arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) (11/04/88)
>>I have the Atari 1050 disk drive, and DO like it, although I wish it did "true" >>double density, with twice the data storage of single-density, rather than >>half again. And imagine what 512-byte sector support could do for program >>interchange: "Sure, I can read that PC-DOS diskette!" (Happy Computers Inc, >>are you listening?).^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >Yes, they have listened. If you format an IBM PC disk single sided, 9 sector >double density, you can convert files back and forth between the atari and the >IBM PC. Unfortunately, you cannot format IBM disks on the Atari since the >1050 ignores the sector hole, and the IBM doesn't. >BTW, on MS-DOS 3.x, to format a disk single sided with 9 sector tracks, type: > format /1 a: Hmm... I once tried an experiment: I had a double density DOS XL formatted disk (from an Indus GT drive). One side had several programs on it, and the other side was blank (but also formatted double density with DOS XL.) I took the disk to a PC and tried two copy programs. They both gave me errors, but I got the errors in different sectors for the two different copy programs. I took the disks home to my Atari 800. I found that both copies would give me a correct directory (neither copy program gave me errors for the directory sectors though), and also I found that I could successfully run some of the programs off the copy. The particular programs I could run depended on which copy program I used. In one case I was able to boot the copy and have it work (though some files still could not be accessed.) So, how do I convert files between the PC and Atari? (And for that matter, can I copy Atari disks on a PC?) In other words, please, please, please supply the details... -- "I don't care if you _did_ do it in a movie once, Gilligan is not breathing through that reed!" --Kenneth Arromdee (ins_akaa@jhunix.UUCP, arromdee@crabcake.cs.jhu.edu, g49i0188@jhuvm.BITNET) (not arrom@aplcen, which is my class account)
ken@hpclkms.HP.COM (Kenneth Sumrall) (11/08/88)
/ hpclkms:comp.sys.atari.8bit / arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) / 9:47 pm Nov 3, 1988 / > >So, how do I convert files between the PC and Atari? (And for that matter, can I >copy Atari disks on a PC?) In other words, please, please, please supply the >details... Details, details. Just look up the ad for Happy Computers in any issue of Antic magazine, (or look for ads from B&C computervisions or American Techna- vision, they also sell the Happy upgrades) What you want is the Happy enhancement. It cost me ~$100.00. Copies any disk, has full track buffering, hi speed SIO, True double density on a 1050, and also reads single sided MS-DOS disks on the 1050. A good investment for any Atari owner. Installation is quite simple, just requires you pull two chips and put a board in one of the vacated sockets. Kenneth Sumrall ken%hpclkms@hplabs.hp.com ...!hplabs!hpclkms!ken
arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) (11/10/88)
I tried to send this directly to charles@decuac.dec.com but the mailers bounced it... ---------------------------------------------------------- I wasn't trying to use MSDOS to write on the Atari disks. What I did was to use a MSDOS copy program to copy an Atari disk onto a blank, unformatted disk. This was a program whose normal function is to copy a copy-protected MSDOS disk. Although sector size and the like certainly differ between Atari and MSDOS disks, sector size, etc... on a copy-protected MSDOS disk are also often different from a standard MSDOS disk; I was wondering if the copy program would be able to copy the Atari disk, thinking it was actually a copy-protected MSDOS disk and trying to copy the different size sectors (and so forth) using the same routines it uses to copy the unusual layouts of copy-protected MSDOS disks. As I noted, I was partially successful. The MSDOS copy program managed to copy some, but not all, of the Atari disk onto the blank disk. It copied enough that some complete files on the (formerly blank) disk were readable and executable, and I could do a directory of the disk and find that DOS XL thinks the disk contains the same files that were on the original. -- "I don't care if you _did_ do it in a movie once, Gilligan is not breathing through that reed!" --Kenneth Arromdee (ins_akaa@jhunix.UUCP, arromdee@crabcake.cs.jhu.edu, g49i0188@jhuvm.BITNET) (not arrom@aplcen, which is my class account)
