Atari 810 with some sort of Mod

[toddtmw]

I got an 810 on eBay. When I tested it, it sounded faster than stock, but the Hapy software said it wasn't happy.

 

So, I opened it up and there is a wire going from one of the pins of a very small chip to a blue rectangular thing (that is the technical term, I think) and then into the shielding.

 

Here is a picture:

 

Anyone know what this is?

 

Thanks.

[+Nezgar]

Looks like an RPM speed adjusting potentiometer. Is the original ROM replaced with an EPROM? (ie original 810 CHIP archiver)

 

if so, maybe some function of the custom ROM can trigger a slower RPM for writing longer tracks (extra sectors/copy protection) or bad sectors...

Edited August 29, 2017 by Nezgar

[+Nezgar]

Hey todd, I'm curious if you ever opened up the side board shielding to see if any further mods were done?

Cheers

[toddtmw]

I had stuck it on a shelf because of other priorities. Your message reminded me of it, so I decided to go look. This is what I found. (Click to see full-size images) It looks like it has a Happy mod? I've never seen one in an 810 before. Is this what they look like? Is this the whole mod? Any idea what that wire is doing? I guess I could put it all back together and see if the Happy software detects it as a happy drive. Should there be a sticker over the square indow on that one chip? Any other advice?

Thanks.

 

[+Nezgar]

Great pics! So the second pot in there is definitely to set a slower RPM for copying protected disks that containted tracks with more than 19 sectors, or to create bad sectors manually. Is there any external switch to toggle?

 

I've personally never owned a Happy mod in an 810 (yet! just 1050's) but this definitely appears to be an early revision of the Happy 810. It won't support Ultraspeed like the later Happy Rev 7 board (3x SIO, US Doubler Compatible), but will do 'Warp Speed' which is 2x SIO, proprietary to Happy and not compatible with most software like SpartaDOS that uses Ultraspeed protocol. Can't remember if Hias's latest highspeed OS patch supports happy 'warp' speed protocol.

 

Try out these disks:

Happy Warp Speed Software v5.3 (19xx)(Happy Computers)(US) https://archive.org/details/a8b_Happy_Warp_Speed_Software_v5.3_19xx_Happy_Computers_US
Happy Warp Speed Software v6.6 (19xx)(Happy Computers)(US) https://archive.org/details/a8b_Happy_Warp_Speed_Software_v6.6_19xx_Happy_Computers_US
Warp Speed DOS 7 (1985)(Happy Computers) https://archive.org/details/a8b_Warp_Speed_DOS_7_1985_Happy_Computers

The RAM/ROM test diagnostics on the first two disks may give a hint at further confirmation of the version. They also have a high speed sector copier. Of course the 'Happy Backup' function is the other hallmark, which allows it to copy many copy protected disks. Less of course than the later revisions.

 

The Warp Speed DOS is a modified Atari DOS 2.0S that loads a patched SIO routine.

[toddtmw]

Thanks! I'll reassemble it and see what I can find out.

[+Nezgar]

The sticker over the square window protects the EPROM from erasure by exposure to UV light. That's also interesting as most later genuine Happy's were a mask ROM, not an EPROM. I guess this was before production ramped up.

 

Hmm. I do still wonder what that wire / pot is for - Looks like that wire is inserted into one of the socket pins where the daughter board connects. Maybe not switched RPM, but maybe some other logic since its connected to a pin of an 8-pin socketed chip on the rear board. Will have to look up what that chip does.

 

Even without any 'warp speed' software the drive should perform a little faster than stock because it has 4KB of RAM to buffer a whole track in RAM. Stock drive only has 128 Bytes of RAM, enough to hold 1 sector at a time.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Nezgar

[toddtmw]

If you look at my first picture, the other end of the green wire goes to a chip marked CS2917 8229. Googling that brought me here: http://pdf.eepw.com.cn/c20090821/946d6ba599b35855a9cbaf906b7d9f0e.pdf, which says it is a frequency to voltage converter especially suitable for motor speed control. Seems pretty likely it was changing the speed of the drive, but there is no way to access that thing externally. This thing was very obviously disassembled in the past. The RF shield was not fully reattached and some of the screws that hold that side board on (and the RF shield on) were missing.

