HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kjohnson@castor.cs.uga.edu (Kristopher Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: DSP in the Falcon
Date: 1 Sep 92 22:30:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: athena.1992Sep1.223045.8863
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

In article <la61usINNhf4@aludra.usc.edu> baffoni@aludra.usc.edu (Juxtaposer) writes:
>In article <H.op5odQJVpyw@jonh.wimsey.bc.ca> jhenders@jonh.wimsey.bc.ca writes:
>>	For anyone who hasn't seen the latest AEO, the Falcon appears to 
>>have been design as a 24 bit computer, partly to maintain compatability 
>>with existing software. This doesn't mean third party boards etc can't
>>extent that, but it explains the 14 meg memory limit.]
>
>	Yucck!  It sure does.  What a nasty way to cripple a machine.  Is it
>so darned expensive to not run 2 more address lines and give you a reasonable
>64MB limit (like anyone is touching that yet, but it leaves room for 
>expansion).  Sigh.  I know, I know - since it (26) isn't a nice multiple
>of 8, you have to add a slew of logic chips...but how about 28?:)

Actually, it's more appropriate to look at the Falcon030 as being 24-bit
'off-the-shelf' so as to be as compatible with the ST as possible.  From
everything that's been said on GEnie, expansion to full 32-bit isn't all
that difficult to do.  The Falcon030 still has a 32-bit bus and all, so
I don't really even think it's appropriate to imply it's 24-bit in any
way.

Steve
From: Christof_Stadler@s.maus.de (Christof Stadler)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: Getting MiNT/KSH/MW2/GNU C To
Date: 24 Aug 92 14:46:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: S.A4598
Organization: MausNet
X-Gateway: MausGate/News 1.11

s>1. I'd like to start up GEM from MiNT first off, so I can choose between
s>   TOSWIN
s>   and MW2, or use Uniterm.  I achieve this by not having an INIT.PRG, since
s>   GEM.PRG is no longer included in MiNT 0.95.  Should I be using the old
s>   GEM.PRG instead?  If I run it, do my environmental variables get stomped
s>   on by GEM, or will they be accessible by later shells?
You won't need GEM.PRG any more. If you have no INIT in MINT.CNF, MiNT will
start GEM. Your environment variables will be accessible by later shells.

s>   In any case, after MiNT boots GEM, I start MW2 using KSH.TOS -- and it
s>   doesn't recognize that it is a login shell -- so I have no environment.
s>   I
s>   must then manually load PROFILE.KSH and KSHRC.KSH.  Is there a better way
s>   to set this up?  Having to manually load these for each new shell is a
s>   pain!
Just put something like
     setenv ENV c:\mint\kshrc.ksh
in your MINT.CNF. KSH will load this file every time you launch it.

s>3. Where in the GNU archives on atari.archive is the startup module crt0?  I
s>   have the GNU libraries and GCC binaries, but didn't get this piece.
You need the sources for the GNU Binaries; there you will find crt0.

s>4. I'm assuming that I can use these programs without going to a MINIX file-
s>   system.  Is this still true?
Yes!

Bye

Christof
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
From: amos@prl.dec.com (Samos)
Subject: The ultimate sprite routine, Generated code and the other one..
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation - Paris Research Laboratory
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 08:33:19 GMT

For color monitors (4 bit-plans)

Less memory :

In fact, the best routine before the generated code was the preshifted one, but
I've got an optimisation :
Let's say you preshift 16 times a sprite, and also the masks. 
For the masks, you should also have twice the same mask for 8 bytes, (so a mask would take
4 bytes instead of 2..)

