1450 XLD motherboard build, assorted questions

[+kheller2]

Notes from John Hardie's notes:

The "ALPHA" or speech mode is "V:S"

 

So you can do a ? #1, "ATARI" and hear the same thing.

 

Numeric mode is "V:N" this is the same as "V:"

 

There are other random modes that no one knows..

 

V:U (seems to be the same as V:N, or just V)

 

Optional parameters (where x is one of the N, P, or S modes):

V:xF

V:xS

V:xD

 

 

Remember, the T: (?) and V: devices are PBI devices.... so don't expect to plug any PBI device in like a MIO or BlackBox and expect it to work as they both violated the then unknown guidelines. Also, you can address V: as V1: etc..

Edited September 6, 2011 by kheller2

[visionik]

Also depending on the price, I'd be in for three boards. So envious...

[Roydea6]

I thought the plan eventually was to use a board, like you said and which is mentioned on the URL you gave - . This seems to be backed up by what is on Curt's site - Curt describes it as the 1450XL motherboard with a PBI daughter card connector. This board could have been used with the 1200XL casing.

 

Curt's 1400XL Page

 

Speechhandler.pdf

 

On Curt's Page:

[Vandal968]

Ok, as promised, here is some speech from BASIC. I tweaked one or two words phonetically, but I'm mostly just typing plain text.

 

Enjoy:

 

cheers,

v

[Curt Vendel]

Well, Corey and I are working on the bottom case and side piece, once he's got them into CAD format, I'll see what kind of costs some tooling will be based on the IGS files and we'll go from there, the Mobo's shouldn't be too crazy to have a run done, first I need to get a firm that still works with films to scan them in and generate some gerber files and then we'll see what it'll cost to run a 4 layer board, its pretty big, so I would assume it's gonna be pricey, but we'll see, I may have to bite the bullet on the PCB's and look to have them down over in China due to cost, but if I do that, it's the difference between them costing $100 and costing maybe $20, so again we'll see... first things first, lets get the files made.... I need more hours in a day, 24 just ain't enough!

[Dropcheck]

Well, Corey and I are working on the bottom case and side piece, once he's got them into CAD format, I'll see what kind of costs some tooling will be based on the IGS files and we'll go from there, the Mobo's shouldn't be too crazy to have a run done, first I need to get a firm that still works with films to scan them in and generate some gerber files and then we'll see what it'll cost to run a 4 layer board, its pretty big, so I would assume it's gonna be pricey, but we'll see, I may have to bite the bullet on the PCB's and look to have them down over in China due to cost, but if I do that, it's the difference between them costing $100 and costing maybe $20, so again we'll see... first things first, lets get the files made.... I need more hours in a day, 24 just ain't enough!

 

 

Vendel,

 

 

Found a couple links you can check out. Can't vouch for their work though. Or cost. So much here in the states is actually farmed out to China, with the US business being the front man only.

 

Film to Gerber Link1

 

Film to Gerber Link2

[Faicuai]

Well, Corey and I are working on the bottom case and side piece, once he's got them into CAD format, I'll see what kind of costs some tooling will be based on the IGS files and we'll go from there, the Mobo's shouldn't be too crazy to have a run done, first I need to get a firm that still works with films to scan them in and generate some gerber files and then we'll see what it'll cost to run a 4 layer board, its pretty big, so I would assume it's gonna be pricey, but we'll see, I may have to bite the bullet on the PCB's and look to have them down over in China due to cost, but if I do that, it's the difference between them costing $100 and costing maybe $20, so again we'll see... first things first, lets get the files made.... I need more hours in a day, 24 just ain't enough!

 

 

My suggestion? Focus on the more discriminate buyers. This machine may easily run for $599.95 + Shipping (after all additional parts, required labor, and final details).

 

Make a solid, real, finished product (including cases) and charge for what's worth. And if you can keep it U.S.-based manufacturing (all the way), I don't think how it could be more special.

 

If you need a co-investor (for making the PCBs happen) and balance/share the risk of the stranded cash required, let me know. That's the plus-side of being more selective /restrictive with Ebay purchases... The best for the end.

