1

i bought two years ago an XC12 tape with AST turbo upgrade, i also got some tapes with it in turbo format.

the tape can load standard format programs/games no problem.. but it cannot load the turbo formated games!?..  there is a loader in the beggining of the tape that load fine.. but nothing more?..

there is also an additional joystick like connector going from the tape.. does any one knows where it goes to?..  does any know knows how this AST tape operate and how can i fix it?

Nir Dary
Jerusalem

Atari Lives Forever

2

the DB9 joystick like connector should go to second joystick port. try it and it should work...

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= krap.pl =

3

AST needs a cartridge with turbo system. Do You have the cartridge?
Here is the contens of it's rom: http://jsobola.republika.pl/atariepr/astturbo.zip

4

Jurgi,

i think i do have the cartridge... although all its commands are in polish.. i will take some pictures of it tonight..

at the begining of each tape there is a loader.. here is a picture of it.. the loader loads fine but the games that are in high speed format does not load.. i did try to plug the tape joystick connector to port 2 and still it does not load!?..

does anyone have schematics of the AST interface?

Atari Lives Forever

5

Ok, but does any error message appears, any message? Do the game starts to load, and just stops? I haven't seen any AST, but I'll try to find any manual, schematics or anything.

In one of that old Polish magazines, I've read, that AST has not any error correction! Maybe the tapes are to old? Or the upgrade is corrupted?

6

Hi Nir!!!
I have not AST, but Turbo 2000. At screen, wchich you load - I see converter from AST to TURBO 2000. I think - that you have TURBO 2000 version of tape, not AST. Probably - someone have earlier AST and convert games to tape from AST to KSO Turbo 2000. Search the web of Warsaw version of K.S.O. Turbo 2000 (or Turbo 2000F) eprom. Probably this is it!!!
One more: at T2000 system was 2 method of load progs:
1. Write t: * <return>, when title was in screen - type T (or Y for some version);
2. Write D * (or D ** for some version) - more info look at point 1 ;)
O.K. - some schematics and ROMs from warsaw Turbo 2000 versions you can find at Jurek sobola page: http://jsobola.republika.pl/schematy.htm (link for schematics and roms subpage) ;)

Sikor umarł...

7

the problem is that it never stoppes, it starts to load the tubro speed files.. but never stoppes?

here are more pictures of the interface inside..

i belive i have an AST tape, in the past i had a turbo2000 upgrade, it did not required a connection to the joystick, but had an extra wirte going from the SIO port

If the drive was bad, they it should not load any tape.. but it does load the standard tapes.. but not the turbo format!?..

tonight i will take some pictures of the tapes i have and cartridge loader

Nir

Atari Lives Forever

8

in the past i had a turbo2000 upgrade, it did not required a connection to the joystick, but had an extra wirte going from the SIO port

there were two types of turbo 2000: KSO Turbo 2000 (with the extra cable to the joystick port), and Turbo 2000/SIO (with the extra wire in the sio cable and the normal/turbo switch).

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= krap.pl =

9

XC12 version of AST does not have extra joystick cable. Only AST shipped with 1010 "streamers" have additional cable.

As a former user of AST i have to say that were 3 different types of loaders, You must randomly choose which one is correct. Cartridge is not required to operate with turbo files (You can load loader in Normal mode first) but is strongly recommended (it contains about 10 utilities like all types of loaders, monitor, tracer, tape head tester etc..).

Czy możecie wyjaśnić, Stirlitz, dlaczego wasz służbowy adres stirlitz@rsha.gov.de ma aliasa justas@gru.su?
Nie czytam PM. Proszę używać e-mail.

10

This picture are very similar with my old KSO TURBO 2000 system...

Sikor umarł...

11

there were two types of turbo 2000: KSO Turbo 2000 (with the extra cable to the joystick port), and Turbo 2000/SIO (with the extra wire in the sio cable and the normal/turbo switch).

The wersion with n/t switch, afaik, was also called 2000F.

I haven't found any AST schematics. Does anyone have it?

12

Yes schematics for the AST upgrade will be very helpfull... so the question is does my upgraded XC12 is an AST upgrade or other???

Here are pictures of the tapes i got.. as you can see there is an AST LOADER in the begining following with turbo files.. As i mentioned the AST LOADER can be loaded.. but not the files after it!?.. it just never finish reading from tape!?..

in the top part of the tape you can see that its supporting TURBO 2000, KSO, 2000F, 2001, HARD & AST.. can this be ture?

Atari Lives Forever

13

in the top part of the tape you can see that its supporting TURBO 2000, KSO, 2000F, 2001, HARD & AST.. can this be ture?

maybe those are turbo 2000 tapes, with the AST loader for compatibility?

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= krap.pl =

14

AFAIK KSO files can not be read with AST upgrade even with loader. Original Czech Turbo 2000 is compatible with AST - KSO is polish modification of Czech T2000.

Czy możecie wyjaśnić, Stirlitz, dlaczego wasz służbowy adres stirlitz@rsha.gov.de ma aliasa justas@gru.su?
Nie czytam PM. Proszę używać e-mail.

15

Hi Nir!!!
This cassette are from Warsaw Computer Trade (warszawska giełda komputerowa), nearest Grzybowska street. All of them - are for KSO Turbo 2000 and KSO TURBO 2000F. I know, because I used similar casettes.
AST Loader in this casette - in opinion of seller - is loader, wchich load Turbo 2000 programs for AST users witch cartridge. I newer use AST, so I do not know, that is it right...
O.K. - you must prepare KSO Turbo 2000 cartridge and use this casettes. I remember, that was an program, wchich load short T2000 files without cartridge, I search for this on my old casettes, but - I don't find it ;(

Sikor umarł...

