1088XLD - Custom A8 Computer in 1050 Drive Case

[+mytek]

That's a great first effort, but the text needs to be properly kerned before it will look as though Atari made it.

 

Specifically: the spacing between "A R I" needs to be tightened as does the spacing between "0 8 8 X L D"

 

Thank you for your input, but as I stated in my last post I took creative license to produce what I wanted to see, and I am quite satisfied with the end result. Just to elaborate on that... this project isn't about creating an authentic restoration of anything that Atari ever made, but more about what I personally wanted in my dream system. In this regard it still lacks a few bits here and there that I'd like to see it have, but the hopes are to be able to expand upon this system to provide for that in the future. So just like a guy modifying a car to suit his unique vision, I am doing the same with this project. Yes it does retain some similarities to the XL line due to the 1050 case, but that's where the similarity ends .

 

Edit: Although the gap between the 1 and the 0 is the same as between the 0 and the 8, it might look a bit better to either decrease the space on the other numbers as you suggested, or to increase the space between the 1 and the 0. I might play around with this and see what that looks like. I really don't want to make a big project out of this aspect, and we all know what has happened to previous efforts in the past on creating new Atari systems, where nothing got accomplished due to trying to satisfy everyone's suggestions and requests .

 

 

Edited February 21, 2019 by mytek

[mellis]

 

Thank you for your input, but as I stated in my last post I took creative license to produce what I wanted to see, and I am quite satisfied with the end result.

 

 

 

No offense intended - I assumed you were soliciting feedback when you posted those images.

 

In fact, you are only a few clicks away from realizing an authentic label: https://chrismcmullen.com/2014/04/15/kerning-in-microsoft-word/

[flashjazzcat]

It's more aesthetically pleasing as well as more 'authentic' with the spacing tightened up; I realised this when I was making the 'ATARI SIO2SD' and 'ATARI 1065' badges years ago (using the ironed-on laser toner technique). Of course this is all subjective, unless one takes the original Atari badges as the baseline model (in which case there is no danger of wasting time with subjective opinions).

[+mytek]

No offense intended - I assumed you were soliciting feedback when you posted those images.

 

In fact, you are only a few clicks away from realizing an authentic label: https://chrismcmullen.com/2014/04/15/kerning-in-microsoft-word/

 

No offense taken. However I wasn't intending to solicit anything by my latest posts, since this thread was started, and continues to be about sharing the journey that is the development of the 1088XLD. But with that said, I do welcome the feedback, and in this case it appears to be useful and very constructive. So thank you .

 

Also thanks for the link, I'll possibly play around with that . Although I am open to submissions, since I wouldn't consider myself an expert in this field. And in order to print a label, I would need preferably a PNG image with a width of 2000 pixels or more, and no white space around the overall text.

 

Yes I did edit this post, but only to add some additional comment, and not to change anything I previously wrote.

Edited February 21, 2019 by mytek

[Mr Robot]

 

I would need preferably a PNG image with a width of 2000 pixels or more, and no white space around the overall text.

 

 

Can you use an SVG?

[+mytek]

SVG would work, but I made another pass at the label, tweaking a few things and changing the font and it's starting to look very good. Also got my front panel today and assembled the unit.

 

 

[Mr Robot]

Your label is pretty much spot on now (if I were to pick holes I'd say there should be a slightly greater space between the 1088 and the XLD as there is a slightly larger space between the 800 and the XL, but there's always something to tweak so... job done), I shan't foist my efforts upon you.

 

The new box looks stunning btw, I 'kinda' wish I'd not gone for the XEL now, I can't justify both to the wife.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Mr Robot

[tschak909]

NEXT UP! AN ATARI IN A 1010!

 

-Thom

[Mr Robot]

NEXT UP! AN ATARI IN A 1010!

 

-Thom

 

Totally doable, if Ben Heck can do this. Getting th e U1MB, VBXE, Midi, UAV and CF Drives in there might be a little tight

[+mytek]

Your label is pretty much spot on now (if I were to pick holes I'd say there should be a slightly greater space between the 1088 and the XLD as there is a slightly larger space between the 800 and the XL, but there's always something to tweak so... job done), I shan't foist my efforts upon you.

