Tag: sio

Period SIO floppy drive adds double-sided, double-density 5.25-inch storage and faster double-density transfers to Atari 8-bit computers.

Find a complete used drive with the correct AC adapter and SIO cable. The bundled DOS 2.5 supports single and enhanced density but not the XF551's full double-sided, double-density capacity; use DOS XE or compatible third-party software for that mode. Most drives use a Mitsumi mechanism with a rectangular activity LED, while later Chinon examples have a round LED and stricter flippy-disk limitations. The 300 RPM mechanism can also conflict with a small amount of speed-sensitive copy protection.

Connects Atari 8-bit SIO computers and disk drives to a modern host for peripheral emulation and disk transfer.

The official page showed USB and RS-232 ordering options on 2026-07-25. Select the interface and connector arrangement for the intended host software and SIO chain. An Atari SIO cable and the computer or disk-drive hardware needed by the chosen workflow are not included. The USB setup documentation is dated and lists Windows 95 through Windows 7, so confirm current host support rather than assuming modern Windows compatibility.

Adds an SIO-connected General MIDI file synthesizer with external stereo output and Atari audio mixing.

The product exposed a login-or-register-to-buy path on 2026-07-27. It is a MIDI-file synthesizer, not the MyTek MIDI input/output interface already in the catalog. The public page and human review provide no written player-software, file-workflow, or model-specific SIO-audio instructions. Treat the external stereo output as the documented playback path and confirm software availability before purchase.

Replaces a failed or missing Atari POKEY with an updateable FPGA module in the original DIP-40 socket.

The product exposed a login-or-register-to-buy path on 2026-07-27. Installation is solderless only when the computer already has a compatible DIP-40 POKEY socket. This is a functional FPGA replacement, not a transistor-level NMOS clone; the seller warns that software depending on undocumented analog behavior or exact electrical characteristics may behave differently. The built-in USB port allows future firmware updates.

Connects Atari SIO computers to a modern USB host, with 10502PC variants that can also image disks through a physical Atari drive.

The basic SIO2PC USB, 10502PC Revision 2, and USB-C Revision 3 pages all exposed login-or-register-to-buy paths on 2026-07-27. Host emulation requires a modern computer, FTDI serial drivers where needed, and software such as RespeQt or AspeQt. The basic interface's manual uses DSR handshaking, while the 10502PC pages specify CTS for SIO2PC mode. Physical-drive imaging requires a 10502PC variant, ALibPC, and the documented FTDI setup; launching ALibPC changes the adapter to 10502PC mode, and unplugging and reconnecting USB restores its default SIO2PC mode.

Connects MIDI instruments or an optional DreamBlaster wavetable module to an Atari 8-bit computer through SIO.

The storefront family was sold out on 2026-07-24, but MyTek publishes schematics, Gerbers, firmware, and bare-PCB order links for SIO2MIDI and SIO2MIDI-S2. SIO2MIDI-S2 does not route its synthesized sound through the Atari; use its headphone or speaker jack. The maker page also includes 1088XEL-only MIDI-XEL variants, which are not attached to factory-computer entries.

Emulates writable Atari XL and XE floppy drives from SD storage using the original ATmega8 SDrive design or the NUXX packaging variant.

The original GPL-3.0 hardware, firmware, Atari-side software, documentation, and source remain public. Its 2009 documentation specifies cards up to 2 GB with FAT16, while the repository also contains a later 2012 SDHC-supporting source revision; match the firmware, media setup, and documentation deliberately. The NUXX archive is frozen as of 2020 and says its function is identical to original SDrive, but adds a different PCB, enclosure, connector options, and optional STK200-style parallel-port programmer. No current assembled seller was verified.

Reinterprets the Atari 800XL with RISC and FPGA processors, original-style peripheral connections, HDMI, USB storage and controllers, SD storage, and USB-C power.

The maker still says the RM 800XL will be available very soon, but no order, reservation, shipping, or public build path was verified on 2026-07-27.

Reimplements SDrive around a 48 MHz Cypress PSoC ARM controller with microSD, capacitive controls, eight drives, and cassette emulation.

The repository publishes Eagle hardware files, PSoC firmware, update binaries, documentation, and enclosure models. Initial controller programming requires a Cypress KitProg-compatible programmer and the source expects the older PSoC Creator 4.0 toolchain. The latest tagged update is from 2018 and fixes FAT16, large ATR and 256-byte-sector handling, applies Hias patches, and improves SD-card compatibility; the last repository change shown is from 2022. No current assembled seller or explicit repository license was verified.

Emulates Atari SIO disk and cassette drives from microSD storage with an Arduino and touchscreen.

The Brewing Academy kit was sold out on 2026-07-24, but the firmware and build files remain public. Its kit still requires assembly and part of an SIO cable. The official project strongly recommends external power because the approximately 150 mA load exceeds the Atari SIO specification; follow its wiring instructions carefully to avoid back-powering the computer or device.

Provides open internal and currently assembled external SD-based SIO disk-emulator variants for Atari 8-bit computers.

Lotharek exposed a login-or-register-to-buy path for SD Drive Mini on 2026-07-27, and Retro Lemon also listed it with pricing. It plugs directly into SIO, uses a FAT32 microSD card and SDRIVE.ATR, and provides two buttons plus LEDs for selecting four drive slots. The separate open SDrive-Simple-II build still requires PCB assembly, ATmega328P programming, and an internal SIO connection. Its documented firmware supports cards up to 32 GB and ATR and XEX files, but not CAR, ROM, ATX, XFD, or CAS files, and it has no control for swapping disks in a multi-disk title. The former SDriveXEL assembled source and exact public build package remain unavailable.

Expands one Atari SIO connection into four peripheral ports with optional external power and bus-activity indicators.

Retro Lemon marked the assembled hub in stock and Lotharek exposed a login-or-register-to-buy path on 2026-07-27. Both pages describe the same one-input, four-output design with command, read, and write activity LEDs and a 4 mm acrylic top cover. An Atari SIO cable is required but not included. External power is normally unnecessary; when needed, use a 5 V center-positive supply for the 2.1/5 mm DC jack, which is also not included.

Turns supported Arduino hardware and a microSD reader into a single Atari 1050-compatible SIO disk emulator.

The maker says SIO2Arduino has been superseded by SDrive-MAX and is no longer actively developed, but its GPL source and detailed wiring instructions remain online. It currently emulates only one D1: drive. A build needs a supported Arduino Uno, Mega 2560/ADK, or Teensy 2.0, a compatible SD reader, the specified SdFat library, an Atari SIO connection, and configuration matched to the chosen hardware. LCD and physical controls are optional.

Emulates Atari 8-bit disk drives from SD or MMC cards through the SIO port.

Lotharek offered the Biggus Dickus, metal-cased XL and XE, and color variants through login-to-buy paths on 2026-07-27. The metal-cased versions include an SIO cable, while the base Biggus Dickus listing includes neither cable nor SD card; other listings bundle those accessories with the same hardware. The official project also publishes Eagle schematics and boards plus firmware, making a DIY path possible. Upstream firmware reached 3.3 in 2023, while Lotharek says its assembled versions use customized 3.1 RC2 firmware, so do not assume identical features without checking the installed version.

Connects an Atari 8-bit computer to a modern Mac or Windows computer for disk, cassette, modem, printer, and file-transfer emulation.

The Atari 8-bit collection marked all versions sold out on 2026-07-24. Dual-SIO versions can sit within an SIO chain; single-SIO versions must be at the end or on a splitter. All listed versions include a printed case and an 8 GB microSD card, but need a separate Micro-USB host cable and a Mac or Windows computer. Windows may also need a UART driver.