CosmosEX 3.0

[wongck]

How does it even work when most STs don't have an RTC and files are all dated in 1980? Could it be all my files were dated 1-Jan-1980 and because it couldn't sort by date it did by Alphabetical? i'll dig and try stuff...

Nothing as elaborate as that.
When files are copied into the AUTO folder, the entries for each record starting from 1st to last entries are read and executed (if it is executable, non-executables are skipped). It does not re-sort according to datetime nor alphabetical or anything like that. As you copy files into the AUTO folder, it just fills in the next available records.

So if you delete a file in AUTO folder that occupied the 3rd record (and executed as 3rd order when reboot), you get a "empty slot" in record 3 and if you copy another file into AUTO now, it will be placed in that 3rd record. So that particular file you just copied will be executed 3rd in order.

The records mentioned above are the FAT entries. FAT = File Allocation Table.

You can effectively change order of booting PRG this way. Of course as Leech mentioned, using AUTOSORT would be a better way.

[leech]

So I was trying to make sure (again) that I had ordered the CosmosEx in the timeframe so that it wouldn't go to my old house, but I should be good there.
Did anyone get a shipping information email though? I can't seem to find one, but on their site my name is marked in blue, so in theory it was sent.

[DoG]

Nope. No email or tracking info was sent and it took a while to arrive too. Like a month or more but that is the postal service fault and the world we live in at the moment.

[DarkLord]

Pretty sure the Cosmosex itself has an RTC in it, doesn't it? I use mine in my Falcon, which has a NVRAM battery, so I haven't ran into this.

Shame you haven't used it, it's a really cool device! Being able to upload disk images to it through it's embedded web interface is pretty sweet. It kind of reminds me of an earlier version of the FujiNet that is in progress for the 8bits.

When I first got mine (actually I bought 2, one from the very first run then the last run for the updated version, then sold the older one), I was all hyped up about installing it in my STacy but I didn't actually want to lose the floppy drive. Then, after waiting for some time, I started reading all
the horror stories about failed upgrades, which made me hesitate...

Has that situation been taken care of? Thanks.

[leech]

Pretty sure the Cosmosex itself has an RTC in it, doesn't it? I use mine in my Falcon, which has a NVRAM battery, so I haven't ran into this.

Shame you haven't used it, it's a really cool device! Being able to upload disk images to it through it's embedded web interface is pretty sweet. It kind of reminds me of an earlier version of the FujiNet that is in progress for the 8bits.

When I first got mine (actually I bought 2, one from the very first run then the last run for the updated version, then sold the older one), I was all hyped up about installing it in my STacy but I didn't actually want to lose the floppy drive. Then, after waiting for some time, I started reading all
the horror stories about failed upgrades, which made me hesitate...

Has that situation been taken care of? Thanks.

The one I have in my falcon hasn't had any issues, though that's one of the 2.0 versions. And I've updated it a few times, from what I understood, there was just a bad update out there.

[DarkLord]

Okay, thanks. The one I have now is from the last official release Jookie did, as far
as I can remember. I've never tried to update it.

Is that bad update posted somewhere so anyone trying to update can avoid it?

Thanks again.

[leech]

Okay, thanks. The one I have now is from the last official release Jookie did, as far
as I can remember. I've never tried to update it.

Is that bad update posted somewhere so anyone trying to update can avoid it?

Thanks again.

I thought he removed it. Jookie still around here to answer?

[wwinfrey]

Has anyone successfully done an internal connection of the IKBD injector on a Mega ST(E)/TT? My CE3 shipped with the sandwich connector, and it's my understanding that the Atari.sk team can no longer source the RJ-11/12 (or whatever it is) PCB-mount port, but I'd really like to use the keyboard/mouse/joystick aspects of my CE.

[dhedberg]

The idea is to intercept/inject the signal. On a ST/STe/Falcon it's done easily thanks to the internal connector. On the MegaSTe/TT you'd probably need to cut some tracks and do some soldering if you want to do it internally. The Jookie CosmosEx included a nice RJ11 injector that sits in between the computer and the external keyboard for the MegaSTe/TT. It's essentially just a small PCB with two RJ11 jacks and a pin header.

RJ11 connectors can be bought from anywhere you'd like, including Mouser, Digi-Key, AliExpress, etc. So that cannot be the reason why Atari.sk didn't include such an injector.

[leech]

I got mine yesterday. I am trying to remember if I ordered the RJ11 adapter with my 2.0 or not.
Couldn't be terribly difficult to build something. On another note, how hard would it be to build something for the ST(e)/Falcon to use the Mega ST(e)/TT keyboards?

[fenarinarsa]

Hello,

I got my CosmosEX a few months ago and never had a chance to try it so far. Now I have but I need some directions about the Falcon internal SCSI adapter. I got it as parts (as seen in another post above), but there's absolutely no manual to explain how to build it. I had to figure out by searching on the net that I need to unsolder three resistors from the Falcon's motherboard, then replace them with the provided male pins, and solder everything else on the adapter board so that it aligns nicely with those.

