Date: Tuesday, 1 May 1984 From: Kevin Rappold Re: ATARI CPM SYSTEM-ATR 8000 The following is a review of a CPM 80 system called ATR8000 and made by a company called SWP (Software Publishing). The ATR8000 allows the heretofore left out Atari user acces to the CPM 80 and 86 world. The Atari computer is hooked up as normal except that the ATR8000 is connected in the same position that the Atari 850 interface box would go i.e. between the computer and all periperals. The 850 box is no longer used (similar in use to the vestigial human tail bone now) and the ATR8000 serves as the Atari interface box now. The system can operate in two modes: as a CPM 80 machine or as a normal Atari machine. I will discuss both systems. When used in the Atari mode, the ATR8000 becomes a super-interface box. The ATR8000 has 1 serial port, 1 parallel port, a standard 25 line disk drive interface port, an Atari connector for Atari to ATR8000 connection and an Atari connector for ATR8000 to Atari type disk drives. SWP sells a new DOS called MYDOS which will handle single, Atari double, and true double density disks on Atari drives. MYDOS will also allow the connection of just about any type of drive to the ATR8000 25 conductor drive port and allow Atari files to be stored on those drives (I am using an IBM PC compatible DDDS drive). The drives can be configured in any order and even the IBM drive can be used to boot Atari self booting disks. The parallel and serial port can both be used for printers. The serial port can be used for computer to computer or modem connection. The standard disk port can be used to connect up any 5 1/4 or 8" drive that uses a standard 25 conductor bus. Up to 4 drives can be hooked up to this port. The Atari connector port can be used to do normal Atari periperal daisey chaining just as the 850 would be used. While in the Atari mode the ATR8000 buffers all output using whatever memory is on the system. So it serves as both a disk and printer buffer thereby freeing the Atari system of that I/O wait. In the CPM 80 mode the ATR8000 is a 64k Z 80 CPM machine. The CPM capable system must be purchased with the maxed out 64k memory option (16k machines for Atari interface use only are available). The 64k system comes with CPM 80 2.2 and a few utilities. One benny is that it comes with a tailored XMODEM program for simple dumb terminal modem use. The CPM system does not come with MBASIC hawever (bummer!). Other included code: CBIOS.ASM, BIOS.ASM, ASM.COM, ED.COM, STAT.COM, DUMP.ASM, DUMP.COM, LOAD.COM, MODEM.COM, SUBMIT.COM, XSUBMIT.COM, DISKDEF.COM (FOR READING OTHER MICRO DISK FORMATS), SYSGEN.COM, DDSYSGEN.COM, DDINIT.COM, and a few others I can't recall now. The CPM system also comes with an Atari bootable program that lets the Atari display two 40 column windows for a total 80 column display. As an option, SWP will sell you an Atari bootable program which will put a full 80 columns on a monitor connected to the Atari. In the CPM mode you must have a standard disk drive of some sort to boot the double density CPM system disk. The Atari drive cannot be used to boot CPM. So far the CPM seems to be fairly generic and modifiable. As an aside the SWP ATR8000 CPM system does not have to use an Atari at all. Inside the box are jumpers to allow the system to be used with a terminal as the keyboard and screen instead of the Atari. I have hooked up an ADDS Regent 100 I have and it works perfectly. They recommend something that is similar to an ADM3. So this system is not only for Atari users. Like the Atari mode all the interfaces are the same with the terminal (if used) being hooked up at the Atari connector with an Atari to RS232 cable SWP will sell you. Finally, there is a third system which I do not have. SWP will sell you an ATR8000 add on board which will turn the 64k CPM 80 system into a 256k MS DOS or CPM 86 system. This board is called the CO-Power 86 and uses the Intel 8086 I believe. The add on board allows the CPM 80 system to still be used. The board comes with MS DOS. CPM 86 is an option for an extra fee. Little points of interest: they processed my order in about 2 1/2 weeks and the system was well packed. The documentation for set up and insallation is fairly good. The tecnical information and CPM documentation is lacking. There is no CPM manual. Only a few of the CPM routines are explained. They readily answered technical questions on the phone and appeared knowledgeable in helping me when my IBM drive wouldn't address properly. Here are some general prices: 16k ATR8000.... $330.00 64k ATR8000 w/CPM... $430.00 80 Column Pgm... $30.00 Terminal cable... $30.00 Disk Drive cable... $30.00 MYDOS Pgm... $30.00 Co-Power 86 Board w/128k, MS DOS $400.00 Co-Power 86 Board w/256k, MS DOS $500.00 The system is a real bargain in my opinion. So far it has performed perfectly. Kevin Rappold Date: Thursday, 3 May 1984 From: Kevin Rappold Re: CORRECTION TO ATARI CPM SYSTEM-ATR8000 REVIEW I incorrectly stated in my review of the SWP ATR8000, that the coprocessor board, Co-Power 88, uses the Intel 8086...it doesn't, it uses the normal Intel 8088 chip. Sorry about that. Kevin Rappold Date: Wed, 9 May 84 15:45 PDT From: Harris Shiffman Subject: ATR8000 Corrections Some comments about the review of the SWP ATR8000: In Atari mode, the ATR (either the 16K or the 64K model) will act as a printer interface and buffer (using either the serial or the parallel port on the ATR for the printer) and as a disk controller. The disk controller will handle any combination of up to four 5.25 and 8 inch diskette drives. It does not support hard disks, although I have heard that someone has modified one to do so. The software support for the serial port is limited to handling a serial printer. There is no software support for serial devices while in Atari mode. (CP/M does provide such support.) The ATR's ROM includes a printer driver (P:), but no RS232 driver. To use a serial printer, you run a provided BASIC program which patches the ATR to send printer text to the serial port, instead of the parallel port. By the way, the ATR does NOT boot most of the copy protected disks I have used to test it, so it doesn't entirely replace the good old 810. In CP/M mode, the ATR uses the Atari as a terminal (which is why it is easy to replace the Atari with a regular terminal). The 64K system comes with the terminal emulator for the Atari. This emulator supports the BIT3 80-column board as well as the movable window 40-column screen. Date: Thu, 10 May 84 17:38 PDT From: Bill Holland Subject: Re: ATR8000 Corrections To: Harris Shiffman I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF DRIVES YOU WERE USING BUT MY ATR WOULD BOOT ANY DISK I PUT IN IT. USING TANDON TM 100 DRIVES ALSO USING MYDOS THERE IS SUPPORT FOR USING THE SERIAL PORT BILL PS: MAYBE YOU HAVE A VERY OLD COPY OF ROM GIVE THEM A CALL AND FIND OUT WHAT THE LATEST VERSION IS.