 

Thanks for offering, it was appreciated. Yeah I think it's good enough for now. If someone wants to tweak it more for their own build more power to them .

 

 

The new box looks stunning btw, I 'kinda' wish I'd not gone for the XEL now, I can't justify both to the wife.

 

Thank you .

 

The case was resurrected from a pretty beat up non-working 1050 that was very yellowed and had an extremely scratched up metal trim. Took some sanding to get it smooth again. Then I used a tip from Gunstar on the paint selection, but discovered that the paint can's label had changed from what he had recommended. As you can see I finally did find it. Painted right over the trim piece, and then gave it a buff with some 600 grit before applying the label.

 

Need some new feet.

 

 

I'm trying to picture a 1010 version, and it just keeps reminding of how much I ended up hating cassette storage. Don't think I want to revisit that .

 

[+DrVenkman]

That looks stunning, Michael! Can't wait to get my build going.

 

The new box looks stunning btw, I 'kinda' wish I'd not gone for the XEL now, I can't justify both to the wife.

 

Yeah, I'm sort of in that boat too. Isn't stopping me completely, though I'm building mine over time rather than in one go. I've got the S2 synth module in hand. Three weeks after ordering my U1MB, it's FINALLY made it across the pond and through US Customs and is now in the bowels of the USPS ostensibly on the way to me. I have most of the resistors, small caps, diodes and sockets on-hand, but I'll need to order the large electrolytics and other stuff for the power circuit, the discrete logic chips, the SRAM, the PIC chips, the CF hardware, MIDI jacks, headers, etc. I'll salvage most of the Atari IC's I need from a 130XE that had DRAM issues that I've disassembled already (that POKEY lives on in my BENTLEY BEAR cart!), as well as a problematic 5200 and spare 800XL. I may end up needing some anyway, but we'll see when I get to that point. So I'll still end up needing *SOME* stuff, but not *ALL* the stuff at one time, anyway. I'll probably buy most of the discrete hardware that I need when I get paid next week, then any Atari ICs or other spendy bits again 2 weeks after that.

 

At least I've got the SIO jacks, power switch and power jack from my old dead 1050 to re-purpose. These will all get thoroughly cleaned up before re-use of course.

 

[+kheller2]

NEXT UP! AN ATARI IN A 1010!

 

-Thom

I was thinking the same thing before I saw your post. Actually, I went 1027XL, 1010XL, and then the awesome mini 1030XL.

[+mytek]

BTW, I don't know if anyone realized it, but other then finishing up documentation and putting up a webpage, this project is completed... DONE .

 

This all began about 7 months ago, and started out as a silly idea to put a 1088XEL board into a 1050 Floppy Drive case, but that idea sooned morphed into an entirely new motherboard development. Making this the 2nd such project, with the XEL being the first. Although I'll never say never, this will likely be the last motherboard I'll ever design.

 

Where will I go from here?

 

I've been toying around with the idea of creating the firmware for either a PIC or AVR chip to actively translate USB mice and keyboards into PS/2. Since the 1088XLD project has a connector I/O board, I was thinking that a down the road alternative for that board could be based on this active USB to PS/2 conversion chip, thus allowing for modern wireless mice and keyboards to be used. The nice thing about this conversion chip approach is that all of the special "Atari" aspects would be handled by the existing TK-II and Mousetari chips, so that the USB conversion would be rather straightforward and simple. I'm not in any rush to make this happen, and I will probably take some time off from the Atari development for awhile, and do some work on a few other domestic projects that have been on the back burner.

 

It's been a fun journey .

[Brentarian]

It's been a fun journey .

It sure has and I am ever so grateful for the beta testing opportunities you've given me the past few years. I've learned so much about the Atari internals and electronics in general. My fun isn't over though, as I'm getting things ready to build my 1088XLD. ?

