Dropcheck Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Well, it's done finally. The XF551 controller board redo project will be offered in two configurations with an upgrade board that will work with either to be released soon. I am offering a XF551 controller board in either the original power supply or a more modern power supply configuration. Both boards will be the same price. I am offering it w/o an OS ROM for $5 less or either a standard single OS Atari rev 7.7 or a dual OS (Atari rev 7.7 and Hyper+ XF) The board will come with a OS header for a SPDT toggle switch you can add to switch between OSs. It will also come with an internal SIO header for future upgrades if someone wants to experiment. In order to keep the price sane, I chose to move most modifications to a separate daughter board and testing continues on that. Once complete that daughter board will simply plug into the main board and you will make the necessary front panel cutouts for the switches and indicators. A cutout template will be included with the purchase of the daughter board. Due to the severe lack of SIO connectors I have a limited number of fully populated boards available to sell. Currently I can offer 15 fully populated XF551 Original Power Supply and 5 fully populated XF551 Modern Power Supply boards. Other combinations of partially populated boards will be offered later. Both XF551 controller boards are functionally the same. The only difference is the power supply and part layout on the boards. If you chose the original power supply then you can continue to use the same Atari Disk Drive power supply you have been using. If you chose the modern power supply then of course you will need to purchase a compatible power brick/adapter. Details will be available on my website for both versions. Ordering will go live Tuesday morning 7:00am central standard time USA, until then you can look but not buy. Sorry, want to make it as fair to everyone as I can. http://www.bitsofthepast.com 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashjazzcat Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Looks absolutely superb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Looks good yes... but can these be used with a bare mech for those without an XF551 to begin with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Looks good yes... but can these be used with a bare mech for those without an XF551 to begin with? Not sure what you mean. This board is a replacement for the original controller board in a XF551. You of course would need an enclosure, the drive mech, power supply and SIO cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathy Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hello Lenore How much heat does the "original XF551 power supply" version of the new board generate (compared to the original board from Atari)? Are you using 78xx's or TRN's? Would it be possible to still use the CSS Dual Drive upgrade, with just the plain board or the plain board plus the daughterboard? Sincerely Mathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venom4728a Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hello Lenore, Looks awesome! Will the mod board that is coming later also work with the original boards? I will be interested in completed boards and ones needing additional parts, I have several non working units to get SIO plugs from as well as controller chips. Best regards Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hello Lenore How much heat does the "original XF551 power supply" version of the new board generate (compared to the original board from Atari)? Are you using 78xx's or TRN's? Would it be possible to still use the CSS Dual Drive upgrade, with just the plain board or the plain board plus the daughterboard? Sincerely Mathy The heat generation would I think be the same. ie you would need to use the original heat sink. I am using the 78XX's. Mainly because the TRS equivalent is so much more costly, about a hundred times when I can get them here in the states. 7805/7812 about .40 cents per 10 TSR-1 5V/12V about 6.00 USD. You of course can desolder the 78xxs and replace them at your leasure if you can get them cheaper. I see no reason why you can not use the CSS Dual Drive upgrade with either version of the plain boards. With the daughter board I don't know. Some of the mods planned may conflict. Two of the mods deal with density and write protect and are designed for a single drive. How they would react in a dual drive system is an unknown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hello Lenore, Looks awesome! Will the mod board that is coming later also work with the original boards? I will be interested in completed boards and ones needing additional parts, I have several non working units to get SIO plugs from as well as controller chips. Best regards Robert The mod board will work with either version of my board. It is not designed for the original Atari XF551 controller board, but does use signals present on the original controller board. I suspect you can make it fit/work. Igor Gramblicka is the author of most of the mods. He has done a massive amount of work published on his website over the last couple of years Put this link in a Google search and click translate: http://blog.3b2.sk/igi/post/Repasovana-ATARIXF551-recondition-0.aspx I've taken that work with his permission and consolidated it onto a single mod board and two front panel inserts. A couple of the mods still require additional work on the drive mech itself, but a lot of the guess work and soldering has been eliminated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingurian Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Due to the severe lack of SIO connectors I have a limited number of fully populated boards available to sell. Currently I can offer 15 fully populated XF551 Original Power Supply and 5 fully populated XF551 Modern Power Supply boards. Other combinations of partially populated boards will be offered later. Maybe printed models of the sio connectors are suitable for you to eliminate the lack of SIO connectors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathy Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hello Lenore Will there be an option for a track indicator display? I guess the TRS-1's are even a