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Sio2SD


Heaven/TQA

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What SD Card have You got?! (Try Format SD CARD As Fat32 on PC and copy to them folder ATARI with some atr files).

 

The device works perfectly loading ATRs - it's only the config tool that doesn't load :(

 

I'll try with an 800xl later.

 

Thanks

 

Charlie

You must have old firmware!

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You must have old firmware!

 

Version 2.3. I got it from http://sio2sd.gucio.pl/index_en.html:

 

Software version 2.3 (2007.10.01):

full version (32k - for first time use): sio2sd_all.bin

 

I wonder if re-flashing the chip using the 'copy file to root directory' method would do any good?

 

In this case is the root directory the Atari folder, or its parent?

 

Thanks

 

Charlie

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:( Same thing. Loading sio2sd.xex from the card results in 3 sectors loaded. Purple screen with a k on it... :|

 

It's not critical, but I'd like to know what's happening!

 

*update*

 

I imagined that simply loading the xex file from the card would work given that the SIO2SD webpage says:

 

Handles ATR (rw), XFD (ro) and COM/XEX (ro) file types

 

Wrapping the xex file in an atr allowed me to load it no problem.

 

It still doesn't boot from the mcu's storage though.

 

 

I'm still really pleased with this device despite this! :cool:

Edited by SirMorris
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  • 2 weeks later...

My sio2sd just developed a problem today- it won't load any programs. It worked fine up until now. I've tried several different sd cards, reformatting each and trying different .atr files that used to load fine. The display and menus work fine- when I mount a disk image to a drive and try to boot, nothing happens. Any ideas what might have happened? Oh, and if I boot up without a card inserted I get a message "card init error" instead of "no card" which I believe is what it used to say.

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mmm... the only thing I can image, review the hole entrance of SIO2SD, maybe it could be there a little piece of something or paper.

 

I experimented that the SIO2SD slot needs on future releases a little "click" to assure all is right. Sometimes I push very hard the card inside and sometimes is not enough.

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I tried settting up yet another SD card without success. I can load .atr's onto the card and they show up in the directory (i.e., I can scroll through them on the sio2sd) but they won't load. I see that the device does create the config file on the root directory and everything else seems to be working just fine, e.g., I can get into the setup mode by holding k4 when booting. I can cycle through the drives and mount files to drives. It's just that nothing loads.

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Maybe , at the last resource, you need to save again the firmware on the SIO2SD.

 

In the otherside, the diode you add for share with other real drives could be damaged. Try to bypassing the diode. (If you don't get that error CARD INIT ERROR again off course)

Edited by Allas
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I've got the newer sio2sd from pigula that doesn't use the diode. Is there anyone that can reprogram the firmware on my sio2sd ATMEGA chip?

 

OK, I don't think its the chip. Just as an experiment, I swapped ATMEGA chips with another sio2sd and I get the exact same problem. It must be the way I'm setting up my sd card. After formatting a card, I have been creating a new folder named "ATARI" and putting .atr's into that folder. I copied the .bin file from my sio2sd software disk to the card, but have not put it into the "ATARI" folder. Is that the right way to do it? Also, what key sequence do I use to get the config screen on my 8bit?

Edited by yorgle
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Well, I found part of the problem- I didn't have a good connection on one of the sio lines to the pcb. But in the process of swapping in a backup Atmega32 to test, I think I screwed up my new Atmega chip-- all I get is a solid grey bar on the LCD. Is there someone willing to reprogram this chip if I send it to them? I'll pay for your time and postage, of course. Or can I reprogram it myself? What is involved in doing so?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Chips usually suffer when being swapped around for one of two reasons: Bent legs or static. It's unlikely the stored firmware will have suffered, so reprogramming won't alter anything.

 

AVRs aren't, in my experience, particularly static prone. I've been working with them for years and I must say I'm not the most careful of constructors but the only damage they've suffered is when I've borked the fuses during programming :) It is possible to bend legs under the chip during insertion into a socket and not really notice it. Have a good look.

 

When you say back-up chip, exactly what do you mean? Is it the mcu from another board? Is it the same firmware revision?

 

Are you in the UK?

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I've got the newer sio2sd from pigula that doesn't use the diode. Is there anyone that can reprogram the firmware on my sio2sd ATMEGA chip?

 

OK, I don't think its the chip. Just as an experiment, I swapped ATMEGA chips with another sio2sd and I get the exact same problem. It must be the way I'm setting up my sd card. After formatting a card, I have been creating a new folder named "ATARI" and putting .atr's into that folder. I copied the .bin file from my sio2sd software disk to the card, but have not put it into the "ATARI" folder. Is that the right way to do it? Also, what key sequence do I use to get the config screen on my 8bit?