[+mytek]

It sure has and I am ever so grateful for the beta testing opportunities you've given me the past few years. I've learned so much about the Atari internals and electronics in general. My fun isn't over though, as I'm getting things ready to build my 1088XLD.

 

Brent brings up a good point. My work is done for the time being. Now it's been turned over to the Beta Testers who are gearing up to build their boards, and dependent upon their test results, a decision will be forthcoming as to when the public release will occur.

[Evidious]

I can not express how bad ass it looks Michael!

[foft]

Re: usb to PS2. I guess you want to do this yourself but if you want to see one usb->PS2 approach then take a look at the EclaireXL firmware.

 

Congratulations on the xl in 1050, really great project.

[+mytek]

Re: usb to PS2. I guess you want to do this yourself but if you want to see one usb->PS2 approach then take a look at the EclaireXL firmware.

 

Congratulations on the xl in 1050, really great project.

 

No I don't necessarily want to code this myself, and if I could find either a chip or the firmware out there, I would certainly consider using it. In fact I've been searching for such a solution for some time now and keep turning up dead ends. But partly it's the case of wanting a through hole solution, so that's why I'm thinking PIC or AVR. Isn't your code meant for an FPGA?

 

Thanks for the acknowledgement .

[foft]

 

No I don't necessarily want to code this myself, and if I could find either a chip or the firmware out there, I would certainly consider using it. In fact I've been searching for such a solution for some time now and keep turning up dead ends. But partly it's the case of wanting a through hole solution, so that's why I'm thinking PIC or AVR. Isn't your code meant for an FPGA?

 

Well the chip it supports is a free vhdl one (usbhostslave) often implemented in an FPGA. However I run it on a cpu in the fpga so its just c code.

 

That said it might be better to go to one of the earlier projects since my version is really just a cut-down version of them to reduce rom space (+ modified to a chip you can't buy!).

 

USBHostShield and the MIST both use the max3421e. It works fine but isn't too cheap. Anyway the relevant links are:

 

https://github.com/felis/lightweight-usb-host(original source)

https://github.com/felis/USB_Host_Shield_2.0(seems to be modern dev of it?)

https://github.com/mist-devel/mist-firmware/tree/master/usb(mist took a subset)

http://www.64kib.com/atarixlfpga_svn/trunk/atari_800xl/firmware_eclairexl/usb/(I took a subset and adapted to a different usb chip)

http://www.64kib.com/atarixlfpga_svn/trunk/atari_800xl/firmware_eclairexl/usb/keycodes.h(usb to ps2 mapping)

I also found this helpful to understand what is going on...

http://www.usbmadesimple.co.uk/

Edited February 22, 2019 by foft

[+mytek]

Thanks foft for all of that valuable information .

[+mytek]

I can not express how bad ass it looks Michael!

 

Thank you .

 

Now I just need to put one of Dropcheck's XF551 solutions and a 3.5" floppy mechanism in another 1050 case, plus have a stock 5.25" 1050 drive, then stack them all up and what a great looking XL tower I'll have .

[+Stephen]

Slow start, but it's a start. Pulled the 2 SIO plugs and verified the PCB fitment in my 1050 case. Perfect fit. I found, with the SIO plugs to left, place the lower part of the PCB in the bottom of the case 1st, lining up the hole in front of case. The PCB will then drop right down and click into the top tab. Question - which version of VBXE2 (XL or XE) do you recommend for this board?

 

SIO jacks

 

Clean removal - they literally fell out of the board

 

Excellent PCB fitment

 

 

[+mytek]

 

Question - which version of VBXE2 (XL or XE) do you recommend for this board?

 

The XE version stands the best chance of fitting without interfering with a Rapidus. Can't speak for the XL version, until I scope it out.

[flashjazzcat]

I'm not even sure the XE ANTIC adapter will clear U8. A stacked socket may be needed. The XL version has no hope of existing alongside Rapidus.

[+mytek]

Oh it's pretty much assumed when installing 3rd party 40 pin upgrades that one additional machine pin socket will be required. Nothing out of the ordinary, since this is often the case in a stock A8 as well. The big difference is that the 1088XLD has plenty of ceiling height.