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 Post subject: How do I connect Atari XF551 to image disks?
PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2018 3:52 pm 

Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:53 pm
Posts: 13
OK, I'm sure I'm doing something really stupid, or missing something painfully obvious, but I can't seem to get my system to recognize my Atari XF551 disk drive.

I received my new SIO2PC-USB from AtariMax today, I have it connected and the drivers are installed. It appears to be showing up in Device Manager and there are no conflicts that I can see.

I've connected my Atari XF551 to the SIO port on the interface. I'm assuming the ports are interchangeable on the dual port model. I start up ProSystem for Windows, but then it can't see my drive. It says "Could not open COM2! Check settings!" It continues to give a similar message, regardless of which of the eight COM ports I select.

Both of the micro-switches on the drive are in the down position for drive select which, if I remember correctly, sets it up as Drive #1.

I'm fairly certain that all of my equipment/cables are in good working order. I just realized that I don't have a monitor/RGB cable for my 800XL, so I can't hood it up and check out everything on the Atari side just yet. I guess I need to order a cable, and hope that it will work with my television, then I can check everything out from the Atari side.

In the meantime, any ideas?

Thanks.


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 Post subject: Re: How do I connect Atari XF551 to image disks?
PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:30 pm 

Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:53 pm
Posts: 13
Really strange. I read through some previous posts of people having issues. I finally loaded up APE for Windows, and the interface was detected. It said "APE USB interface detected and configured."
I then shutdown APE and started ProSystem for Windows. For some reason, this time my drive showed up. The Drive 1 icon was lit up on the screen. From there I went to ATR Functions, Create ATR Image(s) From Real Disk(s). I was able to image one disk. Then I put in another and started another image process. It made it about halfway through the process then just stopped. After a few minutes I received some timeout error. From then on, I'd get the same error for every disk I tried. It didn't even appear to be trying to spin up the disk. Finally, I turned off the drive and disconnected the USB. I reconnected everything but now I'm back to Drive 1 being grayed out and my drive not being detected.

Any ideas?


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 Post subject: Re: How do I connect Atari XF551 to image disks?
PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 7:18 am 

Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:53 pm
Posts: 13
I tried again when I came in from work this morning. I noticed that the jacket is a little loose on the SIO cable I was using near one end going into the SIO connector, these are 36 year-old cables after all, so I jiggled it a little bit and tried again. It took off without a hitch. I guess I have a flakey SIO cable. I'll have to look and see if I have another one floating around anywhere. If not, I'll have to get a new one ordered.


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 Post subject: Re: How do I connect Atari XF551 to image disks?
PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 9:08 am 
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Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 1549
Location: netherlands
I noticed that I have to switch my 800xl on too.
Somehow, the 5volt ready signal on the sio-bus is vital?
With the XL off, I have no chance in making a dump/copy
Some tweaking is required to get a happy enhanced drive to fully read a disk without halfway stopping due to one critical io error.
Hoop this helps you out.
Oh, and yes, I also had to chuck out one cable due to bad connection. But that was only 1 cable of the dozens I have.
Grtz, sijmen


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 Post subject: Re: How do I connect Atari XF551 to image disks?
PostPosted: Thu Dec 13, 2018 2:34 pm 

Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:53 pm
Posts: 13
I used to have dozens as well, as well as an unmodified 1050, none of which I can find. Also, I don't have a computer in the mix at the moment. I'm just imaging disks, so it's just the SIO2PC-USB interface, my XF551, and a couple of cables.

Everything seems to be going well now though.

When you say that you have to have a computer connected and turned on for yours to work, do you have your interface connected to a real USB port built onto your motherboard, or an unpowered hub? Also, the front panel connectors on your PC are unpowered as well.


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 Post subject: Re: How do I connect Atari XF551 to image disks?
PostPosted: Fri Dec 14, 2018 7:01 am 
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Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 1549
Location: netherlands
Ok, good to hear it works for you.
I use the usb on the back of my pc.
But have used other ports or hub as well.


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