IDE Plus 2.0 - new IDE host adapter

[Roydea6]

Yes!!! There is a Z: configuration the Bios. I haven't been using the IDE +2.0 very often and completely missed this option as the cause...

Thank You...

[Roydea6]

SDXCLOCK.ATR

Is a turbo basic compiled program that displays an analogue clock with a sweeping second hand. Also displayed is a date and seconds count. Runs with SDX445.rom in emulator or SIDE cartridge and IDE 2.0 PBI device.

 

SDXCLOCK.ATR

 

 

 

Mostly to test my rtime8 cartridge, incognito Atari800, and SIDE cartridge.

[St(r)yker]

Ide Plus bios 1.0 beta

http://drac030.krap.pl/ideplus-bios-20120708.arc

http://drac030.krap.pl/ideplus-utilities-disk-2012-09-06.tar.gz

[spookt]

Any info on what's new?

[drac030]

This is not a complete an perfect update, but since I have virtually no time for coding and I can't say for now, when I'll be able to code anything bigger again, I've decided (under some pressure from Stryker) to share what I have now.

 

The new things are:

 

1) APT support: the BIOS should be able to recognize APT-partitioned media (like under SIDE). There is a program called IDEA2APT.COM in the archive, which converts the old partition table format to the new one. Before doing that, please backup your partition table (in sector 0) in some safe place, e.g. use Eddy in the "device edit" mode just copy the first sector of the disk to the very last one. The conversion does not establish a PC MBR there, to have that, you'll have to repartition the disk. ALSO: the FDISK2 included does NOT know APT format, sorry, I had no time to code new FDISK, but you may try using the SIDE FDISK made by FJC. It should - in theory - work, because SIDE and IDE Plus share common API, which allows the partition table area access.

 

2) support for Karin Maxi disk drive: you may selectively disable US SIO patch for drives 1-4. This allows to access parallel floppies, which otherwise (when US SIO is on) get masked out by the IDE Plus SIO.

 

3) support for other parallel devices in the loader: the loader should now be able to access not only SIO devices and IDE Plus drives, but also the media attached via other PBI devices (such as the Karin drive above).

 

4) minor bugfixes.

 

The thing which is not there is the mounting support in the API. No time to code this, sorry. :/

[flashjazzcat]

...the FDISK2 included does NOT know APT format, sorry, I had no time to code new FDISK, but you may try using the SIDE FDISK made by FJC. It should - in theory - work, because SIDE and IDE Plus share common API, which allows the partition table area access.

 

For the price of a simple email, the APT FDISK could have been included on the support disk, saving users the trouble of going looking for the right version. Does your valuable time really need to be spent reinventing the wheel yet again? Or is there some inherent problem in endorsing the available software which I don't quite grasp?

 

In addition, I've been testing various builds of FDISK with the beta APT BIOS for some nine months now... so there's no need to theorise as to whether it works or not.

[candle]

Jon, don't start

he really HAS NO TIME

[drac030]

fjc: sorry, I did not intend to question the quality of your FDISK. I simply forgot that you had the earlier beta and an opportunity to test it thoraoughly. "In theory" means that I didn't test it myself, so take it as a sort of assecuration, not a statement.

[+Larry]

"assecuration"

 

Now there's a word you don't see every day. Had to look that one up.

-Larry

 

 

 

fjc: sorry, I did not intend to question the quality of your FDISK. I simply forgot that you had the earlier beta and an opportunity to test it thoraoughly. "In theory" means that I didn't test it myself, so take it as a sort of assecuration, not a statement.

[drac030]

Ehm, sorry for that mistake. My English sometimes fails more than usually, especially when I am distracted. What I meant was that the words "in theory", being in fact superfluous there, were intended as some sort of precaution, just in case it turns out that in practice there's a problem I have no possibility to fix.

[+David_P]

Draco: I'll critique your English once I get my Polish up to that level. So far, all I know is "Poproszę piwo"

[+Larry]

No critique -- I'd just never seen the word before. Believe me, Konrad, your English is impressive! How many different languages can you navigate?

 

BTW, I also had to look up "Philology."

 

-Larry

[+Larry]

Bug with 0.9 and 1.0 Bios?

 

This is a small bug -- MAC/65 will not work with the IDE +2. It comes up properly, but with the keyboard "locked up." I've the (real) cart with both 0.9 and 1.0, and it does it with both.

 

-Larry

[+David_P]

Is that an IDE 2.0 bug, or a problem with SDX? I seem to recall that the SDX key buffer didn't play nicely with some software.

[+Larry]

No SDX active (I'm a MyDos holdout). Remove the IDE+2 and boot from SIO or Black Box, and MAC/65 comes up and works correctly.