 

F.

[Stormbringer]

Well, Corey and I are working on the bottom case and side piece, once he's got them into CAD format, I'll see what kind of costs some tooling will be based on the IGS files and we'll go from there, the Mobo's shouldn't be too crazy to have a run done, first I need to get a firm that still works with films to scan them in and generate some gerber files and then we'll see what it'll cost to run a 4 layer board, its pretty big, so I would assume it's gonna be pricey, but we'll see, I may have to bite the bullet on the PCB's and look to have them down over in China due to cost, but if I do that, it's the difference between them costing $100 and costing maybe $20, so again we'll see... first things first, lets get the files made.... I need more hours in a day, 24 just ain't enough!

 

 

My suggestion? Focus on the more discriminate buyers. This machine may easily run for $599.95 + Shipping (after all additional parts, required labor, and final details).

 

Make a solid, real, finished product (including cases) and charge for what's worth. And if you can keep it U.S.-based manufacturing (all the way), I don't think how it could be more special.

 

If you need a co-investor (for making the PCBs happen) and balance/share the risk of the stranded cash required, let me know. That's the plus-side of being more selective /restrictive with Ebay purchases... The best for the end.

 

F.

 

 

[Fletch]

I too would love to buy a fully assembled and cased unit if these were to ever see the light of day. $599 seems fair if it is a USA made item.

[+kheller2]

I'm not sure if Curt's comments about doing a board run meant fully assembled.

[Bryan]

I'm not sure if Curt's comments about doing a board run meant fully assembled.

I doubt it, considering how difficult it would be to secure all the parts.

[UNIXcoffee928]

An inexpensive option is to use plastic pegboard for the bottom. It's easy to cut & shape with a Hack-saw or Dremel, and it looks really nice for case projects. I have found it to be very versatile for mods of all sorts.

[Vandal968]

An inexpensive option is to use plastic pegboard for the bottom. It's easy to cut & shape with a Hack-saw or Dremel, and it looks really nice for case projects. I have found it to be very versatile for mods of all sorts.

What type of plastic is it and what do you do about all the holes?

 

cheers,

c

[Shawn Jefferson]

 

I have one of these boards and didn't get very far, and it sounds like I would have run into trouble anyway, since I was using the Atari schematics. Is your BOM in this thread accurate? I have the SC01 and the two PAL chips from Best already, ordered them ages ago.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Shawn Jefferson

[Vandal968]

 

I have one of these boards and didn't get very far, and it sounds like I would have run into trouble anyway, since I was using the Atari schematics. Is your BOM in this thread accurate? I have the SC01 and the two PAL chips from Best already, ordered them ages ago.

I need to update the information on jumpers W3 & W4 to reflect one last error that I found in the Atari docs, but yes, other than that it is 100% accurate. My talking Atari was built from it

 

cheers,

c

[Retro Rogue]

Without piecing it together from wading through the entire thread, is there a final master list of all the required components and their modern part numbers/sources?

[Vandal968]

I'll post a final update to the BOM in a few days. I don't want to trouble anyone to have to do any reading

 

c

[UNIXcoffee928]

An inexpensive option is to use plastic pegboard for the bottom. It's easy to cut & shape with a Hack-saw or Dremel, and it looks really nice for case projects. I have found it to be very versatile for mods of all sorts.

What type of plastic is it and what do you do about all the holes?

 

cheers,

c

I get mine at K-Mart. They appear to be an ABS plastic, but are not as brittle as many ABS plastics that I've seen, say for use in car interior parts, where they can crack easily. These have a good degree of flex, but not so much that they can't support weight without bending. 16 hard disks mounted to one pegboard sags ever so slightly in the center, but this is not a problem if you double the pegboards. The ones from K-Mart have several recessed screw-points, which allow you to mate two halves very easily. The other benefit of the K-Mart ones is that the undersides are laid out in multiple reinforced quadrants, which can be drilled or clipped to pass cables through.

