Atari max 1200xl and Happy 1050

[Koji77]

Guys help me out.....

 

I purchased a modded 1200xl and happy 1050 from Steve at Atari max. 2 years old so far all running good. Now the problem.... I purchased other happy and non happy 1050's and the computer simply won't see it, as if it is not connected. the units work fine with stock Atari computers 1200xl, 800xl etc... just not my Atari max unit. What gives?

[+DrVenkman]

Guys help me out.....

 

I purchased a modded 1200xl and happy 1050 from Steve at Atari max. 2 years old so far all running good. Now the problem.... I purchased other happy and non happy 1050's and the computer simply won't see it, as if it is not connected. the units work fine with stock Atari computers 1200xl, 800xl etc... just not my Atari max unit. What gives?

 

Did you make sure the drive select switch at the back of the new drives don't have the same setting as the first? In other words, if your original Happy 1050 is set to drive 1 and you connect another two drives, they have to be set to drives 2 and 3.

[toddtmw]

Or another way to test it is to only plug one of your other drives into the 1200xl without anything else connected (in that case, make sure it is set to be Drive 1)

[Gunstar]

My first guess is the same as mentioned above. I'm replying because I'm curious as to what an "AtariMax" 1200XL entails. He sells lots of different upgrades, some not listed on the site. So what upgrades does your 1200XL have, if you know. There is the Warp+ 32-in-1 OS, Rambo compatible 256/512K memory upgrade, The different versions of MyIDE, including an internal one, SIO2PC, which could be internally installed...anything I miss?

 

If you look below, you'll see I have a 1200XL that is "AtariMaxed," but I installed it all myself along with my own home-brew mods and usual fixes.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Gunstar

[1050]

Might need to do the R63 delete on your 1200XL?

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/268934-help-identifying-1200xl-mods/?do=findComment&comment=3827857

 

Shows R63 replaced by a wire jumper pointed to by a

wooden skewer. This resistor caused mine to not work

with any 1050 and I just jumpered it without removing

it which is another option. It's a very common thing

to have to do.

 

Alligator clips with wire between them would temporarily

show you if this is the actual issue or not. Before

modding anything too.

[Koji77]

All,

 

I tried standard 1050's stand alone... they don't work, checked the drive #dip switch etc, no go... maybe the last post with jumper wire is the ticket. If so why would Steve not have done this.

 

I have Warp+ memory, the video fix, the fix for power to the SIO port, external SIO2PC

[+DrVenkman]

I have Warp+ memory, the video fix, the fix for power to the SIO port, external SIO2PC

The jumper 1050 mentioned above is the same as the fix for SIO power. So that’s not the issue.

[1050]

He could have had a human moment and just

forgot the SIO power fix too. I hear tell

he's a busy guy with a full plate. Won't

cost much to lift the hood and have a look.

[Guest]

but he's saying (or so it looks) in O/P...that atarimax happy 1050 and atarimax 1200xl are working together ok?

 

if this is the case it wouldn't be the sio power as NO 1050 would work with the device.

 

if atarimax 1050 and other "non-atarimax" 1050s work with your stock XLs

and atarimax 1050 definitely does work with the atarimax 1200XL...i'd start looking at sio cables/psu etc...and eliminating the easy stuff

[Koji77]

I've isolated cables used multiple different drives. Bottom line is that my ATARI max 1200XL will not talk with or see any other 1050 happy or not, it will only recognize the Happy 1050 Steve sent...

 

I am really perplexed

[+DrVenkman]

I've isolated cables used multiple different drives. Bottom line is that my ATARI max 1200XL will not talk with or see any other 1050 happy or not, it will only recognize the Happy 1050 Steve sent...

 

I am really perplexed

 

Will it work with an SIO2SD or SIO2USB device WITHOUT the Happy 1050 Steve sent? And will those other 1050's work by themselves (1 at a time or together) with another computer?

[Paul Westphal]

Sounds like Steve modified the OS to run high speed ONLY.

[+DrVenkman]

Sounds like Steve modified the OS to run high speed ONLY.

 

Now THAT'S a possibility. I wonder, does his "WARP OS" work with standard SIO speed drives?

[Paul Westphal]

Restore +5 volts to the SIO.

[Koji77]

How can I be sure that 5 volts are being sent to the SIO... what pin should I look for, obviously this is internal on the computer its self.

 

This MOD was supposed to be done by him.

