MRC%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Mark Crispin) (01/07/86)
I have 4 8-bit Atari's (a 48K 400, a 52K 400, a 160K 800, and a 64K
1200XL) sitting around mostly gathering dust (although I do use the 1200XL
for printing my invoices). I've since gotten a somewhat more powerful home
personal computer (a DEC 2020 running TOPS-20!), and I'd like to use one
of the Atari's as a graphics front end. My idea is to connect one or more
of my RS232 serial ports to the joystick ports and speak some flavor of
ASCII commands (e.g. like REGIS on the late lamented DEC GIGI, but taking
full advantage of what an Atari can do).
I'd probably use the 800 because it has a video output, so there'd be
lots of memory for multiple frame buffers, etc. I'd prefer something that
is either cartridge based or could be put in cartridge so it could run
diskless. Reliability is important too.
Has anybody done anything like this?
-------jcm@ORNL-MSR.ARPA (James A. Mullens) (01/08/86)
I have written, in assembly language, a simple graphics package for a 400/600 which waits for commands to come in from the serial bus (which is really a modified RS232 interface). I let the host computer simulate an Atari disk while the Atari powers up, which allows the host computer to load a bootstrap program to the Atari. This bootstrap is actually a graphics command handler, which "takes over" the machine and monitors the serial bus for commands from the host. I implemented a small set of graphics primitives (point draw, set draw color, init screen, etc). I think the higher level graphics stuff is best done on the host side in higher level language. If you know something about 6502 code you might be able to modify this to do what you want. If you are interested, call me at: 615/574-5564 (tell secretary I said to forward the call or find me) 615/691-7957 home, after 6PM EST regards jim mullens
dave@enmasse.UUCP (Dave Brownell) (01/09/86)
In article <12173399537.8.MRC@PANDA> (Mark Crispin) writes: >... I've since gotten a somewhat more powerful home >personal computer (a DEC 2020 running TOPS-20!), ... Talk about powerful home systems!!! Didn't your home need to get rewired to run that? -- David Brownell EnMasse Computer Corp ...!{harvard,talcott,genrad}!enmasse!dave
info-atari@ucbvax.UUCP (01/11/86)
I am interested in your Atari--host Graphics and communication package. What is the host machine that simulates the Atari disk?