uIP-tool

Easy-peasy transfers

As you may have read in my previous article, I've bought the NetUSBee. This is a gorgeous slab of hardware available from Lotharek. It has an Ethernet socket for easy connection to the outside world.

It's possible to connect your ST to a Mac/PC thanks to Mariusz Buras, who has developed a program called uIP Tool. This will transform your Atari ST into a file server with no configuration required. Just load it up, and it will automatically assign itself an IP, which you will use in Google Chrome on your Mac/PC. It's no different from accessing any website. Now you can access the Atari ST and begin transferring files.

NetUSBee with uIP-tool makes transferring files to/from your Atari ST a cinch...

In fact, you don't need to use a web browser at all. Load up uIP-Tool, then copy a file to your Atari ST using the command line. It's geeky, but it works very well, so it's lots of fun! Here is the example command to copy 'myfile.zip' over to the D-Drive on my Atari ST...

curl -0T myfile.zip 192.168.2.2/d/myfile.zip

uIP-Tool makes it very easy to get files onto your Atari ST. It's simple to use, with a great interface, and it gets the job done. Yep, NetUSBee is a fantastic piece of kit, and uIP-Tool marries up well.

This is excellent software!

Help for those using WiFi
If your router is in a different room to your Atari ST then you might think uIP-tool isn't compatible with your setup unless you have a mega-long ethernet cable? Not so. My router is located downstairs so I bought myself a very short ethernet cable to physically connect the Mac to my Atari STe.

To provide uIP-Tool with a working IP address - just enable the Mac's Internet Sharing. Sorry, I don't own Windows or Linux, but I expect a similar function exists? Just follow this:

 1) load up System Preference (via the Apple menu)
 2) click on Internet Sharing (view me)
 3) choose WiFi in the dropdown menu & tick the ethernet box (view me)
 4) lastly, tick the box left of "Internet Sharing" to activate this service.
 5) now quit System Preferences.
 6) load up uIP-Tool on the Atari ST and note the IP it displays for you.
 7) enter that IP into Google Chrome so you can now access your Atari ST. Job done!

PARCP

PARCP running on my Mac (the Mac is shown on the left side and the Atari ST on the right)

Get your Atari ST talking!!

After all these years, owning an Atari ST is still a joy - plus I feel like a teenager again!! However, this raises the question of how to get games and other programs running on my ST. After all, it's not like I can pop to the shops or swap disks with friends like we did back in the day. If only I had a time machine...

Anyhow, the internet is stuffed with ST disks, but we're left with the problem of getting them from the Mac/PC onto the ST (whether it's using floppies or a hard drive). Heck, it might be the most awesome 16-bit computer on the planet, but it has no Ethernet, USB, or WiFi. Argh, how can we get these files onto the ST?

There are many options; one of the best is ParCp-USB by Petr Stehlik. This device plugs into the ST's parallel port and features a Mini USB socket, allowing the Atari to connect to a Mac or PC. The only decision to make is which of your computers you want to act as the "master" or "slave". I run my ST as the master whilst the Mac acts as the slave. Watch the video recording I've made for a better idea of how it works.

You're probably wondering about transfer rates compared to some of the newer options. Well, the parallel port was never gonna be a super-zippy option because it wasn't designed for that. Thankfully, for the most part, Atari ST files are smaller than those on modern computers, so keep that in mind when looking at this:

• Typical transfer speeds from my Mac --> ST are around 20Kb/sec.
• And around 15Kb/sec when transferring something from my ST --> Mac.
• ( Please note: my speed tests were done using my 8MHz Atari ST w/Ultrasatan )

Regardless, PARCP scores because of its excellent user interface, ease of use, and reliability. This is a fantastic product that I use daily because it makes transferring files a doddle. Highly recommended!!