Now here are my questions:

1. The number of male/female pins don't match

On the Falcon motherboard the resistors have 10 pins each. Provided with my board are:
2x6 male pins
1x8 male pins
and
2x6 female pins
1x7 female pins

On the board: 2x6 and 1x7 holes

So my guess (but again it's a guess), is that the female pins go to the adapter, and that the male pins go to the Falcon side, but I need to guess how to align the pins on the 10 holes of each resistor.
Also that means that if I want to NOT plug any internal SCSI device, I need to find a regular internal SCSI terminator since I can't put the resistors back on the Falcon? The would have been possible by soldering 10-pins female sockets on the motherboard.

2. There is no way to know how to solder the SCSI socket

I know soldering may be fun, but I know I won't like if I find out that after soldering the 50 pins of the socket, it's not in the proper direction.

Thanks

[mikro]

I have some kind of tutorial in the works but one important thing to note (which I didn't know before my build) - the adapter as is requires you to remove one plastic column from the top case! This was a big no-no for me but it was already too late. So now I have my Falcon open. :-/ Perhaps I'll buy some cheap (haha) top ST/E case and do it there.

So even if you are skilled enough to desolder the resistor arrays, think twice before starting such operation. That adapter was more a proof of concept than a done thing, it really requires someone to take another look at it and design it from scratch (spoiler alert: the adaptor is not bug free).

[fenarinarsa]

I have some kind of tutorial in the works but one important thing to note (which I didn't know before my build) - the adapter as is requires you to remove one plastic column from the top case! This was a big no-no for me but it was already too late. So now I have my Falcon open. :-/ Perhaps I'll buy some cheap (haha) top ST/E case and do it there.

Oh, really? I need to check, there's a hole in the adapter's PCB on purpose to avoid that, maybe I didn't see everything.

[mikro]

That hole is fine. However it is for a different purpose, the floppy column (IIRC). The problems appears when you connect the IDC 50-pin header to CE.

As for termination, if you have CE internally connected, you need an external terminator, if you have CE externally connected, you need to put back the resistor arrays and power them with +5V.

I'll try to write it all in a near future, fingers crossed.

[dhedberg]

As for termination, if you have CE internally connected, you need an external terminator, if you have CE externally connected, you need to put back the resistor arrays and power them with +5V.

https://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=37537

[mikro]

You are correct Daniel, your device is exactly what is needed HOWEVER - it is for a different cable. CE 3.0 works with 50-pin IDC cables.

[dhedberg]

You are correct Daniel, your device is exactly what is needed HOWEVER - it is for a different cable. CE 3.0 works with 50-pin IDC cables.

Ah, you're right. I never paid much attention to the extras that came with the CosmosEx 3.0 as I already had a C-LAB MK-II with the internal SCSI modification. I just assumed that the solution made for the CE 3.0 was identical to the C-LAB and the ones sold by Arananet. Too bad, that 50-pin connector is going to take up a lot more space, not to mention the cable. Perhaps it's better to buy the kit from Arannet if you also considering the issues with the plastic column removal.

https://www.arananet.net/pedidos/produc ... cosmos-ex/

--Daniel

[leech]

You are correct Daniel, your device is exactly what is needed HOWEVER - it is for a different cable. CE 3.0 works with 50-pin IDC cables.

Ah, you're right. I never paid much attention to the extras that came with the CosmosEx 3.0 as I already had a C-LAB MK-II with the internal SCSI modification. I just assumed that the solution made for the CE 3.0 was identical to the C-LAB and the ones sold by Arananet. Too bad, that 50-pin connector is going to take up a lot more space, not to mention the cable. Perhaps it's better to buy the kit from Arannet if you also considering the issues with the plastic column removal.

https://www.arananet.net/pedidos/produc ... cosmos-ex/

--Daniel

The Araranet type is the one I put in my Falcon. The hole for the flopoy drive post was off just a tad on mine though.

[kodak80]

Does anyone know if/when these will be shipped to Australia?

[mikro]

I think the COVID restrictions are still in place for Slovakia -> Australia: https://auspost.com.au/about-us/news-me ... al-updates. That's the last news I heard a few weeks ago...

[kodak80]

I think the COVID restrictions are still in place for Slovakia -> Australia: https://auspost.com.au/about-us/news-me ... al-updates. That's the last news I heard a few weeks ago...

Thanks for checking this.

[gwpt]

@kodal80 Mine just arrived in Australia

[kodak80]

@kodal80 Mine just arrived in Australia

Cool. Mine arrived on Friday as well, so all good. Now need to refresh my memory on how to use it...

[gwpt]

I was just looking at this video about mounting the cosmosex https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMjCRRT ... logThinker

and it mentions the 'provided ASCI adapter cable'.
I didn't seem to get one... is it just me?

[Cyprian]

whats the difference between CosmosEX 3.0 and 2.0/1.0?