=<>=<>=›› THE CSS BLACK BOX  and  FLOPPY  BOARD,› a  mini   tutorial   by  CHARLES COLE,› member of THE  OL'  HACKERS A.U.G., NY››      For the truly diehard ATARI 8 BIT› computer user who sometimes envies the› owners of those Messy-Dos machines, or› who needs to occasionally read a  text› file  that was written on an MS-DOS or› ATARI ST system, the  Black  Box  (BB)› and  Floppy  Board  (FB) from Computer› Software  Services,  P.O.  Box  17660,› Rochester, New York 14624, will  solve› those  problems  and  many  more,   by› allowing you to use IBM-style 5.25 and› 3.5   inch  double  density  and  high› density floppy  disk  drives  with  an› ATARI  XL/XE.  Not  only that, but the› Black Box also serves as a  SCSI  hard› drive  interface,   parallel   printer› port, and high speed modem port (up to› 19,200 baud).››      Although rather pricey at $199.95› for  the  basic  Black Box and $149.95› for  the  Floppy  Board,  or  $329  if› purchased together, this is reasonable› when  you consider all of the features› that they offer.  Bob Puff, the  owner› of  CSS,  has  even   incorporated   a› version  of  the  Super  Archiver chip› into the Floppy Board so you can  make› backup   copies   of   your   valuable› commercial software  on  high  density› floppy   disketts,   and   boot   that› software on high drive speeds.››      A full explanation of  the  BB/FB› features  would  make  for a very long› article, so  I  am  going  to  briefly› mention  what they achieve.  If you've› been wondering  how  you  can  greatly› expand  your  Atari  8-bit   machine's› capabilities,  consider  the following› features:›      1. You  can run up to 8 SCSI hard› drives  from  the  Black  Box,   which› theoretically  gives  our lowly Ataris› over   1.6   gigabytes   of    storage› capacity.›      2. The    RS-232    serial   port› handles  modem  speeds  up  to  19,200› baud.›      3. The   parallel   printer  port› allows  the  use  of any dot matrix or› laser  printer  that  has  a  standard› Centronics interface, as long as it is› compatible with your software.›      4. An   optional    64K   printer› buffer  is  available, or can be added› as   a   do-it-yourself  project  from› instructions  which  appeared  in  the› last issue of Atari Classics  magazine› (written by me, C.C.).›      5. A    What-You-See-Is-What-You-› Get built-in printer dump routine will› print any Atari screen  to  an  Epson-› compatible  printer  at  the push of a› button. ›      6. Floppy  drives  read/write  at› near hard drive speeds.›      7. Large   capacity   hard drives› can be partitioned (divided)  into  as› many as 96 smaller drives.›      8. Drive   numbers  can be easily› swapped   around   from   within   the› configuration  menu,  so  you can boot› from any drive.›      9. Hard   drives  can  be  write-› protected  with  the  flip of a toggle› switch.›      10. Ultra-fast    disk   I/O  for› modified 1050s (U.S.  Doubler),  Happy› 810s,  and  all  XF551 drives that are› connected  through  the  serial  daisy› chain.›      11. Built-in   machine   language› monitor allows you to examine programs› in  RAM, disassemble machine language,› modify programs and search  for bytes.›      12. Built-in   Task   Master  for› examining or editing  diskette  files,› and  a rapid sector copier to/from any› drive in any density.›     13. Built-in  formatting  software› in  ROM  for  any size/capacity floppy› drive   allows  formatting  in  either› SpartaDOS or MyDOS format.›      14. An    accompanying   software› disktte   performs   the  IBM/ST/Atari› diskette copying tasks from one format› to another and will even translate the› carriage return character on the fly. › This  diskette  also  has  the   Super› Archiver  software  and  other helpful› utilities.›› (Editor. Thats great CHARLES, now, how› about  an  article  about  the ICD MIO› Board, and if possible the  ultra  new› MIO  II  Board from MIKE HOHMAN, (Fine› Tooned  Engineering)?  I'm  sure  MIKE› will give you enough info about it for› you  to  write  an  article  about it.› Maybe he  will  even lend (?) you one?› A.P.)›               =<>=<>=››