PC-1 Software & Docs

[danwinslow]

Does anyone have any images of the OS disks ( a variant of MSDOS 3.x I think ), the GEM disks, or manuals for the Atari PC-1?

 

Greatly appreciated, thanks.

[The Usotsuki]

I've got system disks for MS-DOS 3.1, 3.2, 3.21 and 3.3, but they're not Atari :/

[David Baldwin]

I have PC1 disks to gem desktop ega, gem paint, gem startup ega, gem write, and msdos disk 1 and 2 all in 368,640k img files email me and ill post them back

to you in zip file, These are for the atari looking at the gem bat file.

[charliecron]

I've sent them to Dan, here they are for other folks. Sorry, I deleted all my attachements at some point.

 

 

368640 gem_desktop_ega.img
368640 gem_paint.img
368640 gem_startup_ega.img
368640 gem_write.img
368640 msdos_disk1.img
368640 msdos_disk2.img

 

 

[David Baldwin]

cool thats the same zip file i found if new how to add a attached files i can add files to my replays.

[charliecron]

There is a "More Reply Options" button right next to the "Post" button. Use that to add attachments to your post.

 

I imaged the disks from genuine Atari disk delivered with the PC-1.

[danwinslow]

Well, I fired up the PC-1 the other day, and after some scrambling around with various video adapter bits and monitors I verified it is functional. It's in very good shape, the only issue I can see is that the cover is loose. There seems to be a broken tab or something in the back left corner of the top casing, leaving a very small rectangular hole. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the .img files onto 5.25 floppies. I don't have a separate 5.25 drive so I suppose I'll remove the one from the PC-1, hook it up to an old PC I have, and use that to write the floppies. I plan to sell the machine, but I'd kind of like to have the original software with it. I have a HD I think I could put in, but I don't know if that would add value or detract it.

[charliecron]

I'm pretty sure I have that same tab in the back left corner of the top case. I think it's supposed to be there, an aid maybe in removing the case..or an aid in putting it back on. Here is a photo I ripped from somewhere where you can see it.

[danwinslow]

Ah yep, exactly. Thanks. On the HD subject....what do I need, some kind of ISA interface and an older drive? I have a huge selection of old PC crap..er, valuable components...to choose from.

 

*edit*

Hmm, looks like I am missing some kind of cabling from the 'expansion port'. Or can I use the external floppy drive port?

Edited March 26, 2015 by danwinslow

[charliecron]

Welll Bumzyman from this forum is the only one other than "JoJo" who posted a blog in Spain that is gone are the only folks I know that that managed to get an ISA interface built.

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/103078-offtopic-but-hey-its-an-atari-pc-1/page-3?do=findComment&comment=3019280

 

I have a scan of the interface, and an amature pin-out I did of the interface I did when Curt lent me an interface card. I can post when I get home. But Bunzyman is probably your best best.

 

I have the PC-1 and PCH204 drive, but no way to connect it.

 

Charlie

 

 

 

[Bumzyman]

I need to take some more pictures and update the other tread but what I did, since I don't have a the PCH204, was build an XT-CF interface to use a CF card as a the HD. The info for the XT-CF can be found over at the Vintage Computer Forums. Everything fits in the PC-1's case nice and neat.

 

Next, I want to add VGA and sound but the ISA slot expansion I built only has two slots so I'll have to decide which one I want more.

On another note I've added a PC-3 to my collection since my last update and that has plenty of slots to add all three cards.

 

I've seen a single slot ISA adapter that plugs into the PC-1 header pins here but I don't know who made it or if more than one was ever made.

That would go real nice with the XT-CF card for a super compact HD add-on.

 

Dan: Taking the PC-1's drive out and connecting it to a PC is what I did to get a copy of FreeDOS on a physical disk so I could get the machine booted up initially.

You can use the external drive port for a floppy like the PCF554 and I think I read somewhere that the ST series 3.5" drives will also work but I haven't tried it.

