[Multi-platform coding and 80 column support?]

16 hours ago, Ecernosoft said:

Atari can do that.

 

 

Use POKEY+$09.

So close.  POKEY is $D200; $D209 is STIMER (W) / KBCODE (R).

 

RANDOM (R) is $D20A.

Quote

 

53769              D209              STIMER

     (W) Start the POKEY timers (the AUDF registers above). You
     POKE any non-zero value here to load and start the timers; the
     value isn't itself used in the calculations. This resets all of the audio
     frequency dividers to their AUDF values. If enabled by IRQEN
     below, these AUDF registers generate timer interrupts when they
     count down from the number you POKEd there to zero. The
     vectors for the AUDF1, AUDF2 and AUDF4 timer interrupts are
     located between 528 and 533 ($210 and $215). POKEY timer four
     interrupt is only enabled in the new "B" OS ROMs.

                              KBCODE

     (R) Holds the keyboard code which is then loaded into the shadow
     register (764; $2FC) when a key is hit. Usually read in response to
     the keyboard interrupt. Compares the value with that in CH1 at
     754 ($2F2). If both values are the same, then the new code is
     accepted only if a suitable key debounce delay time has passed.
     The routines which test to see if the key code will be accepted start
     at 65470 ($FFBE). BIT 7 is the control key flag, BIT 6 is the shift key
     flag.

53770              D20A              SKREST

     (W) Reset BITs 5 - 7 of the serial port status register at 53775 to one.

                              RANDOM

     (R) When this location is read, it acts as a random number
     generator. It reads the high order eight bits of the 17 bit
     polynomial counter (nine bit if BIT 7 of AUDCTL is set) for the
     value of the number. You can use this location in a program to
     generate a random integer between zero and 255 by:

     10  PRINT PEEK(53770)

     This is a more elegant solution than INT(RND(0) * 256). For a test of
     the values in this register, use this simple program:

     10 FOR N = 1 TO 20: PRINT PEEK(53770): NEXT N

 

 

[Retro style Atari Cell Phone (*not a real product*)]

An artist from just outside Ottawa Ontario did this mock-up of an Atari cell phone (circa 1983).  Enjoy.

 

 

 

[Overclocking the Stock 6502c: Is it Possible?]

For the record, I strongly disapprove of shutting down M.U.L.E. instead of playing a complete game.

[ICD FA-ST]

Some info on the HDD here: https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/hard-drives-hdd/seagate/ST157N-0-49MB-3-5-HH-SCSI1-SE.html

 

[Is there a mod to power the Fujinet through the SIO port and not need the separate USB power? 130XE]

By default that should work.  External power is needed for 400/800 computers despite +5V on the SIO plug due to the boot time for the 400/800 being too short for the FujiNet to boot; on the XL/XE computers, the longer OS boot gives the FujiNet enough time to boot itself.

[Where to shop for 400 800 1200 xl xe games]

Best Electronics has NOS, though the owner is a bit of a character.

[Atari 800 Personality Board -- RAMROM 2022]

As I recall, at least some early EA releases checked for OMNIMON and refused to boot if it was detected.  The issue was noted in the ANALOG review of (I think) MULE and Archon.

[Examples of games using Graphics 7?]

Planetary Defense

[Atari 800 Personality Board -- RAMROM 2022]

15 hours ago, Larry said:

Just curious -- did you swap the drives in the MIO menu to make the ramdisk D1:?  Or was there some other means?

It's been a while, but as I recall, yes, boot, init the RD, install a DOS on it, swap from the menu, reboot from the MIO.

[Vintage modem options]

BobTerm uses all RAM and does not use BASIC.  Try booting without BASIC; the 8K it's occupying should be occupied by the program.

[Atari 800 Personality Board -- RAMROM 2022]

12 hours ago, reifsnyderb said:

 

This was my thought too.  It should be possible to boot from a ramdisk on an XL, though, through the PBI.  

 

Yes, you can boot off a MIO RAMDISK.

[SpartaDOS X "Super" Sector Maps]

The detailed SDX programmer's guide is at: https://sdx.atari8.info/sdx_files/4.49/SDX449_Programming_Guide_EN.pdf

[Atari 1200XL SIO +5v FIX]

4 hours ago, videofx said:

Can anyone please tell me what out there uses the +5V on the SIO bus so I can test to make sure the mod I made works?

 

THanks!

The mighty XM301 modem, with its earth-shattering 300 baud of online power.

[Relocate Cartridge Slot via Ribbon Cable]

The MUX used a modified OS and cart port connections via ribbon cable; maaybe check out the docs on that for some guidance?

[Newell Atari 800 RAMROD Personality Board]

Wild idea: battery backup for the mosaic RAM bank, for a persistent RAMdisk even after a powering down / rebooting?  When my MIO is connected to one of my 800xls, the ability to keep the RAMdisk even after I crash is a great feature.

[CC65: Is there a method to use more than 1 language/character set in an app? (gettext, internationalization)]

The XE and XL lines have two character sets built in, the second one containing European characters.  Not available on the 400/800, though.

[800XL with unknown OS ROM dual switch]

Atari ROM Checker is your friend.

 

https://www.wudsn.com/productions/atari800/atariromchecker/help/AtariROMChecker.html

 

[SIO Virtual Disconnect?]

SDX permits you to remap drives using the MAP and SWAP commands, similar to what the MIO does.

[Software 80 Columns]

5 hours ago, reifsnyderb said:

It would be nice to bank that 10k.

If you have a computer with an XE compatible RAM upgrade with ANTIC banking, you could do this, and reduce the footprint in main memory.  However, you then run risk of interfering with DOSes that may want to use the RAM.  There's no kernal-level memory management inherent in the Atari OS.

 

If you are running SDX, there is a memory manager you can call, however, while I believe you can reserve a full bank via SDX, you cant specify that it be an ANTIC-bankable bank.  And you're then locked in to SDX for your program.  (And besides, SDX already has its own 64 and 80 column drivers)

[Software 80 Columns]

The challenge of a software based 80 column mode on the Atari is its RAM footprint - you lose about 10K of RAM for the screen, character set and device handler.

 

[Whats this?]

My guess is that it's a solderless internal 256K upgrade for an XL.  The socket would go under the PIA.

[Help - FujiNet Flasher - No Serial ports show up]

When I had a similar issue, I crated a new user on the computer, and somehow logging in as that new user worked for updates.

[Hobgoblin 2 - a new game]

Looks like a SIO drive emulator so you get the old school BEEP BEEP as you boot the game 

 

[Looking for spaceship shooter game recommendations]

Gauntletak (aka Gauntlet)

 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-gauntlet_2170.html

[Better Way to Ship]

UPS charges fees for just about everything when shipping to Canada from the US.  Their brokerage fees on Standard shipping are, um, "significant". https://www.ups.com/ca/en/shipping/zones-and-rates/customs-clearance.page

 

And the Canadian Post office charges a fee for collecting sales tax.