The routine would go like this :
	lea mask_predecal,a0
	lea Sprite_predecal,a1
	lea Screen_address,a2

	you have the x and y, in d0-d1
	so y*160 + (x >> 4) << 3 for the screen offset, and (x && 15) for the sprtie decal pointer.

	then x*sprite_size to point on the sprite shifted at (x && 15) position, + a1

	then movem.l d1-dx/a3-ax (x for left registers you have)
	move.l (a0)+,d0
	and.l d0,(a1)
	or.l d1,(a1)+
	and.l d0,(a1)
	or.l d2,(a1)+
	... for the sprite size .
 So here, you have optimized and with the movem, and with the double masks..



 Generated code, the best, but it takes a lot of memory:

Let's imagine the sprite. If you poke as warwick@cs.uq.oz.au (Warwick Allison) said,
directly the code at the screen with the masks like :
	and.l	#xxx,y(a0)
	or.l	#www,y(a0)
 	...

And if you generate this code, instead of typing all the xxx yyy zzz too many times..
you generate the and.l #xxx,y(a0) in memory (I do not remember how it is exactly coded..),
then you would have to jump in the address where the sprite is printed !
So you make a routine that looks at the sprite, and generate and.l and or.l, and shifts
the sprites, then you look at the x offset and just jump in the routine you have made in
the beginning of the program. Now, the other advantage, is that when you see that the sprite
has 16 black pixels, as it is a sprite, you generally and.l #$ffff,(a0) or.l #0,(a0)
so here you do not and anything and just increments a0 ! you save precious cycles..
If you want to push the routine as its best optimization, in your routine at the begging
you redraw the sprites : try to see the 4 colors that appear the more in the sprite, and
put them on different plans, the other colors on the 11 left colors, then you would often
have only to or.l 1 plan (but still masking 4) because the color is always in his 16 pix. blocks.

By re-reading me, it looks very confused. If you want more information about generated code, or
a source, just ask it..


The results are : on a 8Mhz STf, 20 32*32 sprites in 1 VBL ! or huge sprites.. very cool

Amos.
From: m_adlard@csd.brispoly.ac.uk (M Adlard)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: Vanishing partitions
Date: 27 Aug 92 23:09:12 GMT
Organization: Bristol Polytechnic, England

In article <3173@isgtec.isgtec.com> ken@isgtec.com (Ken Newman) writes:
>
>Well, after thinking "it'll never happen to me", it has. I can't access
>any partitions on my hard disk. I was working on a program for a few
>hours (of course), compiled it, ran it, and boom, 4 bombs, machine reboots,
>and I'm looking at just drive A and B icons. I tried some obvious things,
>cold boot, turning computer off and on after a while, no go. Ok, powered
>down everything for 1 minute, then hard drive on, then computer on, same
>thing, just A and B icons. So I figured the boot sectors on drive C must
>have been zapped, so I ran ICDBOOT.PRG from a floppy, it seems happy,
>I install a drive C icon, click on it, get "Drive does not exist...".

I used to run a ST BBS here in England, using the same controller card, but
with an Seagate drive (40megs/57formatted)
One day my system did the same thing. I have been told that its something
to do with the way the ST talks to the DMA port.
I was also told that if I reduce the size of the first partion (logical drive
C:) to its mimium size, and if memory serves me that was 1.8Megs this would 
reduce the chance of this screwup again. 

>So, in summary, I can't get at any partitions on the drive. Can anybody
>suggest something? Surely I haven't lost all the partitions? I don't care
>if I lose the C partition, it's backed up. But the whole drive? I don't
>want to start repair/recover utilities until I try some other alternatives.

In some cases the manual for the adscsi card said that you can re-create the
partion information and so recover the drive, in practic I have not been able
to do this. and it ment a re-format (hence the death of my BBS!)

Sorry this is not to positive..
-- 
Matthew Adlard     | m_adlard@csd.brispoly.ac.uk

Any remarks made are my own views only.
From: hutch@bellman.lanl.gov (John Hutchinson)
Subject: Re: 24 pin screen dumps
Reply-To: hutch@bellman.lanl.gov
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:43:14 GMT

In article 19050@ryn.mro4.dec.com, rost@rgb.dec.com (My name is Brian Rost) writes:
>
>I'm looking at upgrading to a letter quality 24 pin dot matrix printer but am
>thinking that it may not do screen dumps correctly.  Not that I do a lot of
>screen dumps myself, but some of the software I run does (easier than writing
>their own printer drivers, I guess).
>
>Is there a PD driver I can install that will allow me to dump to a 24 pin
>printer? 

