Piotr D. Kaczorowski

Since I don't want to disturb the peace in other threads, if you have questions regarding upcoming projects, I will be happy to answer those questions. On this thread, I will also post pictures of the progress of the work. A few words about the projects: SAVO XE, SAVO XL - (available) simple boards, placed in the position of the RF modulator, allowing the extraction of additional audio/video signals without cutting the Atari casing. The main purpose is to work in conjunction with the VBXE extension. Here you can find the installation manual: http://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/projects/SAVO/ SAVO XEGS - (upcoming) SAVO for Atari XEGS SAVO 1200XL - (upcoming) SAVO for Atari 1200XL SAVO XEc - (upcoming) SAVO with Composite/CVBS mixer for Atari XE SAVO CLASSIC (SAVO rev.2) - (upcoming) the same boards as SAVO XE/XL, but with the SAVO ground plane unplugged from the soldering points, prevents connection of the SAVO ground plane with the Atari ground plane. SAVO+ - (upcoming) SAVO boards with extra electronics that provide S-Video and Composite/CBVS signals, converted from VBXE RGB SAVO MAX - (upcoming) SAVO+ with the Component Video (YPbPr) option. VBXE RGB is still available. HAVO - (upcoming) HDMI Atari Video Output - SAVO version with a Micro HDMI port instead of a Sega Saturn socket Sophia2SAVO - (upcoming) a simple mini board that serves as an interface between SAVO and Sophia 2's analog RGB signals O2/Fixer - (available) 74LS08 replacement that improves the stability of internal and external extensions such as: Ultimate 1MB, Rapidus, MyIDE, IDE+, SIDE 3.0/3.1/3.2 I also have a few ideas for new extensions such as: audio mixers (without and with DSP), advanced stereo cards with multiple operating modes, controlled by an MCU with manual settings and through Ultimate 1MB, BT communication extensions, turbo cards based on MCU and WDC processors, integrated with the VBXE graphics card.

@flashjazzcat, Curiously, the simplest solution would be to make an adapter for Teensy 4.1 (or RPI2040) and load into it one or two processor cores, all the RAM, ROM, and (E)MMU, Ultimate 1MB + SIDE3.x, and use the Atari board as IO ports. Another interesting solution, which I'm also discussing with Draco as a software developer, is to create a card that will fit into the Antic socket, leaving the CPU socket completely empty. On the card inserted instead of Antic, there would be the entire Turbo + VBXE. Then the fast processor would have full access to video memory. It would also be great to use dual-port memory, at least in the first 64KB. Then the zero page and stack would operate at full speed and fully asynchronously for both processors.

@patjomki, (copy-past from previous thread) These processors are designed to work at this temperature. If you want a better feeling and a lower temperature, replace the processor with an NCR (maybe bought on eBay?) or buy a heat sink like this: https://www.reichelt.com/pl/pl/radiator-19-times-4-8-times-51-mm-do-dil-ic-ick-40-b-p164362.html I've just checked that 100kHz is the minimum frequency for the NMOS 6502, so maybe I will consider designing an adapter for Sally that will lower the frequency when in HLT mode. 111.86078125kHz is the 14.31818 MHz / 128. That frequency and that binary divider could be nice choice.

The Warsaw stories on this subject (where Simius, Draco, and I live) are such that it will simply be Antonia, which will run at a higher speed than 1.77Mhz - perhaps 14Mhz, as in the WDC specification. I don't know if it's supposed to be on two processors. Nevertheless, I have been preparing for such projects since the beginning of the year, hence my interest in clock signals and the subsequent creation of O2/Fixer. All in all, it's a bit like only now, after 20 years, my knowledge from my studies is coming in handy in practice.

Heh... No... These processors are designed to work at this temperature. If you want a better feeling and a lower temperature, replace the processor with an NCR (maybe bought on eBay?) or buy a heat sink like this: https://www.reichelt.com/pl/pl/radiator-19-times-4-8-times-51-mm-do-dil-ic-ick-40-b-p164362.html I've just checked that 100kHz is the minimum frequency for the NMOS 6502, so maybe I will consider designing an adapter for Sally that will lower the frequency when in HLT mode. 111.86078125kHz is the 14.31818 MHz / 128. That frequency and that binary divider could be nice choice.

