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Lotharek SIO2SD


wood_jl

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My SIO2SDs from Lotharek arrived, and I must declare, I AM VERY PLEASED! These were not cheap, but they're AWESOME, and LOTHAREK IS A GENIUS!

 

I can not help but compare this to Sdrive NUXX, for obvious reasons. I am a huge fan of Sdrive NUXX, and I have a few of 'em.

 

<click on all pics to enlarge>

post-16281-0-87449300-1315790790_thumb.jpg

 

After getting my first couple of Sdrive NUXX, I was curious to try SIO2SD. So in June 2010, I saw someone selling SIO2SD on Ebay, and I bought a couple of them.

 

post-16281-0-05557300-1315790812_thumb.jpg

 

I merely made sure they worked - and they did. However, due to the fact that they had no case, I hardly used them. I hate bare electronics sliding around the desk! So I never really gave them much of a chance, because the Sdrive NUXX is so slick!

 

Recently, I decided to break down and buy some Lotharek offerings, while I still can. Natural disaster? Death? Change of plans? Famine? Post Office bankruptcy? Political Revolution? Whatever. Then I'll never be able to get what I want, so I moved this from my long-term wish-list to short-term, and got them. They are nice!

 

post-16281-0-00811000-1315790805_thumb.jpg

 

Some of you don't care for the ST (etc) but some of you do, and I do as well. I had been using the HxC SD-card floppy emulator for the ST, similarly-uncased - as were my SIO2SDs. Well, Lotharek to the rescue on this, as well. I ordered a couple of the cased (rev. C) HxC floppy emulators, at the same time as the SIO2SD, but I'll post a tiny bit about them in a more appropriate thread. However, note the family resemblance, as they look like "SIO2SD for the ST."

 

post-16281-0-18981800-1315790774_thumb.jpg

 

 

The Lotharek case for the SIO2SD is very nice! It's professional! It doesn't feel flimsy at all. The button placement is PERFECT.

 

post-16281-0-28089700-1315790746_thumb.jpg

 

post-16281-0-31399900-1315790754_thumb.jpg

 

It's amazing how much more compelled I am to actually use SIO2SD (or anything else, for that matter) when it's in a case. My "old" SIO2SDs do work perfectly, but they feel like pieces of incomplete shit, sliding around on the desk as they were. As a result, I used Sdrive NUXX exclusively. Now, I'll use both.

 

post-16281-0-41402800-1315790781_thumb.jpg

 

Lotharek included a 2GB SD card, loaded with demos/stuff. I barely checked it out, but there was some cool stuff on it.

 

post-16281-0-26086100-1315790762_thumb.jpg

 

I am an ABSOLULTE SIO2SD NEWBIE. I have only booted the ones I have a couple of times, and the Lotharek offerings a couple of times. Obviously, the Lotharek offerings have the newest firmware, AND IT ROCKS!!!!

 

It only makes a couple of SIO beeps, and loads high-speed SIO routines (ostensibly - I don't really know what's going on/nor shall I pretend to) and the result is that this thing HAULS ASS ON A STOCK COMPUTER. As far as I know (once again, I don't really know) the Sdrive will operate in high-speed, but the computer's ROM should be modified. I have a couple Atarimax 32-in-1 O.S. that I've never installed (I'm afraid) so I never got to try the Sdrive in high-speed, but I never really minded, since Sdrive NUXX still rocks. But I must say, seeing the SIO2SD HAUL ASS on a stock 130XE - is something of a pleasant surprise.

 

I chose the "Swandemo.ATR" as a sort of informal benchmark for comparison. These are not formal tests. I am not qualified to perform such, and I simply don't know enough to do that. But I just compared the loading times for this ATR and I merely proclaim that I am somewhat impressed with SIO2SD. What this has to do with Lotharek's offering, SIO2SD in general, the firmware revision, or ALL 3 - I do not know. Can I upgrade my old SIO2SD to do this speed? Will I brick it? I don't know, because I know nothing of SIO2SD. But I can tell you this: Buy from Lotharek and get the latest and greatest!

 

Here are some comparison videos (forgive the amateur nature, please).

 

Loading SWANDEMO.ATR on the Lotharek offering - (STOCK MACHINE 130XE) 2 SIO beeps, then high speed: (turn up the volume if you love SIO beeps as much as I do)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xD4qrzNk3Y

 

 

 

 

Loading the same, looking at the SIO2SD display this time (for comparison to the "old" SIO2SD):

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7xiQd13Pd8

 

 

 

 

Next, loading the same, with my "old" SIO2SD, which doesn't "turbo" for comparison:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6xDjJIwzqs

 

 

 

Finally, loading with Sdrive NUXX. Have to load the menu on this, takes a little more time, but I still love the Sdrive NUXX.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M_jKYdDDH0

 

 

 

I can't declare a winner, except that the Lotharek *CASED* SIO2SD is definitely a contender! It's the SIO2SD that must be compared to Sdrive NUXX. When I compared my "old" SIO2SD, Sdrive NUXX won hands-down, because who wants a fragile piece of shit sliding all over the desk? Also, that one didn't do "Turbo." As a result, my SIO2SD spent its entire life on a closet shelf. NOT ANYMORE.