 

1. Copy firmware (30k - for upgrade from SD card) to SD card as sio2sd.bin

 

2. Turn On Atari with SIO2SD with

 

method 1:

a) K4 key and after press SHIFT+K3

 

or

 

method 2:

 

b) only SHIFT+K3

 

(http://sio2sd.gucio.pl/index_en.html)

 

ps. I Can send to You new Atmel (cost 4,2Euro + post deliver).

Edited by Pigula
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  • 3 weeks later...

well I've been playing with my sio2sd for a good week now, and haven't managed to find anything at all wrong with it. Games seem to load the first time and every time. it's compatible with everything I've tried that's compatible with my system. installation was plug and play and using it is easy (especially with that on-tv menu). Great product, great price, floppies are 100% obsolete

 

I just wish c64 had something that worked as well. Sure they have a variety of sd solutions, but none seem to work as reliably or inexpensively as sio2sd, and that community is still entirely tied to the 5 1/4" disk, even for modern commercial titles.

Edited by Reaperman
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I just wish c64 had something that worked as well. Sure they have a variety of sd solutions, but none seem to work as reliably or inexpensively as sio2sd, and that community is still entirely tied to the 5 1/4" disk, even for modern commercial titles.

Tell be about it! I'm stuck with using an ancient DOS PC and 1541emu or 64HDD (which while good, pales in comparison to APE). And the MMC64 while neat is only good for file based stuff.

 

However, it looks like my C64 prayers have finally been answered! :D Someone finally FPGAed the damn 1541 drive - check out the awesome SD based 1541 Ultimate. :cool:

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However, it looks like my C64 prayers have finally been answered! :D Someone finally FPGAed the damn 1541 drive - check out the awesome SD based 1541 Ultimate. :cool:

they've been talking a lot about it over at lemon, but I'm looking at the price (starting at $173 usd shipped to usa). it's close to 3x the cost of an sio2sd and I've still not seen proof that it's any better than the rest--each of which looked like the next best thing before they came out. I've got an mmc2iec myself and though I haven't used it yet (commodore is in the mail) I've already heard far too many bad things about it. (like it not being able to run *ANY* of the games I wanted to play on commodore)

 

sio2sd is my ideal for disk replacement. inexpensive, easy to use and very compatible--maybe my first experience with floppy replacement has set my standards too high when I look at all the rest... Commodore must do some crazy things in their disk drives.

Edited by Reaperman
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Commodore must do some crazy things in their disk drives.

The thing about this device is that it appears to actually emulate the entire 1541 drive which is quite complicated. Damn 1541 is basically a computer by itself and has it's own RAM and CPU, which is the reason there has never been a 'C64 APE' solution.

 

The MMC2IEC while neat, is only a protocol emulator just like 64HDD (and basically every other D64 solution) which means that fast loaders/protection etc. don't work making it very limited. Having true full drive hardware emulation in a product like the 1541U would be amazing.

 

The 1541 Ultimate is miles beyond anything I've used or seen for the C64.

 

Oh and the SIO2SD rocks! :cool:

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The 1541 Ultimate is miles beyond anything I've used or seen for the C64.

 

Oh and the SIO2SD rocks! :cool:

one thing that worries me about the 1541u is the lack of a screen, which is the most appealing part of some of the 1541-III setups I've seen. I'm sure 1541u handles in-game disk switching, but I'm not clear on how it does this without a screen. I hope it's not the 'build a file list' method that my mmc2iec uses. And of course, I'm still choking on the drive costing far more than my entire modded 800xl setup.

Edited by Reaperman
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one thing that worries me about the 1541u is the lack of a screen, which is the most appealing part of some of the 1541-III setups I've seen. I'm sure 1541u handles in-game disk switching, but I'm not clear on how it does this without a screen. I hope it's not the 'build a file list' method that my mmc2iec uses.

It apparently uses the C64 itself by freezing the machine state to bring up a GUI. It looks awesome. File lists? Ewww.... :D

 

http://www.nssen.org/diverses/u1541_3.avi

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  • 1 month later...

I can't seem to get the config tool to work when I load it by holding down the SHIFT key on boot up. I will get the green screen but when I try to call up the list of files I get the message "SIO Error". If I load the program SIO2SD.XEX the config tool works perfectly. Any thoughts?

 

Bill

 

 

 

I figured it out. You need to tell the program that it's device 0. The firmware doesn't know to default to the SIO2SD that it's booting from.

 

Bill

Edited by Merrick Bill
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