atari portfolio ide kit For all who have bought the Atari Portfolio IDE Kit

[rcamp48]

For those of you who have bought the IDE interfaces, I have been waiting 2 months now for the 3 Parallel interfaces to be modified but I am still waiting , Don is really busy and I have to remind him all of the time, it will be a little while before I can even test the prototype, as it needs a modified parallel interface. Just keeping you all up to date on this one. I have not forgotten you all.

[towmater]

On 6/2/2020 at 11:05 AM, rcamp48 said:

For those of you who have bought the IDE interfaces, I have been waiting 2 months now for the 3 Parallel interfaces to be modified but I am still waiting , Don is really busy and I have to remind him all of the time, it will be a little while before I can even test the prototype, as it needs a modified parallel interface. Just keeping you all up to date on this one. I have not forgotten you all.

I dunno, it might be prudent to return the money as "Don" may not ever get around to this. I'll be happy to pay you once again if this ever sees fruition.

[rcamp48]

I asked him to work on it soon as its raining even offered him some extra money for doing the interfaces, he only has 8 or 9 wires to solder to the resistors as he has soldered the resistors into the parallel port, I told him about your post, and lets hope that he does something as this is getting ridiculous, he has had 6-9 months to finish it and has not. But as far as I know he is the only one in the area that can do it. Maybe I have to look into someone else to do the job. Russ

   

Edited November 15, 2020 by rcamp48
typo

[rcamp48]

1 minute ago, rcamp48 said:

I asked him to work on it soon as its raining even offered him some extra money for doing the interfaces, he only has 8 or 9 wires to solder to the resistors as he has soldered the resistors into the parallel port, I told him about your post, and lets hope that he does something as this is getting ridiculous, he has had 6-9 months to finish it and has not. But as far as I know he is the only one in the area that can do it. Maybe I have to look into someone else to do the job. Russ

   

He only had an hours work to do on the thing before I can test it, I do have a supply of zip disks and zip drives , they are more reliable from what I can see , so if anyone wants one of those combos instead we can do it, #1) you don't need a modified parallel interface, #2, I refurbish the zip drives and zip disks are tested , #3) they are available immediately, #4) I will sell them for the same price, but shipping may be more expensive, here is a possibility sending just the formatted zip disk at a discount, you do not have to pay for shipping. Let me know what you think. Or we can wait for Don to finish the parallel interface, you will still need a modified parallel interface to run the IDE kit. I have 3 of them , two are available. Russ

 

[rcamp48]

Just now, rcamp48 said:

He only had an hours work to do on the thing before I can test it, I do have a supply of zip disks and zip drives , they are more reliable from what I can see , so if anyone wants one of those combos instead we can do it, #1) you don't need a modified parallel interface, #2, I refurbish the zip drives and zip disks are tested , #3) they are available immediately, #4) I will sell them for the same price, but shipping may be more expensive, here is a possibility sending just the formatted zip disk at a discount, you do not have to pay for shipping. Let me know what you think. Or we can wait for Don to finish the parallel interface, you will still need a modified parallel interface to run the IDE kit. I have 3 of them , two are available. Russ

 

I will go into my pay-pal invoices , and contact everyone personally , I think that is the thing to do.............. Russ

 

[+davidcalgary29]

Russ, I'm late to the conversation here. Was the IDE kit for an internal HD?

[rcamp48]

Yes is can be used on an internal hard drive, IDE, but we have a prototype for the parallel port to the ide adapter then an IDE adapter to CF card, it should work. Russ

 

[+davidcalgary29]

Cool! Is there another run planned of the IDE kit?

[rcamp48]

Yes once it is tested, there is only one prototype and one modified interface , there will be a run of custom made boards ordered for a certain amount , actually fairly cheap, about $5 or $8 per board, and a run of modified parallel interfaces, if anyone has interfaces that they want modified , please leave a message here, or if someone in Europe can do them ok!, as for here I will ask Don to put priority on the run of circuit board once the ide kit has been made

 

Russ

 

[rcamp48]

[rcamp48]

On 11/14/2020 at 9:53 PM, towmater said:

I dunno, it might be prudent to return the money as "Don" may not ever get around to this. I'll be happy to pay you once again if this ever sees fruition.

Its done Towmater...testing begins tomorrow as it was all done but Don was out and did not have the parallel interface board in the case yet, probably allfinished by now.

[rcamp48]

The problem with the IDE Kit Interface, A simple fix

 

[rcamp48]

OK I have had a good look at the Parallel interface, the IDE Prototype is correct, it tries to read drive D but is unable to because the hard drive is not formatted properly. When writing to it with mk30mbfs I still get an error writing drive A, this is due to that fact that Don forgot to put in 2 wires between Pin 11 on the 8255 side and pin 24 on the parallel interface and pin 24 on the 8255 side to pin 11 on the parallel port.

 

If you look at the diagram that Klaus sent , there is a natural open on pins 24 and 11 on the 8255 chip. Fixing this would enable the whole thing to work, possibly with CF flash cards.

 

  ***************************************************************
  **                                                           **
  **   How to connect an IDE-harddisk to the Atari Portfolio   **
  **            through the parallel interface                 **
  **                                                           **
  ***************************************************************
  Edited 19.10.1998 by Klaus Peichl (peichl@usa.net)

There's a new driver called POFOIDE.SYS written by Peter Faasse that
can control an IDE harddisk drive through an Intel 8255-IO-controller
like used in the Atari parallel interface. 24 control signals plus
ground have to be connected according to the below scheme.

