Building & Testing the Re-imaged Atari 1450XL

[+MrFish]

Just now, Dropcheck said:

I think he meant the physical pcb. 

I think so too.

 

[reifsnyderb]

2 minutes ago, Dropcheck said:

I think he meant the physical pcb. 

I think so too.   🙂

[+MrFish]

57 minutes ago, MrFish said:

How's this? I think it was posted by @Vandal968

 

 

Unfortunately, the owner of the image and the board has not been on AA for nearly 4 years now.

 

@bob1200xl used to own one, but he sold it on Ebay a few years back. I'm assuming he only owned one, though. Knowing him, he may have a second one on hand -- would stand the reason for selling off the first (or 3rd, 4th... who knows).

 

[bfollowell]

39 minutes ago, reifsnyderb said:

That would be a start.  Dimensions are needed and underside pictures.

Well, certainly not easy, but you could take this image, which seems to be fairly high resolution and quality, measure out in pixels something with a known dimensional value, say one of the ICs, then extrapolate out from there. I've done similar things with other projects before at work. Barring someone with an actual board sending you dimensions, that may be about the best you're going to get.

 

Like you said though, you still really need an image of the under side as well.

[reifsnyderb]

1 minute ago, bfollowell said:

Well, certainly not easy, but you could take this image, which seems to be fairly high resolution and quality, measure out in pixels something with a known dimensional value, say one of the ICs, then extrapolate out from there. I've done similar things with other projects before at work. Barring someone with an actual board sending you dimensions, that may be about the best you're going to get.

 

Like you said though, you still really need an image of the under side as well.

Looking through another thread (the one I posted earlier) there is a claim that it's a 4 layer board, too.

 

It can be extrapolated, yes.  I did something like that with a prototype board for the 1090XL.  However, I already had the external dimensions, so it was more a matter of extrapolating the internal dimensions from the pictures and knowing the distances between holes.  So, that was easy by comparison.

[AtariGeezer]

3 hours ago, reifsnyderb said:

It would be nice to have some really, really good pictures of a 1450XLD board and dimensions.   🙂

 

This will give you an idea of it.  This is the board I built and mounted in a 1200XL case...

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by AtariGeezer

[bfollowell]

Reading through these is getting my 1400XL/1450XLD fanboy vibe going again and, since I know nothing good will come from it and it will forever be an itch left unscratched, I've go to get out of here!

 

[reifsnyderb]

24 minutes ago, AtariGeezer said:

This will give you an idea of it.  This is the board I built and mounted in a 1200XL case...

 

Do you have the ability to take accurate measurements?  I think hole positions and outer board dimensions would be most helpful.  Of course, any extra dimensions would help.

[Dropcheck]

7 hours ago, reifsnyderb said:

Do you have the ability to take accurate measurements?  I think hole positions and outer board dimensions would be most helpful.  Of course, any extra dimensions would help.

Failing that just a board trace on white thin cardboard, with marked mounting holes.  One x/y measurement doesn't capture the actual indention in the outline otherwise.  Please.......😁

[AtariGeezer]

Will this help???

 

[reifsnyderb]

15 minutes ago, AtariGeezer said:

Will this help???

 

Excellent!  Can you also get the "corners" for the cartridge slot section?  Also, the PBI card edge connector, and that odd cutout at the bottom center?

 

Thanks!

[Dropcheck]

1 hour ago, AtariGeezer said:

Will this help???

 

Fantastic!  Thank you.  I like how you drew in the location of the PBI.  Definitely gives a solid idea where to place it on the pcb.

 

Just a couple more requests.  Can you measure the mounting hole dimensions?  Are they the same?  Also can you measure the mounting cutouts for the cartridge guide and tunnel?

 

Like @reifsnyderb we also need the dimensions of the cartridge cutout corners. 

[AtariGeezer]

[Dropcheck]

4 hours ago, AtariGeezer said:

Excellent!  Now I'm going to disappear into my computer and see if I can come up with a reasonably accurate board layout sans the parts. 

 

Thank you.  🙂

[+kheller2]

On 12/1/2023 at 11:08 PM, MrFish said:

Unfortunately, the owner of the image and the board has not been on AA for nearly 4 years now.

