For the purposes of ultimate compatibility, is that 3.2 ROM switchable to 1.3, since that version seems to have the best compatibility for games? Anyway, I still have my Amiga 1000 that I bought way back when it first came out! Haven't fired it up in years, but the next time I think about it, I will. Good times.
Interesting board and like the clean design, but *really* weird choice to stick with 64 pin sockets for expansion. Then again my MegaST had up to 5 layers of PCBs stacked on top of each other (PuPla + PAK [030 @50MHz + Cache + TOS 3.06] + FRAK [64MB FastRAM] + Panther/2 [ISA + Mach32 GPU + NE2000 LAN] + c't IDE). Would love to see a fully powered up recreation board being made, but I'm pretty much done with Atari 16/32 and have only kept my maxed out 1040STE.
Sticking with the 64 pin sockets is to maintain compatibility with existing upgrades already available for original STs. This also keeps the super small market for these things as big as possible. I do get it that there are much more efficient and durable ways to do the same thing.
@@powerofvintage9442 I did get that, small adapter PCBs would be only slightly more expensive and way more flexible - but who am I to complain - it's not my project and if it serves most people it's good. Sticking with the ST "keyboard computer" design also is a mixed bag. Switchable "Personality modules" for switching between ST/STE/TT/Falcon would be awesome - but then again the Atari 16/32 community is let's say complicated (I left it when doing repros of the boards mentioned above for a number of reasons - only the c't IDE layout I did was shared to some extend).
@@1337Shockwav3 The idea of personality modules sounds super cool! I mean these computers are relics and all of these improvements / updates / replicas should be for fun in the end.
Ah that's really interesting to see a video on how it performs without graphics card! I've only seen it running on my 68030 ST with and without graphics card.
Nice upgrade to the keyboard. Looks like these domes doesn't fit 100%, even after your refitting procedure? Why haven't you choosen these domes also for the space key? 7:24 I think the jumper you found is from the expansion port J20, as it's populated with your CT60 (63?). With no card attached, you'll need a jumper there. But of course you know that! 😉
Good questions. The domes fit "ok" but actually are working pretty well having used them this past week....better than the original ones. For the space key, the instructions that the domes came with highlight that the neon orange dome is an original TT feel dome and suggests using it for the spacebar key....so that's what I did. I think if they'd all been that neon orange style dome, they'd be even better. You're probably right about the jumper! I was just surprised to find it there.
Ok, was able to try out a few more games including Dark Forces. Tested out Master of Orion 2 (works great) and Dark Forces (is nearly a slideshow). Games in the queue to test are Heroes of Might and Magic (1 and 2), Warcraft 1, Master of Orion 1, Civilization 1 (VGA graphics on Mac). With the CD games, finding a no-CD crack is needed because the Falcon doesn’t have enough space on a partition for a 500mb hard drive image and a CD-rom image.
The limit at this point is that Apple switched to the Powerpc architecture in 1994 which most games adopted soon afterwards. If they don't really need the powerpc CPU or if I can disable the check, I might be able to get some of them to work.
@@powerofvintage9442 - I've wondered a bit "what might've been" had Atari taken a similar path to Apple, and switched to PowerPC. I talked to someone about that a few years ago, and he said it would not have been possible, because of software compatibility issues. The way Atari structured their OS would've made existing ST software incompatible with such machines, which would've been deadly for such a platform, because the market for Atari's computers had already withered away. The short of it is Atari didn't plan for such a transition, and provide support to developers so they and their customers wouldn't be left in the lurch if Atari moved over to something else. So, they were stuck with the Motorola 68k series, which as you've demonstrated, kept up with the early Pentium, but not beyond it.
The Falcon seems like a really nice computer for a hobbyist collector with all these upgrades and additions to squeeze out more performance, would be nice to have one.... doubt I'll ever see one in my area so thanks for the videos on it.
Wow! Really cool to see WC2 at all on an Atari system. I played it a few years ago on an AMD K6-3+ retro system I temporarily had, and it felt like a game far beyond what an Atari (or Amiga) could do. This is great!
