Atari ST to iMac: How to Transfer Data?

[Jodeo]

Yes, it IS 2016 and now that floppy drives are all but extinct, I would like to transfer data from my old Atari ST computers to my iMac.

The Atari STs have a variety of ports, including SCSI, MIDI, some sort of cartridge port, and a few others that are less likely candidates.

I have a number of old word processing and MIDI files I would like to see if I can recover. The Ataris have no means to connect to the internet, (though I believe I have an old 2400 baud modem somewhere if there was some means of using that).

Any practical suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks.

 

[hfg]

You might find something here:

http://www.atari-wiki.com/?title=Transferring_Files

GOOGLE:
atari st to mac data transfer

There are quite a few SCSI-to-whatever cables and adapters around. Use SCSI ZIP or JAZ drives then use a USB-to-SCSI cable to the Mac?

Good luck...

 

[maflynn]

I think you have your work cut out for you. Have you used the Atari in a while? Is there any possibility of printing out the word processing files?

What size floppy drive? I see on Amazon a number of USB 3.5" Floppy drives.

 

[hwojtek]

Atari ST floppy format is directly readable by a PC computer and by any OS X that still has floppy drive KEXTs. I have an USB 3.5" floppy drive somewhere, can check if El Cap actually sees it.

 

[Fishrrman]

I don't know if this would work, might be worth a try:

- Buy an old SCSI 128mb ZIP drive.
- Also buy a USB 128mb ZIP drive.
Both can be found cheaply on ebay.

- Connect the SCSI ZIP to the Atari and load the ZIP disk with the files.
- Connect the USB ZIP to the Mac, can it them mount the ZIP disk? (see note below)

Note:
Even if you don't have a "loaded disk driver" for the ZIP drive, it -might- be possible to "load the driver directly from disk". I would try to do this by:
a. Power Down
b. Connect ZIP drive
c. Boot, with option key held down until startup manager appears
d. Insert ZIP disk into drive
e. The Mac OS should "scan the bus", looking for available disks, and load the driver of the ZIP drive.
f. Now, boot to your regular startup disk
g. Does the ZIP disk 'mount on the desktop?

 

[hwojtek]

I don't know if this would work, might be worth a try:

- Buy an old SCSI 128mb ZIP drive.
- Also buy a USB 128mb ZIP drive.

Atari ST does not have a SCSI port. The provided ACSI port is a loose reinterpretation of SCSI and needs an adapter box.

 

[Fishrrman]

hwoitek wrote:
"Atari ST does not have a SCSI port. The provided ACSI port is a loose reinterpretation of SCSI and needs an adapter box."

OK, didn't know that -- I was going by what the OP wrote in post #1.

 

[rigormortis]

I imagine scsi with scsi drive would cost more. , your best bet would be null modem cable and the RS232 port , I am surprised and shocked at this forum for not mentioning RS232. , you are going to need a Mac compatible RS232 to USB cable. This will require drivers. It might be easier to transfer them to a windows machine using RS232 to USB because of the software and driver support

You will need a terminal programs on both computers to do the file transfer, the protocols range from X-modem to Y-modem to Z-modem. Don't use Ymodem-G because it does not correct errors.


Back in the ST era the serial ports werent reliable for sending stuff @ 115200kbps because the UART wasn't good enough. So you might have to limit the speed\

The printer port could also be used to transfer to the MAC .. But I don't imagine you could find software to do it.
[doublepost=1468526725][/doublepost]Parts list
25 pin null modem adapter
25 to 9 pin adapter
9 pin cable
9 pin to USB adapter
Software drivers
Terminal programs for both systems that support the same file transfer standards

 

[JustMartin]

I imagine scsi with scsi drive would cost more. , your best bet would be null modem cable and the RS232 port , I am surprised and shocked at this forum for not mentioning RS232. , you are going to need a Mac compatible RS232 to USB cable. This will require drivers. It might be easier to transfer them to a windows machine using RS232 to USB because of the software and driver support

You will need a terminal programs on both computers to do the file transfer, the protocols range from X-modem to Y-modem to Z-modem. Don't use Ymodem-G because it does not correct errors.


Back in the ST era the serial ports werent reliable for sending stuff @ 115200kbps because the UART wasn't good enough. So you might have to limit the speed\

The printer port could also be used to transfer to the MAC .. But I don't imagine you could find software to do it.
[doublepost=1468526725][/doublepost]Parts list
25 pin null modem adapter
25 to 9 pin adapter
9 pin cable
9 pin to USB adapter
Software drivers
Terminal programs for both systems that support the same file transfer standards

Yes, it's cumbersome, but possible. The potential problem is that the OP is talking about word processing files, so there's a possibility they're full of control characters that could potentially terminate the connection or stop the transmission. Even if that's not the case, you'd get the text but probably lose the formatting.

 

[Fishrrman]

How many documents are involved?
Are they all WP docs?

If so, does the Atari have a printer attached (or attach-able)?

The owner could print out all the docs, then take the printouts to the Mac, and use OCR to "scan them into files".

Probably more trouble than it's worth.
Might just be easier to stash the printouts somewhere safe.

 

[hwojtek]

OP: use STZip http://sites.google.com/site/stessentia ... /stzip.tos to compress your midis/docs to a ST floppy, go with this floppy to someone who has got a PC with a floppy disk drive, email the files, job done.