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RAPIDUS ACCELERATOR


lotharek

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Hello,

 

Are all 3 CPU's from the same production batch? (Maybe the infamous "Mexico CPU")

I'dd suggest a simple test.

If you put the CPU in the board, without the Rapidus, test them by heating them with a hairdryer.

I always used a small program for this.

FOR X=0 to 10000:?X;" ATARI":NEXT X

While running this, I heated the CPU. The screen would change coulor or just hang with the bad CPU, long before it got too hot to touch.

I've always assumed that this program uses the HALT line a lot and that's critical.

 

BR/

Guus

Edited by guus.assmann
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Are all 3 CPU's from the same production batch? (Maybe the infamous "Mexico CPU")

No: one's from a 1200XL (non-Mexico), one's from an 800XL (non-Mexico), and one is the 130XE's original CPU (Mexico).

 

None of the CPU's showed issues before, but I understand the point of the test you suggested, and I did read somewhere that some 6502s suffered when HLT was asserted with great regularity. What has hitherto deterred me from hairdryer tests is that it's not just CPU behaviour which changes with temperature increases, but the JTAG programming port of the Rapidus itself, which goes from working to non-working or vice-versa a few minutes after powerup.

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Hello flashjazzcat,

 

One more thing about CPLD's, their reset line is often quite sensitive.

It needs a capacitor to block high frequency. If memory serves right, 100pf is often used.

And with the first Freezers, there also was an issue with a setting in the CPLD.

It could be changed between buffered and not buffered. (Hias knows those specifics and it's not on all CPLD's of course)

Point is, that sometimes these (minor?) details are among the "small print" in the data sheets.

As I've not had a detailed look at the Rapidus and have no schematics, I'm just guessing into possible causes.......

 

BR/

Guus

Edited by guus.assmann
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Pasiu (the last time he emailed me, some weeks ago) told me that fitting a 3.3k resistor array as a pullup on A0-A7 of the CPU immediately alleviated the unwanted reboot issue on the 1200XL he tested after I reported issues. Of course I could give this a try on the 130XE which has the exact same trouble, or the 1200XL itself... Although confidence is low. I guess this means that address lines were glitchy and when the OS tried to read magic bytes in pages 2-3 or wherever, they were misread, triggering a cold boot. He later added pullups to A8-A15 as well. His U1MB already had a 100pf cap across RST (as do mine), and he'd previously tried various other fixes without success. The pullups worked, apparently. Maybe my 130XE needs them too. No word from the Rapidus camp at the moment so I guess I'm free to experiment. ;)

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By Far one of the coolest upgrades for the Atari for a long time. What I have run into is every one of my Atari 130xe's That I have configured as a Candle -o-Sin Machine has the Ultimate 1 Meg Attached to the plastic lip right above the 130xe Cart Port and expanded buss. So after Studying the problem for a while and looking over the 130xe Mother Board I have come up with this configuration That I am going to use and I just wanted to share it with you. Maybe This is how you want to mount everything.

post-9681-0-98645400-1462821744_thumb.jpg

 

 

For more details on how I did this install and the hardware I used visit my web site! Here is a direct link to the web page.

http://www.realdos.net/RapiDus%20130xe.html

 

 

I am still not sure what all this hardware upgrade can do but I am going to have fun finding out. I am also wondering if the veronica cart will function. a Dual T816 Atari 130xe. Way COOL!

 

Good job all of you that worked on this upgrade.

 

Stephen J. Carden

http://www.realdos.net

 

 

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Yep I agree. Very nice layout Steve :thumbsup:

 

It certainly looks like you put some thought into this, and I think it'll help a lot of other people trying to figure out how to cram 5 lbs of s_it into a 1 lb container. Although that is some great s_it!

 

Is it possible to get a higher rez image? I'd love to zoom in and see the detail.

 

- Michael

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Does the power supply for all those fit in the garage :)

 

Damn those neat installs, anything I installed looked like I'd employed a blind spider suffering from Parkinson's to do the soldering and wiring. A friend modded my Playstation 2 because my eyesight was starting to go a little and I didn't feel confident because it was chip pins of 1mm or less real tight to each other and something like 30 connections of the same type. Not only did he do it so fast I thought he was joking but the neatness was stunning and all done with a chunky 25W iron...

 

Worse still these days where you find it hard to get 60/40 solder...

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Ultimate 1MB screwed to the plastic casing above the ECI port is a total ass-rig. :) I typically mount U1MB right above the video jack on two nylon pillars, but your configuration looks equally practical.

Hi Jon!

I am surprised you feel that way about the mounting of the U1Meg in the 130xe. I got the Idea Of mounting the U1Meg from Lotharek and the 130xe He sold me with a Candle configuration. FJC we are having a problem with our Atari 8-Bits I never would have though we would have. We have so many upgrades we are having a problem finding a home for them inside our computers. I Like to mount my Atari 8-bits inside a PC Tower Case. A lot of Atari 8-bit users want to keep all there upgrades inside the original plastic case. So I found some pictures I took as I was installing upgrades. This first picture is of an Atari 130xe PAL machine I purchased from Lotharek with the upgrades already installed.

post-9681-0-64199700-1463213227_thumb.jpg

 

I have found that Dry fitting upgrades when you have more than one makes the install go faster and easier. Then you need to wire them one at a time and test each upgrade. Head this WARNING Test everything before you just wire them all in and hope they work.

