Info-Atari16 Digest Fri, 7 Feb 92 Volume 92 : Issue 73 Today's Topics: ".img" file conversions *** AtariPU members !ATTENTION! *** changing steprate? Circuit drawing programs? datalink Looking for Moniterm/Viking video card Mono Monitors (2 msgs) Please Educate (soon to be) new Atari user (2 msgs) pointer to an array of pointers? Problems when trying to exit MiNT SM124 Monitor Problem SPECTRE GCR ON THE TT (PROBLEMS PARTLY SOLVED) STDCAT 5.0b fails on disk volume renaming: ROOT DIR Destroyed STE memory upgrade - hard luck story Two ST questions 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: 6 Feb 92 14:35:06 GMT From: noao!asuvax!ukma!wupost!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!nstar!syscon!miked@arizona.ed u (Mike DeMetz) Subject: ".img" file conversions To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu elmar@lut.ac.uk (Mohammad A. Rahin) writes: >In <1992Feb3.155225.7387@sae.com> malay@sae.com (Bob Malay) writes: >>There are a number of clipart files on a.a that are in ".img" format. How >>do I convert them so that they can be used by EasyDraw (requires ".gem" >>format?? >> >If I am not mistaken EasyDraw Plus can read in GEM .img format files. I believe GEM files are vector graphics go it would be rather difficult to covert IMG (bit image) to GEM. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 15:59:02 GMT From: richsun!chuck@uunet.uu.net (Chuck Menard) Subject: *** AtariPU members !ATTENTION! *** To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article jartsu@otax.hut.fi writes: > >Maybe some listmembers have already noticed, there are some regular >bouncers on the list, so we'll do some pretty intensive clean up. > >First, here is the whole collection of the mailing errors, if you find >anything that concerns you or you know something that could be done, >please reply. Especially the owners of these addresses should give me >an alternative address or address format. If there is none, maybe you >should consult your local system administration to find what causes >this. > >Here goes: (look through the list, there is something else after it) > >Most of these appear after every message, few are unique. > >Then, here is the _almost_ complete (my own things left out) members >list. If you find something strange on your address please reply. >Especially I would like to find a solution to those /dev/null >-redirections on the beginning. They have been created simply because >they caused massive problems with the mailer software. > >Here goes again: > > ( (Chuck Menard)) I've responded to this same problem in the past. Did you receive my mail? That is why I've decided to post this to the newsgroup. I've had no problems posting to any newsgroups. And..... I have received replies via the newsgroups and email. If it continues to be a problem, I will inquire with the system administrator here or just let it go. But, thanks for posting anyway, since I've not received any mail from Atari PU for quite some time now. CUL, Chuck ------------------------------ Date: 6 Feb 92 08:31:40 GMT From: noao!asuvax!ukma!wupost!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!heifetz!math.fu-berlin.d e!unido!rztsun!ap04.cip3a.tu-harburg.de!hschs91om@arizona.edu (Ole Marienhagen - 04121/91726 ) Subject: changing steprate? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1992Feb1.205500.28233@lth.se>, e89dh@efd.lth.se (David Hultgren) writes: |> I have connected a HD-drive to my mega-2, it works perfectly but I |> need to change the steprate from 3 to 6 ms. (I use a copy prg. to do |> that now but I want to do it in a easier way). I dont know where to tell |> the ST to change it. The only way I have found is to send it with |> EVERY level 1 command to the fdc. there MUST be an easier way to do this! |> In short, I am looking for a adress similar to $440 but that also is |> read by the OP/FDC For Xcontrol is a CPX-modul avaible which change the steprate. I think you can get it in atari.archive . For the AUTO-folder it gives a program which is called stepxx.prg. This program get the information aout of the to numbers which were written in th position of the two 'x'. This program is from Claus Brod and a part of his book 'Scheibenkleister II, Massenspeicher am Atari ST' but i think it's not a PD-programm. Maybe Claus read this too, i think he read this Newsgroup too, and he can tell you more about the Program stepxx.prg. Claus e-mail is : clausb@hpbeo79.bbn.hp.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ole Marienhagen Tel.: Germany 04121/91726 Internet: marienhagen@tu-harburg.dbp.de or: a0marien@informatik.uni-hamburg.de ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 00:21:17 GMT From: fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!Rick_Michael_Cortese@uunet.uu.net Subject: Circuit drawing programs? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I know it isn't exactly what you're asking, but I've got a copy of PC Board Designer. It is selling for around $50 & I just wanted to comment it's not the easiest thing to use. You really need a mono monitor & a printer that has 1280 dots across. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 13:29:23 GMT From: mcsun!uknet!keele!csw93@uunet.uu.net (Adam Turnbull) Subject: datalink To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hi, Is it possible to use a datalink between ST's and Amigas? Does the cable need to be modified in any way, or is it as I suspect, the same? Adam. (yes, I *really* do want to link to an Amiga) ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 17:20:37 GMT From: noao!asuvax!gatech!europa.asd.contel.com!darwin.sura.net!haven.umd.edu!news.umb c.edu!umbc5.umbc.edu!chuck@arizona.edu (Chuck Rickard; ACS (UGRAD)) Subject: Looking for Moniterm/Viking video card To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I have a Moniterm Viking 1 monitor for my PC and would like to use it on my Mega 4. I know that there is a card available for this, but have been unable to track one down. I would like to avoid paying retail for it, so a used one would be very nice. Also, if I am wrong in assuming that my monitor will work with this card, please do tell me! Thanks! -- Chuck Rickard (chuck@umbc5.umbc.edu) ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 16:09:30 GMT From: sae!sae.com!malay@uunet.uu.net (Bob Malay) Subject: Mono Monitors To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I seem to remember either a discussion here on the net or an article in one of those UK Mags about Atari having a new monochrome monitor in the works??? My monitor's picture is very jittery and has lost the bottom portion of the screen. The top portion's graphics look enlarged and the bottom portion's graphics looked "squished" - any clues on how to fix this?? Bob Malay ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 19:13:23 GMT From: amethyst!salado!misvax.mis.arizona.edu!dtarico@arizona.edu Subject: Mono Monitors To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1992Feb7.160930.1141@sae.com>, malay@sae.com (Bob Malay) writes: > I seem to remember either a discussion here on the net or an article in one > of those UK Mags about Atari having a new monochrome monitor in the works??? > > My monitor's picture is very jittery and has lost the bottom portion of the > screen. The top portion's graphics look enlarged and the bottom portion's > graphics looked "squished" - any clues on how to fix this?? > > Bob Malay You could probably fix the picutre distortion buy adjusting the VERT LIN turnpot inside of the monitor. As for the jitteryness, I don't know. Be careful what you touch in there if you try this. Get youself a plastic-shafted screwdriver (or monitor adjustment tool). I picked one up for about $2 at a local electronics shop. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Doug Tarico Any opinions expressed are dtarico@mis.arizona.edu just your imagination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: 6 Feb 92 23:23:48 GMT From: arizona.edu!cerritos.edu!nic.csu.net!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!news.cs .indiana.edu!umn.edu!mmm.serc.3m.com!pwcs!cdsmn!plate@arizona.edu (Doug Plate) Subject: Please Educate (soon to be) new Atari user To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I hate asking these very basic questions, but I read the FAQ that was posted here and still don't know the difference between various models of the Atari line. I have heard of 1040st, 1040stf, 1040stfm, 1040ste, MegaST, MegaSTe, TT, etc, etc. What are the diffences between these machines? Also, I have surmised from reading here for a few weeks now that there are no card slots in the ST as there are in PC's, Apples. Is this true? How are hardware add-ins and memory upgrades implemented? Thanks, Doug Plate plate@cdsmn.mn.org ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 07:09:46 GMT From: yuma!lamar!sytang@purdue.edu (Shoou-yu tang) Subject: Please Educate (soon to be) new Atari user To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1992Feb06.232348.6350@cdsmn.mn.org> plate@cdsmn.UUCP (Doug Plate) writes: .. > >I have heard of 1040st, 1040stf, 1040stfm, 1040ste, MegaST, MegaSTe, TT, etc, >etc. What are the diffences between these machines? Also, I have surmised >from reading here for a few weeks now that there are no card slots in the >ST as there are in PC's, Apples. Is this true? How are hardware add-ins >and memory upgrades implemented? > >Thanks, > Doug Plate > plate@cdsmn.mn.org f : means internal floppy drive in the CPU box. m : modulator installed (i.e. can hook up to the TV etc.) STe and Mega STe are newer ST and Mega with enhancement in it also use SIMMs instead of DIPs on older machine. TT is 030 machine with different design for more expansion. STs has no expansion slot, Mega has one Mega bus for expansion, Mega STe has more and TT has VME bus. The STs requires hardware hacks to add-in (piggy back, remove etc.) or use DMA (hard drive, supercharger) or cartridge port (Spectre). STe is about the same except the memory upgrade is easier (change the SIMMs). Other probably can provide more information on top this and correct any mistake presented. Tang sytang@lamar.colostate.