[posted] Tape Simulator for Exidy Sorcerer

[guibrush]

Hi, I wanted to update about my own experience:

As I said in the previous post, I was able to get a Teensi 3.5: my friend actually had one and he agreed to sell it to me. So I contacted Citabria who was kind enough to help me flash my card. I used the instructions found here :

http://www.atariprotos.com/othersystems/sorcerer/misc/tapesim.htm

As I have an Exidy II, I had to take the signals directly on the controller. Instead of using test clips as described in the instructions, I opted for a solder under the motherboard. I then routed the Dupont cables to the expansion port and created a connector that allows me to unplug the Teensy in one step if I need to reprogram it. I attached it to the back with a double-sided tape to allow access to the SD card. It's non desctructive and visually it's ok.

Everything works as expected. At first I had no software listed, then I realized that I needed to have a directory named Exidy at the root of the SD card, and that I should not put the files directly at the root.

 

[Citabria]

In model II (48K) Sorcerers, the cassette interface is on the motherboard, so the Teensy must connect directly to the UART:

Remove the power supply daughterboard. Remove the UART IC from its socket at 9E. Slightly bend up pins 17, 20, 25, and 40, just enough to clear the socket when it's plugged back in. With clip leads, connect Teensy to the UART pins:
UART Teensy
1 --- +5V
3 --- Gnd
17 -- 5 FreqOut
20 -- 1 Tx1
25 -- 0 Rx1
40 -- 5 FreqOut

Replace the daughterboard. If it interferes with the clip leads, add a spacer under the right side bolts.

My instructions were not entirely clear. Those 4 UART pins must remain out of the socket so that they are disconnected from the Sorcerer's cassette circuitry.

For the same reason, simply soldering to the main board underside won't work reliably. That causes the Teensy outputs to fight the original LSTTL outputs. Apparently the Teensy will win, but there may be excessive heat in both circuits.

 

[guibrush]

Ok, I will update my soldering according this information and post back when it's done. Will take some days, as I had to order the clamp on Amazon. Many thanks for your help

 

[guibrush]

Hi, I got the clamps today, but they are too high to fit under the power supply board.
Therefore, I opted for a simplest solution: I soldered the 4 wires on the legs directly. Now the 4 legs of the controller chip are outside the socked.
Everything works as expected. Thanks a lot @Citabria!

 

[guibrush]

hi, more that three years after this installation, I got my hand on a Basic cartridge. Not an original one, but a recreation, with Basic 1.0. I have problems to figure out how to load basics games: when I type "CLOAD", I have the feeling that the small terminal program can't find the files and return to basic. Note that I have the Scuamon rom installed, but I tried with the original monitor rom and the result is the same. I can load the games correctly under the monitor. I'm certainly doing something wrong. Can someone advice how to proceed?



Thanks

 

[guibrush]

Got an answer from Citabria, he explained me how to proceed:
- power on the computer with the basic pack
- quit the basic with "bye"
- under the monitor, type "LOG"
- select the basic game
- within 5 seconds, type "CLOAD"
- when the program is loaded, type "run"