bit more expansive overhere. But they save 25% in energy, which isn't transformed into heat. Your "new power" version would be an option, but I'ld like to keep the XF-brick. BTW is the "new power" version foolproof, as in "oops, I plugged in the original power supply....". Sincerely Mathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) Maybe printed models of the sio connectors are suitable for you to eliminate the lack of SIO connectors? I could kiss you. Now I just need to find someone who has a 3d printer. Or buy one myself. I was thinking about it. Edited August 17, 2014 by Dropcheck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hello Lenore Will there be an option for a track indicator display? I guess the TRS-1's are even a bit more expansive overhere. But they save 25% in energy, which isn't transformed into heat. Your "new power" version would be an option, but I'ld like to keep the XF-brick. BTW is the "new power" version foolproof, as in "oops, I plugged in the original power supply....". Sincerely Mathy At this time no track indicator. There will be a front drive # indicator and selector. No the new power version is not foolproof. I didn't want to use a weird power brick/adapter. Most wall warts I saw had a normal barrel connector and I also had some constraints as far as the power connector opening on the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathy Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Hello Lenore "At this time" sound good enough. Sincerely Mathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I am offering it w/o an OS ROM for $5 less or either a standard single OS Atari rev 7.7 or a dual OS (Atari rev 7.7 and Hyper+ XF) The board will come with a OS header for a SPDT toggle switch you can add to switch between OSs. This would come out when I have get back to school supply's for my kids but does the dual OS work with the original Atari XF551 controller board, Ive found that I need both OS's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 This would come out when I have get back to school supply's for my kids but does the dual OS work with the original Atari XF551 controller board, Ive found that I need both OS's. I would image, since others have upgraded their original boards with the Hyper+ XF. I myself have the single OS version in mine. Though some of the features that OS offers need hardware mods done on the drive mech to take full advantage. As far as the dual version the original board/ROM would have to be moded to switch between as well as the case mod for the toggle switch. My board offers a builtin header for no soldering on the board/ROM itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Boards will be available for sale in 15 min Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteym5 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I have an Atari 1050 that does not work very well. Could use its case. Could you use the SIO connectors if I sent the old board. I assume from the looks its compatible with PC floppy drives, 5.25 and 3.5. Given thought about getting a double sided 5.25 drive for the Atari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 I have an Atari 1050 that does not work very well. Could use its case. Could you use the SIO connectors if I sent the old board. I assume from the looks its compatible with PC floppy drives, 5.25 and 3.5. Given thought about getting a double sided 5.25 drive for the Atari. If I understand you then you are considering using a 1050 case to house the XF551 board? Not sure it would fit physically. I believe I now have another source of a modified SIO connector. pingurian pointed me towards a source that might work a few posts up. I am checking it out to see if it will be strong enough to work on the board. Also looking at possibly modifying it further to be a full SIO connector clone. Since I am basically cloning the controller board then any thing the original can do my board can and more. Here's some background info on the original if you don't already know. http://www.atarimax.com/freenet/freenet_material/5.8-BitComputersSupportArea/7.TechnicalResourceCenter/showarticle.php?65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteym5 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 If I understand you then you are considering using a 1050 case to house the XF551 board? Not sure it would fit physically. I believe I now have another source of a modified SIO connector. pingurian pointed me towards a source that might work a few posts up. I am checking it out to see if it will be strong enough to work on the board. Also looking at possibly modifying it further to be a full SIO connector clone. Since I am basically cloning the controller board then any thing the original can do my board can and more. Here's some background info on the original if you don't already know. http://www.atarimax.com/freenet/freenet_material/5.8-BitComputersSupportArea/7.TechnicalResourceCenter/showarticle.php?65 I am thinking about removing all the internal components, add some brackets to hold the board and drive in place, and cut the back to match up with the jacks. The Board should still fit inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 I am thinking about removing all the internal components, add some brackets to hold the board and drive in place, and cut the back to match up with the jacks. The Board should still fit inside. Go for it. I wish you luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathy Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Hallo peteym5 ... and cut the back to match up with the jacks. The Board should still fit inside. Wouldn't Dropchecks board (partially) fit underneath the drive? In that case, you could put the connectors and switches on a second board, so that they will fit without the need to hack up the 1050 case. Sincerely Mathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 If you don't mind soldering a little bit I've added two order options. The heat sink is a bear to reattach on the original power supply controller. I've added the option to leave it unsoldered in. No change in price. For those who want or can salvage SIO connectors from their old boards, I have added the option for no SIO connectors for $10.00 less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.