This next one is of an Atari 800XL that I installed a Candle upgrade and added an AtariMax USB SIO2PC and one of my KRH-II Keyboard interfaces.

post-9681-0-72183100-1463212773_thumb.jpg

 

This next upgrade is of my Atari 130xe test machine. It has a Candle upgrade, RapiDus, AtariMax USB SIO2PC, and one of my KRH-II.

post-9681-0-34818400-1463213407_thumb.jpg

 

Just in case someone does not know what a Candle -o- Sin upgrade is: Ultimate 1 Meg, Side 2 Cart, Stereo Pokey, U-Switch, and a VBXE. All of my machine also have a Multiplexer Cart, KRH (or some kind of PC keyboard interface), and a USB SIO2PC (I have 3 different makers of the sio2pc). I did not include pictures of the Side 2, Multiplexer since they plug into an Atari. Multiplexer Carts are Stackable or can be run in Parallel if you have a 2 cart ICD XE to PBI Adapter.

 

I posted these pictures so that Atari users who were not sure if the upgrades would fit inside the case can be assured they can fit and work. I would also like to this time to Thank all the Hardware and software developers who have stuck with the Atari 8-bit and created some really cool hardware and software. I am Happy to say we have more hardware that has been developed since 2000 than the the same amount of time from 1984 to 2000. I was really busy programming in 1980's and 1990's but all the cool hardware we had in the USA was the 256k/1Meg MIO, Black Box with/or without floppy board, Supra/KPI HD interface, SDX, Express Cart, Diamond GOS. a few different ram disks. and a midi interface. for the list of stuff since 2000 visit the hardware review of my web site. The point I am trying to make is the Atari Computer hobby world is more active now than it has ever been. I am sure this is true because of the internet. I do not know of a single Atari users group in the USA. I am a member of the only Atari users group I know of ABBUC.Now that I am retired I have time to spend on my Atari and Enjoy the different Upgrades I have acquired as well as work with my web site so I can share all the info I have picked up over the years.

 

Stephen J. Carden

http://www.realdos.net

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Don't misunderstand: it's only the screws driven through the case which make my eyes bleed. You alternative arrangement (designed to accommodate Rapidus) looks much better.

Hi FJC!

I agree with you and that is why I am mounting things differently. But originally Lotharek Mounting option looked like one way to go. It is just not my designed mounting options. I posted that so that people who may not have a Rapidus right now but have a Candle want to pay attention to everything being installed or they will be doing two installs. if they are going to get a Rapidus in the future. I will have to take the 130xe that I purchased from Lotharek and undo most of it to install the Rapidus in it.

 

Take Care My Friend!

Steve

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Does the power supply for all those fit in the garage :)

 

Damn those neat installs, anything I installed looked like I'd employed a blind spider suffering from Parkinson's to do the soldering and wiring. A friend modded my Playstation 2 because my eyesight was starting to go a little and I didn't feel confident because it was chip pins of 1mm or less real tight to each other and something like 30 connections of the same type. Not only did he do it so fast I thought he was joking but the neatness was stunning and all done with a chunky 25W iron...

 

Worse still these days where you find it hard to get 60/40 solder...

I purchase my 60/40 solder off the internet. Here is a link but just do a google search for 60/40 solder.

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-1045?scode=GS401&utm_medium=cse&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=google&gclid=CIuVkqen2cwCFdgUgQodgpwLfQ

 

Also check out my hardware upgrades on my web site and my soldering tools.

http://www.realdos.net/Atari%20Soldering.html

 

Please Please heed this warning do not use silver solder on your Atari!!!!!!! you can still get 60/40 solder from Radio Shack!

 

If you are new to working on the Atari Please ask someone. Call me on the phone if you are in the USA I will help you.

 

Take Care!

Stephen J. Carden

e-mail here

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I really hope it helps - if so, I'd like to see what the signals look like on a scope.

 

First attempt at pullups on 1200XL CPU adapter was somehow fatally flawed, so I threw it away and built another. This one worked, but machine still rebooted on reset. Added thick ground wire from U1MB to motherboard: machine still rebooted. Replaced original CPU with Mexico chip from 130XE... no reboot in accelerated mode, but I switched the machine off for the moment to postpone eventual disappointment when I test further.

 

However, it looks like it could work in the 1200XL with just the right combination of CPU/74LS08/etc. Right now - with pullups and extra GND wire - I'm duplicating the exact same fix Pasiu used successfully on a 1200XL.

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First attempt at pullups on 1200XL CPU adapter was somehow fatally flawed, so I threw it away and built another. This one worked, but machine still rebooted on reset. Added thick ground wire from U1MB to motherboard: machine still rebooted. Replaced original CPU with Mexico chip from 130XE... no reboot in accelerated mode, but I switched the machine off for the moment to postpone eventual disappointment when I test further.

 

However, it looks like it could work in the 1200XL with just the right combination of CPU/74LS08/etc. Right now - with pullups and extra GND wire - I'm duplicating the exact same fix Pasiu used successfully on a 1200XL.

You're quickly making me think Metalguy had the correct idea of putting a 130XE mobo in the 1200XL case!

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You're quickly making me think Metalguy had the correct idea of putting a 130XE mobo in the 1200XL case!

 

Ah, but then there is the little issue of the keyboard connections. Not impossible, but certainly looks like a PITA...

 

-Larry

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