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#61
Hardware / Re: Atari 520 STFM - Issue 4x ...
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 12-06-2025, 16:13:37Quote from: DigitalSkunk on 12-06-2025, 05:46:09It really is a shame more software didn't use it. I think maybe I saw a forum somewhere about someone doing adaptations of games to make use of it, since it is such a wasted opportunity. Or maybe mentioning starting a project around that.
I get that a lot of thew time commercial software is made for "the lowest common denominator" but... you could even put a Blitter in most the earlier models with a manageable amount of effort. In fact, I feel like the ST was made for modding and upgrading. lol
Would be interesting to explore how manageable a task that would be. Would imagine that would be getting pretty deep in assembly, etc though....
Also that is amazing on the STacy! Sounds like it was fun to assemble also haha (I really enjoy that sort of thing)
I've had so much fun with my STacy. It's currently apart, where I've been doing a bunch of upgrades. I'm wanting to get it right before I put it back together (they are notoriously fun to take apart).
I've got a few short Youtube videos where you can see some of the things I'm doing with it, and it in action.
Some great Spectrum pictures:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbHhlOskuc8
Music to drive off the Monday blues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1JI0sADi1A
STDOOM at 40mhz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcOMiAHXenM
#62
Hardware / Re: Atari 520 STFM - Issue 4x ...
Last post by DigitalSkunk - 12-06-2025, 05:46:09It really is a shame more software didn't use it. I think maybe I saw a forum somewhere about someone doing adaptations of games to make use of it, since it is such a wasted opportunity. Or maybe mentioning starting a project around that.
I get that a lot of thew time commercial software is made for "the lowest common denominator" but... you could even put a Blitter in most the earlier models with a manageable amount of effort. In fact, I feel like the ST was made for modding and upgrading. lol
Would be interesting to explore how manageable a task that would be. Would imagine that would be getting pretty deep in assembly, etc though....
Also that is amazing on the STacey! Sounds like it was fun to assemble also haha (I really enjoy that sort of thing)
I get that a lot of thew time commercial software is made for "the lowest common denominator" but... you could even put a Blitter in most the earlier models with a manageable amount of effort. In fact, I feel like the ST was made for modding and upgrading. lol
Would be interesting to explore how manageable a task that would be. Would imagine that would be getting pretty deep in assembly, etc though....
Also that is amazing on the STacey! Sounds like it was fun to assemble also haha (I really enjoy that sort of thing)
#63
Hardware / Re: Atari 520 STFM - Issue 4x ...
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 11-06-2025, 16:39:53Quote from: DigitalSkunk on 11-06-2025, 07:32:52Quite the collection you have there! How did you manage to get a hold of a STacy?
I always loved the aesthetic of the ST line, especially the Megas.
I want to start doing homebrew on my 520 ST once I graduate. Thinking Petari's TOS 1.04 Improved + the TOS 2.06 GUI will be the perfect combo.
Plus I can switch easily to stock 1.04 and 2.06 to test compatibility while having all of Petari's quality of life improvement on my older ST, and HD drivers right in ROM.
Also there a Blitter in there now... curious if I can find clever ways to leverage it for games.
<img src="https://forum.8bitchip.info/Smileys/default/cool.gif" alt="" title="Cool" class="smiley">
I got lucky on the STacy. A guy I know that lived a couple of hours away had one that he was working on (he actually had more than one) and let me have it for $400.00. He even let me make payments on it. The catch is, when I got it and opened the box, it was in pieces. He didn't take the time to put it back together. So, never having taken a STacy apart, I had to figure out how everything went back together. That was entertaining. (this was probably 15 years ago or more). Of course, I've done crazy things to it now, including a Pak 68/3 board running at 40mhz, the RGB2HDMI mod for a color screen and more.
That dual combination of TOS should work well for you and your efforts.
I wish more games had taken advantage of the blitter. I mean, it's been around since the Mega ST's came out but a lot of software ignores it. It seemed like it wasn't really taken seriously until the STe came out.
#64
Hardware / Re: Atari 520 STFM - Issue 4x ...
Last post by DigitalSkunk - 11-06-2025, 07:32:52Quite the collection you have there! How did you manage to get a hold of a STacy?
I always loved the aesthetic of the ST line, especially the Megas.
I want to start doing homebrew on my 520 ST once I graduate. Thinking Petari's TOS 1.04 Improved + the TOS 2.06 GUI will be the perfect combo.
Plus I can switch easily to stock 1.04 and 2.06 to test compatibility while having all of Petari's quality of life improvement on my older ST, and HD drivers right in ROM.