@@powerofvintage9442 I know, just dont know if you had it enabled or ran onboard 68030... in case you mentioned it in video I must have missed it, thats why Im asking. Running game on CT63 is kinda like running it on Pentium...
@@madigorfkgoogle9349 Ah, gotcha! Yes it is definitely closer to a pentium in power. Trying to find other software/games that can be run on the system is less a matter of power and more a matter of software / coding. The Basilisk emulator helps to open up the late Macintosh 68k library and these tweaks with the resolution and color depth help to make that library not just runnable, but playable.
I once had a Shifter in a MSTE that went flaky with a HD Module grabbing the 16 MHz from it, so I put a crystal on the Module to make things work. Apparently, some Shifters don't like the extra load on the 16 MHz output pin.
This is great... Now we just need a case! There are some new Amiga cases around to buy... What about some Atari ST cases ? In addition to my STe I also have an Atari 1040 STf with a damaged case I'd love to replace... Now, am I going to have to use a, oh sacrilege, Amiga 1200 case for it?
Agreed! There are a number of folks with 3D printable cases. This is a top case only here www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=6987, I've seen a full case another person had printed and sold. It just isn't to the level that the Amiga's have had.
@@powerofvintage9442 Thank for the link... I'm going to have a look for a local FabLab with a suitable 3D printer (given I live close to Paris, this should be doable 🙂) . Alternatively I've found someone selling 3D printed ST cases but he's in Poland, so not that close to France where I live
@@stephanepitteloud1849 Using the software "Blowup" The Videl chip is really crazy flexible to the point of it destroying CRT monitors if you tell it to output the wrong signal. Blowup, Videlity, Centvidel, are three programs that allow specific tweaking to the video output. It's a bit of a process to set it up and get it stable on non-multisync monitors, but worth it. @commodoreisnottheonlyfruit has a great video showing how to set up Videlity within Hatari emulation...it's a great start for for real hardware....with all the disclaimers. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oPh6EUgqdeI.html
This is an awesome video! Really cool to see the 68030 and H5 board together. I look forward to more on the TF536. Are there any 68000/68010 + cache accelerators available for the ST? (like what the Mega STe comes with)
yes there is the DSTB1 that boosts to 16mhz with fastram, not cache though. However running in the fastram REALLY boosts performance. It is a hobbyist project at the moment. @thetechnoshed designed it and has some video content on it. I believe he's made it open source so anyone can build one (if you have the skills).
"not much use for the blitter' Poor ST, if it had come with one, people definitely would have used it more! As for the cache, it is less about TOS 2.06 working with it (it works great on the Mega STe), but some games don't expect a cache there (as the 8Mhz 68k didn't have the larger cache). On my old Mega STe, if I tried to run games from the desktop, my process was to usually 1) Test game, if crash, 2) disable cache, if crash, 3) lower to 8mhz, if crash 4) Boot floppy to TOS 1.04. If the last one didn't work, I gave up :P
I put the links in the description. They are not available, but with enough interest I’m certain more will be made available. www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=4476 And the store under “motherboards” www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ Also a forum post asking what the next batch should look like www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=6655
@@powerofvintage9442 maybe you should get a Meanwell PSU instead, it is closed, you just need to 3D print a cover bar over the leads to stay safe. I was feeling uneasy seeing you touching the PSU with cord connected.
@@madigorfkgoogle9349 Good point. I should probably say something about that. I'm very familiar with these PSU's having rebuilt many as well as rewired ST's with Meanwells. I'm not nervous at all around manipulating them in this way (as I know where I can touch and NOT touch), but I can totally see others thinking I'm crazy.
@@powerofvintage9442 well, I worked with many many computers and many different types of PSUs over the decades, Im also very aware where to touch what and Im also 100% sure you know what to not touch to stay safe, but.... there is a big but in the form of tracing and debugging the rig and it happens that you look elsewhere searching for error while holding the power switch thinking you are safe, but since you do have to look elsewhere your fingers might slip. I got electrified by 240VAC so many times due to such stupid "slipping". Its simply too hard for me to watch and would appreciate if you would use more safe way for such a open bench top project like this.
