Info-Atari16 Digest Thu, 28 Mar 91 Volume 91 : Issue 175 Today's Topics: Art Program Request Summary Atari ST 4M RAM, 20M Harddisk, Software for Sale Could this be the phantom typist? deskjet 500/wordplus Hard drive utility software??? Help with CAL47 Mega's in Canada? memory upgrade woes on a Mega 1 pink Energizer bunny Problem using HP II P laserprinter with 1040 ST STE distribution disk wanted. Two New Computer Announcements - CeBIT (2 msgs) Zmodem and Xmodem for VAX Welcome to the Info-Atari16 Digest. The configuration for the automatic cross-posting to/from Usenet is getting closer, but still getting thrashed out. Please send notifications about broken digests or bogus messages to Info-Atari16-Request@NAUCSE.CSE.NAU.EDU. Please send requests for un/subscription and other administrivia to Info-Atari16-Request, *NOT* Info-Atari16. Requests that go to the list instead of the moderators are likely to be lost or ignored. If you want to unsubscribe, and you're receiving the digest indirectly from someplace (usually a BITNET host) that redistributes it, please contact the redistributor, not us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 27 Mar 91 18:43:13 GMT From: fs7.ece.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!mc4c+@sei.cmu.edu (Mark Choi) Subject: Art Program Request Summary To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu personally, I hate DEGAS with a passion. I thionk the user interface sucks the big red wazoo, and although the feature that it has are nice, it is missing some things which really are necesary, such as bezier curves. But I will sell you mine if you want it!( to each his own) If so, make me an offer. -geisha- just to be helpful, there is a pd/shareware, I'm not sure which, as it doesn't say in the info box, and I got no text files with it, but it's too good to be free(!) called DT paint. It is a monochrome desk accessory with pipes to other applications. It has just about everything, including editable bezier curves, and as a desk accessory, it is boucoup handy. It ready many formats, but is primarily a IMG editor. It can edit files at any rs., up to 300dpi even. Needless to say, it can work with documents bigger than the screen. It has it's own menu bar, even though it is a DA!, and a cool tool palette that is small but very functional, the best combination. The version that I have only works in mono though. Also, avoid canvas. It bites. Well for something programmed by a 15 year old in his spare time, it's way cool, but as a real productivity package, it just does not cut it. It blows the socks off DEGAS, though, with sorta 4096 colours on screen, and animation and pseudo 3D capabilities. Try the new stuff from LEXICOR if you have the money, they look very good. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Mar 91 03:00:22 GMT From: public!a9@decwrl.dec.com (a9 a9@btr.com) Subject: Atari ST 4M RAM, 20M Harddisk, Software for Sale To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Please call the owner directly. Do not reply to me. call after 6:00 PM: (408) 296-0922. Helena ----------------------------------------- Atari ST520 with 4M RAM, 16Mhz accelerator, 20MB **HARDDISK** *TWO* 720K floppies, monitor , modem, PRINTER etc PLUS LASER C with Debugger, LWD Basic, Assembler,, Wordprocessors, spreadsheet, PC-Ditto, Games and lots of other software.... Hardware & Software. All goes as a package .. only $700 or best offer. Excellent Condition; Working Like New! HARDWARE: -------- 4 megabyte RAM; 16 MHZ accelerator chip; mouse, external 20 megabyte hard disk; two 3.5"/720 kilobyte floppy drives; color monitor; Avatex 1200 bauds external modem; real time clock; internal fans for cooling; power supplies and floppy drives enclosed in heavy-duty metal case; MIDI port; serial port; parallel port; communications port; TV set port; Morrow MP100 daisy wheel parallel printer (with a box of ribbons); Jacobson Anderson serial printer/terminal/typewriter; 50 cps, dot- matrix Texas Instruments 8 pin printer, all interconnection cables included. SOFTWARE LANGUAGES: ------------------ 68000 Assempro Assembly; Laser C Compiler/Linker; Laser C Debugger; LDW Basic Compiler/Linker; ST Basic Interpreter; ST Logo. SOFTWARE UTILITIES: ------------------ Revolver memory manager; Universal item selector II directory/file manager; Turbo ST accelerator; Z-time real time calendar/clock manager; Aerco EasieST utilities; PC ditto for MS-DOS applications compatibility. SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS: --------------------- Flash communications package; Wordplus wordprocessor; Wordplus merge mailer; Wordplus dictionary merger; VIP Professional 1-2-3- like spreadsheet; HelpCALC spreadsheet templates for VIP Professional; dbMan database manager; Hippoconcept idea