Introducing: AntiX, the ANTIC Switch !

[Level42]

It has already been discussed here and there but today I'm opening the thread about AntiX.

 

Atari AntiX, the ANTIC switcher.

 

 

I have submitted AntiX to the 2018 ABBUC hardware contest, so I cannot go into the details of how it works or the schematics until they are published by ABBUC.

 

 

AntiX summary
AntiX is a small PCB that gives you the ability to have both PAL ANTIC and NTSC ANTIC chips inside your Atari 8-bit computer at the same time, and the option to switch between the two.

Why was AntiX developed?
In the past, people have installed NTSC ANTIC chips in PAL machines and vice-versa to build a “hybrid” machine. The main disadvantage of doing this is that it is a permanent solution, and you would need two machines to have the “best of both worlds”.

AntiX gives you the option to switch between two ANTICs in one machine. Just like when putting the “other” system ANTIC permanently in your machine, It does not create a 100% correct signal of that “other", but it provides many advantages at a low cost. In other words, AntiX will yield exactly the same output signal as permanently swapping the ANTIC chip but now with the advantage of being able to go back to your factory set-up.

Why should I install AntiX?
AntiX provides advantages for both PAL and NTSC territory users.

PAL territory users benefit from three important things:
1) Speed: Finally it is possible to play older games at the speed and timing they were designed for. It is not so fast that it feels like the games are in “turbo mode”, but the difference in speed between PAL and NTSC is appreciable. Games like Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac Man etc. just “feel” smoother, and that adds so much playability to these games.

2) Correct aspect ratio: The PAL screen is always “squashed” because the PAL standard uses more TV scan lines. Not any more! With AntiX switched to the NTSC ANTIC you will see the originally intended aspect ratio which will use all available vertical space to fill your TV/monitor screen.

3) 60Hz frame rate: The AntiX output increases the frame rate from 50Hz to 60Hz (PAL 60). This results in a more stable, clearer picture on CRTs. The chief advantage is that there is much less “flicker”. This is kinder to your eyes, and could result in fewer headaches!

The big advantage for NTSC users will be the ability to run the more recent demos and games that were developed specifically for PAL machines.
Many games from the later era that were developed in PAL territory will yield errors on the screen, often making games unplayable and demo’s look wrong. And with AntiX they still have the ability to switch back to the original NTSC configuration at will.

NTSC territory users please note:
AntiX does not create a normal NTSC signal. A GOOD monitor or TV is required to get color pictures from the PAL ANTIC mode through the original composite or S-video outputs. This requires a TV that can handle PAL-M (pretty rare), or you can use a professional grade CRT monitor like the Sony PVM series. This limitation is exactly the same when doing a permanent swap of ANTIC.

How does AntiX work?
In simple terms there is a chip on AntiX that switches approximately 10 signals, and that chip is controlled by the included switch. To simplify this further, the AntiX is “remote controlling” a large number of switches at the same time, from ANTIC 1 to ANTIC 2 and back again.
There are also 2 extra switches in the chip which keep the non-active ANTIC asleep, and control the two LEDs on the PCB.

How to use AntiX?
You should normally only switch between ANTICs when your Atari is powered off. Switching between ANTICs when the Atari is running will crash the system 99,9% of the time because the switching moment is not synced to the Atari. However you can NOT damage your Atari should you (accidentally) switch while power is on. The chip used on ANTIC is designed so that there is never a moment where both signals are connected, it is always either the signals of ANTIC 1 OR ANTIC2. I have tested this countless times to make sure no damage can be done by AntiX.

AntiX and Sophia.
The best application of AntiX is to partner AntiX with the Sophia video modification. Sophia will offer you an RGB, YPbPr (component) or DVI connection to a (CRT) monitor or TV. All of these signals are free of any PAL or NTSC encoding, which makes it much easier to connect it to any device capable of displaying these signals and get perfect quality color pictures.
Combined with AntiX you can then choose between the NTSC and PAL ANTIC and get the benefits of either setting mentioned above.