And of course I did mean 32bit. But I’ve had loads of fun customizing my Mega STe with better hardware. I had considered a CPU upgrade but being the design of the system makes that complicated (cache and such) I didn’t do it. I’d payed attention to your CT60 (or was it a CT63?) video on your Falcon. If I pick up a Falcon I may try it!
They are currently Unobtainable :( . i think the MB i have is beyond my skills to fix so I have a doner board) I had tried to install a 16MGhz upgrade when I was 16 with a radio shack iron. I got it working , but it's flaky and ugly.
Very cool. Once you set up a new ST, it might be worth showing software which really takes advantage of the hardware. For example there are a few games which use the Blitter chip (Pacmania comes to mind, as its STE version is so different from the original version). As far as a 68030 at 16 MHz, I'm sure there are some software out there as well.
Loved your video and thank you for sharing your work. I wish I had the knack and brainpower for precision 3D modeling, but I don't think it's meant to be. Thanks again!
Papyrus is a great word processor. Really other than all the autocorrecting / AI stuff, word processors don't seem to have really progressed too much since the mid / late 1990's.
@@powerofvintage9442 I think the autocorrect stuff has just made people dumber. I can't have a typed conversation on a phone or computer with anyone without reading tons of simple mistakes
My 17 years old son is a keyboard freak - he has plenty of them from let's say top shelf. Everytime when I am teasing with my collection of STs he approaches MEGA ST keyboard and asks to borrow for doing some typing 😀 I also have a feeling that mega st has this classic/retro cherry keyboard feeling and like it better than mega ste/tt one. Thanks for sharing!
Followed this step by step but I'm just getting E34 on my Gotek. Haven't installed any mods but the Gotek just refuses to read any USB drives. I have done research however I'm getting multiple and some times conflicting information on what the issue may be.
@@powerofvintage9442 I sent an e-mail with 'Gotek image from RU-vid video' as the subject'. I am being realistic that I am either overlooking something or I'm just doing it wrong :).
I did the same upgrade on my 520ST and my initial reaction was quite similar. The extra force required is a bit much and takes getting used to but I absolutely prefer it over the original mushy keyboard.
There was a guy developing his own version of TT touch on Exxos forum. He then went completely quiet and disappeared. It was then shown that best electronics were advertising a new version of TT touch using the photos that this person was showing on Exxos forum. Coincidence? Who knows.
The guy who created the vic chip for the C64 admitted they copied directly from the Atari 800. The C64 had a few graphics modes that were a bit better than the Atari. The sid sound chip had a more interesting sound to it but it only had 3 voices to the Atari's 4. The Atari's sound chip also had so extra effects the sid didn't have either. The disk drive on the C64 was the slowest disk drive of any computer of the era ever made. The Atari also had a DOS, and the C64 was controlled strictly from basic. The C64 had access to all 64k whereas the 800 could only access 48k. That is due to the C64 having a custom 6502 CPU called the 6510 which was only available to the C64 at the time because Commodore owned the 6502 architecture.
Interesting. The Atari cherry keyboards are the best. Love the mega st keyboard. The Atari PC1, PC2 and first gen PC3's also had a cherry keyboard which is fantastic and looks great. Maybe the only keyboard that is better is the IBM model M keyboard? Anyway, an upgrade for the 520/1040/Falcon keyboards is needed. This may be a good solution. Wonder how you will think about it in a few weeks...
We’ll see. I agree that this is a longer-term evaluation. It feels good today, but needing more force to type. I didn’t realize that the Atari PC’s also had the same keyboard switches as the Mega ST. Love that keyboard!
Back in the day (late 1993?) I quickly recased my Falcon into a tower case (Lighthouse, I think) and as part of that bought a TT keyboard to use with it. I really must get that set up again, it's been over 25 years and I do still have it. From what i recall it was a decent keyboard upgrade, at least in part as I could move the keyboard about without moving an entire wedge computer. I do wonder though if i should dig the Falcon out and put it back in its original case for a classic look.