Brian, unless someone really has the need to print onto multi-part forms, I
fail to see why anyone would want to buy a 24-pin dot matrix as opposed to one
of the modern inkjet printers.  There is close to no cost differential and the
benefits offered by the inkjets are substantial, IMHO.  They are quiet and 
output gorgeous quality 300dpi that is very difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish from true laser output.

The Canon BJ10ex has been touted here, and it _is_ a nice printer.  However,
one must be careful of overzealous claims made by manufacturers and enthusiastic
users.  The Canon's claimed 360x360 dpi resolution really ain't so as the dots
are staggered (such as they are on 24-pin dot matrix printers).  You still end
up with an effective 300dpi, mind you, but better than a 300dpi laser?  Not.

The Hewlett Packard DeskJet 500 (and it's color sibling, the DJ500C) are more
widely in use than the BJ, due in part to the PC and Mac versions available.
Numerous font and emulator cartridges are available as well as ink refill kits
(black or in colors) which lower overall cost of printing.  The HP DJ500 is
larger than the Canon BJ, but equally quiet and reliable.

All inkjet printers are slow, but only in comparison to a true laser.  If you
NEED to print on multi-part forms, get the 24-pin.  But otherwise, jump for one
of these two inkjets if you cannot afford a true laser printer. 

In the end, "You pays yer money and you takes yer choice."

---

___________________________ John "HUTCH" Hutchinson _________________________
_________________ Fair Dinkum Technologies     Member - IAAD  _______________
________________ "No worries, mate... it's from Fair Dinkum!" _______________
____________ email: hutch@bellman.lanl.gov   GEnie: FAIR-DINKUM _____________
From: Ulf_Moeller@hh2.maus.de (Ulf Moeller)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: dialog boxes (was: Detecting G
Date: 26 Aug 92 14:27:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: HH2.A11916
Organization: MausNet
X-Gateway: MausGate/News 1.11

hartlenk@newton.ccs.tuns.ca (Kenneth W Hartlen) wrote:

>bad, I was really getting used to pressing an Alt+key combination
>to respond to dialog boxes.

Why don't you use Let'Em Fly? Most dialog boxes will behave like Flydials,
i.e. you can move them and use Alt+key combinations instead of mouse clicks.
You can get it from a.a.u.e. (I think the docs are German, but the CPX is
English, so you won't have too many problems using it).

>wonder  why  these  routines  crash  the  system  with   FORMDOIT
>installed?

I don't know, but obviously it's a bug in the trap dispatcher.

 Ulf
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
From: marc@hemlock.cray.com (Marc Bouron)
Subject: Re: Tape drive for ATARI ST
Originator: marc@hemlock
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 2 Sep 92 04:16:05 CDT


In article <1992Sep1.131703.17134@medtron.medtronic.com>, rh0083b@medtronic.COM 
(Roger-Hunen) writes:
> 
> I have a 4MB ST with a 105 MB hard drive. I used to backup to floppies,
> but as data grows it becomes tedious...
> 
> So now I am looking for a tape drive. What are the recommeded solutions
> (both hardware and software parts, SCSI or other, etc)? I don't need a plug
> and play solution per se: I know how to use the soldering iron as well as
> how to develop some software.
> 
> Please respond by E-mail as I usually don't read this group.

Please followup to this newsgroup too!  Others may like to see the responses.