Installing both AntiX and Sophia in your machine is a particularly good choice if your machine is originally a NTSC machine. It avoids the need of having a PAL-M capable TV/monitor to handle the native signal that is output by AntiX from an NTSC machine in the “PAL" setting. Sophia “removes" the PAL/NTSC encoding, and AntiX will still offer the benefits as mentioned above.

PAL territory users also benefit from installing both AntiX and Sophia together; a Philips CM8833/Commodore 1084 monitor f.i. can then be used to connect via RGB and STILL play at NTSC speed in color (the mentioned monitors are not capable of displaying NTSC signals in color using composite or S-video).
However, PAL territory Atari 8-bit users do not face the same output issues as NTSC users because almost all modern TVs (circa mid-90s and newer) will display the PAL-60 signal natively. This means you can use the composite video or S-video outputs from a standard Atari 8-bit using AntiX only.
However, Sophia improves picture quality so much that it is still a good idea to get one, you will not believe what you see.

How to install AntiX
AntiX is completely solderless if you have a socketed ANTIC on your machine (most 400/800 and most XL’s)
Remove your existing ANTIC and put it in the Position 1 socket on the AntiX PCB. Then put the second ANTIC in Position 2 on the AntiX PCB. Next, put the AntiX PCB in the empty ANTIC socket. Finally, connect a switch (SPDT) to the three-pin connector on the Antix PCB. Naturally, on XEs and other machines without socketed ANTIC you will need to desolder the ANTIC and solder in a socket. For 400/800 machines a ribbon extension cable and adapter are required.

Note: The 3 pins meant to connect the SPDT Switch to has one pin labeled +5V, and one GND. Those are the signal levels present on those pins ! So DO NOT connect +5V or GND to these pins, this is not required, AntiX get’s it’s power from the ANTIC socket. ONLY connect the outer two pins of a SPDT switch to these pins, the center pin of the header must be connected to the center pin of the switch.

Edited August 11, 2018 by Level42

[Level42]

FAQ:

- Is AntiX safe to use ?

AntiX has been tested for countless hours on various machines. I tried very hard to damage AntiXs, the ANTICs or the rest of the machine by deliberately switching between ANTIC chips dozens of times while power was ON (after having run countless hours straight). Of course the computer crashed, but a simple RESET solves that.

- I see differences between colors in PAL and NTSC mode ?


Yep, that’s normal. Both systems use slightly different color encoding, nothing we
 can do about this, it is the best Atari came up with, we have to live with it. IMHO the NTSC colors are
 usually better in the older games

- Will AntiX work with my RF output ?


To be honest: I have no idea and I wouldn't count on it. It is 2018 and I can’t believe people are still using RF. The picture this produces is absolutely horrible. I strongly advice you to use at least composite or (better) S-video or even better, Sophia for RGB/Component or DVI output.

- Will AntiX work with all ANTIC versions ?

As far as I have tested: YES.


- Does it matter where I put the PAL/NTSC ANTIC ?

No. The board is merely a dumb switch. It doesn't "know" which position is what so you can put them on whichever position you want. However, we advice you to use the original ANTIC on position 1 and the "other system" ANTIC on position 2. Just because it feels logical.

- Does AntiX turn my machine in a 100% PAL/NTSC machine when switched ?

No. AntiX only switches the ANTIC chip. A full switchable “conversion" would require an extra PCB and extra GTIA plus crystal and lots of supporting parts. The speed difference between a real NTSC machine and a AntiX PAL machine switched to NTSC are impossible to “feel”….you’d need a frequency counter to notice the difference.

- Can I have VBXE and AntiX in my machine ?


No. VBXE and AntiX both go on the ANTIC socket so you can’t have both.