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Feb 92 15:48:11 MEZ From: Michael Burschik Subject: pointer to an array of pointers? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Can I have a pointer to a (resizable) array of pointers to strings? And if so, how would I define such a thing? Cheers, Mike. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 16:15:34 GMT From: noao!asuvax!ukma!darwin.sura.net!jvnc.net!yale.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!cs.utexas.e du!utgpu!news-server.ecf!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!newshost.uwo.ca!uwovax.uwo. ca!7103_2622@arizona.edu (Eric Smith) Subject: Problems when trying to exit MiNT To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1992Feb7.100157.14008@unibi.uni-bielefeld.de>, Carsten Menke writes: > I have got a problem when I try to leave MiNT. > > If there is a program running in the background (like lpd), when one > trys to leave MiNT the system prints this message: (description of problem omitted) > Is there a posibility to solve this problem ? > > Not 'rm u:\proc\*' or manual killing of background jobs. Well, you've just ruled out the easiest solution :-). Other possibilities (in order of simplicity): (1) Don't leave MiNT. :-) (2) Write a simple start-up program that runs your shell, and when that exits does the equivalent of "rm u:\proc\*" automatically. (3) Get the MiNT source code. Look in the file "filesys.c" and the function close_filesys(). Change the lines: if ((f = curproc->handle[i]) != 0) do_pclose(p, f); to read: if ((f = p->handle[i]) != 0) do_pclose(p, f); and recompile. Or, you can wait until MiNT 0.93 comes out... -- Eric R. Smith email: Dept. of Mathematics eric.smith@uwo.ca University of Western Ontario 7103_2622@uwovax.bitnet ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 15:50:25 GMT From: mcsun!sun4nl!donau!dutecag.et.tudelft.nl!knop@uunet.uu.net (Peter Knoppers) Subject: SM124 Monitor Problem To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Three persons {volker@sfb256.iam.uni-bonn.de ( Volker A. Brandt ), ehobbs@nmt.edu (Eric Hobbs) and au036@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Chris Burgess) wrote about their problems with fading SM124 monitors when the screen contains only a few white pixels. This problem was solved in 1988. See the exerpts from an article by Werner W. Braun, that I include below. I have succesfully applied this fix (which costs 1 resistor - so it is cheap) twice and it completely cured the problem. :From dutrun!mcvax!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!think!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!DDATHD21.BITNET !XBR3D815 Thu Aug 11 09:26:23 MET DST 1988 :... some lines deleted ... :I decided to take an oscilloscope and did some measurements. :As far as i know at two places the brightness of a CRT is controlled: : : 1) the first gate (hope this is the right technical term) : 2) the cathode voltage/current. : :The voltage between cathode and 1st gate should be constant, by adjusting this :you can control brightness of the monitor. : :Therefore i measured the voltage of the first gate against ground: it was :constant, so this was apparently not the cause of the trouble. :Then i measured the cathode voltage, which should be +70V as the schematics say. :I found these voltage to be screen-image dependant: : with a light screen i found +70V, : with completely dark screen i found +85V. :The cathode current varied between 0mA (no bright, no contrast) and 17mA (full :bright and full contrast). So i think the problem is a bad regulation of :cathode voltage. If the load is too small (dark screen or only some light :characters on a dark screen, the cathode current is small) cathode voltage :goes up and voltage difference between cathode and 2nd gate goes down ---> :screen fades. : :And now my fix: :Beware --- I'm a simple minded chemist who ownes a soldering iron but is not an :EE, so i will take no warranty for any side effects of my fix. It works with :our monitor, but i fixed it today and so have no experience on the long run. :It's a simple fix and should do no harm to your SM124. What do i do? :I put a little extra load (1.5mA) at the high voltage transformer, so that the :current never sinks under 1.5mA and cathode voltage never goes up again. With :maximum brightness and contrast i measured 17mA, in normal operating condition :about 8-13mA, so this extra current should never overload the transformer. But :i give no warranty for this! Be carefull if you turn on full brightness and full :contrast. : :The procedure is given for a monitor manufactured in oct '87, the newer ones :have a different PCB layout. : :1. Open the monitor by removing the 5 screws. : :2. Look at the small board which is plugged on the end of the CRT. There you : find the names of the parts printed. Look for C308 (47uF/100V) at the lower : right edge of the board. If the board is