 

 

I haven't needed to fill the holes, since I use them for their natural airflow properties... fans can be sandwiched between the two halves. If I were to fill them, I would use colored Art-Foam, or black Art-Foam & 3M spray adhesive (from the underside of the pegboard). This would give a really cool look, with say red foam behind the holes of the gray/black polished plastic. Art-foam is great for it's anti-vibration & noise reduction properties.

 

This is just general stuff for making substrates for modding, though. If you wanted to craft up an exact replica bottom piece, this is not the way to go. If you just want to make a good quality mating surface, that will have a professional look, then this will do the trick.

 

Pegboard is great, too because you can fit LEDs in the holes, for front panels, and you will find that many devices match the hole-patten... as I said, hard disks screw right in, from the bottom, with no extra drilling or effort. I just put the new pegboard between two rag-covered scrap boards on a bench vice, and saw right through it, to whatever size that I need. Works great.

 

I'm in the process of building my SGI 540 & Amiga 4000T 68060 into a waist-high ruggedized touring rack. I mounted big 1950s industrial casters to the bottom of the rack, so that I can move it around my studio easily. The 540 has a non-standard & very large motherboard, so to get it into one box with my dual channel u320 JBOD that I built, I had to get creative. The pegboards made perfect shelves for all of the gear, and provided perfect mating surfaces for the large fans, as well. Once the 540 is complete, I will still have half of the rack free, and I'll be building the Amiga in with it, so that all A/V from the Amiga goes directly into the 540. It will be a very cool, one of a kind system, when it is complete. I've also been toying with the idea of throwing an Atari in there, with an Atarilab temperature probe interface, so that I can monitor heat on a small rack-mounted composite LCD. I should be done sometime this month... I'll post pics...

 

Oh, in other news, here is the PHONETIC SPEECH DICTIONARY pdf file for the 1450.

 

Buy this book:

 

Electronically Speaking: Computer Speech Generation

 

 

This 1983 book is the Bible of microcomputer voice synthesis. Everything that you need to know to become an expert is in this book.

[Stormbringer]

Cant we just make a cast from an existing 1400XLD?

[UNIXcoffee928]

Cant we just make a cast from an existing 1400XLD?

Clay / wax, release agent, epoxy resin, pigment, and a 1400 donor, and you're good to go. I bet that the little decorative vents will be a bitch though, and will require additional X-acto-ing, filing, & sanding.

 

Despite what some others have said, I find the 1450XLD casing to be exceptionally beautiful, and would far prefer that case style over the 1400XL... but I know that it would cost at least $1000.00 easily, unless it was totally DIY.

 

 

 

[Bryan]

What if we did a bulk purchase of 3D-printed cases in ABS? Would that get the price down below $1K? Would the cases look good enough?

[Vandal968]

What if we did a bulk purchase of 3D-printed cases in ABS? Would that get the price down below $1K? Would the cases look good enough?

The cost of 3D-printed parts doesn't go down with volume unfortunately. You pay by the cubic centimeter and the price is pretty steep. The SIO2SD enclosure that I designed is about $250 from Shapeways and it's much smaller than the 1400XL case. Shapeways isn't cheap, but 3D printing big parts is a pretty expensive proposition even with a cheaper supplier. At the moment, I'm planning on machining replacement panels to adapt the 1200XL pieces. I'm also working with Curt on converting the factory case drawings to a solid-model, so that he can see if a limited-production run of 1400XL cases would be feasible.

 

cheers,

c

[UNIXcoffee928]

I think that it would fit properly in an Apple IIe case. This one, tricked out in blue, with the DuoDisk actually resembles a 1450 from the side profile.

[Stormbringer]

I think that it would fit properly in an Apple IIe case. This one, tricked out in blue, with the DuoDisk actually resembles a 1450 from the side profile.

 

Swiss cheese panels and now an blue apple case? Clearly you don't suggest someone put a newborn atari in such atrocities like that, right?

[flashjazzcat]

I'm consoling myself with a "poor man's 1400XL" for now at least: i.e. a 1200XL with rear-mounted PBI.