Correct. That's probably how it's implemented. The WDC 65S02, which is not Sally, has a static core. If there was an adapter that would allow it to run, then the processor would not heat up. The second option is a dynamic clock. Stopping it with HALT and lowering the clock rate might also reduce heating. Unfortunately, I don't know what the minimum is. One of the books states 1MHz, but it seems to me that it should be less.

I don't think so. Sally doesn't have a static core, so stopping it is rather virtual. It has to work all the time. As Rapidus it's currently simplified, and it's somehow looped at the standard processor frequency. If you want it to be cooler, I think there are two solutions: a) changing the processor to one that has 4MHz according to specifications - for example, an NCR-produced Sally b) passive cooling through a radiator.

Atari 600XL - SRAM 64K, Ultimate 1MB, VBXE, SAVO XL

@greggj, Upcoming SAVO+ and SAVO MAX, HAVO boards provide following signals: - CBVS/Composite - s-video - RGB - YPbPr (SAVO MAX) - micro HDMI (HAVO) All boards requiere VBXE to work. In the coming days, I'll start threads about new projects.

To be honest, I'm new here and still learning - but quickly I'll take the administrators' requests into consideration.

@flashjazzcat By the way, a pro tip about Rapidus and the 6502C Sally: NCR should work better, as it is a 4MHz CPU according to specifications. I think it is the case that when the 65C816 is working, and the 6502C is not, the 6502C is put into some empty loop and can heat up. In a revised version (if the author wanted), there could be a reduction of the 6502C clock to maybe, for example, 0.2MHz when it's not working (the minimum clock would need to be checked in the specifications). The second thing that comes to my mind is dual-port memory - at least the first 64KB, where there is the zero page and stack. That could work interestingly. Well, we've drifted a bit off the main topic, which might slightly raise the administrators' blood pressure. In the coming days, I'll start threads about new projects, and 'O' will be there as well.

Fantastic! Since 2019, I've watched all your videos. A true treasure trove of knowledge and experience! I'm looking forward to the next ones

We talked about with @lewiS. There was a small misunderstanding, about who would send it to you first, and a week ago it turned out that no one had done it. Lewis plans to help with this, as he is the closest. If need be, Lotharek or I will also help. About "R"... As we talked about once, it's good that something has started in this matter, and there is a group of people who care for it to work.

@flashjazzcat, This is exactly what we need. Going a bit further, with the stabilization of the "R" device (Antonia, Antonia II, and others), environments similar to Action! will emerge but utilizing the 65C816, which will enable both faster compilation and a larger editor window. VBXE provides the possibility of an 80-column native screen mode, and Fujinet allows network access. There is a group of people who want to work on this. There will be individuals for whom this will be fun development without a PC - even though today it seems unrealistic and cumbersome.

@lewiS, @flashjazzcat, I use SIDE3 with U1MB. It seems to me that there is permanent mounting. It's worth checking in subsequent revisions. Nevertheless, I'll tell you how I use it. Usually, as D1, I have mounted Fujinet Config or something I load from the network - for example, LiteDOS. On subsequent disks, I have either disk images from TNFS or from SIDE3.1, which guarantees me ultra-fast access. I have SIDE3.1 available through the loader from Ultimate 1MB. This is the ideal configuration for me. Of course, everyone can have their preferences and may feel more comfortable with something else, but this gives me the best comfort.

Dear All, I would like to understand what functionality might be attractive to you in the neo-retro version of an Atari computer. I'm interested in this because I am working on various projects myself. At first, it was SAVO XE, SAVO XL. Later, O2/Fixer. Currently, I am working on new boards like SAVO CLASSIC (aka SAVO rev.2), SAVO+, SAVO MAX, and HAVO (micro HDMI version of SAVO supplied with VBXE's RGB signal). Upcoming projects involve stereo cards, BT modules for keyboards and joysticks/pads, and turbo cards (MCU and real WDC based). Best, Peter

@tmp Please plan to add a switch for permanent disk mounting in the next version. This will greatly help those who want to use AVG during development with an Atari computer. For those who only want to load games, this is indeed not necessary.