 

Perhaps, they left the top of the drive unscrewed and pulled it off to adjust the speed?

 

Is it possible this was part of the way the original Happy drives worked? (You had to adjust the pot until it got to a certain setting when you installed it, but then didn't really have to mess with it after that?)

[+Nezgar]

Ok good find! The thing is p, that pot on the rear board is already the stock RPM adjuster, so this is an additional one. It would appear there might be some way the Happy can engage the other rpm setting in software. If that's true, I've never seen that in a 1050 happy! I've had to manually adjust to a slower rpm to copy some titles (vaguely recall koronis rift needed this treatment)

Edited January 15, 2018 by Nezgar

[tep392]

The happy warpspeed documentation references an "autospeed mod". That is probably what you have with that extra pot. I've never been able to find any documentation on the mod. Can you please document the ohm rating of the pot and which specific pins it connects too. Thanks!

[_The Doctor__]

there were a number of modifications, fast slow switch (manual as well as software controlled), speed adjust pots were also added for copying certain software titles...etc etc. Archiver etc.

we love to see macro mode picture of every modification and upgrade though... you never know what you'll find.

 

I'd suggest a search of the this site... while all manner of information is here, it has not been compiled into a cogent compendium for the happy lines... Somebody who loves this sorta thing could do this handily!

[+Nezgar]

I'm intrigued by the autospeed mod in this 810. I never knew Happy had an ability to automatically select an alternate RPM.

 

I've seen manual switches before, namely in a 1050 happy I acquired with such a manual slow RPM switch. I've only heard about automatic RPM selection in the Super Archiver 1050 prior to this. I think it could engage 4 different alternate speeds. Guess I'll find out when I get my re-imaged one by tf_hh.

Edited January 16, 2018 by Nezgar

[BillC]

Great pics! So the second pot in there is definitely to set a slower RPM for copying protected disks that containted tracks with more than 19 sectors, or to create bad sectors manually. Is there any external switch to toggle?

 

I've personally never owned a Happy mod in an 810 (yet! just 1050's) but this definitely appears to be an early revision of the Happy 810. It won't support Ultraspeed like the later Happy Rev 7 board (3x SIO, US Doubler Compatible), but will do 'Warp Speed' which is 2x SIO, proprietary to Happy and not compatible with most software like SpartaDOS that uses Ultraspeed protocol. Can't remember if Hias's latest highspeed OS patch supports happy 'warp' speed protocol.

 

Try out these disks:

Happy Warp Speed Software v5.3 (19xx)(Happy Computers)(US) https://archive.org/details/a8b_Happy_Warp_Speed_Software_v5.3_19xx_Happy_Computers_US

Happy Warp Speed Software v6.6 (19xx)(Happy Computers)(US) https://archive.org/details/a8b_Happy_Warp_Speed_Software_v6.6_19xx_Happy_Computers_US

Warp Speed DOS 7 (1985)(Happy Computers) https://archive.org/details/a8b_Warp_Speed_DOS_7_1985_Happy_Computers

 

The RAM/ROM test diagnostics on the first two disks may give a hint at further confirmation of the version. They also have a high speed sector copier. Of course the 'Happy Backup' function is the other hallmark, which allows it to copy many copy protected disks. Less of course than the later revisions.

 

The Warp Speed DOS is a modified Atari DOS 2.0S that loads a patched SIO routine.

Not that early a Happy 810 upgrade, the initial one's were done using point to point wiring instead of a PCB(the side board had to be shipped to Happy).

The following link shows such an upgrade.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/169186-a-tale-of-3-atari-810-drives/page-1?do=findComment&comment=2159286

[+DjayBee]

Ok good find! The thing is p, that pot on the rear board is already the stock RPM adjuster, so this is an additional one. It would appear there might be some way the Happy can engage the other rpm setting in software. If that's true, I've never seen that in a 1050 happy! I've had to manually adjust to a slower rpm to copy some titles (vaguely recall koronis rift needed this treatment)

 

This is correct. Happy Backup automatically switches the speed when needed.