stekas@whuts.att.com (STEKAS) (11/10/88)
In article <225@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>, arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) writes: > I wasn't trying to use MSDOS to write on the Atari disks. What I did was > to use a MSDOS copy program to copy an Atari disk onto a blank, unformatted > disk. ... I was partially successful. The PC's disks turn at 300 RPM vs. 288 RPM for the Atari. I have found it impossible to write enhanced density disks on the PC without having the last sector on a track overlap the first. The just isn't enough "room" to fit all those 128 byte sectors. I have no trouble reading and writing 256byte formats, e.g. PERCOM. Jim
rac@jc3b21.UUCP (Roger A. Cornelius) (11/11/88)
From article <1270014@hpclkms.HP.COM>, by ken@hpclkms.HP.COM (Kenneth Sumrall): < / hpclkms:comp.sys.atari.8bit / arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) / 9:47 pm Nov 3, 1988 / <> <>So, how do I convert files between the PC and Atari? (And for that matter, can I <>copy Atari disks on a PC?) In other words, please, please, please supply the <>details... < < Details, details. Just look up the ad for Happy Computers in any issue of < Antic magazine, (or look for ads from B&C computervisions or American Techna- < vision, they also sell the Happy upgrades) What you want is the Happy < enhancement. It cost me ~$100.00. Copies any disk, has full track buffering, < hi speed SIO, True double density on a 1050, and also reads single sided < MS-DOS disks on the 1050. A good investment for any Atari owner. < < Installation is quite simple, just requires you pull two chips and put a < board in one of the vacated sockets. < < Kenneth Sumrall < ken%hpclkms@hplabs.hp.com < ...!hplabs!hpclkms!ken I have the program that was posted awhile back by Charles Marslett (author of MyDOS) that does a fair job of reading/writing Atari disks in a PC. It claims to also be able to format Atari disks, but my experience was that it left the drive in a strange mode, and I couldn't read a PC formatted disk again until doing a reboot. Note this will only read/write to Atari disks formatted in true double density, although the source (asm and C sources included) makes references to enhanced density. With a little work you might be able to use it with single density disks. It doesn't do as much as the happy, but then it's free. I'll send a (uuencoded) copy to anyone that wants it (Email me). Roger Cornelius ...!uunet!pdn!jc3b21!sherpa!rac
chasm@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Charles Marslett) (11/11/88)
In article <493@jc3b21.UUCP>, rac@jc3b21.UUCP (Roger A. Cornelius) writes: > I have the program that was posted awhile back by Charles > Marslett (author of MyDOS) that does a fair job of reading/writing > Atari disks in a PC. > > It claims to also be able to format Atari disks, but my experience > was that it left the drive in a strange mode, and I couldn't read a > PC formatted disk again until doing a reboot. I have done some cleanup on the format code (may still cause problems on some machines, like my Premium/286 AT clone) -- and I am looking at doing the single density I/O version. That will be much less portable, so it may come in AT and XT version (or even brand name stuff like real OSs, who says the IBM world is really standardized, . . . (:->). > It doesn't do as much as the happy, but then it's free. I'll > send a (uuencoded) copy to anyone that wants it (Email me). And if I am closer (Texas) I'll do the same. > Roger Cornelius ...!uunet!pdn!jc3b21!sherpa!rac Charles Marslett chasm@killer.dallas.tx.us
arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) (11/12/88)