- Is AntiX compatible with 400/800/600XL/800XL/1200XL/130XE/65XE/800XE/XEGS

/1088XEL ? 
 I have tested AntiX in several machines including 800, 800XL, 600XL and 130XE.
 I think for almost all machines the metal shield needs to be removed…but who still has these installed with all the upgrades of today ? 
 By checking pictures, I believe that all XL and XE models have enough space
 “behind” the ANTIC socket to be installed in all of those. Keyboards on 600XL and 800XL can be a tight fit but should fit. I don’t own a 1200XL, if anyone wants to send
 me one I can test it (but I can’t promise I’ll send the 1200XL back ! ).
 As mentioned I successfully tested AntiX on my 800PAL. However, it does not fit
 inside the metal shield. I have developed a little adapter PCB with ribbon cable that will make it possible to mount AntiX in another spot in the 800 (hopefully 400 too). I have only made one test set-up for this though, which seems to work OK but further testing is neccesary.

- is AntiX compatible with <insert your favorite extension here> ?


I have tested AntiX extensively in my 600XL which also has Stereo Pokey, U1MB and
 Sophia RGB installed without any issues. However there are SO many internal
 and external upgrades (that I don’t own) that it is impossible to know for sure. Especially any turbo cards might be a problem because AntiX does add a bit of resistance on
 the signals it switches. So the answer is: I don’t know, and I can’t guarantee anything

- will AntiX work in a 5200 ?


Well…..yes I guess it would do something, but there is simply NO point in running a

PAL ANTIC in a 5200 as they all were NTSC machines only.

- will my light-gun still work ?

Well....as long as you use a 50/60Hz CRT monitor or television YES (This has been tested).

- does AntiX add any extra graphics modes/resolutions/colors/Bluetooth/Wifi ?


No. It’s a switch. Nothing less, but certainly nothing more. This is also a big advantage. It is 100% transparent for software and thus 100% compatible

Edited August 11, 2018 by Level42

[Rybags]

Interesting... though I wonder, could you just switch between the 2 without crashing by also holding Reset down on the XL?

[+remowilliams]

My Sophia 1200XL is very interested

[Level42]

Interesting... though I wonder, could you just switch between the 2 without crashing by also holding Reset down on the XL?

 

Tried that a lot of times and yes that works

[+slx]

Good luck for the contest and definitely interested.

[adam242]

I *will* be purchasing at least one of these when they are available... thank you!

[Level42]

Thanks for the nice comments guys !

My buddy Fred_M kindly helped me in making some video's to demonstrate the working of AntiX. He did the filming and editing and also kindly agreed to host them on a special area of his website. Go to

http://antix.rewindgames.com/antix/

 

for some demo-video's and all the info !

Edited August 12, 2018 by Level42

[Mathy]

Hello Andre

 

If Fred is your buddy and Fred is coming to the JHV, will you be coming along with him and demonstrate your ANTIX yourself?

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

[SS]

As indicated on the FB thread, I will DEFINITELY purchase an AntiX board once they are available!

[Level42]

Hello Andre

 

If Fred is your buddy and Fred is coming to the JHV, will you be coming along with him and demonstrate your ANTIX yourself?

 

Sincerely

 

Mathy

I absolutely will Mathy !

[Level42]

Hi folks, it got to my attentions that some people already bought PAL or NTSC ANTICs prior to the release of AntiX.

 

However, after the contest, if you don't want to make your own PCB with the info that will be published on the ABBUC website, you will be able to buy AntiX with a PAL or NTSC ANTIC included for a nice price. Saves on separate shipping costs and you will be sure of a working AntiX with a working ANTIC chip of your choice.

[SS]

Ooops, sorry. I am a real dope sometimes. At least I got to have a nice phone conversation with Bruce from B&C.

Edited August 17, 2018 by SS

[Faicuai]

Will certainly take one (board + ribbon) kit for the 800/Incognito and two boards for the 800XL.

 

I still need to see the "switching" mechanism and installation requirements. If you need itI can, of course, help you with thorough testing on the 800 / Incognito, as well as how to make sure it is installed with the collector's mindset in place (professionally, rather than the normal hw-hack-job mentality). .