Cheers,

[M][a][r][c]
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
From: dud@hardy.u.washington.edu (Daniel Aylward)
Subject: 2 meg 1040STe & monitor for sale...
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 02:19:12 GMT

FOR SALE:

Atari 1040STe upgraded to 2 megs & SM124 monochrome monitor.
It has TOS 1.62, and it's about 8 months old.  Minimal usage, like
new condition.  Original packaging.

$500!  

I'll include a homemade (nice!) monitor stand too.

If you're interested in a hard drive, I can put together a very nice
ICD Advantage+ system using all brand new components including a
Maxtor 65 meg 1" high mech and low profile case, for about $400.

E-mail:  dud@u.washington.edu
Phone:   (206)522-8641

Dan Aylward
dud@u.washington.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Dungeon Master Version Numbers
From: Steven.Wells@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 20:06:29 GMT
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange



Version 1.0 of Dungeon  Master was the 1st release, and had bugs at
the end of the game.  Trying to shut Chaos in a door made the game
crash.  And it had several other bugs....

Version 1.2 fixed the chaos bugs.  And changed these:

 1) At the begining of the game there are more small stones that you can pick
    up and use to throw at the monsters until better equipped.
 2) When you get down to Level 11 (the knight level) in one area you will see
    a sign that says IF you run you will be chased down and killed
    (something like that) In v1.0 you had 2 doors and when you
    entered into the doors it opened a secret wall and there where 2
    more spiders waiting for you. In v1.2 they put a door there and it makes
    it much easier. Although they did make it a little tougher in another area
    where instead of having to kill one set of 2 knights you have to kill 2 
    sets of them without the assistance of doors.
 3) they have taken the RING OF TIME from the level 7 (ghosts and arena
    area)
 4) In the RA LEVEL they have removed the Lock Picks.  But that was no
    loss they did nothing anyway.


Generally - those are the only major changes, all the rest is fixing
bugs - so the game is virtually uncrashable!  (Even v1.0 is almost
uncrashable, except where Lord Chaos is concerned)
-- 
        Wells_S@Kosmos.WCC.Govt.NZ     /     Steven.Wells@BBS.Actrix.Gen.NZ 
                   $$$$$$$$ Nil Mortifi Sine Lucre $$$$$$$$
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
From: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
Subject: Re: Falcon and A/D
Reply-To: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 22:46:44 GMT


In a previous article, kjohnson@castor.cs.uga.edu (Kristopher Johnson) says:

>In article <1992Aug27.081037.19661@hsr.no> leikvoll@hsr.no (Morten Leikvoll) writes:
>>There is much talk about if the Falcon has an A/D. It doesn't need one!
>>If they have build in a comparator (probably already in the DSP), the DPS can
>>emulate an A/D with the help of successive approximation...
>>
>>-Morten Leikvoll (Is it short enough?)
>
>The Falcon has a built-in stereo 16-bit CODEC (A/D COder & D/A DECoder).
>
>
>Some people were wondering about the types of connectors on some of the ports
>and they are as follows:
>
> Bi-directional parallel port (DB25 Female)
> Serial port (DB9 Male)
> SCSI II (50-pin SCSI II connector)
> Video (DB19 Male - 15-pin VGA/13-pin ST monitor/etc. adaptors are available)
> Stereo output/headphones (1/8" minijack Female)
> Stereo input (1/8" minijack Female)
> DSP I/O (DB26 Female)
> LAN (9-pin miniDIN)
> 
>Everything else is the same as on the STE (except, of course, that there is
>no external floppy port).  Atari also has new analog joysticks for the 
>'enhanced controller' ports.  They have a joystick, 3 fire buttons, and a 
>12-key keypad.  Atari is emphasizing using the new controller ports to 
>developers rather than using the mouse/joystick 9-pin ports.
>
>
>Steve
>



TWELVE KEY KEYPAD?  Are they serious????

They must not be...  How many young video gamers will get excited
about a twelve key keypad????

KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID!!!