I don't know exactly what you mean. The problem I encountered was related to various internal and external extensions. Since no one could answer my question (including you) as to where the problem lay, I managed to solve it. I decided not to have any financial benefits from this project, and Lotharek also sells O2/Fixer at virtually the cost of production, so that projects developed over many years could cooperate with each other. From the information I received, the problem concerned projects such as U1MB, Rapidus, MyIDE, IDE+, SIDE3. Currently, the problem has been diagnosed as the creation of parasitic capacitance. O2/Fixer solves this issue. During the lab, I was able to demonstrate a so-called slowly increasing system degradation (I am an engineer in computer science, automation, and electronics, so I know what it entails). The matter is closed. The device is available at Lotharek's store and in RetroLemon.co.uk .

@lewiS, I know that workarounds work well, along with other workarounds for Fujinet Config. Still, it is easier to work with SIDE3 (if it works, and it certainly works with O2/Fixer). In my humble opinion, in that area, SIDE3 has better UX. By the way, for me, the best interface has the Ultimate Cart. It has nice fonts, shortcuts like page up/page down, and the "X" key that skips the cartridge menu and boots the system. Currently, I'm counting on merging external Ultimate 1MB, SIDE3.x, and Fujinet into one device. All of those projects are at Lotharek's lab right now.

I have AVG, and it works nicely, but over the last few months, I've been using SIDE3.1 to eliminate instability issues. It succeeded, and currently, an O2/Fixer based on my laboratory work is available at Lotharek's. Now I'm waiting for an update to AVG that will include the option to permanently remember (even after a cold reset or turning off the computer) assigned ATR images to specific disks. An ideal option would also be the same function as in SIDE3.1, to be able to completely disable AVG during startup and switch to it from Ultimate 1MB option "L" - loader. AVG is a great cart, and with a little more work on the firmware, it can be as good as SIDE3.x.

@macsonny, Pro tip: This is MadTeam's site (Atari hackers' page) https://madteam.atari8.info/index.php?prod=vbxe You can find here: https://madteam.atari8.info/vbxe/rocky_pal.7z These are custom versions of VBXE cores with a gorgeous Atari-like (deep blue) palette - aka Rocky's palette. They were made by Electron (the first author of VBXE) for Mad Team members. Rocky's palette looks exactly like the palette in my 600XL. However, if you want to have the NTSC version of the palette, you must use a special program or have Ultimate 1MB with a special option that allows you to change the palette right after the computer starts.

@macsonny, To remove the outline around letters and the cursor, you need to disable or reduce the sharpening on your TV. Sharpening on the TV is achieved using a comb filter. The comb filter superimposes and sums the original image with images shifted in each direction, which means it improves a poor image and unfortunately slightly degrades a very good one by creating a shadow in each direction. This is exactly what you have.

Correct. However, I wrote what I consider to be a principle in the production of any solution. Indeed, I haven't yet found a faulty SAVO board. Nevertheless, if you solder dozens of boards in one afternoon, there might be a chip or something similar somewhere - that's what I assume. Therefore, knowing that the boards are sold not only in Poland, I check them. The next SAVO+, SAVO MAX, and HAVO (with micro HDMI output) boards are equipped with electronics. I've been testing noise removal from synchronization for three weeks now, using various voltage regulators and optoelectronic isolation that blocks returning noise, so the next versions are no longer as trivial.

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"Divide and conquer"... It's worth determining where the problem lies. At the beginning, I would check if the signals from VBXE are being transmitted. It's most convenient to check this if you are equipped with professional equipment - e.g., an oscilloscope. If not, then if something is visible through the TV, just connect, for example, the green color signal to SAVO Green, and later test the other signals from VBXE on this channel, i.e., red and blue. You can do the same in the other direction: a working VBXE green can be checked on SAVO green, SAVO red, SAVO blue. I would like to remind you that I take great care in creating SAVO boards. Please note that each board is carefully cleaned with IPA, and beforehand, each of them is subjected to tests. I use a multimeter and check continuity on two cables: Sega Saturn to Euro SCART and Sega Saturn to RCA + s-video. Every signal from the board is tested. Statistically, out of about 30 boards that I assembled myself, I currently have 3 VBXE boards that require flashing or re-soldering of circuits. However, I cannot say that this is a problem only with VBXE. I also had a damaged DAC converter in one Sophia 2 board, and a colleague from the Czech Republic had the same problem with Sophia 2. I encountered damaged 64K V3 SRAM memories - where pins had to be re-soldered. This is electronics, and these things happen. It requires a bit more struggle, but satisfaction is guaranteed after some time. It's worth checking the all connections with the installation instructions: http://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/projects/SAVO/