 

@bob1200xl used to own one, but he sold it on Ebay a few years back. I'm assuming he only owned one, though. Knowing him, he may have a second one on hand -- would stand the reason for selling off the first (or 3rd, 4th... who knows).

 

That board owner is me.  That was a picture of one of my 1450 boards.

[+MrFish]

1 hour ago, kheller2 said:

That board owner is me.  That was a picture of one of my 1450 boards.

Thanks for the correction. I had some other files in the same folder that had been posted by @Vandal968 and assumed your image was one of his too. I'll note that it belongs to you.

 

[+mytek]

11 hours ago, Dropcheck said:

Excellent!  Now I'm going to disappear into my computer and see if I can come up with a reasonably accurate board layout sans the parts. 

 

Thank you.  🙂

You might want to touch bases with @bob1200xl and @KLund1 on this project before you begin, because they both have 'real' 1450XLDs and specifically the floppy controller board that mated with it. I know Kevin really wanted to see the floppy board duplicated

[reifsnyderb]

The more measurements taken, and the more accuracy we can get, the better.  Measurements of connectors and chip locations would be helpful, too.

Edited December 4, 2023 by reifsnyderb

[AtariGeezer]

14 minutes ago, reifsnyderb said:

The more measurements taken, and the more accuracy we can get, the better.  Measurements of connectors and chip locations would be helpful, too.

@Guitarman posted Some Hi-Res pics of the board here:

 

[reifsnyderb]

14 minutes ago, AtariGeezer said:

@Guitarman posted Some Hi-Res pics of the board here:

 

I got them.  Thanks!

[Dropcheck]

48 minutes ago, mytek said:

You might want to touch bases with @bob1200xl and @KLund1 on this project before you begin, because they both have 'real' 1450XLDs and specifically the floppy controller board that mated with it. I know Kevin really wanted to see the floppy board duplicated

That's why I said reasonably accurate.  🙂

 

Without the board physically in my hands to measure and compare with the created gerber board outline I unfortunately won't have a strictly accurate replica pcb.  It's unlikely any owner will ship their board to me on the unlikely, but possible loss of the pcb in the mail/UPS etc.  I hesitate even asking them to. 

 

I've even thought about doing a 1200XL case compatible pcb.  Might still do, since there's a heck of a lot of 1200XL cases still in existence and the 1400XL/1450XL cases not so much.

[+mytek]

3 minutes ago, Dropcheck said:

Without the board physically in my hands to measure and compare with the created gerber board outline I unfortunately won't have a strictly accurate replica pcb.  It's unlikely any owner will ship their board to me on the unlikely, but possible loss of the pcb in the mail/UPS etc.  I hesitate even asking them to.

Yep totally understandable. But those two guys might be able to take measurements and some high-definition photos to give you a better idea. As I said Kevin was especially interested in seeing the floppy board duplicated, and Bob and him probably among the very few to have the only ones known to still exist. Other people perhaps have the 1450XLD main board, but in many cases they are missing the floppy board.

 

7 minutes ago, Dropcheck said:

I've even thought about doing a 1200XL case compatible pcb.  Might still do, since there's a heck of a lot of 1200XL cases still in existence and the 1400XL/1450XL cases not so much.

This would be very cool. I know Bob has a lot of NOS 1200XL case halves, but probably is missing some of the other parts that go with it. With the creativity that abounds on AA, perhaps the missing pieces can be recreated. Anyway there are considerable number of complete 1200XLs in the wild, so there's that.

[Bee]

 

Have you reached our to Brad at Best to ask if he might have one of the mother boards?

 

just a thought

 

[AtariGeezer]

42 minutes ago, Bee said:

 

Have you reached our to Brad at Best to ask if he might have one of the mother boards?

 

just a thought

 

When I called Brad 12 years ago about these, they had all been sold.  People were buying up to 10 at a time when that thread started...

It would be cool if some of those popped up.

 

Another source would be to ask  @Guitarman  @Rhod  @Shawn Jefferson @Vandal968 or @Bryan if they could loan @Dropcheck one of their unfinished boards.

 

[reifsnyderb]

1 hour ago, Bee said:

 

Have you reached our to Brad at Best to ask if he might have one of the mother boards?

 

just a thought

 

It was already posted, years ago, that Brad was out of them.