newbie: help for sending file with sio2pc

[lucifershalo]

hello I have the sio2pc cable

I have a 8mb flashcart

my multicart file (.bin , .car and .atr )

I have the trial version of ape for winfows

but how do I send the file to the atari computer

is ape the best program or is there another one and overall how to use it?

thanks

[Gunstar]

To send a file to the Atari using ape you would select the 'image' icon on A.P.E for Windows and select an .atr file to drive one of A.P.E, called "mounting" then you just turn on your Atari like normal and it loads. The other way is to select "PC mirror" that leads to a directory with Atari compatible .exe, .xex,.com,etc. type file and then use a DOS on the Atari to load it from Ape as you would with an Atari disk drive; select the file path at the dos prompt or DOS menu screen.

 

With the trial version of A.P.E I do not believe it's possible to send or write to files on the PC, you need the registered version. The other way is with A.P.E's Prosystem sub-program that's used to make images out of real floppies, turn images back into real floppies, or copy commercial programs to the .pro format which requires A.P.E to use. But for the Prosystem you have to have an Atari disk drive or compatible and the 10502PC adapter which is different from the SIO2PC adapter becuase you are connecting and Atari drive to a PC, not the computer. So, unless you have a 10502PC and 1050 or compatible drive, you'll have to register A.P.E, even with A.P.E registered, you will need a disk drive to copy files onto the PC with an Atari DOS or possibly with A.P.E's 'Remote Control' program (I've never used it).

 

Oh, I forgot, if you have a DIRECTORY path mounted to A.P.E and not an idividual FILE mounted on A.P.E's PC mirror, and you turn on your Atari (generally with the [OPTION] button held) A.P.E will send a menu file to your Atari and you can choose from any Atari file that normally loads through DOS, with a single keystroke.

Edited February 6, 2006 by Gunstar

[lucifershalo]

I tried and clearly the pc and atari are communicating

cos when I use "pc mirror" I see options on my atari but if I select one it says that I have to register APE first

 

is there a shareware program that works like APE?

 

if I put a .atr file and switch on my atari with the flash cart in, nothing happened

the screen stays black...

and if I switch on the atari with no cart, it says

atarimax flash utility build....

unable to detect flash cartridge

 

if you are recovering from a bad flash, insert the cartridge now

 

 

and if I do so, nothing happened

[classics]

There are some suggestions here on programming your cartridge if it wont boot with it inserted.

 

http://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/document...n/chapter3.html

 

Steve

[lucifershalo]

god , this is flaky

clearly inserting the cartridge after the atari is on, makes it freeze and if I push on reset, nothing happened....

but now my problem is that most of the time the atari doesnt wecome with the atarimax flash utility or even the cursor and ready but with just a plain blue screen

it is reading the sector but after that blue screen, no atarimax flash utility

[lucifershalo]

great! now finally after 2,000,000 attempts atari recognizes the flashcart it has begun to flash it and at the last sector it failed....

[Gunstar]

All i can say at this point is that you would be better off with the full version of A.P.E. I know that you may want to make sure everything works well before you invest in A.P.E, but if you already have invested in a flashcart, you want to get the most from it and that includes the full version of A.P.E.

 

As for the flashcart and utilities, I can't help yet; I just got a MyIDE+flash cart and an 8Mb flashcart myself, but I've been so busy with internal upgrades to my 8-bits that I haven't even gotten around to learning to use these myself yet. But after downloading and browsing the instructions for MyIDE and AtariMax flashcart, I know they aren't as simple as one would like and an extensive study of the instruction and good knowledge of A.P.E are both required. I'll be attempting this today. Most importantly is that you make sure A.P.E&SIO2PC cable are working reliably with the Atari first, befor throwing a flashcart&utilities into the mix. With my SIO2PC, everytime I start up A.P.E or bring it out of "sleep mode" I have to cycle my disk drive on and off pryor to starting A.P.E and mounting an image or PC mirror directory. Otherwise I have problems. But I have an SIO2PC&10502PC adapters that are permanently connected to a 1050 and both on the same circuit, so my set-up may not work the same as a standard SIO2PC cable/adapter purchased online. Also though, A.P.E is not the only way; the SIO2PC was around long before A.P.E and there is a downloadable SIO2PC utility that does the basics but is much more primitive than A.P.E Maybe you should look into using it for your Flashcart.

Edited February 6, 2006 by Gunstar

[Gunstar]

There are some suggestions here on programming your cartridge if it wont boot with it inserted.

 

http://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/document...n/chapter3.html

 

Steve

1013685[/snapback]

 

I know that my 8Mb flashcart does nothing when I plug it in, it appears that they do come completely empty, right? So you have to program it first, but I assume that holding option down while booting, with the flashcart installed, will disable the flashcart for normal boot, and then the flash utility will re-enable it at the proper time, correct? We shouldn't have to plug in a cart after the power is on should we?

[classics]

So you have to program it first, but I assume that holding option down while booting, with the flashcart installed, will disable the flashcart for normal boot, and then the flash utility will re-enable it at the proper time, correct? We shouldn't have to plug in a cart after the power is on should we?

1013718[/snapback]

 

Correct, after you program it the first time you can hold down OPTION to disable it at boot time and access an ATR image with it plugged in.

 

The only exception would be if you programmed it with some software that didnt have the OPTION bypass enabled. Anything created with the maxflash software kit will have this enabled.

 

Steve

[lucifershalo]

it is working !!!

I made one mistake: not to put -8mb when creating the .bin file

but also it is like the atari computer refuses to work correctly, now it is

you are right in your description to say to try the different options many times if necessary, it is like all of sudden it wakes up...

 

now I have other questions....

1.what ado u have more when u buy the APE program compared to the trial version?

 

2.is it possible to put more than one .atr file (composed of many games)?

 

3.will it always erase every files on the flashcart before flashing it with something new (that answers my question2.)

 

4.is there a limit in the number of games u can put in a .atr file and then flash on the cart...or the limit is simply 8mb ?

 

thanks

[classics]

is it possible to put more than one .atr file (composed of many games)?

 

Not with the maxflash kit, but if you download Eric Bacher's MakeMenu program you can load many EXE and ATR images into the same cartridge. His program also supports making sub-menus and such.

 

You can find it at:

 

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=158054

 

3.will it always erase every files on the flashcart before flashing it with something new (that answers my question2.)

 

With the current software, yes.

 

4.is there a limit in the number of games u can put in a .atr file and then flash on the cart...or the limit is simply 8mb ?

 

There is an upper limit on the number of file names you can use, depending on the size of each description, but there should be room for more files on the menu than you could ever fit on the cartridge.

 

Steve