Thanks Lotharek! You rock!

Edited by wood_jl
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Is it possible to open them up for maintenance, reflashing, setting fuse-bits, etc?

Hi, here's a pic of the bottom:

 

post-16281-0-13870700-1316163285_thumb.jpg

 

....so it sorta looks that way, but of course I'm afraid to do anything.

 

I guess Lotharek can tell us!

 

 

However, right after I buy this, I see board ver.3 coming out?

 

EXACTLY what is it that this will do, that's new? I really like the ver. I just got, as it's fast as hell and has a case. As I obviously love collecting this stuff (and sitting amongst the piles of it) I can't rule out getting even more at some point in the future, but I only want cased stuff!

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However, right after I buy this, I see board ver.3 coming out?

 

EXACTLY what is it that this will do, that's new? I really like the ver. I just got, as it's fast as hell and has a case. As I obviously love collecting this stuff (and sitting amongst the piles of it) I can't rule out getting even more at some point in the future, but I only want cased stuff!

 

The rev 3 board by mega-hz is just an assembled PCB. You need to build it inside your Atari or make a case for it yourself.

 

The rev 3 board hardware is more or less the same. It only uses some smaller (smd) versions of the chips enabling a smaller PCB and it adds a reset button in case the device locked-up.

Software wise both are the same. Both Lotharek and mega-hz run the same firmware so functionality it is exactly the same. So you are not missing out on anything (functionality wise) when not having the rev. 3 board.

 

Robert

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i must disagree

mega-hz rev3 of sio2sd is properly FIXED hardware version, and if one opens lotharek's unit one might be suprised

What, you mean there'd be a lot of hot glue and stuff in there? I guess it doesn't matter too much, as long as the thing works. Even flashjazzcat's marvelous XM301 conversions take a bit of that, don't they?

 

I have 2 NIB XM301s, 2 new SIO ports, and the 2 SIO2SDs I planned on putting in there, only lacking skill. One day I'd like to try it, or send it to flashjazzcat with some $$$!!!!

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What, you mean there'd be a lot of hot glue and stuff in there? I guess it doesn't matter too much, as long as the thing works. Even flashjazzcat's marvelous XM301 conversions take a bit of that, don't they?

Yes - there's a quantity of hot glue (or - more commonly - Epoxy Resin) in my conversions, primarily to:

 

  • Fix the LCD to the underside of the case lid
  • Fix the mounting-holeless PCB to the bottom of the case

However, the XM301 casing can be opened via a small cross-head screw on the left hand side of the case, and a large screw under the surviving pillar. This yields full access to the board and the ISP header for flashing, etc. In addition, all redundant pin headers, LEDs, and switches (in the case of boards which were already populated when I received them) are removed and ribbon cable is soldered flush to the PCB.

 

I did not find the Lotharek unit which came through my hands quite as easy to open up, although I can't possibly comment on more recent versions, which look neat and well constructed in the photographs I have seen.

Edited by flashjazzcat
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James,

upgrading SIO2SD firmware is very easy and I've never heard of someone bricking it.

 

Instructions to upgrade from firmware v2.5 to high speed V3.0:

 

Make a folder named "ATARI" on an SD card

Copy the upgrade binary (28/30K) from the second column here to SD card root (not ATARI folder) and rename it "sio2sd.bin"

Insert SD card into SIO2SD

Press button 4 on SIO2SD and turn on the computer

"SIO2SD setup" appears on SIO2SD display

Press button shift + button 4 on SIO2SD

Download "Configurator_30" here and copy sio2SD.xex to SD card root.

Likely you should enter setup (double press shift button) and select "7-bit turbo".

 

That said, firmware V3.0 is still experimental and above all instructions are still in Polish.

I like fast files selection of v2.5 and I am not using v3.0 yet.

Therefore I cannot give much help.

I think lotharek can help you more.

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  • 3 months later...

James,

upgrading SIO2SD firmware is very easy and I've never heard of someone bricking it.

 

Instructions to upgrade from firmware v2.5 to high speed V3.0:

 

Make a folder named "ATARI" on an SD card

Copy the upgrade binary (28/30K) from the second column here to SD card root (not ATARI folder) and rename it "sio2sd.bin"

Insert SD card into SIO2SD

Press button 4 on SIO2SD and turn on the computer

"SIO2SD setup" appears on SIO2SD display

Press button shift + button 4 on SIO2SD

Download "Configurator_30" here and copy sio2SD.xex to SD card root.

Likely you should enter setup (double press shift button) and select "7-bit turbo".

 

That said, firmware V3.0 is still experimental and above all instructions are still in Polish.

I like fast files selection of v2.5 and I am not using v3.0 yet.

Therefore I cannot give much help.

I think lotharek can help you more.

Is 3.0 final yet? Any english translation yet?

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