[charliecron]

ST Floppy drives definately work on the external floppy port.

[tjlazer]

Yep, I had a SF314 hooked up and was able to read 720k disks perfectly.

[KLund1]

I have been looking for the yellow spiral Atari PC1 Docs. Anyone have scans of those? Also looking for docs for a PCH204 drive.

 

charliecron: I do have an Atari made cable connecting my PC1 and PCH204. It is a very custom cable. many lines are moved, switched, or disconnected. I looks hard to duplicate. imo

 

Aiso, I can't get Atari GEM to load off the 204. It only loads from disk. I'm sure there are some pointer in a few sys/bat files that need to change, but I'm not sure which or where. suggestions? Thanks

[charliecron]

Sorry I don't know anything about GEM on the Hard Disk, I never actually hooked mine up.

 

This stuff might be useful for people without an Atari made hard disk or not, I don't know. I just figured out what pins on the two headers that connect to the motherboard, go to what pins on the header that connects to the hard disk, in the hopes that I could make my own cable. One of these days!

Charlie

 

[David Baldwin]

I have been looking for the yellow spiral Atari PC1 Docs. Anyone have scans of those? Also looking for docs for a PCH204 drive.

 

charliecron: I do have an Atari made cable connecting my PC1 and PCH204. It is a very custom cable. many lines are moved, switched, or disconnected. I looks hard to duplicate. imo

 

Aiso, I can't get Atari GEM to load off the 204. It only loads from disk. I'm sure there are some pointer in a few sys/bat files that need to change, but I'm not sure which or where. suggestions? Thanks

 

ill try to make a working copy of pc1 gem on my 486 computer to work from a hard drive so it will work on your atari pc1 computer it will give me something to do

or going to fail

 

David B

[David Baldwin]

 

ill try to make a working copy of pc1 gem on my 486 computer to work from a hard drive so it will work on your atari pc1 computer it will give me something to do

or going to fail

 

David B

 

well atari pc1 gem will not work on a vga computer card its only ega, but i can use ega gem write and gem paint in my gem 3 desktop.

[KLund1]

David,

Thanks for trying. I thought something like that might come up. There's always a catch somewhere. I think there might be something the the PC1 docs that might help, but it has been hard to find them. NO luck so far.

Thanks again!!

[tjlazer]

I'm looking for a good EGA to VGA adaptor. Anyone know of a good solution?

[The Usotsuki]

VGA is backward compatible, you know...

[David Baldwin]

look around for a 1 meg isa vga card for it with that you can use all kinds of vga programs big upgrad from ega you will get one for less that 5 bucks.

[The Usotsuki]

My 5160 has a Diamond SpeedStar in it.

[AtariPC.net]

I've sent them to Dan, here they are for other folks. Sorry, I deleted all my attachements at some point.

 

 

368640 gem_desktop_ega.img

368640 gem_paint.img

368640 gem_startup_ega.img

368640 gem_write.img

368640 msdos_disk1.img

368640 msdos_disk2.img

 

 

 

Wow these are great! Any objections to me putting them up on my website?

 

I've been in the process of developing a kind of one stop shop for all the Atari PC's and trying to get as much detailed information as possible. These will be fantastic as at the moment unfortunately it's very Atari PC3 / PC5 focused as these are the only two of the series I have. Finding any detailed information on the others is getting really hard considering they seem to be very rare to get hold of and many Atari sites generally only focus on the "true" Atari's and have nothing more than a brief mention of the PC series.

 

If anyone has anything more to add I would love to hear from you.

[charliecron]

Sure go ahead and post them on your site. I did check out your site and I think it's great!

[AtariPC.net]

Sure go ahead and post them on your site. I did check out your site and I think it's great!

 

Thanks that's awesome! I'll put them up shortly. Will be great to finally have something worthwhile for the earlier PC's on the site.

 

If there is anything else you can contribute that would be fantastic too.