16

Thank you for all the information..  let me review what i understand so far

1. the Upgraded XC12 i have is an AST upgrade or not!!?? i am still not sure

2. the tapes i have are for use for KSO TURBO 2000/F upgrades and not for AST upgrade

3. I Need a cartridge loader to be able and load 1st the ast=>2000 converter and then the turbo formatted tapes..

is that right?

I do have such cartridge.. please look at the pictures below.. can anyone explain how i should use it?

Atari Lives Forever

17

1. the Upgraded XC12 i have is an AST upgrade or not!!?? i am still not sure

In my opinion - it is KSO Turbo 2000 (or 2000F version)

2. the tapes i have are for use for KSO TURBO 2000/F upgrades and not for AST upgrade

Yes, for T2000. I never use ASt, so - i do not know if that working with or not...

3. I Need a cartridge loader to be able and load 1st the ast=>2000 converter and then the turbo formatted tapes..

is that right?

No, You do not need that... You need T2000 cartridge and you can't use this converter anymore...

I do have such cartridge.. please look at the pictures below.. can anyone explain how i should use it?

Last picture (KSO1.jpg) is KSO T2000 cartridge - it is this!!!
use:
1. choose KSO from cartridge
2. Write D: *  (or D:*** or D: ** or D * - is few types or cartridges. Sometimes you can use T:, not D:)
3. wait to stop the cassettes...
4. Chose Yes or Not (Y/N or T/N - few types of...)
That's all!!!
Good joy!!!

Sikor umarł...

18

I do have such cartridge.. please look at the pictures below.. can anyone explain how i should use it?

this is for sure the KSO Turbo 2000. i had exactly the same one - with the plug to the second joystick port. the cassetes seems to be T2000 too, so you should be able to load them without any problems (try to skip that strange AST loader, i've never seen it before)...

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= krap.pl =

19

Hello there!

I can only add, that:
1. As Dely said, AST upgraded XC12 don't have the additional joystick cable - instead, they have an additional wire wrapped around the SIO cable, which connects to some unused SIO pin.

2. These cassetes work fine with AST system, too (well, I've used them with my AST recorder, and it worked good) - but you have to use that AST->T2000 CONVERTER program, instead of the generic AST loader. Since you (ndary) don't have AST, that program is pretty much useless.

Krótki

A8CAS - narzędzie do 100% archiwizacji kaset Atari

20

I don't know whether that'll be helpful, or not, but here are some URLs with schematics:
1. http://www.dereatari.republika.pl/schematy.htm
2. http://jsobola.republika.pl/schematy.htm
3. http://www.dereatari.republika.pl/serw.htm

On the 1st one there's a "turbo.zip" file which contains schematics both for "Atari Turbo 2000 KSO" and "Atari Turbo Option + Select". Because I've only used K.S.O., I'm not familiar with AST Turbo at all, so I cannot confirm, if the second one is what you need. However, I've seen that on the tapes you've got there's "AST LOADER (START+OPTION)", which suggests it may be the same thing. So I posted these URLs just in case ;]

But as I've said - I'm not familiar with AST, so I might be wrong - if so, then sorry for the unnecessary post :[

21

Thank you All for your help.  here are my test so far...

I tried to load the turbo tapes using the KSO cartridge (skipping the AST=>T2000 converter)

when selecting KSO from the menu, i got to another Menu shown in the picture below and Selected R: "Ladowania i Start" then typed D: and heard three Bipps and pressed enter..

When the tape started to load i can see "flashing lines" like shown in the picture below.. so i assume that the turbo format is recodnized. the screen changes to the Loader screen from time to time.. until just blank gray screen appears and nothing happens..   I mean the Game does not start..  the tape just continue to load the next file.. but never starts it!!?!?

Does anyone knows WHY?

Atari Lives Forever

22

Use: D *
Until it - tapes can stop on title of game. You choose T (Y in other version of KSO) and enyoy it!!! When you used only D: - KSO search for title named " " (nothing), so - nothing happened!!!!
One more: remember to use Joystick Port II connector cable  ;)

Sikor umarł...

23

try also D**, this will do no harm, but version KSO that i had used required that notation.

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= krap.pl =

24

Thank you all for your help...
i managed to solve the problem!..

i need to write D*.*
then it would fid the file header and ask me to push T to load

Thanks again

[ Dodano: Wed Nov 10, 2004 8:08 ]
Here is some more feedback after playing with the KSO tape all last night ;).

I tested the tape on varius computer, and found that the KSO turbo upgrade would not work on NTSC atari computers. it requires PAL atari computer or NTSC computer with PAL ANTIC chip. i belive this is because of the KSO loader that is PAL only..

do you know of another loader i can try beside the KSO cartridge i have?

it also did not work on my 600xl with 64k ram.. maybe because of the hebrew os inside!?...

well thats all for now

Nir Dary
Jerusalem

Atari Lives Forever

25

That was a central-european upgrade, so for sure no one bothered about something such strange, as ntsc computers? And probably no one seen such one in that days. So, probably there is no loader working on ntsc.

And probably no one would like to write such one, I'm afraid?