Frankfurter Hardware

SIO2PC-Interface

		Short description
		Prices and accessories
		Typical applications

		ST-computer and SIO2PC-interface

First steps:		From a XL-disk to a ATR-file on the PC
		From a ATR-file on the PC to a XL-disk
		Modifications of data transfer timing in the SIO2PC software

		Newest version of the SIO2PC-software V4.16

Other addresses about the software are on the left side at 'Links'.

ST-computer and SIO2PC-interface

You can use the SIO2PC-interface with the serial connector of a PC or ST-computer.
When connecting the SIO2PC-interface to a PC use the SIO2PC-software or similar.
The pendant at the ST is called '800XLDJ' and is available for example from the first ATARI XL/XE pooldisk CD-ROM.
In the following is only the PC described, because the connection of a ST is the same.

Short description

The SIO2PC-interface is used with the same named software or other (e.g. APE) to connect a PC to an ATARI 8-bit.
The PC's memory is used as disk emulation for the ATARI. It is also possible to print on the PC-printer or to use the PC-modem from the ATARI.
ATARI disk images recorded on the PC can not only be read from the ATARI by the SIOPC-interface, you can also use the images for ATARI-Emulators on the PC (for example PC-Xformer).

ATARI-Booting without physical ATARI-floppies
Transfer of disks with different densities
Emulation of up to eight floppies at the same time
Emulation of a printerinterface and modem
Easy connection on the SIO-port and COM-port
Mix between real ATARI-floppies and SIO2PC-interface

THE Interface to the PC and back!!!
SIO2PC-examples

In the alternating picture on the top, you can see a minimal and a typical application with the SIO2PC-interface.

Prices and accessories

The price for a ready to use SIO2PC-interface inclusive a SIO-cable is 50DM.
To connect the interface to a PC, a normal modem-cable is necessary (no X-cable) which is not included. The SIO2PC-interface has a 25pole SUB-D connector, the end of the cable to the PC may vary (9 or 25 pole).
A two meter modem-cable (2x25pole) costs 10DM.

Typical applications

The SIO2PC-interface can be used in many different applications:

Backup from ATARI-datas on the PC
Virtual enhancement of XL-floppies
Replacement of XL-floppies
Very fast data acccess
Use of the PC-modem as a 850er Interface from the XL
Use of the PC-printer using the normal P-handler from the XL
Transfer of ASCII-files to further processing on the PC
Easy transport of XL-disks to use with the PC-Xformer
ATR-file at PC accessable from XL like a normal floppy
The same ATR-files can be used by two different programs. With the SIO2PC-software to use the image as normal disk from the ATARI and with the PC-Xformer direct in the PC. Because of this, the SIO2PC-interface is ideal for working with your images both on the ATARI and the PC.

Memorysize of the ATARI-disk	Declaration in the SIO2PC-program
Single Density	Single Density; 92k
Enhanced Density	Single Density; 133k
Double Density	Double Density; 184k

First steps: From a XL-disk to a ATR-file on the PC
In this example is described how to convert a DOS 2.0 Disk (SD) with the SIO2PC-program on the PC and to save it as a ATR-image. At the ATARI is also connectet a ATARI-floppy as 'D1:'

Start the SIO2PC-programm on the PC under DOS.
Insert DOS2.0-disk in the floppy and boot the ATARI without BASIC.
Press the C-key on the PC to create a new (unformatted) virtual disk.
Press the S-key for Single-Density, because our disk has this density.
Press the 2-key to use the image as D2:
Repress the 2-key to adjust the correct size of the disk (SD-disks have 92k).
Now you have a unformatted single density disk created and we can access it as D2:
Format the disk (D2:) with the 'format' command from the DOS 2.0 menu.
Copy all data from the DOS 2.0 disk to the disk image with the 'disk-copy' command in the DOS2.0 menu from D1: to D2:
Press the W-key on the PC to save the data of the image as a file.
Press the 2-key to select D2: as the image you want to save.
Insert a filename for your image. Use maximal eight characters and append always the exension 'ATR'. For example DOS20.ATR
The image is now saved as one file in the directory where you have started your SIO2PC-program.
The declaration of the memory size of the ATR-file is only used to reserve enough diskspace. If you choose to much, it costs you to much memory on the harddisk. Otherwise, a to low declaration, finishes with errors.

