Atari 800 SIO connectors / SD memory disk emulator?

[spinnaker15136]

Sorry if it has been asked 100 times before but I am not seeing any up to date posts that answers my questions.

 

I am looking at refurbing my old Atari 800. On the project list is to design an build a SD memory reader disk emulator. Originally I was going to use a Microchip pic since what is what I usually work with. But I thought I saw a post on interest for an Arduino based reader. Has anyone done this? If not is there any interest if I can get it to work? I have not worked with Arduino but I am willing to give it a try if there is interest.

 

Now for my main question. I know after market SIO cables are available. And I know you can 3d print your own. But does anyone sell the connector kits? I don't have a 3D printer. And are the male ends available ? I think that would make for more complete project rather than handing a cable off of it, the way I have seen other projects do.

 

I could kick myself. I used to have an extra cable for a serial interface I built back in the day. I have no idea what happened to that serial interface or the cable. I am also missing a card extender that fit in the memory slot and an old memory card I was looking on expanding. Must of all got lost in a move. Pehaps they were all in the same box.

 

Since it was back before small easy to use mcus, It was basically a dumb interface. I don't even recall how it all worked and how I was able to daisy chain off of the other peripherals but it indeed worked great and I used it for many years from my acoustic coupled modem that I think I got from work before it was tossed out. One thing I remember is I had to write my own OS driver and terminal software.

[+slx]

I think Lotharek sells the connectors but if you take the plunge and pay the postage, you can buy cables as well. He even sells "half cables" for stuff like SDrive Max.

[irich2]

Here's a link for a 1/2 SIO Cable on Lotharek's website:

 

https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=128

[Gavin1968]

Sorry if it has been asked 100 times before but I am not seeing any up to date posts that answers my questions.

 

I am looking at refurbing my old Atari 800. On the project list is to design an build a SD memory reader disk emulator. Originally I was going to use a Microchip pic since what is what I usually work with. But I thought I saw a post on interest for an Arduino based reader. Has anyone done this? If not is there any interest if I can get it to work? I have not worked with Arduino but I am willing to give it a try if there is interest.

 

Now for my main question. I know after market SIO cables are available. And I know you can 3d print your own. But does anyone sell the connector kits? I don't have a 3D printer. And are the male ends available ? I think that would make for more complete project rather than handing a cable off of it, the way I have seen other projects do.

 

I could kick myself. I used to have an extra cable for a serial interface I built back in the day. I have no idea what happened to that serial interface or the cable. I am also missing a card extender that fit in the memory slot and an old memory card I was looking on expanding. Must of all got lost in a move. Pehaps they were all in the same box.

 

Since it was back before small easy to use mcus, It was basically a dumb interface. I don't even recall how it all worked and how I was able to daisy chain off of the other peripherals but it indeed worked great and I used it for many years from my acoustic coupled modem that I think I got from work before it was tossed out. One thing I remember is I had to write my own OS driver and terminal software.

 

 

I sell them, cables as well as just the SIO plugs, and if you are in the US a lot cheaper than getting them from Europe. https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product-category/atari

Edited April 8, 2019 by Gavin1968

[spinnaker15136]

 

 

I sell them, cables as well as just the SIO plugs, and if you are in the US a lot cheaper than getting them from Europe. https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product-category/atari

 

You sell the males? If so what is the cost for males and for cables?

 

In the US.

 

But first I need to get my Atari 800 up and running.

 

I sure wish Atari would have done two things. Have a standard connector for SIO and separate the power supply from the rest of the board.

[+DrVenkman]

 

You sell the males? If so what is the cost for males and for cables?

 

In the US.

 

But first I need to get my Atari 800 up and running.

 

I sure wish Atari would have done two things. Have a standard connector for SIO and separate the power supply from the rest of the board.

 

Well, the SIO *was* a standard connector from 1979 through about 1992. Hell, I have a few with Molex-branded connector shells. Many millions of cables were made. As pointed out above, they tend to be very durable, vintage ones usually work just fine and thanks to 3D printing, you can get new-made replacements.

 

As for power supplies, the 400/800/1200XL/1050 PSU is a simple transformer. No big deal at all. The internal power boards are all discrete components and can be repaired easily. The later XL's and XE's used external bricks as you wanted them to do.

[Gavin1968]

 

You sell the males? If so what is the cost for males and for cables?

 

In the US.

 

But first I need to get my Atari 800 up and running.

 

I sure wish Atari would have done two things. Have a standard connector for SIO and separate the power supply from the rest of the board.

 

All the prices are on the page, as well as everything Atari related that I have.

[spinnaker15136]

 

All the prices are on the page, as well as everything Atari related that I have.

 

 

Sorry missed the link. Thanks

Edited April 8, 2019 by spinnaker15136

[spinnaker15136]

 

Well, the SIO *was* a standard connector from 1979 through about 1992. Hell, I have a few with Molex-branded connector shells. Many millions of cables were made. As pointed out above, they tend to be very durable, vintage ones usually work just fine and thanks to 3D printing, you can get new-made replacements.

 

As for power supplies, the 400/800/1200XL/1050 PSU is a simple transformer. No big deal at all. The internal power boards are all discrete components and can be repaired easily. The later XL's and XE's used external bricks as you wanted them to do.

 

 

I was referring to the internal board. Yeah looks pretty simple and I have worked with that type of supply many times. As well as using the 7805 in lots of projects.

 

I would love to replace all of the electrolytics but would feel a lot better if I could design my own board and just swap it out.

[+DrVenkman]

Well, Atari's electrolytics tend to be pretty good, especially the large power caps. I've currently got 14 or 15 vintage Atari 8-bits ranging from 400's through XEs, plus a pair of 5200's and all of them look brand new. I now lots of people new to vintage Ataris come from other systems that typically get re-capped as par for the course of a restoration but it's very rarely required for an Atari machine.