-Larry

 

Is that an IDE 2.0 bug, or a problem with SDX? I seem to recall that the SDX key buffer didn't play nicely with some software.

[drac030]

Thanks, Larry. Problem noted. For now I have no idea, what may be the reason,

[+Larry]

Here is another issue...

APE's print-thru feature will not work with the IDE+2 attached and powered. It will work if the IDE+2 is attached but not powered. It works with my other PBI devices, so I think it's something in the +2. Incidently, with the external power removed from the interface, the CF adapter LED still glows. Tried this on two XL's with the same result. (I know that is not your area.)

 

With the IDE+2 attached and powered, I get this on the APE SIO monitor:

Device: 40 Command: 3F Aux 1: 00 Aux 2: 00 Checksum: 7F

Device: 40 Command: 3F Aux 1: 00 Aux 2: 00 Checksum: 7F

Device: 40 Command: 3F Aux 1: 00 Aux 2: 00 Checksum: 7F

Device: 40 Command: 3F Aux 1: 00 Aux 2: 00 Checksum: 7F

(...repeated about 20 times or so.)

 

With the IDE not powered, APE responds like this:

Device: 40 Command: 53 Aux 1: 53 Aux 2: 02 Checksum: E8

Device: 40 Command: 57 Aux 1: 4E Aux 2: 02 Checksum: E7

Device: 40 Command: 57 Aux 1: 4E Aux 2: 02 Checksum: E7

Device: 40 Command: 57 Aux 1: 4E Aux 2: 02 Checksum: E7

(...repeats command 4E)

 

Turning the IDE OFF in the menu does not solve the issue -- that gives same results as the first example above.

 

Thanks,

Larry

[Roydea6]

Larry,

I have not tried this but you might try to turn off CIO in the START+RESET menu.

[+Larry]

Hi Roy-

 

Thanks for the suggestion. That didn't work, but gave me an idea -- if I turn Ultra Speed OFF, then it works!

 

Probably is a bug, but using the menu to turn off the US is sure a lot easier than unplugging the interface!

 

Thanks, again!

 

-Larry

[drac030]

Ok, I will block the US mode for device $4x.

[+Larry]

Thanks, Konrad! No hurry, for sure.

-Larry

 

Ok, I will block the US mode for device $4x.

[Frankie]

SDXCLOCK.ATR

Is a turbo basic compiled program that displays an analogue clock with a sweeping second hand. Also displayed is a date and seconds count. Runs with SDX445.rom in emulator or SIDE cartridge and IDE 2.0 PBI device.

 

SDXCLOCK.ATR

 

 

 

Mostly to test my rtime8 cartridge, incognito Atari800, and SIDE cartridge.

 

Cool!

When I run it on my 800XL it doesn't look as perfectly round as your screenshot. Your screen seems wider.

 

Frank

[Roydea6]

This is not a complete an perfect update, but since I have virtually no time for coding and I can't say for now, when I'll be able to code anything bigger again, I've decided (under some pressure from Stryker) to share what I have now.

 

The new things are:

 

1) APT support: the BIOS should be able to recognize APT-partitioned media (like under SIDE). There is a program called IDEA2APT.COM in the archive, which converts the old partition table format to the new one. Before doing that, please backup your partition table (in sector 0) in some safe place, e.g. use Eddy in the "device edit" mode just copy the first sector of the disk to the very last one. The conversion does not establish a PC MBR there, to have that, you'll have to repartition the disk. ALSO: the FDISK2 included does NOT know APT format, sorry, I had no time to code new FDISK, but you may try using the SIDE FDISK made by FJC. It should - in theory - work, because SIDE and IDE Plus share common API, which allows the partition table area access.

 

2) support for Karin Maxi disk drive: you may selectively disable US SIO patch for drives 1-4. This allows to access parallel floppies, which otherwise (when US SIO is on) get masked out by the IDE Plus SIO.

 

3) support for other parallel devices in the loader: the loader should now be able to access not only SIO devices and IDE Plus drives, but also the media attached via other PBI devices (such as the Karin drive above).

 

4) minor bugfixes.

 

The thing which is not there is the mounting support in the API. No time to code this, sorry. :/

So I decided to IDEA2APT my original CF card for the IDE2.0 rev'C' interface, but immediately put it back to original with the backup partition table(sector 0). I have been wondering if any further updates to IDEA2APT program are expected or should I just use (fjc) FDISK APT software on any new CF card. I have been able to insert a SIDE CF card into the IDE plus 2.0 and reads just fine.

[Marius]

@reda6 I had problems with IDEA2APT tool. I had a few partitions that where now reporting invalid file system after the conversion. So I decided to go back too.

[drac030]

It seems that there is a problem with the converter, which I find odd because I have used it to convert my own disk and there were no problems. I hope to find this out soon.