and works with ATR files only?

 

A small button to enter a config menu (the same way the Turbo Freezer shows a screen when you hit that button, or the blackbox).

 

Simply mounting and swapping ATR's just like it works in APE to the right Dx:

 

Creating new ATR's, disable/enable write protect. etc.

 

An extra button for 'rotating' disks without getting into a menu.

 

IMO this is a great idea.

 

Indeed: SIDE2 comes close to this, but it needs U1MB upgrade (which is cool, but internal), and a few other things I would like to see are missing.

 

My first idea was to announce this device (like an april fool's joke) but I thought it would be better to ask what the chances are this device will see light of day anyway.

[Rybags]

ATR images are floppy oriented although you can create very large images (16 Meg) as virtual floppies for SIO2PC/APE/SIO2SD etc.

 

Devices like IDE +2 can have raw floppy images as partitions although it's not a desirable way to go about things, especially since the number of partitions is very finite.

 

The thing with PBI is, it's intention was for memory upgrades or high-speed peripherals. With a little hardware you can interface a HDD, other IDE class device, SD card etc.

 

With large capacity devices capable of decent speed, it's more desirable to use a modern DOS like SDX and use such devices in the manner they can perform best, which tends to be large partitions with structured filesystems.

 

The disadvantage of course is that those titles which are bootable floppy without a filing system, ie many games - they either miss out, have to be given their own partition or have to be hacked and converted.

 

But realistically most of the game library these days can be had as single file which is a much more desirable way to go.

[Marius]

My goal is not running games, but more the idea of being as portable as possible when it comes to transfer between PC/MAC and Atari without the use of a Sio2PC interface.

 

I like the ATR format, and I like the speed of PBI interfaces.

So in stead of partitions, or ATR files storing on an Atari-flash card for IDE+, I thought it would be handy to mount ATR's like HD partitions.

[flashjazzcat]

I suspect the first feature request for such a device would be that it also provided conventional hard disk partitions, thereby transforming it into something not a million miles away from the PBI devices we already have. Once you have the PBI signals and an external ROM and RAM, the rest's all software.

[+skr]

The big advantage of the SIO port is, that every Atari computer has one. PBI is not available on the 400, 800, 1200XL and XEGS.

 

And the IDE2+ does most of the jobs. I would prefer to add the functionality you´ve mentioned by software, instead of creating _another_ device.

[xxl]

The big advantage of the SIO port is, that every Atari computer has one. PBI is not available on the 400, 800, 1200XL and XEGS.

 

and some 65XE

 

http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/atarixe/h/back.jpg