 

Cheers, and keep it coming!!!

[sargie]

I would be interested in a couple of these! Thanks for making it!

[+JAC!]

The PAL indicator bit is in the GTIA. How do you handle that?

[Level42]

The PAL indicator bit is in the GTIA. How do you handle that?

 

Not.

 

It's really nothing more than when you would take out your original ANTIC of your machine and put in a ANTIC of "the other system", but then switchable.

 

Think 40 pins switching in one go...and you're kind of close to reality

 

I think this FAQ part more or less answers your question:

 

Does AntiX turn my machine in a 100% PAL/NTSC machine when switched ?

No. AntiX only switches the ANTIC chip. A full switchable “conversion” would require an extra PCB and extra GTIA plus crystal and lots of supporting parts. The speed difference between a real NTSC machine and a AntiX PAL machine switched to NTSC are impossible to “feel”….you’d need a frequency counter to notice the difference.

 

 

Please read the full FAQ to EXACTLY know what AntiX does and does NOT do so there will be no overestimated expectations

 

http://antix.rewindgames.com/antix/f-a-q/

 

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask...and there's also a dedicated forum on the AntiX website !

 

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Level42

[Level42]

To everyone who showed their interest:

Unlike so many other threads about hardware I would like to keep this thread to be on topic of the details about AntiX only. It is very encouraging to see already quite a bit of interest but for the purpose of keeping this thread a bit clean there is now a "interest survey" on the AntiX website so that we can have an idea about how many units there would be interest in.

 

 

Further, once more I would like to clearly put out that you will also be able to download all the technical details including the schematics and PCB files so you can make your own PCB's should you so desire. We do plan to do a run of ready made PCB's for those who find it more convenient to buy ready-made and you can optionally buy a PAL or NTSC ANTIC with it (as long as stock lasts) and if you plan on using it in a 400/800 the required adapter ribbon cable/PCB.

 

SO please if you are interested in buying one or more AntiX PCB's please let it know here:

 

http://antix.rewindgames.com/antix/survey/

Edited August 17, 2018 by Level42

[Level42]

I just read the article in the Abbuc magazine about AntiX and would like to respond to two points raised in the article:

 

1) it is mentioned that the screen that Abbuc used showed some flicker on the bottom on the screen. Sadly, I was never asked about this or notified by Abbuc so I could not respond and maybe solve the issue. Im pretty sure the cause is in the display device, probably a simple adjustment.

 

2) availability of ANTIC chips is brought up,as a possible issue. Luckily I can reassure that we can provide a rather good number of both PAL and NTSC ANTICs for reasonable prices if ordered with an AntiX PCB.

 

I am looking forward to demonstrate AntiX next Saturday at the JHV. I will be bringing my fully upgraded 600XL, an NTSC 800XL and a very nice - flicker-free - display

 

Hope to see some of you guys there !

Edited October 18, 2018 by Level42

[+davidcalgary29]

What is the difficulty level for installing AntiX?

 

 

 

Can I have VBXE and AntiX in my machine ?
No. VBXE and AntiX both go on the ANTIC socket so you can’t have both.

 

 

Nooooo!

[_The Doctor__]

um cohabitation on another socket wouldn't work for one or the other with a little fiddling? idk how intrusive either gets to be but vbxe replaces a bit though doesn't it?

[Level42]

Very easy if AntiX is socketed......plug and play.

[Level42]

um cohabitation on another socket wouldn't work for one or the other with a little fiddling? idk how intrusive either gets to be but vbxe replaces a bit though doesn't it?

Will never fit in a 600XL or 800XL

[Level42]

It actually surprises me that VBXE doesn’t provide for NTSC/PAL switching.....

[flashjazzcat]

It actually surprises me that VBXE doesn’t provide for NTSC/PAL switching.....

 

Why is that surprising?