
ATORIC V0.7 (August 1998)
-------------------------

Hello, ORIC-Fan!
Here  it  is,  a new version of ATORIC for the ATARI ST/TT/Falcon
series  of  computers.  Perhaps it will also run on more powerful
machines  like  the  HADES  or the MILAN (in a "GEM" window, even
under MultiTOS..).

You'll need about 400kB of free RAM for ATORIC, most of it in the
FAST-RAM region (if you have FAST-RAM).

WHAT IS AN ORIC?
----------------
If  you  don't  know that, you'll probably have not much fun with
ATORIC..
The  ORIC  computers  were  quite popular around the Mid-1980ies,
especially  in England and France. Two models, the ORIC-1 and the
ATMOS  were sold in large quantities. Of course, later there were
advanced  "ORIC  compatibles"  like  the TELESTRAT or the STRATOS
but I don't know too much about them.
Hardware description:
CPU: NMOS 6502 8-bit microprocessor, 1MHz clock
RAM: 64kByte (48kByte usable without additional hardware)
ROM: 16kByte
Display: TV compatible, 240x228 Pixel at 8 colors,
         just let's say: MINITEL/VIDEOTEXT compatible
Keyboard: Conventional (ATMOS) or funny but very usable (ORIC-1)
Cassette interface: 2400 Baud
Sound chip: AY3-8910 (yeah, Atari also used that one for the ST)
Also, there were different floppy disc drive systems (MICRODISK,
JASMIN) available (emulated by ATORIC up to now is only the
 ORIC MICRODISK).


HOW TO SET UP ATORIC
--------------------
Get an editor (if you don't have one, use the supplied ED_E.PRG),
load ATORIC.CNF and read the comments carefully before you change
any parameter!

** ATARI ST OWNERS: SET ST_OVERSCAN to 1 !!  **

If  you  don't  have  a  standard  ST (color monitor or SM124), a
standard  TT  with  VGA  monitor  or  a  standard  Falcon, you'll
probably  have  to  use the GEM resolution (REZ=1). Especially in
the  case  of  graphics cards.. ATORIC will then run in a window,
but  ONLY,  IF  YOU START ATORIC in a 16 color graphics mode (due
to the behaviour of the vro_cpyfm() VDI function)


HOW TO LOAD A PROGRAM
---------------------
Just type in ORIC Basic:
CLOAD""
and  specify  the file in the file selector box. If you know that
your  file e.g. has the name "DEFENDER", type CLOAD"DEFENDER" (16
chars are allowed)

If you are using the disc emulation and have a "disc file",
use the HELP key to enter the emulator's menu, push the key '5'
to see the disc menu, click on the filename of the "disc file"
and select your file. Type DIR or !DIR to read the contents of that
disc - if it is for another ORIC DOS, just reboot with keypad '/' key..

To check the speed of the emulation, type
10 FOR I=1 TO 10000:NEXT
20 EXPLODE
RUN
(the original ORIC ATMOS took about 15 seconds;
 my Falcon needed 36 seconds at LINESVBL=1,
 a TT needed 25 seconds at LINESVBL=2,
 my 520ST needed 127 seconds at LINESVBL=1, ST_OVERSCAN=1)

Well,  it  is not easy to emulate an 6502 processor on an 68000..
The  6502  at  1MHz  is  often comparable fast as a 4MHz Z80 or a
5MHz  8086  as long as you deal with 8 bit data! Some people even
think  that the 6502 is a prototype of the "RISC" processor idea!
Furthermore,   the   68000  design  is  quite  different  (68000:
16-bit-word=high_byte    low_byte    at   even   address;   6502:
16-bit-word=low_byte high_byte at any address).


