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Info-Atari16 Digest Vol. 91 Issue 175
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
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 <BARSELLA@ICNUCEVM.CNUCE.CNR.IT>
Subject: Help with CAL47
To: Info Atari16 Digest <Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu>
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
******************************
