Recently started feeling a bit nostalgic, just recently celebrating 31 years in the Computer/IT Field, and started playing with 8-bit emulators like Altirra and Atari800Win PLus. This lead to me looking for an 800, to replace the one I got rid of years ago after I got my 130xe, as it was my first computer all those years ago. I am now the proud owner of an 800 and 810 in awesome shape and have been researching the different options for accessing my ATR file collection on my PC from the 800. I know there are flash cart and SIO2x devices and I am on a bit of a budget so right now they are a bit too pricey but I did come across two different Arduino projects and am wondering if anyone has tried either.
The first is a SIO2USB style connection that uses the Arduino, http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=19177.0
while the second is similar to some of the drive emualting flash carts that are out there, http://www.whizzosoftware.com/sio2arduino/index.html. Both projects use the same base and I believe, with my limited electronice experience and alot of reading, that they can be combined into a single Arduino device with some buttons to control which is active, SIO or Drive emulator. I am wondering if anyone has built or worked with either of these and what their experience was with them. Any comments or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
As a side note, the Arduino has so many capabilites I am wondering if an SIO to Aruduino to Ethernet type setup would be possible with the Arduino acting as an intermediary for the connect thereby giving the ability to be on an network. I imagine that and the abilites to run ATR in an SIOEthernet style connector. Sounds kinda cool to me.
Thanks
T.E