Memorysize of the ATARI-disk Declaration in the SIO2PC-program

Single Density Single Density; 92k

Enhanced Density Single Density; 133k

Double Density Double Density; 184k

The information of the density in the SIO2PC-program correlates to the sectorsize. Single density is for 128 bytes each sector and double density for 256 bytes each sector.

First steps: From an ATR-file on the PC to a real XL-disk
In this example is described how to create a real ATARI-disk from an ATR-file on the PC. For this I use the DOS 2.0 ATR-file from the example above. At the ATARI is also connectet a ATARI-floppy as 'D2:'.

Start the SIO2PC-program on the PC under DOS.
Press the L-key to load an image into the memory.
Press key '1' to declare the image as floppy 'D1:'.
Select the file 'DOS20.ATR' in the filemenu.
Press ENTER to not use any special option.
The ATR-file is now accessable as 'D1:' from the ATARI.
Insert an empty, unformatted disk into the ATARI-floppy and boot without BASIC.
The ATARI boots now from the ATR-image on the PC which you have declared as 'D1:'.
Select the format option in the DOS2.0 DUP to format the disk in 'D2:'.
Use the 'disk-copy' command of the DOS2.0 menu to copy all datas from the imagedisk D1: (PC) to D2: (ATARI-floppy).
The ATARI-disk is now ready. It is an exact clone of the original disk.
Please remark that it is only possible to declare bootabale disks as 'D1:' to start the system!!!
The SIO2PC-interface can, if ab ATR-image is present, work with or without real ATARI-floppies. Attention: Use each disknumber only one time!

First steps: Speed adjustment if you have trouble with the communiction between ATARI and PC

Normally it is not necessary to make changes to the default timing definitions.
Because of this, if there are any problems, at first control all other possible reasons.
These are for example:

The SIO2PC-program is not started under DOS (leave WIN3.11/WIN95/WINNT!!!).
Double use of a disknumber (ATARI-floppy and SIO2PC-interface).
Wrong COM-port is connected or selected.
The interrupt channel of the COM-port is also used by an other equipement.
If all this is not the reason for your problem, and you listen partly transmissions, it is possible to fix the problems with some corrections in the transfer timing between ATARI and PC.
To do this press the A-key during the SIO2PC-program is running.
With the keys 1 to 8 you can select different timeing parameters for the communication between ATARI und PC. Please change only one parameter on each time and test the communication again. The timing values with a star are for the data transmission from the ATARI to the PC, and the timings with two stars for the opposite direction.
Make changes until the transmission works well.
Notate the changes you made on a paper and leave the SIO2PC-program.
Copy the SIO2PC-program to a disk. Change to the floppy (for example A:) and enter the following command:
debug sio2pc.com
Then a minus-sign is shown as a prompt. Press the G-key for GO. The SIO2PC-program starts now normally. Press the A-key in the running program to switch into the timing menu. Reenter your different timings and leave the program again.
Now ypu see the minus sign prompt.
Press 'W' for WRITE. The computer responses with a message that he writes some datas. Now press 'Q' for QUIT. The prompt changes back to the normal shape.
Now restart the SIO2PC-program from the disk in the normal way.
An alert message comes up and shows that the program includes different datas since the last start. Because we made the changes ourselve, it is not a virus. Accept the changes by pressing the 'o' and 'k'-keys. The message will never be displayed again.
The SIO2PC-program is now changed as you want. Copy the file back to your harddisk, possible under a different name.
ATTENTION: Never make any changes at the original file on the harddisk. If you will make any mistakes, it is possible that you will loose all your datas of the harddisk!!!