atari 130xe Atari 130xe problem (not GTIA)

[0x00ff00ff]

Hi ! 

I recently found an Atari 130xe in excellent condition (EU - PAL version, never used but without original power supply), but ran into a problem:
1. All graphics tests run fine - no artifacts, GTIA is from early releases and looks like it's okay.
2. All system tests run OK.
3. To load programs I use SDrive2 (sdrive-arm) disk emulator, and this is where I start having problems - most games do not load, or they load but do not work.
Failure options:
- garbage on the screen after loading;
- images only in the first line of pixels, the rest of the screen is black

- cracked/hacked games are loaded and I can see some hackers intro/welcom screen with fancy graphics and credits, but when the actual game should start - black screen or artifacts
- the game is loaded, and even works, but instead of a part of the sprites - garbage - as in the picture below, instead of the character - a vertical line of garbage, but the game works and the character can move.

- for some games, I could not find a single working image - I tried all the variants I could find (atr, xex), a couple of dozen, but none of them worked 100%
- at the same time(!), I still can launch some games - and they work perfectly, no any graphics or loading issues.
- today I got Sophia2 and tried to install it instead of the original GTIA - unfortunately nothing has changed, I see the same problems with games.

Do you have any idea what could be the reason?

P.S. Most of ATR/XEX roms marked as [US] but my Atari is EU(PAL) - but I can't find any EU/PAL rom for 400/800/XL/XE platforms  And some of this [US] games work good.

Edited June 18, 2021 by 0x00ff00ff

[ascrnet]

did you deactivate basic when loading games? that is done by turning on the ATARI with the OPTION key pressed?

[0x00ff00ff]

Yes, thanks - I did that and then I can load ATR images, for example:

Games that works fine:

14 - Fred (1991)(Querope Agency).atr (133k)
07 - Zybex (1988)(Zeppelin Games)(GB).atr(92k)
15 - International Karate (1986)(System 3 Software)(GB).atr(92k)
41 - Pac-Man (1982)(Atari)(US)[k-file].atr (14k)
50 - Missile Command (1981)(Atari)(US)[k-file].atr (8k)
25 - Moon Patrol (1982)(Avalon Hill)(US)[k-file].atr (4k)

 

And games that not work:

03 - Boulder Dash (1984)(First Star Software)(US).atr(92k)
04 - Montezuma's Revenge (1984)(Parker Brothers)(US).atr(92k)
09 - Draconus (1988)(Cognito)(GB).atr (92k)
20 - Pole Position (1983)(Atari)(US).atr (92k)
39 - Pharaoh's Curse, The (1983)(Synapse Software)(US)[k-file].atr (20k)
46 - Defender (1982)(Atari)(US)[k-file].atr (20k)
32 - Joust (1983)(Atari)(US)[k-file].atr (17k)

[0x00ff00ff]

New wiered update: I found disk image (atr) with 6 games, including Montezuma Revenge, and it works ! BUT when I tried extract this game from disk image and launch it as .exe file - I get the same artifacts as on my first photo ! I don't understand - this is the same game but packed in different format, why one of pack works but another one is not (the same binary in fact) ?

[manterola]

Try the Homesoft collection: click "Download All"   and see how it works

ATARI 8Bit Games - Homesoft (mushca.com)

My guess is that maybe the Option key is not working all the time

Edited June 18, 2021 by manterola

[Sugarland]

Could be a bad GTIA or ANTIC chip. Do you have another machine to swap this 130XE's GTIA into the other to see if the symptom moves with the chip?  When you say "never used" was the bag still sealed with the original tape? If not, now you know why it was not used. There were late run 130XE's with bad GTIA chips from the factory. There is a fix mod you can buy to install under the GTIA to correct the issue. Not sure if that's what's happening here.

[thorfdbg]

Bad memory, or bad delay line. Try to swap parts from a known good system.

[Peri Noid]

15 hours ago, 0x00ff00ff said:

New wiered update: I found disk image (atr) with 6 games, including Montezuma Revenge, and it works ! BUT when I tried extract this game from disk image and launch it as .exe file - I get the same artifacts as on my first photo ! I don't understand - this is the same game but packed in different format, why one of pack works but another one is not (the same binary in fact) ?

It suggests a problem with the loader, not with the hardware.

[Almost Rice]

Have you looked at the motherboard?  Check if this has the 16 ram chips.  Look at the brand on all 16.  If you have one off brand and 15 Michron Tech chips, the ram is the problem.  It would be intermittent and only in certain situations, but reproducible.