 

I cannot daisy chain anything I must use the happy 1050 directly with APE to my PC, I them must unplug the interface and reconnect the SIO cable between the happy 1050 and the computer and she works fine.

[+DrVenkman]

Restore +5 volts to the SIO.

That shouldn’t matter. The 1050 doesn’t use the 5V from the SIO port.

[+DrVenkman]

How can I be sure that 5 volts are being sent to the SIO... what pin should I look for, obviously this is internal on the computer its self.

 

This MOD was supposed to be done by him.

 

I cannot daisy chain anything I must use the happy 1050 directly with APE to my PC, I them must unplug the interface and reconnect the SIO cable between the happy 1050 and the computer and she works fine.

That shouldn’t matter. The 5V supply on the SIO port is for unpowered devices like (for example) the ICD P:R:Connection and other things like that.

[ijor]

That shouldn’t matter. The 5V supply on the SIO port is for unpowered devices like (for example) the ICD P:R:Connection and other things like that.

 

I realize it doesn't seem to be the problem here, but that's not exact. It's true that the 1050 doesn't take power from the SIO port, but the ROM checks the state of the pin to know if the computer is off or on.

[+DrVenkman]

 

I realize it doesn't seem to be the problem here, but that's not exact. It's true that the 1050 doesn't take power from the SIO port, but the ROM checks the state of the pin to know if the computer is off or on.

 

Okay, so the 1050 rom looks for that. What does the rom "see" when it's connected to an unmodified 1200XL? Does it just refuse to run? I find it hard to imagine Atari built a computer (a few hundred thousand of them) that wouldn't work with their own disk drives.

 

I think it far more likely that Paul's earlier post has the key here - is this a stock 1200XL OS or rather, one of Steve's 32-in-1 boards, the owner has it running some modified OS that doesn't work except with a Happy drive.

[ijor]

Okay, so the 1050 rom looks for that. What does the rom "see" when it's connected to an unmodified 1200XL? Does it just refuse to run? I find it hard to imagine Atari built a computer (a few hundred thousand of them) that wouldn't work with their own disk drives.

 

It has to see a positive logic or it will ignore any command. IIRC, the 1200XL has a pullup at this signal so that the drive still see the same logic level as with other computers that provide a direct connection to +5V.

 

Yes, as I said, I'm not claiming this is the problem. I am just saying that a positive logic is still required for a 1050, even when it doesn't take power.

[Koji77]

this is Steve's 32 in 1 OS

 

Does this make a difference, never thought bout running another OS unless the software made me swap (800 OSB, etc)

[+kheller2]

Are the two other 1050's working -- IE, did the person you buy them from say they worked? Just wondering if both have a problem.

You should also try a stock 800XL OS from the 32in1 and see if that works. Very odd that the two purchased drives don't work... you don't have another 8bit to test with do you?

[+Nezgar]

this is Steve's 32 in 1 OS

 

Does this make a difference, never thought bout running another OS unless the software made me swap (800 OSB, etc)

 

The high speed APE Warp OS in the 31 in 1 seems to only probe if a drive is high speed capable at startup. For example, system boots with a happy drive on D1 at high speed. Then disconnect drive with computer still on, and connect a STOCK 1050 as D1, and it will never see the drive when trying to access IE with DOS. However, a stock 1050 in a different drive slot will work just fine.

 

In cases like this, best to switch to a stock XL or XE OS on the 31-in-1 to verify the problem is not the high speed IO routines in the AtariMax OS.

Edited September 10, 2017 by Nezgar

[Koji77]

all of the drives work. I'll swap OS's and see if they will work ... I'll post up findings in a few hours

[+hloberg]

 

The high speed APE Warp OS in the 31 in 1 seems to only probe if a drive is high speed capable at startup. For example, system boots with a happy drive on D1 at high speed. Then disconnect drive with computer still on, and connect a STOCK 1050 as D1, and it will never see the drive when trying to access IE with DOS. However, a stock 1050 in a different drive slot will work just fine.

 

In cases like this, best to switch to a stock XL or XE OS on the 31-in-1 to verify the problem is not the high speed IO routines in the AtariMax OS.

from personal experience with APE Warp OS it does have 'issues' if you don't have a happy drive attached. I switch back to stock OS with a stock 1050. I have had all manner of odd things happen when trying to use a stock 1050 on APE Warp OS; sometimes it wouldn't write or read, sometimes it didn't see the drive. nothing you could really nail down though. but everything seemed fine when I used a standard OS.