ACE80-XL?

[netcoord99]

A year or so ago, I purchased a nice ACE80-XL cartridge. But I did not get any documentation. Does anyone have any docs or know of a potential source of technical info? So far, I've discovered how to change the screen colors in the 80-column mode, but there are probably other features that I'm missing.

Thanks,

Larry

 

Someone asked for a picture of the cartridge. Somewhat difficult to get a good pic. because the label is foil with magenta lettering. Anyway, here it is.

 

-Larry

 

Hi Larry. My name is Mike. I just joined you guys here. I used to make and sell ACE80/DT80 cartridges. I still have some left I'm selling on ebay. I used to know Lance and Claus and belonged to the CHAOS club of Lansing, Michigan. If there is anything I can do to help/supply you guys then feel free to PM me here. I'll see what I can do to make that possible here. I will check and see if it's ok to put an email address or ebay/home site URLs here too. Maybe someone can tell me what is allowed here and save me from having to read the rules documents. I'll go see if I can find them anyway.

 

So,take care and I look forward to hearing from everyone. I wish I had seen this site a few years ago. I see Claus was on back in April. Any way of contacting Lance? ok.. ttyl

[Mathy]

Hello Mike

 

You mean this Lance?

 

Mathy

[BillC]

Hello Mike

 

You mean this Lance?

 

Mathy

I believe he meant Lance Ward of Amiable Computer Enhancements, mentioned by ClausB in post #79:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/99666-ace80-xl/page__view__findpost__p__1504100

[ClausB]

Can't yet find the source code for DT80 but I dumped my prototype cart. EPROM still good after 30 years!

 

DT80.BIN

(left cart - $B000-$BFFF)

[Caterpiggle]

That is nice of you , your name does appearing in DT80 Cartridge. Now, I am trying to pressing any keys and not response ? The only it does response is "START, SELECT AND OPTION" functional keys. Interesting, no colors attracts, only on ACE80XL does have colors changing by functional keys and pressing fine in any keys in BASIC Mode.

 

I do have my own ACE80XL and does work fine on the real hardware with real cartridge as well. It is silver label with dark fonts.

[Kr0tki]

Thanks Claus for publishing the ROM images. Your DT-80 image differs from the one already published at exactly one byte (offset $0F53, yours has $00 there, the other has $1E). Does it mean anything?

 

Do you have any information about this Electrosmith disappearing cartridge you mentioned long ago? Who manufactured it, was any other software published on it, how did it work, what ROM sizes were allowed? I'm keen on adding emulation of this elusive hardware to Atari800.

[ClausB]

Maybe the $1E is a checksum byte for EPROM programming? Whoever put it there screwed up because it shows as a '>' in the line of display code for the Fine Scrolling option: "Type Y or N and RETURN. >"

[ClausB]

Here's the ElectroSmith cart. Writing to $D508 disables the ROM and enables RAM under the cart.

 

[Caterpiggle]

Hello Claus B.,

 

Can you be kind to explain to me how your DT-80 works ? It does not response any keys on Altirra emulator only functional keys? Does it only works with the real hadrware of ATR8000 ? I do have my own ATR800 , I have not been tested it yet...

[ClausB]

It works like a dumb terminal. It sends every keypress out the serial port and it displays only what it receives from the serial port. If you could jumper serial out to serial in, then you would see what you type. I did this by connecting pins 2 and 3 on the serial port of my SIO2PC. I doubt an emulator would have an SIO loopback option.

[Kr0tki]

Thanks Claus. But, from your ACE80 source I see that the 800 right cart variant used different addresses: $D503 for disabling, $D543 for enabling. Do you happen to remember how the 800 variant of the cartridge was built? If not, I'm just gonna assume that it just uses line /A6 instead of A3.

Edited April 27, 2013 by Kr0tki

[ClausB]

The right cart was an OSS Supercartridge, IIRC. I designed the cart in post #78 and built the prototype I still have, but ACE decided it was cheaper to use the OSS cart than to make a custom PCB. We must have patched the code for the OSS cart, which uses A3 for ROM/RAM switching. BTW, Electrosmith also made the OSS carts.

 

[Caterpiggle]

Thank you Claus,

 

I will test in 1 day with my ATR8000 with your DT80.bin via SIO2SD Adapter.

 

In your photo, that is EXACTLY I has ACE80XL Cartridge above. That is prefect to show online with this exactly cartridge.

 

May I ask what happening to the real one of DT80 Cartridge ? Any photo of this one , too ?

Edited April 27, 2013 by Caterpiggle

[ClausB]

I don't have a production DT80, only my prototype, a hacked Atari cart.

Edited April 27, 2013 by ClausB

[+Larry]

Do you remember if the DT80 Electrosmith cart was the same translucent red cart as the "Synapse" type?

 

-Larry

[ClausB]

I don't think so, because that would have been very cool and I would have kept one.

[ClausB]

Thanks Claus. But, from your ACE80 source I see that the 800 right cart variant used different addresses: $D503 for disabling, $D543 for enabling. Do you happen to remember how the 800 variant of the cartridge was built? If not, I'm just gonna assume that it just uses line /A6 instead of A3.

The right cart was an OSS Supercartridge, IIRC.

 

On second thought, the production ACE80 right cart was probably the same Electrosmith cart as the ACE80-XL left cart. Either way, A3 is the RAM/ROM switch and that's what the emulator should use, despite my source code.

Edited April 28, 2013 by ClausB

[AtariGeezer]

Found a different DT80, ACE80 and ACE80XL with TERM80 and Patches

DT80-ACE80-ACE80XL.ATR

[_The Doctor__]

this is not a stand alone disk correct? it must be used with the cartridge yes?

 

Found a different DT80, ACE80 and ACE80XL with TERM80 and Patches

Edited March 11, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[_The Doctor__]

posting issue *deleted*

Edited March 11, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[AtariGeezer]

this is not a stand alone disk correct? it must be used with the cartridge yes?

The disk doesn't need the cartridges, DT80REV1.DAT, ACE80.DAT and ACE80XL.DAT are executables that you would Run from DOS.

This appears to be an original disk from Amiable Computer Enhancements, it even has the Basic programs that print the Cartridge Labels with the Serial Numbers...

[_The Doctor__]

ah the autorun.sys needs to be modified to load the 80.dat before it runs menu,

 

binary load fails perhaps my brain has farted..

 

using a 130XE and the supplied disk only, I will disconnect the MIO just in case it's causing an issue...

 

and that wasn't the issue.... hmmm

Edited March 11, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[AtariGeezer]

I would just leave it as is...

[+Allan]

So if I wanted to put the ACE80XL on a cart, what would be the best solution?

 

Allan

[+Larry]

There are probably several ways, but I know that you can put one on a 1 Mb Atarimax cart easily using the programming features/ATR created by Mr-Atari. It is probably buried here at AA and also at the Atarimax website, probably under the 1 Mb images section. Also, I made one using an OSS Supercart by programming a 2764 or 27128.

 

-Larry