Remotely control Atari from PC?

[Rybags]

Does anyone know if there is any software around to control a real Atari 800 from the PC? ie - send keystroke and joystick data.

 

Like many people, I've started using the 8-bit with an APE cable, and using my capture card to view the Atari display in a window or on the second monitor.

 

I can think of 2 possible (relatively easy) ways of doing it:

 

- through the existing APE interface. Modification to the APE software and/or an add-on program on the PC would be needed. At the Atari side, a small routine would have to poll every 50th of a second or so. The PC could then return keystroke and joystick data.

 

- through a parallel -> Atari joystick interface. A program on the PC would monitor the keyboard and (optionally) a controller device. Another routine on the Atari would monitor the joystick port/s and store the data in the relevant shadow registers.

With 1 joystick port, 32 combinations could be supported. Or, if the paddle inputs were used, that gives 7 bits (128 combinations). The PC-side program could alternate between sending keyboard and controller data every 50th of a second.

 

The disadvantage of both schemes would be that Atari-side software has to be resident. The only way to almost guarantee this to work in most cases would be to have a RAM-resident modified Operating System.

 

I'd have no trouble at all doing the Atari side of the programming, but the PC-side would probably need DirectInput calls, and a routine to take over the parallel port.

[jaybird3rd]

I'm curious to know what application you have in mind for this. If it's just to run games and other standard A8 software, I would think that emulation would be a much easier option since it gives you an Atari display on the PC (like the TV-tuner) and the inherent ability to control the A8 through the PC. Are you looking to run copy-protected software or something that won't work within an emulator?

[Rybags]

It would just be for general tasks.

 

With my current setup I have 2 monitors available to the PC, and I view the Atari via my capture card. Remote control would be heaps easier than getting up and going over to the Atari each time I want to enter a simple command.

 

I might have to investigate one of the options for adding an external keyboard. I could then share my PC keyboard through my KVM switch.

[Gunstar]

Better look over the documentation for A.P.E, it has a program called 'remote control' that lets you do exactly what you are wanting to do.

 

Err...my bad, I was thinking in reverse there; 'remote control' lets you control A.P.E from your 8-bit...sorry. Though I never used it much myself, maybe there is something there to do what you want, wouldn't hurt to look over the A.P.E docs to see.

Edited November 13, 2005 by Gunstar

[ndary]

It is possible but quite expensive. it will cost you 600$ to 1000$ to do it.

 

if you add the AKI inteface to your ATARI, (the AKI is a german interface that allow you to connect a PS/2 keyboard to the ATARI computer) and with a compasite to VGA adaptor (or caputre card) you can control the ATARI over IP using an external IP control device, such devices are used to control servers