HISTORY
-------
V0.8:
        * Now write accesses are permitted to the disc files.
          To disable them, just mark the disc file "read only",
          using the GEM Desktop (mark the file, do "file/show info",
           click on "read only").
          ATTENTION: I didn't test the stability of the write accesses
           a very long time. So, I'm NOT responsible for any 
           data/hardware losses!
        * The number of file accesses during reading is reduced. 
          Therefore it is now (nearly) acceptable to have disc files
          on a real disc ..
        * RANDOS now runs (thanks to Fabrice Frances)
V0.7:
	* Falcon030 Overscan for RGB monitor re-introduced..
	* read-only MICRODISK emulation (that was not too easy..)
	* Telestrat emulation (incredibly slow)
	The two new features are based on a technique called
	"bank switching", the only way to get over the 64kByte barrier
	on the 6502 or Z80 microprocessors. It means that a part
	of the memory is exchanged by hardware. ATORIC simulates
	that by software-moving of that memory - really very slow
	but it doesn't further slow down the 6502 emulation.
	Drawback: The function-key support of SEDORIC and XLDOS has
	   to be removed - otherwise you could type a char every three
	   seconds on the 68030/16.. (ATORIC.CNF: PATCHSEDATMOS=1)
	   And the Telestrat emulation is that slow because of the
	   slow bank-switching.
V0.6:
	ATORIC was ported to the PureC/PureASM platform. Due to the 
	(my) need for advanced features like file selector boxes,
	I decided to leave the Omikron.Assembler (TurboASS) platform.
	Therefore, ATORIC 0.6 is a little bit slower than the former
	versions but has more features:
	* Enhanced keyboard emulation - some games will work now (DEFENDER)
	* Now the Atari TT is really supported (sorry, I claimed 
           that since V0.1 - nobody complained !?)
          Too bad that there is no 320x(>=224)x16col. screen mode on TT!
	* slow&dirty "GEM" display mode for VERY fast computers..
	* an improved monitor (HELP key) - still not very good..
	* configuration file instead of patch program
	* bank switching implemented for later TELESTRAT compatibility
	  (at the moment, the "ATTELSTR" crashes at "disc access" during 
	  booting :-( ). Requires another 128kBytes of your Atari memory..
	* KeyPad ) to re-enable IRQ interrupt. Due to incomplete
	  VIA emulation, sometimes (e.g. starting ORICMON) the
	  cursor is "freezed" - only in that cases try ')' !!!
	* one program both for 68000 or 68020+ machines
V0.5:
	Internal version, never published. Last pure assembler version..
	No real improvements, only a lot of tries to increase speed ..
V0.4:
	As far as I remember just some bug fixes.. 
	Some bad monitor was also installed.
	Fastest version of ATORIC up to now..
V0.3:
	ST Overscan support. ST-Monochrome monitor support (Uuugh..).
	Some "faked" timer stuff for games. Tape routines
	re-worked (after looking at the EUPHORIC method).
V0.2:
	keyboard and tape emulation improved (not too much..).
	Falcon030 RGB overscan (VGA of course has no need for that).
	interrupt timing improved.
V0.1:
	First public release. Already working..
	Two versions for 68000 and 68020+ machines


The supplied programs
---------------------
DEFENDER:
  For movement, use A and Z keys to move up or down, . and / for
  left/right (users with german keyboard: set YZ_SCANTURN to 1,
   use A and Y, , and . to move).
  If you don't like the slow display speed of ATORIC, increase
  LINES_VBL in the CFG file on your own risk. If your Atari
  crashes and the screen refresh is still too slow, buy a faster
  Atari..
CHESS-II:
  Have fun.. Don't think you could understand the spoken chars-
  the emulation speed is too slow (ST,Falcon,TT)
WELCOME:
  A patched version of the original demonstration program for the
  ORIC ATMOS. Patched because WELCOME gets the bytes from the cassette
  instead of using the "normal" ATMOS-ROM-routines (ATORIC doesn't
   handle byte-level cassette emulation).


What's on the "NET" regarding ORIC?
-----------------------------------
http://rrzs42.uni-regensburg.de/~hep09515/oric.html     # die deutschen
                                                        # ORIC-Seiten (nicht 100%ig aktuell)
http://homepage.ensica.fr/oric/oric_english.html
http://homepage.ensica.fr/~frances/                              # ORIC pages and EUPHORIC
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/laurentch/internet.htm  # a good link page
http://wwwperso.hol.fr/~mpointie/                                # DBug of NeXT - cool!
ftp://ftp.tardis.ed.ac.uk/users/alexios/Oric   # the great ftp server of Alexios
http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~alexios/Oric-Soft/ # the cool WWW pages for that ftp server
http://www.atari-computer.de/cpepper/          # the ATORIC page

Just start at any of those WWW pages and you'll find the ORIC WEB RING
containing a lot of links about ORIC homepages..
If you like DEMOS don't miss DBUGs pages!


THANKS to:
----------
* Dr. Uwe Seimet: 
     He had the excellent idea how to write an efficient 6502 emulator
     for the 68000. And he included the source code in his C64-emulator 
     package (1987).
* Fabrice Frances:
     He is the main driving force of nearly all ORIC activities.
     Knows everything about the ORIC hardware and gave lots of advice!
     His PC-emulator EUPHORIC emulates an ORIC incredibly accurate!
* DBUG of NeXT (Mickael Pointier):
     His ORIC demo programs just get the best out of the ORIC
     (and sometimes show the limitations of ATORIC)
     As a demo coder, he provided a lot of very good tips
     for the screen emulation part.
     (I didn't try out all of those tips up to now but I'll do :-(  )
* Draco (Konrad M.Kokoszkiewicz):
     Some very interesting discussions about 68030 optimization.
     Visit his ATARI XL emulator (if you have a Falcon), for the
     68030 he has the ultimate 6502-emulator!
* Jens Heitmann:
     No ORIC fan but he installed ATORIC on his TT and gave
     some good hints how to get it running on TT and under GEM.
* Matthias Jaap:
     At least in the Atari community he is _the_ driving force
     of the newer emulation scene. He organized the non-internet
     distribution of ATORIC and ported an ORIC-BASIC to ASCII program.
* Alexios Chouchoulas:
     Helped me to get in touch with the ORIC scene,
     has set up the best software description WWW pages!
* Steffen Scharfe:
     His article in ST Computer 4/1992 about overscan on Atari ST
     made the "ORIC feeling" possible on the ST
* The various people who created the amazing ORIC PAGES on the WWW
* ..
                  
That's all.
I'm quite sure that nobody will read that lot of text.
If you want to contact me, write an e-mail to:
(are there really only three people interested in ATORIC??)

Christian Peppermueller
cpepper@atari-computer.de

