                        BLITZ - THE BACK UP SYSTEM
                        ==========================

        ******** YOU MUST HAVE 2 DRIVES TO USE THE BLITZ !! ********

BLITZ is a revolutionary new back-up system for the Atari ST computer.
BLITZ uses ONLY a special cable and software to back-up your software at
at a speed and power unheard of before.  There is NO internal wiring done
to the computer.  The BLITZ cable copies from Drive 1 out through the
Computer printer port to drive 2.  It reads Drive 1 and writes Drive 2 at
the same time.  The time it takes a normal copy program to read a disk,
the BLITZ reads and writes the disk in one pass.  The BLITZ backs-up
protected and non-protected disks in the same amount of time.

BLITZ - CONNECTIONS (Using BLITZ cable purchased from AT YOUR SERVICE)
======================================================================

BLITZ ONLY copies FROM Drive 1 (an internal drive or an external drive)
TO Drive 2 (an external drive).

1) If Drive 1 is external, connect the Computer to Drive 1 in the normal
   manner using your original ST drive cable.

2) The rectangular 25 pin DB connector connects to the Computer's printer
   out port.

3) If Drive 1 is internal, the circular 14 pin DIN connector with the
   thinner cable connects to Computer drive's out port.

   If Drive 1 is external, the circular 14 pin DIN connector with the
   thinner cable connects to Drive 1's out port.

4) The circular 14 pin DIN connector with the thicker cable connects
   to Drive 2's in port.

BLITZ - INSTRUCTIONS
====================

You will NOT be able to use your external drive in a normal way with
the BLITZ cable plugged in.

BLITZ comes as a program or a desk accessory.

 - To run it as a program, you will need "BLITZ.PRG" and "BLITZ.RSC" in
   your working folder.

 - To run it as an accessory, you will need "BLITZ.ACC" and "BLITZ.RSC"
   on the root directory of your boot-up disk.

If you are unsure as to whether a disk is single-sided or double-sided,
copy it double sided.  (Copying double-sided just takes longer).

BLITZ will quite happily appear to write to a write protected disk.
DON'T WORRY! - If a disk is write protected then there is NO WAY that
BLITZ can write to it - unless your disk drive is faulty!

BLITZ operates the disk drives at a very low level.  When backing up
disks it should go through an entire disk without a pause.  If it does
pause (for a second or more) then it has gone out of synchronization
and you MUST recopy the disk.  In this case, press ESCAPE to abort the
copy and restart it again.


BLITZ - CONSTRUCTION
====================

Before constructing the BLITZ cable, you should have some knowledge about 
wiring and soldering, a good pencil-type soldering gun, and about $25.00
worth of parts.

If you do not want to attempt to assemble the cable, you can purchase a 
built cable for $35.00 (which includes the built cable, software and
shipping) from:

                +--------------------------------------+
                |           AT YOUR SERVICE            |
                |         2856 Leechburg Road          |
                |        Lower Burrell, PA 15068       |
                |               U.S.A.                 |
                |           (412) 335-4477             |
                +--------------------------------------+

If you do want to assemble the cable, you can purchase the parts from the
above address for $25.00 (which includes the cable parts, software and
shipping).

PARTS NEEDED:

  1 - 6 Foot ST Drive Cable     - $20.00
  1 - DB 25 Pin Male Printer Plug - 1.50
  1 - DB 25 Printer Plug Hood     - 1.50
  1 - Disk (BLITZ Program)        - 2.00
                         Shipping - FREE (PREPAID ONLY)
                                --------
                           TOTAL  $25.00 (PREPAID ONLY)

To assemble the BLITZ cable, basically all you have to do is cut an
Atari disk drive cable and add a third plug that goes to your computer
printer port.  If you own an internal drive you should measure the
distance from your computer to your external drive and cut the cable
accordingly (Remembering that the total cable length is 6 feet and that
the rest of the cable goes from the computer's printer port to the
computer's disk drive port).  However, if you own two external disk
drives, cutting the cable in half is probably better, because both
drives should be of equal distance from the computer.

On the next page are all the connections necessary to build the cable.
However, the cable wire colors are ONLY from the cable supplied by
AT YOUR SERVICE.


COMPUTER (INTERNAL)                                 COMPUTER
OR DRIVE 1 (EXTERNAL)      DRIVE 2                  PRINTER
OUT PORT                   IN PORT                  OUT PORT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 PIN DIN PLUG (MALE)     14 PIN DIN PLUG (MALE)   25 PIN DB PLUG (MALE)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               2 --WHITE--------------- 2
    3 --VIOLET--------VIOLET-- 3                          
                               4 --BLACK--------------- 9
                               5 --BLUE---------------- 3
                               6 --PEACH/BLACK--------- 3
                               7 --GREEN-------------- 20
                               8 --BLUE/BLACK---------- 7
                               9 --YELLOW-------------- 6
                              10 --WHITE/BLACK--------- 5
    1 --GRAY----------PEACH-- 11
                              12 --BROWN--------------- 4
                              13 --ORANGE------------- 11
                              14 --RED----------------- 8
    SHIELD ---------------  SHIELD ----------------- SHIELD