>The PC's disks turn at 300 RPM vs. 288 RPM for the Atari. I have found it >impossible to write enhanced density disks on the PC without having the >last sector on a track overlap the first. The just isn't enough "room" to >fit all those 128 byte sectors. >I have no trouble reading and writing 256byte formats, e.g. PERCOM. It was a true double density disk I tried it with, and not an enhanced density disk. And it still gave partial success... -- "I don't care if you _did_ do it in a movie once, Gilligan is not breathing through that reed!" --Kenneth Arromdee (ins_akaa@jhunix.UUCP, arromdee@crabcake.cs.jhu.edu, g49i0188@jhuvm.BITNET) (not arrom@aplcen, which is my class account)
arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) (11/15/88)
>Note this will only read/write to Atari disks formatted in true >double density, although the source (asm and C sources included) >makes references to enhanced density. With a little work you >might be able to use it with single density disks. >It doesn't do as much as the happy, but then it's free. I'll >send a (uuencoded) copy to anyone that wants it (Email me). >Roger Cornelius ...!uunet!pdn!jc3b21!sherpa!rac Please send me one. (I tried mail and it bounced.) -- "I don't care if you _did_ do it in a movie once, Gilligan is not breathing through that reed!" --Kenneth Arromdee (ins_akaa@jhunix.UUCP, arromdee@crabcake.cs.jhu.edu, g49i0188@jhuvm.BITNET) (not arrom@aplcen, which is my class account)
arrom@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee ) (11/21/88)
I tried to mail this but it bounced.... (I am getting tired of having this happen to me). BTW (completely unrelated), does anyone know what POKEs turn your cassette player on or off? (I know they're in Mapping the Atari, but I don't have one of those with me at college)... From MAILER-DAEMON Sun Nov 20 15:41:54 1988 Date: Thu, 17 Nov 88 15:07:57 est From: MAILER-DAEMON (Mail Delivery Subsystem) Subject: Returned mail: Cannot send message for 3 days To: arrom Status: R ----- Transcript of session follows ----- 451 chasm%killer.UUCP@mimsy.umd.edu... reply: read error chasm%killer.UUCP@mimsy.umd.edu... reply: read error ----- Unsent message follows ----- Received: by aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (1.2/Ultrix2.0-B) id AA00863; Thu, 17 Nov 88 15:07:57 est Date: Thu, 17 Nov 88 15:07:57 est From: arrom (Ken Arromdee (600.429)) To: chasm%killer.UUCP@mimsy.umd.edu Subject: PC files to Atari The program has a bug in it; if you try to copy a file from an MS-DOS disk to an Atari disk, in binary mode (/B), you get problems; although the MSDOS file is opened in binary mode, the program forgets to turn off translation. Therefore your binary file on yourAtari disk has all its tabs converted to 0x7F's, etc.... Also, after I copy files (I used "util /b /w filename a:") I get the message Invalid path <<a:>> --Kenneth Arromdee (ins_akaa@jhunix.UUCP, arromdee@crabcake.cs.jhu.edu, g49i0188@jhuvm.BITNET) (not arrom@aplcen, which is my class account)
hans@umd5.umd.edu (Hans Breitenlohner) (11/24/88)
In article <5023@whuts.att.com> stekas@whuts.att.com (STEKAS) writes: >The PC's disks turn at 300 RPM vs. 288 RPM for the Atari. I have found it >impossible to write enhanced density disks on the PC without having the >last sector on a track overlap the first. The just isn't enough "room" to >fit all those 128 byte sectors. > >I have no trouble reading and writing 256byte formats, e.g. PERCOM. > >Jim This is indeed a problem. Even 18 256 byte sectors requires much shorter gaps than what the original IBM specs call for. So here is my question: We are told elsewhere that the SX551 disk drive spins at 300 rpm, which leads to all kinds of other problems. How does it handle enhanced density, or even the standard 18 sector formats? Does it run the clock slightly faster? Does it cut other corners? Or is some black magic involved? While we are on the subject, does anybody know what the guts of a SX551 contain (cpu, rom, ram, floppy controller)? With all the reviews I have never seen any answer to any of these.
sac90286@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (12/03/88)
Pardon my butting in, but what is this program you're discussing? Which types of Atari formats will the program transfer to PCs? Old single density, 1050 "Enhanced" density, true double density, or some other, newer format? I have an 800XL, Indus GT, and also a PC compatible, and it would be VERY nice to be able to transfer files just by copying to disk. What is this program called?