processor/outliner; Express letter processor; Easydraw draw package; Macromouse automatic-mouse programmer; STkey keyboard programmer; Learning C graphics; stereo CAD-3D CAD package; Cybermate CAD package; Lionhart PERT scheduler; Lionhart Planner 1; Lionhart Planner 2; ST GEM operation system programming. EDUCATION: --------- Learning Trigonometry; Typing Tutor; The Cartographer Maps. GAMES: ----- Joust; Megaroids; Frozen Legacy; Sundog; Flight Simulator II; Hippo Almanac; Super Huey; Hippo Jokes; Neochrome. REFERENCE BOOKS: --------------- .ATARI ST Machine Language .ATARI ST Internals .GEM Programmer's Reference .ATARI ST: GEM AES Technical Reference Guide .Programming Graphics on the Amiga & ATARI ST with C Language Please call after 6:00 PM: (408) 296-0922. Helena ------------------------------ Date: 28 Mar 91 05:26:21 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!msi.umn.edu!noc.MR.NET !ns!ns!logajan@arizona.edu (John Logajan) Subject: Could this be the phantom typist? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Okay, I admit not paying attention the last ten times this was discussed, but: If I disable interrupts (set SR to $2700) but don't shut down the keyboard ACIA (don't send $13 to $fffc02) then I can get the ACIA into a weird state if I hit a key on the keyboard while the interrupts are still off. Whatever was the first key pressed in this state will continue to be presented from the ACIA after interrupts are turned on again (set SR to $2300). The ACIA seemingly spits out that "stuck" character every half second or so, and will continue to do so until another key on the keyboard is hit. The other way I have found to "kill the phantom" is to send the reset command to the ACIA ( $3 to $fffc00 then $96 to $fffc00) just before I turn interrupts back on. Could this be the phantom typist? -- - John Logajan @ Network Systems; 7600 Boone Ave; Brooklyn Park, MN 55428 - logajan@ns.network.com, 612-424-4888, Fax 612-424-2853 ------------------------------ Date: 27 Mar 91 23:05:07 GMT From: math.fu-berlin.de!opal!fauern!unido!balu!ix%cosmo.UUCP@uunet.uu.net (Redaktion ix) Subject: deskjet 500/wordplus To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hi everyone, i need a printer driver for the combination wordplus/hp deskjet 500 and a graphic hardcopy program. I would be grateful, if somebody would send it to me by e mail: js%ulf@cosmo.uucp Thanks! Juergen Seeger ------------------------------ Date: 26 Mar 91 12:15:46 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu. edu!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!acad2.alaska.edu!asedm@arizona.edu (Ed Miller) Subject: Hard drive utility software??? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I have recently purchased a Supra 60M hard drive and have noticed that none of my disk-utilities will work on it... I'm told this is because the FATs are larger (you'd have to expect that...), can anyone recommed a good set of utilities (PD/shareware) including maybe an undelete, an Auto - folder sort defragmenter etc... I have looked at icdutils on atari.archive, but this was less than helpful as I do not have an ICD controller... any help would be appreciated! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Mar 91 12:50:09 MET From: Bruno BARSELLA Subject: Help with CAL47 To: Info Atari16 Digest I have downloaded CAL47 from atari.archive .... I have started it and all goes very well apart from the fact that I cannot save my announcements: the program complains about a 'file not found' and I have no idea on how to generate the 'CAL' file to store the informations. ????? Help on how to solve this problem ???? .................. Thank you. Bruno BARSELLA - Astronomy and Astrophysics Section Department of Physics - University of PISA Piazza Torricelli, 2 --- 56100 PISA ITALY BITNET addresses : BARSELLA at ICNUCEVM.CNUCE.CNR.IT BARSELLA at IPIFIDPT.DIFI.UNIPI.IT ------------------------------ Date: 27 Mar 91 15:49:22 GMT From: garfield!david10@uunet.uu.net (David Churchill) Subject: Mega's in Canada? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu After looking at my local dealer's price list from January, I noticed that the only model listed in the Mega line was the Mega 4 STE (which, at $2495 CAN, is a bit out of my price range :~ Mega 2 STE available up here in the Great White North? If so, where are they sold and for how much? Thanks in advance, Dave C -- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Dave Churchill DoD #266 * * * "I'm always sober enough | | david10@lyman.cs.mun.ca * * * to know when I'm drunk." | | david10@garfield.cs.mun.ca * * * - Andy Capp | | My opinions are just that - mine. * * * | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: 26 Mar 91 09:13:49 GMT From: mcsun!ukc!edcastle!hwcs!neil@uunet.uu.net (Neil Forsyth) Subject: memory upgrade woes on a Mega 1 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <8153@crash.cts.com> chuckie@pro-odyssey.cts.com (Chuck Schul) writes: ]was there really a mega one st?also a 256 version of the st ever out?i hear ]these things but never heard of anyone having one? Yes I think Mega 1 did exist, briefly, and there was an unreleased 260ST and even a 130ST! I also read here once of a unreleased product that somehow escaped called a PS3000. I believe it was a SM124 like monitor with a built in floppy drive. I guess, when combined with the old driveless 520ST, it looked about as Mac like as an ST could get. It would look pretty swell on top of a Mega now. Not only that but the first STE that ST World (UK) reviewed was badged as a 4160STE though I never saw that for sale. Nor a 2080STE for that matter. I upgraded my STF to 2.5 Mb recently and just for fun worked out what that number meant in terms of badge number. 520ST * 5 = 2600ST. 2600 is the name of an Atari game console! +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ! DISCLAIMER:Unless otherwise stated, the above comments are entirely my own ! ! ! ! Neil Forsyth JANET: neil@uk.ac.hw.cs ! ! Dept. of Computer Science ARPA: neil@cs.hw.ac.uk ! ! Heriot-Watt University UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!neil ! ! Edinburgh, Scotland, UK "That was never 5 years!" ! +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: 27 Mar 91 18:31:47 GMT From: fs7.ece.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!mc4c+@sei.cmu.edu (Mark Choi) Subject: pink Energizer bunny To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu here is a program out there that at random intervals, and whenever there is a disk access, does the following: you hear a very faint police siren that gradually gets louder and louder. When it reaches max volume, a little police car drives across your screen, the pitch changes as the car flies past, and then diminishes in volume. The humour of the thing quickly dies, as the interval is set to a much to frequent setting, but it is fun to put in someones bootdisk, and screw with there head for a day or so. The first time it happens, boy do their eyes bug out. The pink Energizer bunny (from a previous post) would be about the same thing. Someone should do it. -geisha- ------------------------------ Date: 28 Mar 91 04:02:24 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana .edu!msi.umn.edu!noc.MR.NET!ns!ns!logajan@arizona.edu (John Logajan) Subject: Problem using HP II P laserprinter with 1040 ST To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu heiden@kboeng.enet.dec.com (Matthias Heiden) writes: >While trying to print to an HP II P laserprinter using the parallel >port I'm running into two annoying errors: > 1. The printer is only recognised by the system if: > first the printer is powered on and then the > system is booted. This wouldn't be a problem, This also happens with the HP Deskjet series of printers. For some reason, the Atari parallel port interface chip will lock the printer strobe bit down (or was it the busy bit?) if it is pulled low for any lenght of time (fractions of a second.) The HP printer is a very heavy load until it is powered up. Once the Atari bit flips, even if the load is removed, it stays flipped. There is a software program around that will go in and toggel the bit and get things running again. There are also parallel port buffer drivers available. But I opted for a one transistor in the printer cable solution. Included here is a repost of my solution to this age old problem :-) ****** repost ***** HP DeskJet Plus / Atari ST power-up sequence problem -- solved! I have discovered that if the Atari ST parallel (printer) port STROBE line (normally high) is pulled toward ground (low) by a heavy load (such as a powered-off HP DeskJet Plus), the ST STROBE line will thereafter stay low until the load is removed (by powering up the DJ+), and until software intentionally sets the STROBE line high again. (Weird note: the STROBE line has to be pulled low for something on the order of 1/2 second or longer for it to "stick" low -- I do not know why this is.) Once the STROBE line gets stuck low, the DJ+ responds with a BUSY set high. The Atari TOS will not send any data to the printer while the BUSY line is high -- so no printing can take place. There are six solutions to this grid-lock (I recommend #6): 1.) Power up the DJ+ first and the ST second. (Then the ST will never see a heavy "low" load on the STROBE line.) 2.) Push the Atari RESET button. (The reset sequence sets the STROBE line high, clearing the problem.) 