I do like the TT / Mega STe keyboards. They are definitely an upgrade over the stock STF keyboards. Regarding the “casing”. I think you could easily make a “case” for both options. There aren’t many towered Falcons left I would expect so that would make it a rarer example. Although stock is also cool!
I use Xboot so I have boot options for 030 mode, 060 mode, Mint, Mint with resolution enhancing software (blowup), and a few others. I love the flexibility of Xboot, so I can use Mint or just TOS 4.04 depending on what I’m doing.
Thanks for doing this, restoring an Atari STf right now and the keyboard had 1 missing dome, I did get another STf in a lot (I needed the colour monitor plus it had a lot of Atari Magazines, manuals, a modem, and an external floppy drive) and the keyboard was better but it had a wire pulled from the connector piece attached to the board. However these do look interesting and once I get a working board together if it's too mushy these may do the trick.
I think the main reason there's never been a replacement ST keyboard is that no one makes keycaps with the reverse-L shaped enter anymore. I looked into doing it and that was the biggest hurdle, it's just too expensive to get that key made. If you remove that key from the equation, it's very difficult to come up with an alternative layout that fits neatly in the shape of the ST layout and also makes sense... believe me, I've tried. If anyone makes an alternative ST keyboard that drops into a 1040ST they will most likely also need to make an alternate top case, unless it just leaves big gaps everywhere. Also the ST's spacebar is 9U, another key that can't be made anymore without a huge investment. The XE mechanical keyboard had to work around that as well and I really don't like what they did... the last thing I want to do is move control keys to the wrong place on an Atari.
Mega ST keyboard is the best keyboard ever made in the history of computers. The MX switches combined with the brilliance of the Atari ST keyboard layout.
I bought two sets of xe touch and one TT touch and put a set of xe ones in and they were tactile but way to stiff so I put the others on eBay and reverted back to the mush OEM ones. I love how Brad always says “slow down!” When you read your credit card off to him no matter how slow you go 😆
He's a character for sure, but so grateful for him and his shop! I did the TT Touch upgrade in my Falcon, and am going to do the same for my ST. Oddly, I think my STacy still has the best keyboard of the lot.
Used to fix these back in the day, they were a much nicer board to work on than the Amiga, never failed to fix one :) Now if only someone would make a new PCB for a Sega System X I'd be very happy!
Good question! I kept the original 68000 to troubleshoot and set up. Kept it simple to begin with to isolate the variables. I have a part 2 that I’m working to edit that adds a TOS decoder, tests a TF536 68030 @ 50mhz accelerator, and trying to get a 68000 running at 16mhz (boosted speed). I also show adding the cartridge port and printer port. Along with testing the cartridge port. So coming soon!
I believe you should team up with Atari. I believe an ST mini is coming and your advice would be perfect for the best way for them to design it for compatibility.
ROM acceleration will be very noticable on the desktop -- all OS function will run at 16MHz. It's a nice boost. Very few games will benefit as few use the OS functions. Frontbench certainly won't. I have a video showing exactly how many OS calls Frontier uses by having it flash an LED. The bodge wires on the back of the CPU socket will be the bus arbitration lines for the blitter -- it's a DMA device. The 68k had no coprocessor control lines so the FPU will be mapped into address space like that of the MegaSTE. Hardly any software is compiled for this 'peripheral' FPU mode, as the 'coprocessor' mode was virtually ubiquitous. If you have a dig around on the Exxos or Atari forums there was some work done about a year and a half ago to provide a TSR program that hooked the coprocessor calls and redirected them to the MSTE peripheral address. Might be worth testing that? Prove it works on the MSTE before trying on this as -- who knows -- the mapped address may be different. Not sure the MSTE was out when this accelerator was built so they may not have had anything to copy.
My Atari Mega STE still world fine. I used it some weeks ago to recover the content of an Atari formatted floppy disk where my Brother stored a document in 1992.