covered with a shielding, you may : have a newer monitor and this fix possibly does not apply. : :3. Get a resistor 47k ohms 0.25 W and solder it across the pins of C308. : Put the resistor at the right boarder of the board so that it does not : touch the monitor box later. : Pay attention to the small space between the monitor box and the board. : Possible Damage of your monitor! : :4. Close the monitor, cross fingers and switch on. Problem should have gone. : :PP: I also found some differences between the circuit drawings and the actual : board, but this should be no problem. But i supplied R302 with 1k/0.25W, : but this is not necessary for the fix : : part was should be : --------------------------------------- : R302 open 1k : R311 68R 47R : R312 270R 240R : R313 820R 680R : : :I hope this will help someone else, forgive the rather long posting. : :Werner W. Braun xbr3d815 @ ddathd21.bitnet -- _____ __ __ __ __ ____ _____ _____ ______ _____ _____ | _ \ | |/ || \| | / \ | _ \ | _ \ | ___|| _ \ / ___| | __/ _ | < | || || || __/ | __/ | >__ | < \__ \ |__| |_| |__|\__||__|\__| \____/ |__| |__| |______||__|\__||_____/ Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, knop@duteca.et.tudelft.nl ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 08 Feb 92 02:31:26 SST From: Suthipuntha Subject: SPECTRE GCR ON THE TT (PROBLEMS PARTLY SOLVED) To: INFO-ATARI16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hello World, My finding may be of interest to the TT users who are now trying to push the Envelop (Dave's terminology). I am fed up with the GCR read/write problems on my 4/40 TT which come with UK TOS 3.05, Epson 720KB drive and WD1772/02-02 drive controller chip therefore decided to carry out some investigation. I took all the hardwares that I have and spent 2 full nights to experiment and get the result as follows: Just finished testing 7 drives, 4 WD1772/02-02 chips and 2 Spectre GCR cart- ridges,2 set of real Mac ROMs with my TT. These drives are 1 EPSON SMD-380 that come with the TT, SONY MP-F11W-5DU (took out from Mega 2), CHINON FB354AA and CINON F-354EAA with big central push button, one remove from Mega 4 one from SF314 external drive, One EPSON SMD140 A000 from the 1st batch of SF314 exter- nal drive, EPSON SMD-480L removed from Mega 2 and a SONY MP-F17W-02SMM 1.44MB High Density drive which I upgraded my Mega 4 to HD drive. WD1772 chips are one from the TT itself, one from Mega4 and 2 brand new spare chips borrowed from Atari Agent. Spectre GCR cartridges are one of the 1st batch without FCC approval and one of the recent batch with FCC approval (REV 3 board). Both cartridges have been modified by adding 74LS04 chips as explained by Dave. One set of Mac ROM is from early Mac Plus (VTi brand made in Mexico with suffix a & B on the chips) another from the latest, platinum series, Mac Plus (AMI brand,Made in Philippines with suffix B and C on the chips) I am using GCRTEST program to test several combination one by one and here is what I have discovered: The FCC cartridge cannot format and verify The 1st batch Cartridge work intermittently but give better result. The older VTi ROM (Made in Mexico) for an unknown reason gives better result than the latest AMI (Philippines) ROMs. All Epson drives, and 3 CHINON drives includes the EPSON that comes with TT did not pass GCR test. The 720KB SONY drive pass some of the test and the 1.44MB SONY drive(Made in Malaysia cost only US$45) has more successful result but still have few errors in formatting and writing all drive still give read error under GCRTEST.PRG. Test was carried out with cache off. I almost gave up then just by chance disabled MACCEL3.PRG in the Auto Folder on the hard disk C: Suddently everything improved. The drive that gives best result is 1.44MB SONY drive with the HD format enable (dip switch No 7 up) The cuprit is MACCEL3.PRG which Atari put in the TT hard disk and EPSON drive that come with TT. Spectre works with both EPSON and CHINON drives in Mega2, Mega4 and Atari STE though. I also recalled that I have read/write error when running Spectre 3.0 on Mega STE too. The Mega STE is fitted with 1.44MB EPSON drive but still using WD1772/02-02 not the new AJAX chip. 1.44MB SONY drive still has some read error but I still don't have time to to 'fine tune' the variable resistor (blue colour pot on the left side of the ROM sockets) yet. Of course is will not read write HD disk under Spectre but under TOS it format, read/write 1.44MB with 0 error even with WD1772 chip. I did not have access to AJAX chip or the newer TOS (3.06) yet. the new TOS may clear all problems which I am now not so sure that could be complete solved by Spectre 3.1 as my test were carried out with GCRTEST.PRG under TOS. Hope this will be of some helps, Suthipuntha, School of Architecture, National University of Singapore AKISUJAR@NUSVM.BITNET The Mac programs that need 68030 cpu that I have tried and working well on the TT/Spectre are: ATM V2.0 68030 version, Soft PC 1.3 (but not the AT/EGA exten- sion), VersaCAD II V 2.0 