3.) Have a software routine which sets the STROBE line high. (No sense putting this in the auto folder to clear it on reboot, since reboot itself clears the problem -- until next time.) 4.) Power cycle the DJ+ with a print job in the ST "queue". (You will lose the first part of the print job, and I think the print job must be a minimum length of bytes long to get it over the DJ+ power-up self-test delay.) 5.) Momentarily ground the BUSY line with a print job in the ST "queue". (I'm not sure if you will lose the first byte of your listing with this method.) 6.) Install a PNP transistor in the STROBE line. This fix is much simpler than it may seem. Also it simultaneously solves the heavy loading problem the DJ+ puts on the Atari STROBE line. (Without the transistor, the loading on the STROBE line appears to push it near the 0.8 volt level limit. The DATA lines do not seem to have same problem, their low levels seem to be well within limits -- so no buffering seems needed.) You need: - One 2N2907 (or practically any PNP transistor) - Access to the Printer cable wires for pin #1 (STROBE) and any ground pin (pins 18-25 on the Atari end, or pins 19-30 on the DJ+ end.) I managed to do this inside the cover of the Centronics-type connector. Step #1 Disconnect the STROBE wire from pin #1. Step #2 Connect the Emitter (E) wire of the transistor to the Printer side of the wire/pin#1 split you did in step #1. (It depends upon which end of the cable you put your transistor into.) Step #3 Connect the Base (B) of the transistor to the Atari side of the wire/pin#1 split you did in step #1. Step #4 Connect the Collector (C) of the transistor to one of the ground pins (18-25 Atari end, or 19-30 DJ+ end.) [Caution: Metal cased transistors often have the case electrically connected to the Collector -- hence the case will most likely be grounded -- avoid having the case touch anything that should not be grounded.] Step #5 Close up and/or wrap up. Make sure the transistor case and connections are not touching anything they shouldn't be touching. Figures: -----> Ground ! / C B !/ from Atari STROBE >----! !\ \ E ! ----------> to Printer STROBE ------- / B \ / E \ Metal Can style transistor -- common pin == ! configuration -- bottom view. \ C / \ / ------- ---- ! C \ ! B ! Plastic Flat sided style transistor -- common ! E / pin configuration -- bottom view. ---- Appendix: Speed on the parallel printer port. The Atari does screen dumps at about 1250 bytes/second. The Atari does text dumps at about 714 bytes/second. A GFA Basic program I wrote dumps graphic bytes to the DJ+ at about 2174 bytes/second. Since an 8 by 8 inch graphic picture with 300dpi density requires 720,000 bytes -- you can see that the dump alone should take almost 6 minutes for even the GFA program. This all suggests that one might want to take advantage of the DJ+'s mixed mode graphic commands, where "blank" space is jumped over. Software should be able to "count" over these locations much faster than it would take to dump them in dumb mode. THE END. -- - John Logajan @ Network Systems; 7600 Boone Ave; Brooklyn Park, MN 55428 - logajan@ns.network.com, 612-424-4888, Fax 612-424-2853 ------------------------------ Date: 28 Mar 91 04:45:38 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_Retelle@ariz ona.edu Subject: STE distribution disk wanted. To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu David Williams asks: >I bought an STE a few months back, and I didn't receive a floppy >disk with it - or a book. Yes, I bought it from a dealer, but >Now, I am worried I am missing out on something. Can someone >send me an archive of the files supplied with the STE - or point >to to an ftp site that has them? Any useful information from >the manual would also be appreciated. Why not just call Atari Customer Service and request the disk and manual..? (It can't hurt to ask...) (408) 745-2367 FAX (408) 745-2088 BobR ------------------------------ Date: 27 Mar 91 19:23:29 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!portal!atari! trh@arizona.edu (T R Hall) Subject: Two New Computer Announcements - CeBIT To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu mc4c+@andrew.cmu.edu (Mark Choi) writes: >> As the designer of said notebook-ST(e), I have held off introducing >> the subject, but as long as you brought it up ... >> ... >Hey, guy, good work! > But... Why no monitor port, I want colour graphics! (1) >....And a floppy drive >is a must. almost all PC notebooks got 'em, and if Atari ever wants to >sell to anyone other than current atari faithful, they had better follow >the competition. (2) > ....DS/DD is archaic! We need 1.44 meg, not just for this >notebook, but for all ST/TT's. (3) > ....Also, without a cartridge port, >unless D.Small makes his internal emulator, there will be no Mac market. >This is too bad. (4) > ....I write this in the hope that enough (5) >external pressure will force a redesign. Hopefully, if I post this I won't have to repeat it too often: 1) I didn't include a monitor port for a couple of reasons: A) Power The graphics shifter/video drive circuitry uses almost as much power as the rest of the system put together. Since the machine is specifically designed for PORTABLE usage, I made the (fairly reasonable) assumption that you aren't going to carry a color/mono monitor around with you. B) Space Hey, I tossed out ANYTHING I didn't feel was required in a PORTABLE machine, to make the machine as small as possible. 