Its pretty common these days to make up a USB power cable for the Atari XL and XE machines but I wasn't sure how much current it needed. Now I know. - ThreadSky

48kram.bsky.social • 102 days ago

Its pretty common these days to make up a USB power cable for the Atari XL and XE machines but I wasn't sure how much current it needed. Now I know.

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Comments

benjedwards.com•102 days ago

Gotta love it

wrexadecimal.bsky.social•102 days ago

retrofrog.bsky.social•102 days ago

USB-C power for everyone!

nathaniellockhart.bsky.social•102 days ago

What peripherals do you have connected? I'd have to think with a Disk Drive attached it could approach 2 full amps when in operation

cloudscout.com•102 days ago

I think the original power supply was only rated for 1.5a.

scottsrobots.bsky.social•102 days ago

THIS WAS MY FIRST COMPUTER!

When I had surgery when I was 3 my parents let me pick out any video game from (now-defunct) Child World.

I picked Popeye cartridge for the Atari 800xl.

I played the shit out of that thing.

zodypop.bsky.social•102 days ago

Child World --> Children's Palace, which is how I remember it.

segagamer.bsky.social•102 days ago

Huh, never thought of doing this. Certainly beats having those massive power blocks.

Other systems doable?

fuzzweed.co.uk•102 days ago

I'm thinking it's quite lucky with the Atari. All the others I can think of are 9v or something more complicated....

segagamer.bsky.social•102 days ago

Understandable. I guess USB-C is a whole new challenge haha

fuzzweed.co.uk•102 days ago

I'm not sure I'm ready to use C as a hobbiest. I'm not sure anyone could be ready 😀

48kram.bsky.social•102 days ago

There are USB c power supplies for several vintage computers now. Apple 2c, C64 (also requires a 9vac PSU), Amiga (requires special out-of-spec USB PSU) are the ones I can think of now. Oh and MiSTer as well

fuzzweed.co.uk•102 days ago

Good to know. Nice solution 'done properly ' but obviously you can't access all the voltages by snipping the plug off and soldering red and black like og usb (of which there are multiple examples of in my cave)

retroid.bsky.social•102 days ago

It depends. I've ran a Spectrum +2 off 5v USB directly to the 7805 header - because that's the only voltage used internally for everything important, only a few periferals and the composite video chip needs 12v.

Made an Atari 800/XL adaptor using micro USB - should update that to USB-C now!

fuzzweed.co.uk•102 days ago

Ahh. That's very interesting. I like that