I have made several working copies of SynFile+ with my drive.

 

They used a potentiometer so the user can adjust the RPM to the correct value.

The self-test of software 5.3 checks for the correct speed.

[tep392]

I posted some photo's of my rev D Happy Enhancement a little while back. http://atariage.com/forums/topic/257578-happy-810-resources/?view=findpost&p=3621351

 

I don't recall if I bought it from Best Electronics or B&C, but it was new old stock and should be the last version that was released. The center two chips get pulled from the 810 sideboard and placed in the Happy board during install. I don't know why the disk controller chip, FD1771B, has the window, but it would likely have been in the 810 prior to the Happy install.

[Spanner]

wow thats the disk drive for the A800 isn't it,never seen one before,I have a 1050 got it in 1998 with my Atari 800XL,it needs a new keyboard,it has the old board keyboard,Wish I could get a membrane keyboard.Can I see a picture of the whole disk drive please.if you wouldn't mind.

 

I like how they made computers in the late 70s and 80s,made to last not like they make them now,your lucky if a laptop lasts you 6 years.

Edited January 16, 2018 by Spanner

[+Nezgar]

The happy warpspeed documentation references an "autospeed mod". That is probably what you have with that extra pot. I've never been able to find any documentation on the mod. Can you please document the ohm rating of the pot and which specific pins it connects too. Thanks!

 

Ah you're right! I see the reference you mention on Page 22 of the Happy 810 & 1050 Rev 7 User Manual. (Highlighted). Seems that support for the Autospeed mod was removed in the latest Happy 810 Rev 7 board in favour of a write-protect switch that was compatible in the 810 (since it used the write protect sensor to detect a disk change), and an autospeed mod was never an option in a 1050.

 

Would sure be nice to find a copy of that 'technical manual referenced there too.

Edited January 16, 2018 by Nezgar

[tep392]

autospeed.png

 

Ah you're right! I see the reference you mention on Page 22 of the Happy 810 & 1050 Rev 7 User Manual. (Highlighted). Seems that support for the Autospeed mod was removed in the latest Happy 810 Rev 7 board in favour of a write-protect switch that was compatible in the 810 (since it used the write protect sensor to detect a disk change), and an autospeed mod was never an option in a 1050.

 

Would sure be nice to find a copy of that 'technical manual referenced there too.

That's it. It's the only reference I've been able to find. I spent some time on google looking for the schematic or install instructions, but never found it.

[toddtmw]

Okay. I put a meter across the pot without removing the wires and it was 15.5 KOhms. Note, this isn't the best way to measure this because it is possible that the path of least resistance is not through the resistor, but through other circuitry in the device. I don't think that is likely given where they attach, but wanted to point that out.

 

These are 12 megapixel pictures, you should be able to click the pictures to get a larger view.

 

Here are the pictures I have taken so far.

What else does anyone want to see before I put it all back together?

 

Front of the happy board:

 

Side Board with the Happy Board removed:

 

Close up showing where the wire from the resistor is attached to the side board:

 

Side angle showing the attached wire to the side board:

 

Back of Happy board:

 

Closeup showing where the other side of the wire to the resistor is attached:

 

Closeup showing the wiring to the resistor itself:

 

Closeup of the numbers on the resistor:

[toddtmw]

Well, I put it back together, but it does not think it is a happy drive. (I think I tried this before taking it apart and had the same result.)

 

 

Any ideas on what I should check or other software to try?

 

Thanks.

[+Nezgar]

Did you try the version 6.6 software as well I linked previously?

Also try 7.0 or 7.1 to see if any of those detect the drive.

[toddtmw]

The drive is having more problems than Happy not being detected. I tried to make it not drive 1 and boot from sio2pc, but it won't switch. So, then I tried to format a disk in it and got all kinds of disk errors. I think this drive needs a lot of work. I'll have to play with it some more when I get more time.

[hafenjunge]

I got a similar 810 drive with the happy board and the same problems. Is there any solution yet?