and 2.2, Mac Architrion Version 4.01e and V4.21e, UpFront. Tought of the day: If you meet someone who complains that his/her life is too boring, recommend him/her to get a TT and Spectre GCR. His/her life would be much more interes- ting. (and make sure to get one with EPSON drive too). Best regards, Suthi, ' Suthipuntha Markus Wenzel 2/08/92*HELLO AGAIN, ' Suthipuntha ATARIPU@OTAX.TKY.HU 2/08/92 SPECTRE GCR & TT: MYSTERY SOL ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 10:47:47 GMT From: mcsun!corton!laas!ralph@uunet.uu.net (Ralph P. Sobek) Subject: STDCAT 5.0b fails on disk volume renaming: ROOT DIR Destroyed To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I ran STDCAT50 under GULAM on a Mega 4 ST with TOS 1.2 and with PINHEAD21 installed. I was surprised at the following behavior since STDCAT 4.3 worked *so* well. It might be my configuration. It might be STDCAT. The night before last I decided to catalog some new unlabelled disks. In order to control the order of the new disks I turned off the disk sort field. That way, when I added a box of disks they would be stacked at the front of the disk list, last disk added being first! (This is a slight inconvenience.) I was using the MULTI option of ADD. I then went through the DISK NAME menu, also with the MULTI option. I would go through the same box except this time in backwards order. I specified Update Volume on Disk! Everything went fine in the database. But last night, when I looked at some of the disks there were two problems: 1) When I specified a disk name of SOZOBON.001 I would find on the disk (with VOL.TTP) only SOZOBON. 2) Furthermore, the root directory of *ALL* the disks except the *first* one were COMPLETELY DESTROYED! ALL THE DISKS HAD THE SAME ROOT DIRECTORY AS THE FIRST DISK! I am at a loss as how to recover the files, as only the directory has been wiped. The problem would also happen when I renamed existing disks! Also, any suggestions for recovering the files? Any tools for rebuilding the root directory? -- Ralph P. Sobek Disclaimer: The above ruminations are my own. ralph@laas.fr Addresses are ordered by importance. ralph@laas.uucp, or ...!uunet!laas!ralph If all else fails, try: sobek@eclair.Berkeley.EDU Phone: (+33-)61-33-62-66 FAX-1: (+33-)61-33-64-55 FAX-2: (+33-)61-55-35-77 =============================================================================== Got a Mega 4 ST. Wish it was a Mega STe? :-| Do I *really* want a TT/Next? ;%# ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 10:08:21 GMT From: mcsun!uknet!axion!marvin!pete@uunet.uu.net (Pete Harris) Subject: STE memory upgrade - hard luck story To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu My thanks to those that responded to my post last week about SIMMs and SIPPs. I braved the internals of my machine to discover my 1Meg soldered to the motherboard. SIMMs I could upgrade, this means a trip to the workshop :-( When I purchased my machine, I was under the impression that all STEs had SIMM memory. This was part of the reason for choosing it over the STFM. If I add the worries I have over my DMA chip, which may yet scramble any (sorry, non Atari) hard disk I add to my system, I think I will have contributed my "2d" to the "No flames - things I don't like about my machine" thread. -- -----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- Peter Harris | "The sun struggles up another beautiful day usenet: pete@btcase.bt.co.uk | And I felt glad in my own suspicious way ..." | - Elvis Costello ------------------------------ Date: 7 Feb 92 06:31:03 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!chaph.usc.edu!news@arizona.edu (Robert A Jung) Subject: Two ST questions To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Two oddball questions. Please e-mail replies if possible. 1. Does anyone know if FSM GDOS will have/already has some kind of "FSM GDOS Font Creator" utility? I want to get FSM GDOS when it comes out independently, but would also like to know of any way to make my own (scalable) fonts. Is Atari Corp. planning on releasing such a tool to the public for an extra price, perhaps? 2. I'm interested in finding an object-oriented drawing program. Preferably similar to MacPaint II on that fruity computer, and capable of running on a color monitor. The last such OODP I saw was EZ-DRAW, but it was a while ago, and lacked a few refinements I wanted to see (locking objects on a page, drawing pictures greater than one page in size, etc.). I don't have enough information on the newest German art programs -- anyone know more? Thanks in advance, --R.J. B-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Send mail to rjung@usc.edu Any time, any place, any game -- Lynx Up! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Babs: "I'd be terrific! Colossal! Stupendous! Mediocre even!" Aide: "You are applying for the position of President of the United States?" --Buster's Guide to Part-Time Jobs, TINY TOON ADVENTURES ------------------------------ End of Info-Atari16 Digest ******************************