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   14 PIN MALE PLUG (ATARI DIN STYLE)
                              PIN LAYOUT
                    (VIEWING FRONT OF PLUG/PIN SIDE)

                                 GRY
                                  *        
                     VIO * 3      1      2 * WHT
                  BLU * 5        RED        4 * BLK
                GRN * 7   ORG     *     BRN   6 * PEA/BLK
               YEL * 9     *      14     *     8 * BLU/BLK
              PEA * 11     13           12     10 * WHT/BLK

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       25 PIN MALE PLUG (DB STYLE)
                               PIN LAYOUT
                   (VIEWING REAR OF PLUG/SOLDER SIDE)
                                                             BLU          
                                                              &         
                                             BLU/    WHT/    PEA/          
                             ORG     BLK RED BLK YEL BLK BRN BLK WHT   
 18  17  16  15  14  13  12  11  10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

 36  35  34  33  32  31  30  29  28  27  26  25  24  23  22  21  20  19
                                                                 GRN

COURTESY OF:                AT YOUR SERVICE
                          2856 Leechburg Road
                        Lower Burrell, PA 15068
                            (412) 335-4477

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Inquiries may be sent to AT YOUR SERVICE or the below address via USENET.

                  ******  Orders only to AT YOUR SERVICE ******
			  ~~~~~~ ~~~~
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | Dan Karbowsky      kar7481@pitt!cuphub /   S U P P O R T  T H E  S T ! ! !  |
 | 102 Lee Drive      ___________________/Call the ATARI ELITE of PITTSBURGH'S |
 | Belle Vernon, PA  / BBS (Forem-ST,fnet node 19)  at (412) 384-5609 at 300   |
 | 15012   U.S.A.   / thru 19.2k baud 24 hrs./day 7-days/week   Mention this   |
 |	           / message at logon.                                         |
 +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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Received: by caneva.irst.it (4.0/SMI-4.0)
	id AA23651; Sat, 18 Nov 89 07:32:27 +0100
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 89 07:32:27 +0100
From: uucp (Uucp System)
Message-Id: <8911180632.AA23651@caneva.irst.it>
To: seba
Subject: Blitz- my impressions
Status: R


Received: from CCIW.BITNET by McMaster.CA; Thu, 16 Nov 89 09:21 EDT
Date: Thu 16 11 89 07:44:00 EST
From: U009@CCIW.BITNET
Subject: Blitz- my impressions
To: Info-Atari16@Score.Stanford.edu                                 (

Hi again. Just a couple of thoughts about the Blitz duplicator.

Great innovation. Ranks up there with the Magic Sac and Spectre as
a great hack. All the more impressive because it's the type of thing:
"Gee, I could have thought of that!" In fact, after the first disk came
off, that's exactly what I thought.

How does it work? It seems to control the "from" drive by the normal
floppy ports, using pulse width modulation (PWM) on the MOTOR ON line to
adjust the floppy rotation speed. It controls the "to" floppy completely
thru the parallel printer port, and I imagine it uses PWM there too. The
program observes the index pulses from both drives and adjusts the rates
so both floppies rotate in synchronism.  The read data from the "from"
drive is connected directly to the write data line on the "to" drive (see
table below). When both drives are synchronized, the write gate line is
activated for 1 revolution and all the data is copied to the "to" drive,
keeping all pulse widths and relative timings identical. The routine then
advances to the next track and repeats the operation.

The same process could be used to build a stand-alone duplicator for
5-1/4" drives too. Probably an 8031 or even an 8748 would be all that is
required in a processor. A couple of switches to select 40 or 80 tracks,
1 or 2 sides (or default to 2, it's only an extra 20 seconds) and the 2
drives.

>From the previous posting (with signal names added):

> COMPUTER (INTERNAL)                                 COMPUTER
> OR DRIVE 1 (EXTERNAL)      DRIVE 2                  PRINTER
> OUT PORT                   IN PORT                  OUT PORT
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 14 PIN DIN PLUG (MALE)     14 PIN DIN PLUG (MALE)   25 PIN DB PLUG (MALE)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                                1                             - Read Data
>                                2 --WHITE--------------- 2    - Side 0 Select
> Logic Gnd 3 --VIOLET--VIOLET-- 3                             - Logic Ground
>                                4 --BLACK--------------- 9    - Index Pulse
>                                5 --BLUE---------------- 3    - Drive 0 Select
>                                6 --PEACH/BLACK--------- 3    - Drive 1 Select
>                                7 --GREEN-------------- 20    - Logic Ground
>                                8 --BLUE/BLACK---------- 7    - Motor ON
>                                9 --YELLOW-------------- 6    - Direction IN
>                               10 --WHITE/BLACK--------- 5    - Step Pulse
>   Read Data 1 --GRAY--PEACH-- 11                             - Write Data
>                               12 --BROWN--------------- 4    - Write Gate
>                               13 --ORANGE------------- 11    - Track 0
>                               14 --RED----------------- 8    - Write Protect
>     SHIELD ---------------  SHIELD ----------------- SHIELD

Regards, Stu Beal, VE3MWM, (U009@CCIW.BITNET),
National Water Research Institute,
Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