2) If you look at the so-called competition (Intel-based machines) I think you will find that the "note-book" sized units include EITHER a floppy or a hard disk, but not both. Since this machine was mosty intended to allow desktop-ATARI users to take specific data/applications with them on the road, I felt that loading data/programs into the internal Hard Drive would not be a hardship. Would you rather carry a hard-drive machine, or a floppy machine with a bunch of floppies that you have to swap in-and-out? As far as data transfer, both the Notebook and Pad versions of the machines will include file-transfer software in the ROMS, transfering over parallel-ports to other ST's, and serial ports to non-ATARI machines (hopefuly with an existing protocol, so Atari won't have to write [shudder!!] MS-DOS software). 3) Look for high-density floppies, both in desktop machines and in an external (probably battery-operated) floppy drive for the ST notebook (or whatever its final name is). We may be slow, but we ain't Blind/Dumb. 4) Both the STPad and STBook have an "expansion" port that includes all address and data lines, bus control lines, R/W and a number of ROM select lines. ALL of the signals needed for the "cartridge port" are present on "expansion port", so a conversion device need only consist of two connectors, a PC-board, and a housing. I'm sure some enterprising developer will make such available at a reasonable price. Even better, maybe "cartridges" will be upgraded to take advantage of new features. 5) Maybe we should take a vote: Should we let everybody add their 2 cents to the design, increase the size of the machine, delay it a few months/ years, increase the price, etc? :) :) :) :) :) 8) 8) 8) 8~) 8~) 8~) Oh, incidently, in the reprint from Tom Harker (ICD) he mentions that the note-book machine has JEIDA cards. He was a little confused; The note-book machine has the hard-drive as storage, the PAD machine has JEIDA cards, but NO hard-drive (the pad is intended to be hand-held; one twist and BOOM! the hard-drive would crash). TRH [PLEEEEAAAASSSEE note the smileys above! don't send me votes/suggestions/etc; it's hard ENOUGH to get through my mail/news each morning.] ------------------------------ Date: 28 Mar 91 07:55:33 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!hanauma.jpl.nasa.gov!hyc@arizona.edu (Howard Chu) Subject: Two New Computer Announcements - CeBIT To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <2885@atari.UUCP> trh@atari.UUCP (T R Hall) writes: [a lot of good stuff, deleted] > 4) Both the STPad and STBook have an "expansion" port that includes all > address and data lines, bus control lines, R/W and a number of ROM > select lines. ALL of the signals needed for the "cartridge port" are > present on "expansion port", so a conversion device need only consist > of two connectors, a PC-board, and a housing. I'm sure some > enterprising developer will make such available at a reasonable price. > Even better, maybe "cartridges" will be upgraded to take advantage of > new features. Awesome. So, cartridge-type expansion port that actually allows R/W access, eh? Great, it's about time. Um, if *all* the address lines are present, does this mean the CPU is now allowed to address its full 16MB address space? Or does the GLUE still bus-error on writes outside the 4MB limit? Geeze, I guess I'm missing something by not getting onto GEnie... -- -- Howard Chu @ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA Disclaimer: How would I know, I just got here! ------------------------------ Date: 27 Mar 91 22:08:03 GMT From: noao!asuvax!ukma!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!csduts1!fsctc@arizona.edu (Clarence T. Chang) Subject: Zmodem and Xmodem for VAX To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hi. A couple of months ago, someone here posted a message saying that he has access to zmodem and xmodem programs on the VAX. Would that person kindly reply to me via email, please. I am fed up with transmission by Kermit and would like a faster transfer, preferrably by zmodem. Thanks. Clarence T. Chang fsctc@csduts1.lerc.nasa.gov ------------------------------ End of Info-Atari16 Digest ******************************