››››     Information on the BLACK BOX *NOW AVAILABLE* from Computer Software›     Services›     ›            There has been a great deal of interest since the announcement›     this spring concerning the Black Box, so hopefully this file will›     answer the majority of questions.›     ›            The Black Box is a add-on board for the Atari 600XL (upgraded),›     800XL, and 130XE 8-bit computers.  It is a T-shaped board that plugs›     into the PBI port of the XL computer, or the ECI and cartridge ports›     of the 130XE.  Connectors for both types of computers are built-in to›     the Black Box, so no adaptor boards are necessary.  A cartridge port›     is available on the board itself for 130XE users, since the board›     plugs in where cartridges are normally added.  The board is 12 inches›     wide and 3 inches deep, sitting back 3 inches from your computer.  It›     has two switches, two push-buttons, and a set of dip switches on the›     top.›     ›            The Black Box provides many unique and useful functions.  The›     three primary functions are: RS-232 serial modem port, Parallel›     printer port, and a SASI/SCSI hard disk port.  A fourth floppy disk›     port for connection 3.5" or 5.25" floppy drives will be available at a›     later date.›     ›            The RS-232 port provides the full RS232 specification signal›     levels for a modem, or other serial device.  It emulates the Atari 850›     interface very closely, but goes beyond by providing 19,200 baud›     capability.  The R: driver is built-in to the Black Box, so it does›     not use ANY user memory!›     ›            The Parallel Printer port interfaces to most all›     Centronics-type printers.  You may assign the printer number and›     linefeed options from within the Black Box's configuration menu.  The›     Black Box also provides you with a printer buffer, if the board or›     your computer has extra memory.  A printer buffer allows you to›     quickly dump your file to be printed into the buffer memory, then go›     about your business as the Black Box sends the data to your printer; a›     real time saver!  The Black Box will use either its own RAM (if you›     order the 64K version), or the 130XE extended memory banks; its all›     controlled by the configuration menu.›     ›            The Hard Disk port is the real reason for the design of the›     Black Box.  You may connect most any hard disk controller that is SASI›     or SCSI compatible, or drives with embedded SCSI controllers.  It is›     totally compatible with the current versions of MYDOS and SpartaDOS›     (which both have a limit of 16 megabytes per logical drive), but a›     newer version of MYDOS is provided that is capable of 48 megs per›     drive.  Combine that with nine drives, and that's over 400 megs›     available at one time!  The Black Box also provides a conversion›     toggle for drives capable of 512 byte sectors only.  Many of the›     embedded drives have this limitation, and previously were unusable. ›     The Black Box splits each 512 byte sector into two 256 byte sectors,›     so your DOS will still only see what it requires.  Another advantage››››››››››››››     is storage space.  Many drives/controllers will give you more storage›     when using 512 byte sectors, some as much as 15% more!  Currently,›     format software for the Black Box supports the following›     drives/controllers: Adaptec 4000A and 4070, Xebec S1410, Western›     Digital 1002SHD, OMTI 352x controllers, and all Maxtor and Seagate›     embedded SCSI drives.›     ›            A partition is defined as a part of the hard disk which is seen›     by the computer as a separate disk disk drive.  Since many hard disks›     are very large, it is useful to create several partitions of the›     drive, instead of one single drive, as your DOS sees it.  The Black›     Box goes one step further in not only letting you define the partition›     for each of your 9 available drives, but allows you to have a list of›     up to 96 partitions, with names!  Since a partition can be very small,›     you can make up several small partitions of 720 sectors (the same›     length as a standard floppy disk), and sector-copy any of your›     non-protected programs to these partitions.  Now you can swap that›     partition in as drive 1, and boot your program at hard disk speed!›     ›            The configuration menu is the 'heart' of the Black Box.  You›     can enter the menu from anywhere you are by simply pressing one of the›     buttons on the board.  You may now edit the hard disk configuration,›     exchange drive numbers, enable/disable the modem and printer ports, or›     go into the 6502 monitor.  After you are finished, pressing ESCAPE›     will put you right back into the program you were using!  No memory or›     screen display is destroyed by using the menu!›     ›            The 6502 monitor is very handy for machine language›     programmers.  How often have you wondered where your program was, or›     what caused an apparent 'lock-up'?  Entering the monitor will show you›     all the processor registers, and display the disassembly of the›     instruction it was about to execute when you entered pressed the›     button.  Users of MAC/65's DDT will feel right at home with the›     monitor's use.›     ›            The Black Box has other 'goodies' in it.  Any communication›     with your floppy drive will be in high speed if you are using a›     XF-551, a modified 1050, or a happy 810.  This will work with just›     about ANY DOS or utility!›     ›            A text or graphics printer dump of your current screen may be›     done at any time by pressing one of the buttons on the Black Box. ›     (The graphics dump is only available for dot-matrix printers capable›     of graphics.)›     ›            You may write-protect ALL of your hard disks by flipping›     another switch on the board.  This can be a real life-saver when›     running a new piece of software.  The Black Box provides disk I/O›     tones with separate pitches for disk reads and writes to your hard›     disk, so you can hear what's going on!  This option may be disabled›     within the configuration menu.››››››››››››››            The Black Box also provides support for users who have used a›     MIO previously to store data on a hard disk.  The MIO actually stores›     data inverted; this is fine as long as the MIO reads it, but when›     another host adaptor reads the same data, it will be meaningless.  By›     setting a dip switch, a previous MIO user will now be able to access›     all the data on his drive with the Black Box, with a small sacrifice›     of speed.›     ›            If you have any more questions, please feel free to call.  User›     group and dealer discounts are available.  The retail price of the›     Black Box with no buffer ram is $199.95, and with 64K, $249.95.›     ›     ›     Computer Software Services›     P.O. Box 17660›     Rochester, NY  14617›     (716) 586-5545›                                                                           ›