Also there a Blitter in there now... curious if I can find clever ways to leverage it for games.
I always loved the aesthetic of the ST line, especially the Megas.
I want to start doing homebrew on my 520 ST once I graduate. Thinking Petari's TOS 1.04 Improved + the TOS 2.06 GUI will be the perfect combo.
Plus I can switch easily to stock 1.04 and 2.06 to test compatibility while having all of Petari's quality of life improvement on my older ST, and HD drivers right in ROM.
Also there a Blitter in there now... curious if I can find clever ways to leverage it for games.
#65
Hardware / Re: Atari 520 STFM - Issue 4x ...
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 10-06-2025, 02:01:39I love the later TOS versions. So many features and I love
the single-key keyboard shortcuts.
I've got TOS v2.06 in my Mega ST4, TOS v2.06 in my Mega STe,
and TOS v3.06 in my STacy.
the single-key keyboard shortcuts.
I've got TOS v2.06 in my Mega ST4, TOS v2.06 in my Mega STe,
and TOS v3.06 in my STacy.
#66
Hardware / Re: Atari 520 STFM - Issue 4x ...
Last post by DigitalSkunk - 09-06-2025, 20:21:46I actually ended up completely redoing everything.
I left the original 28 pin ROM sockets in place. I got some rainbow ribbon cables and used some prototype board to move the new EPROMs over to where the factory RAM was previously. I can easily pop in 32 pin ROMs or switch back to the originals for testing by inserting one or the other.
Also put two switches in the area under the keyboard with the joystick ports to avoid drilling any holes in my case, but allow easy TOS version switching without opening the case.
The issue I found was ground on the GAL chip accidentally shorted to another ground area on the board, which I believe was keeping the GAL from operating. (It will worked on the stock ROMs that the GLUE can address, which didn't rely on the GAL chip)
TOS Improved is so cool.... now to figure out storage and a regular backup solution so I can start really playing with my ST
I left the original 28 pin ROM sockets in place. I got some rainbow ribbon cables and used some prototype board to move the new EPROMs over to where the factory RAM was previously. I can easily pop in 32 pin ROMs or switch back to the originals for testing by inserting one or the other.
Also put two switches in the area under the keyboard with the joystick ports to avoid drilling any holes in my case, but allow easy TOS version switching without opening the case.
The issue I found was ground on the GAL chip accidentally shorted to another ground area on the board, which I believe was keeping the GAL from operating. (It will worked on the stock ROMs that the GLUE can address, which didn't rely on the GAL chip)
TOS Improved is so cool.... now to figure out storage and a regular backup solution so I can start really playing with my ST
#68
FAQ / Atari ST Tour disk
Last post by Petari - 03-06-2025, 15:47:51Very recommended for beginners with Atari ST(E) and followers: Atari ST Tour floppy. It was released in 1986 and supplied with some Atari ST sales, I guess mostly in USA .
There is even one game in it: Ranarama .
Get floppy image at atarimania : https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-atari-st-tour_25770.html
Hard disk adapt: https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/atsttour.html
YT video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evWI_MabXbQ
There is even one game in it: Ranarama .
Get floppy image at atarimania : https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-atari-st-tour_25770.html
Hard disk adapt: https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/atsttour.html
YT video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evWI_MabXbQ
#69
Hardware / Issue when duplicating date fr...
Last post by Patrick_d - 28-05-2025, 17:54:28Hello,
I have got a Falcon with a 3.5" 350 Mb hard disk drive inside, and the sound made by the drive indicates that his end of life will be very close....
So, I have tried to "clone" the HDD to a Compact flash Card with drive imaging without any results. I can extract the files from my hdd (and able to read them), I can make an image file, but when I try to write the image to the CF, the Falcon did not see it...
I have made a lot of test on two CF card one 512 Mb, and one 4 Gb (format card, write a 'zero' image on it, delete "partition" swap L/H, etc.) but all are Unsuccessful...
If you have any idea, tell me!!
I have got a Falcon with a 3.5" 350 Mb hard disk drive inside, and the sound made by the drive indicates that his end of life will be very close....
So, I have tried to "clone" the HDD to a Compact flash Card with drive imaging without any results. I can extract the files from my hdd (and able to read them), I can make an image file, but when I try to write the image to the CF, the Falcon did not see it...
I have made a lot of test on two CF card one 512 Mb, and one 4 Gb (format card, write a 'zero' image on it, delete "partition" swap L/H, etc.) but all are Unsuccessful...
If you have any idea, tell me!!
#70
Software / Re: New game adaptations
Last post by dakidski - 28-05-2025, 00:10:38I agree, bless Petari!