     8255               Sub-D-25                IDE
  pin   name           pin   name            pin   name

    5   Port A.0 ------  2   Data 0  -------- 17   Data 0
    4   Port A.1 ------  3   Data 1  -------- 15   Data 1
    3   Port A.2 ------  4   Data 2  -------- 13   Data 2
    2   Port A.3 ------  5   Data 3  -------- 11   Data 3
   44   Port A.4 ------  6   Data 4  --------  9   Data 4
   43   Port A.5 ------  7   Data 5  --------  7   Data 5
   42   Port A.6 ------  8   Data 6  --------  5   Data 6
   41   Port A.7 ------  9   Data 7  --------  3   Data 7

   20   Port B.0 ------  1   Strobe  --------  4   Data 8
   21   Port B.1 ------ 14   Auto Feed-------  6   Data 9
   22   Port B.2 ------ 16   Init    --------  8   Data 10
   24!  Port B.3 ------ 17   Select in------- 10   Data 11
   25   Port B.4 ~~~~~~ 18*  (Gnd)   -------- 12   Data 12
   26   Port B.5 ~~~~~~ 19*  (Gnd)   -------- 14   Data 13
   27   Port B.6 ~~~~~~ 20*  (Gnd)   -------- 16   Data 14
   28   Port B.7 ~~~~~~ 21*  (Gnd)   -------- 18   Data 15

   16   Port C.0 ------ 12   Paper out------- 35   Address 0
   17   Port C.1 ------ 13   Select  -------- 33   Address 1
   18   Port C.2 ~~~~~~ 22*  (Gnd)   -------- 36   Address 2
   19   Port C.3 ------ 15   Error   ---|>o--  1   /Reset
   15   Port C.4 ------ 11   Busy    ---|>o-- 37   /CS 0
   14   Port C.5 ------ 10   Ackn    ---|>o-- 38   /CS 1
   13   Port C.6 ~~~~~~ 23*  (Gnd)   ---|>o-- 25   /IO Read
   11!  Port C.7 ~~~~~~ 24*  (Gnd)   ---|>o-- 23   /IO Write

			25   Gnd     ----+---  2   Gnd
					 |--- 19    .
					 |--- 22    .
					 |--- 24    .
					 |--- 26    .
					 |--- 30    .
					 +--- 40   Gnd

			  +5V---\/\/\--->|--- 39   /ACT (/Busy)
				  R    LED             
  Notes:

  1. The pin numbers marked with "!" are correct, there is a gap.
     The numbers refer to the PLCC-version of the 8255 used in the
     Atari parallel interface. They are printed on the circuit
     board there.

  2. The pins marked with "*" are normally connected to Gnd.
     You can modify your parallel interface to provide all 24
     signals at the connector by connecting these pins directly
     to the 8255 (marked with "~~~~~~"). You can also insert
     resistors to limit an accidental shortcut current. I used
     resistors of 330 Ohm which works very well.
     Unfortunately, pins 18 to 25 of the Sub-D-25-connector in 
     the interface are grounded from both sides of the circuit
     board. The shown assignment is just a proposal (I did it
     this way).
     
     Be aware that many devices (like printers) connected to the
     parallel interface shortcut pins 18 to 25. Do not connect them
     to the manipulated interface! To avoid the shortcuts, you could 
     make an adaptor cable which has all Ground-wires connected to
     pin 25.
     
  3. In the IDE-cable, Data 0 through Data 7 and Data 8 through
     Data 15 are "interlaced and mirrored".

  4. In the IDE-cable, the wires 2,19,22,24,26,30,40 are Ground.
     At least one, preferably all must be connected to ground on
     the Portfolio side.

  5. The last five signals must be inverted. A 7404 or 7414 logic IC
     can do this (same pinout).
       7404 = 6 inverters
       7414 = 6 Schmitt-trigger-inverters
     Probably any 74xx04 or 74xx14 will work, but CMOS-technology 
     (xx=HC or HCT) will draw a much lower current.
     
			+----\/----+
		    1A -| 1     14 |- VCC (5V)
		    1Y -| 2     13 |- 6A
		    2A -| 3     12 |- 6Y
		    2Y -| 4     11 |- 5A   7404/7414
		    3A -| 5     10 |- 5Y
		    3Y -| 6      9 |- 4A   A=INPUT
		   GND -| 7      8 |- 4Y   Y=OUTPUT
			+----------+
			 (top view)
  
  6. Optionally, an LED can be connected to pin 39 of the IDE-
     connector like shown. The resistor value should be 220 Ohm
     for normal LEDs but can be much higher for a low current
     type.


  Pin layout of the parallel port Sub-D-25-connector
  ==================================================

	------------------------------------------ 
	\ 13 12 11 10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1 / 
	 \  25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 / 
	  -------------------------------------- 
	  (female, view onto the interface unit)


  IDE-connector
  =============

    1                  39    odd-numbered pins 
    .................... 
    .................... 
    2                  40    even-numbered pins 
 
  Take a standard IDE-cable for PCs and cut off one end. 
  The numbering of the wires is simple: Start with 1 at the marked
  wire (mostly partially red) and count the wires until you end with
  number 40 at the other side of the ribbon cable.

  Most of the wires can be soldered directly to a male Sub-D-25-
  connector. Like shown, the wires 1,23,25,37,38 must be inverted.
  All signals to be inverted are control signals, i.e. the inverter
  input (A) goes to the parallel port and the inverter output (Y)
  goes to the IDE connector.
  I recommend to place the inverter IC near the IDE-connector and to
  take its 5V-supply from the harddisk power supply. Gnd should not
  be a problem, as there are enough ground-lines in the cable.
  

  That should take a few days due to the pandemic here , I will get back to you on this one later on.   Russ