This is the kind of joypad that I would like to see... taking notes Atari?
             \
              |
              |
            __________________________
           |         R S              |
           |  ||     e e              |
           |==  ==   s l  Op1[]  CO   |
           |  ||     = =  Op2[] BO OA |
           |__________________________|


             8-Directional Joypad
             Reset
             Select
             Option 1
             Option 2
             A, B, C


What do you all think???



-- 
 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
From: Mike Stramba <stramba@zooid.guild.org>
Subject: CLA V1 - multiple inputs?
Organization: ZOOiD BBS
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 14:19:39 GMT
Summary: How / can multiple inputs be drawn to one gate?


Is anyone using the program CLA v1, the digital logic design and simulation
package?

If so, do you know how to draw multiple inputs to one gate? 

The docs mention something about connecting mul. inputs to a 'driver' gate?

I can't see any driver gates in the 'gate' dialog.

I don't know a lot (if anything about digital circuits/electronics.
Is there such a thing e.g. as an 'and' gate with more than two inputs?

Mike
From: leikvoll@hsr.no (Morten Leikvoll)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: More Official Falcon Specs wanted
Date: 27 Aug 92 08:35:42 GMT
Organization: Rogaland University Centre

In article <10004@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au>, warwick@cs.uq.oz.au (Warwick Allison) writes:
 (some stuff deleted)
> >And how much memory can it handle??
> 
> This is an interesting question, since I believe even the more recent
> Amigas have something like a 1-meg limit on "chip memory".  The blitter
> on the ST had no such restrictions and the Falcon blitter is fully
> compatible with that one.  I supose it could, technically be limited to
> 4Meg - since the entire ST could only (theoretically :-]) handle 4Meg.

The newest amigas has 2MB chip memory. This is the maximum that can (also in the
future) be used for the chipmem. (The area $00000000-$00200000 is reserved for
chipmem) Lots of changes has to be made if commodore want to increase it.
On the Amiga running a code in chipmem while in hires with 16 colours, slows down
the processor. And if you have a 68020 or higher (with a reasonable freq.), it
can move data faster then the blitter...

> >What about 'character screen' like the C64 and (i guess) 520 series. This lacks
> >in the Amiga... (I'am an Amiga owner)
> 
> I don't think anything uses HARDWARE "character screens" (as in C64 and
> Atari 800) any more - the 520 certainly didn't (the text mode their is
> still graphical).  The reason is that software "character screens" can
> EASILY be updated faster-than-the-eye-can read.  And after all, text

Faster-than-the-eye-can-read is not fast enough. Remember that in games there
are loads of other things to be processed in one picture frame. If display is
updated in 2 raster lines, that would be better than 50. How about 16x16 user
definable characters??? Or even X times X, where X can be selected.

> is only useful to be "read".  Okay, tell me about redefined character
> sets, and 4-pixel colour text and other fancies the old 8-bits had...
> No point these days.

YES! (there is always a point in increasing the speed!!!!)

> 
> Oh, I forgot - PC's still have a text screen.  For DOS.

Yes, isn't it terrible using wordperfect (the old one)......

-Morten Leikvoll (Is it short enough?)
From: BWWL@ibm.rz.tu-clausthal.de (Wolfgang Ley)
Subject: Re: Midi Maze
Organization: Rechenzentrum der TU CLAUSTHAL
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 09:20:08 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.124856.1133@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu>
mjbutler@miavx2.ham.muohio.edu writes:
 
>Hey!
>      I have been looking for Midi-Maze.  we want to set up a game at
>the Cincinnati Atari Users Group meeting, but we cannot find the program.
>Anyone know where I can get it from?
>               Thanx
>                      .\\ike
>
 
Hi!
 
You can get it via anonymous FTP from sun.rz.tu-clausthal.de (139.174.1.3)
/pub/atari/games/midimaz2.lzh
It might also be on atari.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.8)....
 
