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This ensures storage media can be easily shared with any hard disk controller which supports APT.
Atari emulator and mac 65 driver#
The SIDE driver for SpartaDOS X uses the APT (Atari Partition Table) scheme, devised by Konrad Kokoszkiewicz. In addition to the SIDE driver, all necessary partitioning and maintenance tools are also present on the CAR: device. And even when residing wholly in conventional memory on a stock 64KB Atari, the SIDE driver now raises MEMLO by less than 2,500 bytes.
Atari emulator and mac 65 code#
The SIDE driver for SDX is loaded directly from SDX’s “CAR” (Cartridge) device, and installs much of its code into the extended RAM when SpartaDOS X is using BANKED memory. Using the special SIDE and SIDE2 builds of SpartaDOS X, one can enjoy most of the benefits of a hard disk interface on the Atari by simply plugging in the cartridge and turning on the machine. SIDE 2 – produced by Lotharek – builds on the original SIDE concept by adding CF card hot-swap functionality and enhanced ROM banking capabilities. The device features on-board SpartaDOS X disk operating system, a real-time clock, Compact Flash card slot, programmable button, selectable “SIDE Loader”and SpartaDOS X modes of operation, and 512KB of flash ROM (half occupied by SDX, and half by an emulated “piggyback” cartridge).
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The SIDE interface, designed by Sebastian Bartkowicz, provides hard disk functionality and much more for 8-bit Atari computers, all packaged in a compact cartridge design.
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