Bye,
  Wolfgang.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
From: healy@nosc.mil (Mike Healy)
Subject: Re: New operating systems (OS/2-TOS)
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 20:29:52 GMT


As far as running 68040s at higher than rated clock speeds, we use
25 MHz 68040s and FORCE has glued industrial strength heat sinks
directly onto the 68040 chips because these suckers run hot at
25 MHz. Now this 60 MHz thing is from Germany, right? And I 
understand that it can get pretty cold in Deutschland, so maybe
the heat produced by the chip will be of more benefit than it
would be here in sunny So Cal :-)


Mike Healy

healy@cod.nosc.mil



Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
From: baffoni@aludra.usc.edu (Juxtaposer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Falcon Graphics
Date: 4 Sep 1992 13:21:01 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <Bu1Dyu.IA0@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca> gbcusg@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (I. Barnett) writes:
>In your post, you say that the latest Mac LC (the LCII) is better that the
>Falcon.  Where do you get this from?  The LCII is a 16 Mhz '030 : tie.  It will
[fine examples of Falcon >= MacLC deleted]

	You know, I thought at first that he said that too, but then when I 
went to post a replay and realized that his lack of formatting (ie returns)
caused some of the words to disappear, I realized he said that the Falcon
was better than the latest MacLC.  I was bummed because I was going to make
a nice little list showing how the Falcon is either better or equal to the
LC (the two exceptions of that being System7 and the LC/nubus slot....).

:)


>Darren King, GBC :: emai : gbcusg@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca

-Mike
From: moon!cyberden!system@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Falcon's 8 channel audio out
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 92 01:26:19 PDT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

As it stands now, the Falcon is said to virtually mix down 8 channels of
pannable, eq'able, what-everable sound to 2 main channels out the DSP.

Will there be a mod or future Falcon that would have 4 DSP ports on the back
for 8 discreet channels?

When can I get one to test in the studio? <drool>
<X>orcist

__________________________________________________________________________
   |       /         |\
   | H E   \ Y B E R |/ E N       [ moon!cyberden!system@well.sf.ca.us ]
From: djs@jet.uk (David J Stevenson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: FALCON
Date: 26 Aug 92 14:32:18 GMT
Organization: Joint European Torus

In <1992Aug25.223110.141473@rrz.uni-koeln.de> aeg03@rrz.uni-koeln.de (Jan T. Kim) writes:

>In <1992Aug25.185043.13226@u.washington.edu> mpark@milton.u.washington.edu (Michael Park) writes:

>[stuff deleted]

>>Strictly speaking, direct-to-disk recording doesn't even require D/A
>>conversion, so this whole discussion is kinda pointless :^)
>>Seriously, though, in addition to a big disk, you'll need a good
>>(==expensive?) sound digitizer (I don't recall reading that the
>>Falcon has 16-bit A/D on board...)

>There definitely is a microphone jack at the back of the  Falcon.
>It's  in  the  Falcon sheet that was available at the Atari Messe
>and I saw it myself too. An Atari representative explained to  me
>that all you need to digitize sound was a microphone to plug into
>that jack and some software. Unfortunately, I  didn't  ask  about
>technical details, but from what I heard I conclude there must be
>an A/D converter of some sort already built in.

Yes, there is apparently a stereo microphone input.  But earlier in this
thread we were talking about Pro standard multitrace direct-to-disk, requiring
a) More than two channels of ADC
b) Ability to cope with a wider source range than just microphones
c) Higher quality converters than are likely to be fitted by Atari, taking
   into account price of the machine and their past history.
d) A greater selection of sampling rates than the four used on the STE; we
   definately need 44.1 and 48kHz.  Does anyone know if the Falcon allow
   such rates?
-- 
+---------------------------------------------------+
| David Stevenson  djs@jet.uk   Tel: +44 235 465028 |
+---------------------------------------------------+
- Disclaimer: Please note that the above is a personal view and should not 
  be construed as an official comment from the JET project.